"It is now time
to take back
what is
rightfully
yours… your
thoughts and
creativity."
this is what
urSESSION all
about.
What
urSESSION is
doing is what
the corporate
Goliaths do not
want you to do,
have a choice.
You are no
longer just
receiving the
music, you’re
discovering and
judging it. What
they don’t
realize is that
the revolution
has already
begun and you
are now all a
part of it.
And since its
about
'creativity', we
had to look
after that guy
who's
responsible of
all the design
and development
in the website.
His name is Dero
and he's the
Creative
Directors &
Chief Graphics
Designer for
urSESSION.com,
we were honored
to have this
very interesting
interview with
him.
- Tell us
more about
yourself, where
are you from,
and where did
you raise?
I was born and
raised in
Hollywood
California. I
went to the same
private school
as Daron, Serj,
and Shavo. The
school made us
wear a uniform
that I hated
(grey, white and
blue) so I wore
heavy metal
t-shirts
underneath my
uniform and got
scolded all the
time for writing
graffiti all
over school
property. I
think I still
have my
Metallica shirt
somewhere.
- What kind
of
business/activities
you were
involved in
before urSESSION
project?
I have always
been an artist
since I was a
little punk.
Then I saw the
movie “Style
Wars” (a
graffiti
documentary) and
my life changed.
In school, I
would draw
graffiti
sketches and go
out late at
night to paint
the city with a
backpack full of
spray paint,
usually alone.
In L.A, painting
graffiti is no
simple task. You
have cops,
vigilantes,
gangs and a
plethora of
other entities
looking to get
in your way. So
it was a total
adrenaline rush
but at the same
time it taught
me to be driven
and never
surrender. I
went by the tag
Dero.
Then I grew up!
I began to take
my art even more
seriously and
was seduced by
the darkside:
advertising! I
ended up being a
creative
director at
several
interactive
firms and had
the opportunity
to work with
some of the most
amazing people
in the ad
industry. My
design projects
included Nissan,
Honda, The Apex
Theory, Interscope
Records, G4TV,
Playboy and many
others. I even
took my graffiti
name and turned
into my online
art portfolio:
dero357.com.
- How did you
get involved
with urSESSION?
I have known
Shavo and Narb
forever and to
be honest with
you, they came
to me with the
entire urSESSION
concept when it
was still an
idea. I said yes
and swore
allegiance to
urSESSION. My
first task was
designing the
urSESSION site
you see now.
- How was it
working with
Shavo? (any
funny
story/experience
you'd like to
tell?)
Let me start
by stating that
Shavo is an
awesome
individual to
work with.
Whether it is
music, film, or
art, he is
totally
committed to the
creative craft.
I have many fond
memories with
Shav, but, to be
honest, the one
that stands out
the most is when
we first started
working on the
urSESSION site
design. We had a
16 hour meeting
in his house
about how the
site should look
and feel. One
minute we would
talk about the
site’s colors,
the next minute
we would talk
about ACHOZEN,
the next minute
we were talking
guitars, then we
would go back
full force into
urSESSION.
Believe it or
not, this
process helped
bring the
urSESSION spirit
to life…playful,
informative and
fun.
- What's your
responsibilities
as Creative
Director?
All design for
the site is
overseen by me.
Moreover, I hire
additional
artists, review
all the artwork
prior to it
being released,
and ensure the
site’s look and
feel is in
accordance with
what Shavo, Narb
and the rest of
our team
envisions. For
example, we had
a total of
twenty artists
create all those
cool backgrounds
for urSESSION.
Do you know what
it’s like trying
to get twenty
artists that you
respect to
deliver their
art by deadline?
It’s an
adventure.
- How much
time did it take
to get urSESSION
project active
and online?
Approximately
two years. The
site has gone
through many
iterations until
what you see
today. There is
still more to
come!
 |
|
All
the
designs
for
urSESSION
are
overseen
by
Dero |
- With lots
of existing
networks on the
web like
myspace,
facebook and
others, how do
you think
urSESSION is
different than
these networks?
urSESSION is
more than just
social
networking site.
The web is past
that in my
opinion. Let me
explain. We are
different
because not only
are we providing
a fair
marketplace for
anyone worth
their salt to be
heard but, also,
we have the
street credit to
prove it. We
have a multi -
Grammy Award
winning artist,
Shavo, and the
World Famous
Wake Up Show’s
Tech and Sway as
our industry
backbone. They
know the game,
have the right
connections and
understand what
it takes to make
it in the music
business. Also,
we are about the
fans. Unlike
Myspace, where
there are too
many voices
drowning one
another out,
urSESSION gives
fans multiple
ways to interact
with
artists/musicians.
With voting,
rating and
favoring music,
fans are part of
the musical
experience. They
can be heard and
be part of a
band’s success.
Remember when it
use to be like
that? Fans
picked who was a
hot new act not
a corporate big
wig.
- Saying that,
do you think is
there any
possible
competition or
conflict between
urSESSION and
these networks
(myspace in
particular)?
Nah, not really.
As I stated
before, we are
about music and
fans. Don’t get
me wrong. I
think what the
guys over at
Myspace are
doing is good
and it serves
its purpose. But
it just does not
measure up with
all the cool and
engaging
features
urSESSION brings
to the table. We
bring you music,
we ask you to
tell us if it
rocks or sucks,
then we consider
it for record
labels. Myspace
may attempt to
do this but, in
my opinion, they
have gotten
waaaaaaaay to
big to see the
talent out
there. It’s
noisy, it
crowded, and
it’s just too
bloated.
- I assume
you're System of
a Down fan or at
least listener,
how do you see
the side
projects of each
band member
right now
(Serj's album,
Daron and John's
Scars on
Broadway and
Shavo's
Achozen)?
Man, that’s a
great question.
Am I a System
fan? I’m an old
school heavy
metal kid. So,
of course I am.
I remember
seeing SOAD at
the Whiskey in
1996. Rick Rubin
was standing in
the stairwell
rocking out to
“Sugar”. They
had the crowd in
the palm of
their hands.
Fast forward to
2008 and the
gang has spread
out full force.
I heard Serj’s
album the other
day and I
thought it was
very nicely
done. Great
musicianship on
that album and,
of course,
Serj’s signature
vocals are just
downright
disarming.
Shavo’s ACHOZEN
album is also
something to be
reckoned with. I
had the
privilege to
hear a lot of
the new stuff he
has written with
RZA (Wu-Tang
Clan) and let me
tell you it’s a
revolutionary
twist on the
music world.
As far as Daron
and John’s work,
I have not heard
it yet. But, I
predict great
things
considering
Daron’s
ingenuity and
John’s
percussion work.
I have no doubt
it will be
awesome.
Thanks Dero ~
:)
Check out Dero's profile at urSESSION:
http://ursession.com/dero357 and his website:
http://www.dero357.com
Dero did a
great artwork
piece especially
for SOADFans,
you can see it
and discuss it
HERE
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