Shane Lentz: “Once I started tracking my ideas, the arrangements came together almost naturally”
Shane Lentz’s latest EP, APHOTIC | LIMINAL | NIHIL, showcases his ability to blend technical precision with atmospheric depth, creating music that is both emotionally resonant and sonically immersive. The visualizer for “LIMINAL,” filmed amidst the vast and otherworldly landscapes of Norway, mirrors the track’s intensity and meditative quality, capturing a sense of isolation and introspection. As a multi-instrumentalist handling every aspect of the production, Shane channels his experiences—from performing with notable artists to exploring technical metal and ambient soundscapes—into a cohesive vision that reflects on life’s fleeting moments and personal growth.
By Sandra Pinto
In this interview, he discusses the creative process behind the EP, the meaning of liminal space, the influence of his past collaborations, and how both music and visuals serve as a medium for reflection, catharsis, and emotional connection.
Shane, the visualizer for “LIMINAL” was filmed in Norway, featuring remote and almost otherworldly landscapes. What led you to choose such vast and isolated scenery to accompany the music?
Initially, I wasn’t even thinking about using the footage I captured to accompany the music. I was just overwhelmed with how unique and breathtaking the landscape was when visiting Norway, so I just started filming with no real intention. It wasn’t until I got back home and watched everything that I thought a lot of the footage would be a perfect visual for LIMINAL. I then started to go through all of the footage to find the best scenes to support the song, and it all came together naturally. It honestly ended up being an unexpected surprise!
The Norwegian environment acts almost like a mirror to the track’s intensity. How did these landscapes influence your emotional interpretation of the piece?
I felt the landscapes perfectly represented the intensity of LIMINAL. I tried to capture a powerful and raw emotion with the songwriting while also incorporating a somewhat beautiful atmosphere underneath the layers. The Norwegian environment reminded me so much of this approach that it all nicely fell into place.
“LIMINAL” is part of the EP APHOTIC | LIMINAL | NIHIL, where you perform every instrument and handle the entire production. What motivated you to take full creative control of the project?
I’ve always had the idea of doing a three-song EP where each song title represents part of the album name to create a cohesive vision. When I thought about performing all of the instruments myself while also doing the entire production, I thought this idea for an EP would be a perfect fit with this approach. Surprisingly, once I started tracking my ideas, the arrangements came together almost naturally. The production side took me a lot of time to capture the emotion I wanted, but after a lot of trial and error, I couldn’t be happier!
There’s a strong sense of weight, texture, and desolation throughout the track. What emotions or personal experiences were you channeling while composing this piece?
This is a great question! I’ve always been interested in the vastness of the universe and how truly fortunate we all are to have such a small blip of time on this planet. It’s always helped me put experiences, both positive and challenging, into perspective while helping to truly reflect on what I find meaningful in life. I wanted this piece to capture the ups and downs we all experience, accepting that this will always be part of life, and that we can still express ourselves creatively to shed some of that stress and pressure into something that’s still beautiful.
As a multi-instrumentalist, how do you structure your creative process? Do you start with guitar, drums, atmosphere… or does it vary from moment to moment?
I’m originally a bassist, so I find that I start writing a lot of ideas initially on bass, which I know is probably unusual. However, I started with a focus on the atmosphere with this EP to structure songs. I actually explored a lot of ideas on synths to help capture unearthly sounds and then worked backwards with other instruments. There are synth layers in all of the songs, but they’re subtle, adding more tension and atmosphere rather than being forward-facing. This really helped me with the creative process. Once I started layering in other instruments and then vocals at the end, it all came together nicely.
Your background ranges from technical metal to atmospheric soundscapes. How do you feel this blend of precision and emotional density manifests in the new EP?
I’m so glad you asked this question, because I’ve been really trying to step away from purely technical playing. I’ll always gravitate towards the technical side, but I’m starting to find that I truly enjoy creating more of an atmosphere without a lot of technical metal riffs. I find this even more rewarding than trying to execute highly technical ideas because the creative and atmospheric ideas strike an emotional chord with me, and I can’t get the ideas out of my head, which is a good thing. I figured if I can’t get these ideas out of my head, then I hope others will appreciate the songs and also have an emotional connection to them.
The visualizer conveys a sense of “liminal space”—neither here nor there. What does this concept mean to you, both musically and spiritually?
For me, the concept goes back to your question about the emotions and experiences I was channeling while composing this piece. I periodically think about how short our time is on this planet, which makes me feel overwhelmed when focusing the majority of my time on accomplishing the next “major” life accomplishment. I started to feel like these accomplishments didn’t have the impact on my mental state I was hoping for, but rather made me more stressed. I took a step back to focus on the things that truly bring me happiness and found that focusing on these aspects of life opened a whole new world for me. LIMINAL represents this experience as I wanted to create a piece that captures that feeling of being lost without any light in sight, coming to terms with this, and pivoting to a completely different mindset to find your way in life.
You’ve worked with several bands and artists and even appeared on Jeff Loomis’ Billboard-charting album. How have these experiences shaped your current approach as a solo artist?
All of these experiences have been amazing, and I’m so fortunate to have worked with many amazing musicians! I can’t begin to explain all of the things I’ve learned working with others. Some musicians pushed me technically and creatively, which I’ll forever be grateful for. Others opened a whole new perspective for me about how to approach writing, navigating the stress of pushing yourself to be as best as you can when recording, and simply enjoying the experience of creating music with others. Without these experiences, I definitely wouldn’t be here now, still making music and pushing myself in all different creative directions!
The EP is divided into three parts — APHOTIC, LIMINAL, and NIHIL. How do these layers or concepts connect within the project’s overall narrative?
My intention is that all three parts tell a full story. I wanted to start out with APHOTIC, grounding the listener in the atmosphere and concept of the album. LIMINAL represents a personal journey of navigating the weight of life’s experiences on individuals. NIHIL is supposed to be an acceptance of these experiences with a new mindset that, while you can’t control most of what happens in this world, it can still be a beautiful place. The very end of NIHIL is actually my favorite part of the entire EP, as I wanted to capture something that was equal parts bleak and beautiful to close out the album. I really hope listeners will appreciate this concept and that it speaks to them on some level!
What do you hope the audience feels when watching the “LIMINAL” visualizer? Is it meant to be contemplative, cathartic, or an open invitation for personal interpretation?
I simply hope the visualizer resonates with the audience on an emotional level, where they look inward on the different experiences they’ve had and how those experiences could help find happiness and possibly peace while navigating the chaos in the world we all witness every day. If the visualizer strikes an emotional chord with the audience, then I couldn’t be happier!
