Tom Creagh has worn the outfits of two different personas. One involves a suit and tie, the other involves a morphsuit and watermelon helmet.
Creagh becomes his alter-ego Death-Ray when creating dubstep and electronic sounds in his spare time. His music project has prompted Creagh to lead two different lives.
“Death-Ray and I get along really well,” said Creagh.
Creagh is a 2012 graduate from STU with honours in great books, a major in English, and minor in philosophy. By day, Creagh keeps the peace as a residence supervisor at St. Thomas University. But by night, Death-Ray Salad takes over.
“He’s pretty driven and usually pretty busy, but he just really wants to get his stuff out there,” said Creagh about his alter-ego. “He wants to make fun music for people to enjoy. He’s a lot of fun to hang out with because he’s high energy.”
Death-Ray, also known as Salad, has but one desire. His desire is “to create music replicating the sound of his birth,” through his music.
“After the failed arachnid experiment that spawned Spider-Man, Oscorp sold his laser to WayneTech,” said Creagh, speaking as Salad and explaining his quirky beginnings.
“Unable to find a use for the machine, Wayne Manor found it useful for composting. When a watermelon got radiation exposure from sitting next to a microwave and was put in the machine. That was when I was born.”
Before a live show, Creagh takes off his suit and tie and puts on his watermelon helmet.
“On stage, it’s important to convey energy because electronic music is all about energy, and it should make a person move,” said Salad.
“Seeing an electronic show is about having someone in control of the wide array of sounds being blasted at you, and of course, to drop the bass.”
Not only does Death-Ray want a reaction from the audience, but he also finds it fulfilling for himself. He immerses himself in the energy he feels when in front of a crowd.
“I like to move around and have fun myself,” said Salad. “It’s a lot of hands in the air, and I can’t resist making chopping motions with my hands to follow the iconic ‘wub-wub’ sounds.”
Although he was sad to leave home, Salad said he is “very blessed to have arrived here on Earth.”
Other electronic artists such as Skrillex, Deadmau5, Zedd and Justice, have caught Death-Ray’s attention.
“It’s soothing to remember the sounds that I heard when my watermelon reacted with the laser that brought me here from my home, with which I don’t believe you humans have yet established a connection. I believe it will eventually be referred to as ‘Web 3.0.’”
Death-Ray focuses on the music and leaves other distractions behind.
“I’ve been asked why I’m so focused on the sound instead of visually replicating the beautiful lights and lasers associated with intergalactic space travel; it was all very sudden, and I’ll admit that I got scared and closed my eyes for most of the journey,” said Salad.
When the shows are over and the dubstep quiets down, the next morning Creagh suits up again. He walks into STU to do his day job, before Death-Ray Salad takes over again.
Creagh thinks there is a place for all genres of music and he is exploring the different avenues.
“It’s all the better when you accompany it with bright lasers and watermelons, of course.”
For more information about Tom Creagh’s music project, visit www.facebook.com/deathraysalad
