The Voices of William Paterson… The Exotic Aquatic

With what started simply as a do-it-yourself project, New Jersey local Jason Soroka has turned his love for writing songs into a skyrocketing career in the underground indie-folk scene. Now a junior at William Paterson, he has teamed up with fellow classmate and trumpet player Mike Castellucci as the Exotic Aquatic.

            Soroka's appreciation for underground and independent music began with help from friends involved in the local music scene. He would soon be attending shows and listening to alternative and indie classics such as the Smiths, At the Drive-In, Cursive and Bright Eyes.

            This newly found love and appreciation for such artists led to the release of his first self-titled album at 16 years old. Getting a little help from friends during his performances, Soroka soon felt "weird" playing under his own name. After meeting Castellucci in a music business and macroeconomics class, the duo discovered their mutual passion for performing. They eventually began playing music together and settled under the title of the Exotic Aquatic.

            What can best be described as a concoction of the greatest elements of indie, folk and punk, mixed with a delivery reminiscent of garage rock, the Exotic Aquatic gives pure grit and emotionally unstable yet poetic lyrics. However, it's the imperfect quality of Soroka's vocals and album finishing that make it most genuine.  So genuine, in fact, the band was listed number 16 on NJ Underground's list of the "top 20 bands to conquer New Jersey."

            "I'm not really a fan of perfection… I enjoy slight mistakes, imperfections, voice cracks, and the quiet sounds you hear as a song is ringing out," Soroka said.

            "I'm a kid from the suburban sprawl of New Jersey. I scrape my knees, I screw things up—why hide that?"

            According to Soroka, the process of creating their debut album Where I Used to Sleep, was emotionally draining. Following the principles of pure DIY, he had to learn the methods of recording, mixing, engineering and producing an album. Some of these techniques, he admits, he is still learning.