venerdì 28 febbraio 2014

To/Die/For- " Dear Delirium " (single video)


To/Die/For- "Dear Delirium" (single video)
There are many ways to celebrate Valentine's Day. For finnish people is for example "friendship day", and it's easy to imagine why the guys from Kouvola chose this date for the release of their new single. After three years since "Samsara", although they have given their fans many gigs around Finland, when there's new stuff coming from your favorite bands you always have great expectations.
"Dear Delirium" (by Junkyard Films, released by RockstoneTV ) was shot at MadMix Studios, mixed by Mikko Karmila - Finnvox Studios in Helsinki and mastered by Svante Forsbäck in Chartmakers.
The song has for the greatest part an unique electronic sound that mesmerizes the viewer, as like the images of the video. A black rainbow pierces the sky, hallucinogenic and delusional, and leads the trip through the perverse background of rock music with high metal parts, to come to its end with a swaggering rock 'n roll style.
Only someone who walked the darkest path of addiction, of whatever kind, can't help but find their own meaning through these frames.
At the time is still early to speak about radical musical change respect to the previous album, but I hope to find in their next work the perfect combination of goth n 'roll I've tasted now, so .... again and again ... To/Die/For.

Michela
Italian article for Ondalternativa 


venerdì 7 febbraio 2014

Our interview with Odalisque

01.01.2014 - Bar Loose, Helsinki - Interview with Odalisque!

Michela: Hi Vivian, thanks a lot for this interview.  Can you tell us something about Odalisque?
Vivian: Oh well, we're a fucking Finnish - not too much melodic- rock band. Personally I started listening to music when I was a kid, I should have been nine, then I was about 18 when I started playing in my first band and now here we are...
M: This was your first Helldone show, how was it like?
V: Cool! It was a blast, really great!
Jude: Helldone gig was really fantastic! I enjoyed every single minute of it: playing, travelling, meeting new friends and, obviously, spending a nice time with my brother Linde after every show, hanging out with him. It was a really special experience for me, also for this reason, having the chance to play in the same places as him.
M: Having a big brother like Linde made it somewhat harder for you to join this project?
J: Linde had nothing to do with all of it, he has nothing to do with Odalisque, otherwise things would have been pretty harder. So I can say it was just the opposite.

M: I listened to your first album a lot and I foud it very interesting, especially the lyrics. What did you achieve this year? Are you satisfied with this new album? Did you expect a warmer reaction by your fans?
V: Oh well, it was very interesting indeed noticing how fans get our sound and appreciate it in a different way in each different country. Through our songs we try to tell stories, true ones, and it's amazing to see how people tend to identify themselves with our music. Personally I am trying to make a good job about this. I already have some stuff. Music has a very deep meaning for me, I can say it saved my life. And now I want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to tell your readers who we are. Thanks a lot indeed.
J: Concerning your question about our reaction to the album, to be honest I am not totally happy with it. When I listen to the songs I find there are still a lot of things we could have done to make it better. On the other side it was a long and difficult learnig process for all of us, there were a lot of problems and line-up changes, so I suppose, considering this, I should be happier and completely satisfied. It was a real miracle we could come up with this album.
M: Well, we could call it the "power of music". However, we would like to thank you for this interview, it is a pleasure and a honour for us. We believe it is very important to support new bands and we're happy to give our little contribution to this cause, helping them to reach a wider audience in some othe parts of the globe
Any plans for the future? Where will you go? What will you do?
V: At the moment we're playing and playing, gig after gig, we'll be pretty busy. We also started composing some demos for the next album. We still haven't got too much material but the main idea is to write at least 50 songs to have the chance to pick up the best ones at the end. You know, you need to count at least on 70 songs to even start thinking to realize a new project. I almost forgot to add we have a new entry. Her name is Angelique and she's our new keyboard player. She already seems to get along very well with us and that's not just because she's a woman, but mainly because she appreciates and shares our same attitude, in the perfect Odalisque style. I confess it has ben pretty hard to pick the right musician at the audition but in the end we chose the best and now we have the perfect and unique line-up, this one!
M: Well I would say it's fantastic. Vivian, what were the bands that have influenced you the most, or who have given you the ”shock” to start?
V: Oh well there are many, from Marilyn Manson to Korn...
M: Korn, Manson, then we can say that your sound comes from the crossover from numetal...
V: Yes, exactly, but there are other bands like Kovenant that were critical, especially for electronic parts.
M: I love electronic music, I grew up with that. Your ”style” reminds me a lot of Manson guitarist Twiggy Ramirez, he's one of my favorite artists I admit.
V: Twiggy Ramirez is also one of my favorite artists ever, especially for the personality.
Quantum Prana: We try to find the right background when we compose, we try to take the good from each artist that has influenced us to put together many small pieces, creating something personal. It's a constant search for harmony, especially with regard to the instruments, from guitar to bass, drums. Each of these tools has different characteristics, many songs in the electronic parts reminiscent of Rammstein.. but you can also find Iggy Pop or The Beatles, especially in the new songs.
M: Try to take small pieces from each to create a sound international and not only in pure Finnish style.
QP: Exactly.
M: Are you going to play only in Finland or outside ?
V: Of course! For this summer we are trying to get gigs from other countries of the EU area and we have talked about contacting our U.S. connections and maybe book some mini-tour with this band, we did couple gigs here in Finland. But for now we focus our gigs mostly to Finland, maybe with some great Finnish band
M: In Europe your music would be much appreciated in Germany because there's a great school of dark and electronics there.
V: yes absolutely.
M: In Germany are very attentive to the music.
V: As in Finland, in Germany there are plenty of small places to perform without having to invest too much money, you know this is not an easy time for the band. It's not a matter to be underestimated.
M: Yeah, unfortunately this is not a good time for music, for the fans, for the groups...
QP: The music industry is changing, everything is changing around, by the fans, the band, the record companies themselves. They give much more importance to advertising, to merchandising and not too much to music and its distribution.
M: It 's true. Before we went into the record store and bought it, now you listen to everything on the internet and you end up not buying anything, the guys download everything. From this point of view, the social network did not help.
V: It 's true.
M: You guys, on behalf of all Italy we really want to thank you and we hope to see you soon in our country.

