THRESHLD was born to transcend the artifices of the typical musical project; it feels like a coded disturbance pushed through speakers, screens and nerve endings alike. In this interview, we speak with the Baltimore-based artist behind the transmission-driven concept about the personal rupture that set everything in motion after a pandemic-era job loss, and the influences that shaped this stark, immersive vision. From the philosophy of “signal before meaning” to the collision between mechanical force and exposed vocal intensity, THRESHLD opens up about identity, control, interference and the uneasy structures shaping modern life. The conversation also moves through the project’s visual language, hybrid live format and the discipline of building an independent world with real depth. For anyone drawn to industrial sonics, conceptual weight and art that leaves a mark before explanation arrives, this is one to read in full.
THRESHLD feels rooted in an idea as much as a sound, so where did the project first begin for you on a personal level, and what part of your life pushed you towards building something so conceptually loaded?
This project started for me during 2020, around the COVID pandemic, after being laid off from my job at the Harley-Davidson York plant. It forced a reset. Music and art had always been a huge part of my life—tattoos, painting, playing in local bands around the Baltimore area—but this was the point where it shifted from something I did into something I needed to build.
What pushed it into something more conceptually driven came from a mix of that moment and my early influences—artists like The Prodigy, Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein, Marilyn Manson—projects that weren’t just music, but full experiences. Seeing how they created something cinematic and immersive changed how I viewed everything.
THRESHLD came out of that pressure point. Not to fit into anything, but to build something that reveals instead of conforms—something that carries weight before it’s even understood.
You describe THRESHLD as a transmission-driven project rather than a traditional band. What does that structure give you emotionally, creatively and philosophically that a more conventional setup never could?
Calling it a transmission removes the limits of a traditional band structure. It keeps the project open—able to evolve, shift, and expand in multiple directions without being boxed into a single identity or genre.
Creatively, it creates space for progression. Emotionally, it feels more honest because nothing is forced into a format. Philosophically, it turns the music into something that’s received rather than just performed.
It also leaves the door open for collaboration, new themes, and development into something much broader than just music. THRESHLD isn’t a fixed form—it’s something that can grow into whatever it needs to become.
The phrase “signal before meaning” carries the potential for some pioneering sonic philosophy. What does that idea mean to you, and how does it shape the way you write, arrange and present your music?
“Signal before meaning” is more than a phrase—it’s become a core philosophy behind everything in THRESHLD.
It’s about impact before explanation. There are things you feel immediately that you can’t fully articulate, and those tend to be the most real. We approach the music as a conduit for that—letting it come through without forcing it into expectations or predefined structures.
Working this way removes the pressure of trying to make something “fit.” Writing, arranging, and presenting the music becomes less like a task and more like something natural—something that exists on its own before it’s analyzed.
There’s no missing the tension between the industrial, electronic framework of the sound and the emotional force in the vocal delivery. What draws you to that friction, and what does it allow you to express about yourself?
That contrast is intentional. The industrial and electronic elements represent structure—something mechanical, controlled—while the vocals sit against that as something raw and human.
That tension reflects something bigger. It mirrors the duality in human systems—social, political, psychological—where control and chaos are constantly pushing against each other.
It allows me to express a deeper level of discontent while still existing inside the machine itself. You’re both inside it and aware of it at the same time. That friction is where most of the emotion comes from.
A lot of your themes circle identity, control, hidden signals and interference. Were those ideas born from specific experiences, thought patterns, or wider observations about the world you’re moving through?
These themes come from a wide range of sources. Psychology and sociology studies, books, films—especially sci-fi, horror, philosophy, religion—all of it feeds into the thematic layer of THRESHLD.
But a big part of it is personal. There’s a growing awareness that a lot of what we see—identity, behavior, even thought—is shaped or filtered in ways people don’t fully recognize.
Mental health being such a major focus now has made that even more visible. People are starting to realize things aren’t as stable or understood as they once thought.
THRESHLD sits in that space—between what’s presented and what’s actually there. It’s not about defining it. It’s about exposing it.
The visual identity of THRESHLD feels inseparable from the music. What role does imagery play in the project, and how consciously do you build the aesthetic language around each release?
The visual side is inseparable from the music. It’s part of the same signal.
Every release is built with a visual language that reinforces the atmosphere of the sound. Whether it’s distortion, glitch textures, or symbolic elements, it all contributes to the same world.
It’s not about repeating imagery—it’s about maintaining a consistent feeling. The music creates movement, the visuals give it form.
Your hybrid DJ and live performance approach gives the project a different kind of presence. What shifts for you when you perform in that format, and how do you want the audience to feel inside that environment?
Live, everything becomes more immediate. There’s less separation between the sound and the audience.
The structure is controlled through backing elements, but the delivery is fluid. It shifts depending on the moment, the energy, the environment.
The goal isn’t just to perform songs—it’s to create something physical. Something people feel through the low end, the pacing, the tension. If it’s working, it doesn’t feel like a performance—it feels like something happening to them.
You’re building THRESHLD independently, with a strong sense of world-building around it. What have you learnt about yourself through that process, and where do you see the project heading next in terms of releases, performance and expansion?
Building this independently forces clarity. There’s no buffer—you see what connects and what doesn’t in real time. It sharpens the direction and removes anything that isn’t necessary.
Right now, the focus is on expanding reach while pushing the identity deeper—more releases, more refined live execution, and stronger integration between sound and visuals.
The goal isn’t just growth. It’s immersion.
Making each release, each performance, feel like stepping further into something—not just hearing it.
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Connect with THRESHLD and stream their sound on all major platforms via this link.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
