Preston Frazier: Hello Mark Anthony K. It’s always a pleasure to speak to you about your new music. You are so prolific—not only with Projekt Gemineye, but Dark Monarchy, and some work under your own name. This new album is extraordinary. Let’s start with the title: The Dark Days of Yesterday. What is the meaning behind it?

Mark Anthony K : This album was written a little while back. I write a lot—pretty much every day. A lot of the lyrics came from tough patches I was going through—family stuff and personal battles. When I looked back, I realized there was a running theme: not all positive, often me venting through lyrics. But I kept it vague enough to avoid pointing fingers at specific people or situations. It’s all behind me now—I’m in a good place—so I see these as my “dark days of yesterday.” For example, the song You Are the One might sound like a positive title, but it’s actually about a toxic relationship.

Preston : Your last album, Stories and Legends, was a brilliant homage to Canada. Does this new album have a central theme?

Mark: Not in the same way. If there’s a theme, it’s me processing things from my past—situations I wanted to move away from. I believe in acknowledging things to move forward, and that’s what these songs are for me.

Preston : Did you write all the music at once, or are some songs left over from earlier projects?

Mark: Musically, it’s all new. I rarely reuse songs from previous albums. I like to start fresh with each project—it excites me.

Preston : Last year, you released Force of Nature and a few other singles on Bandcamp. Did you consider including them on this album?

Mark: No. Those singles were experiments—I wanted to test new production techniques. I worked on one song at a time, committing to effects and sounds during recording, inspired by Bob Ezrin’s approach. It taught me to commit to a vision early. Those four singles were standalone and helped me develop the confidence to use these techniques on the new album.

Preston : Let’s talk about some individual tracks. Hear the Call has an epic instrumental intro.

Mark: Hear the Call started with the lyric idea of a spiritual or personal call to pull yourself out of a bad situation. Musically, I wanted it to feel epic—clean guitar tones, deep Moog-like bass, and melodic bass lines more up-front in the mix this time. The 12-string electric guitar in the bridge gave it extra life. I used my double-neck guitar—like the Jimmy Page/Alex Lifeson style—direct into the interface, sculpted with EQ for clarity.

Preston : It’s brilliant. And the mid-song tempo change and anthemic leads are fantastic.

Mark: Thank you! I wanted the song to end on an even bigger, more harmonious note, with drums and bass interplay, and rich vocal harmonies.

Preston : Let’s move to I’ll Be There. The synth intro and Hammond organ touches stood out.

Mark: Yes, the Hammond organ is a favorite of mine—thanks to Rick Wakeman and Tony Kaye. I layered orchestral parts—strings, cellos, and brass like French horn and trumpets—to make the chorus sound huge. Lyrically, it’s about someone offering support to someone in a dark place, though there’s resistance at first. It became one of my favorite tracks on the record.

Preston  You Are the One—the opening track—what can you tell us?

Mark: I like to open with something punchy. This song has very present drums—toms and snares that jump out. It’s shorter than my usual 8-9 minute epics, but it packs a lot of energy. I learned that a song doesn’t need seven sections to keep attention if the existing parts are strong enough.

Preston : Seek the Truth is another standout.

Mark: That was the first song I wrote for the record. High-energy, fast-paced, with some double-kick drumming that harkens back to my earlier work. I also pushed my vocal range and worked on more adventurous harmonies—sometimes layering counter-melodies like Queen.

Preston : A Voice in the Dark is an epic, nearly 10 minutes, with intricate guitars and ominous synths.

Mark: That song is about the other side—the voice that tempts you into bad decisions. Everyone wrestles with that inner devil. The song progresses through multiple movements, starting with fingerpicked Stratocaster sections and clean guitar melodies. I used my Gibson SG for the crunchier parts and my Les Paul for leads. I also spent time sculpting tones during recording, committing to the final sound immediately.

Preston : There’s so much texture—it rewards repeated headphone listens.

Mark: Exactly. I wanted the production to be immersive. The guitars, synths, and orchestrations all had to serve the emotional arc.

Preston : You’ve also got The Things You Fear, which isn’t on the vinyl.

Mark: Right. Vinyl has time limitations. To keep each side around 20 minutes, I had to omit one track. I plan to release it as a non-album single, digitally and maybe on CD. Vinyl buyers can still get it separately.

Preston : Let’s talk about the physical releases. You’ve built a reputation for top-notch vinyl.

Mark: I love vinyl. I remember opening KISS and Genesis records with stickers, inserts, and gatefolds. I want people to feel their $30 was well spent, so I include polylined sleeves, full-color lyric booklets, posters, and hype stickers. I ship bulk pre-orders to a U.S. contact to avoid shipping issues and tariffs, then they go out domestically.

Preston Frazier: Will the album be out on November 12, with vinyl shortly after?

Mark: Yes. Digital and CD will be ready in early, and vinyl will follow depending on postal strikes and pressing schedules.

Preston Frazier: Fantastic. I’ll include links to your Bandcamp and YouTube in my post. Any final thoughts?

Mark: I’m also working on a new Dark Monarchy album with Joe Bailey, plus another Projekt Gemineye album for 2026. Thank you, Preston, for your support and for the wonderful Yes book—it’s an honor to be part of it.

Preston Frazier: Mark, your consistency and quality are inspiring. Thanks so much.

Mark: Thank you, Preston.

http://www.projektgemineye.com/