We want to thank you once again these guys and tell them that we feel proud for that not so little piece of Italy in the band! See you soon...
Interview by Michela 

lunedì 3 febbraio 2014

Interesting chat with Juska Salminen



Learn and practise life ... an interesting chat with Juska Salminen  (ex HIM keyboard player)

Hi Juska!
Thanks for your time, for an old HIM's fan like me, talk with you is an honour, but also a pleasure.
I'll be honest (you forgive me my fanatic moment) when I saw the first time the Him tribute's video with Saddolls band, it was like for a baby to acknowledge the voice of his mom, ...It's was great!
-How did you wind up on that stage?
Wow... The beauty of allegory. To start the interview in a way that I felt like being a mom... The power comes from the words.
My dear friend Paul from Saddols asked me to play "Join Me", when I come to Greece. To come to Greece, the reason was to meet Paul for documentary. Documentary is of Hope, and that is something I was looking from Greece. I am the director and producer of the movie.
Did find the hope, but it opened a gateway to my own life. Actually it has been generally really difficult to understand the world from adult point of view. I mean I lost my hope when I left HIM for example. It felt like my life ended. But at that time I just couldn't do it anymore. I was crying myself to sleep, so tired was I then. Life was full of little deaths, but I'm still alive, so I'm happy.
To be on stage and play with Saddols, I think it put a closure to HIM time. Finally... We played Bury Me deep inside your heart. It thinks I buried HIM deep inside my heart. I mean it is there, but I don't actively think of it.
- Now, you play with To/Die/For; how would you describe your sound to someone who never heard you before?
Ok, challenging! I can start with honesty. I am not the best person to talk about sound at the time being. I mean I haven't been the greatest sound man in this world... I just play. And perform, but the future will be different. I am finally Juska, who understands that I can play. I am not the weakest link.
T/D/F sound... It took a direction to heavier sound from glam rock around 2000, when many bands from Finland stepped to same kind of melodic and sad sound. Northern stars started to shine, when many bands played sort of gothic rock.. Finnish gothic was feeling really well, and it was acknowledged abroad. 
I think To/Die/For is that. Finnish gothic rock, but also with a bit of twist. We are quite hippies, most of us in the band. So like the latest album Samsara for example... It is really easy to find the hippie side from inside out. Searching for life itself. Music is more than notes and words... It is life.
-If you had to choose, which style would you prefer to use melodic or technical compositions?
Quick answer is melodic. Technical is something I have been afraid of even to think of. However, as I mentioned, I opened a gateway to my own life. Opening it, the chain reaction wasn't all bad. Realizing few things... I gained the ability to understand that I have played keyboards for over 15 years. I can play. It's about the attitude, and how I see myself behind the keys. Or actually now I have to "go in front of the keys", and make them understand that I am the one who can control them. Without me, there will be no sound. It is just a machine.
So melodic first, but I'm practicing to be more technical. Taking baby steps!
-How do you created the melodies?
I've been only arranging. I did create something,... To create is to add your life to something you see in front of you.
It's like giving a birth to music. It’s combination of composed material, and that part I create.
I mean someone else can give that birth too, but if I do it, it's the experience of myself and my band mates. The story we want to tell to audience. To try to tell that there is  level behind the song one needs to find. It's the creation from us to you, whoever you are. And creation for us too, and after a time we will forget the active time of creation. So it comes something even we can listen to, as a role of audience. People forget.
-Is there any particular message that you’re trying to get across with your songs?
I kind answered this, but to be more specific, yes there is. There is always a message. Conscious or subconscious. But if one creates, the message is pretty much about the creation. It's the rebirth of oneself, as you write your feelings on paper, and in this case, make a song out of them for example. Or it can be book, or a movie.. Or whatever. One will tell a story, and it reflects something one has been experienced.
My message.. I still only arrange so there is limited amount of message I can give. But if I make the whole song, there is a really strong message involved. For example the song "Last Breath"... All about depression. Really wanted to tell about that, because I think who has experienced it, there is some sort of "responsibility", to tell about that "living death". It killed me, but I took a strong risk of getting into war against it. And a public war it was. But I do need to tell about mine. It helps me, and it's not away from anyone...
-What are your main reference points? Talking about places in general...
In life every single step from child to new era, like to become a teenager, than young adult, and now adult with the kid inside me... Those are naturally really important parts of my life. As talking about places, I think it is pretty safe to say home.
I consider myself to be European, so it is possible to build home wherever you are, so for example rehearsal place is another home. Or hostel. It's all about perspective. Everything is about perspective I guess.
-I read that you are working on a new album? Is it true?
We've been on a little break, since members off To/Die/For went all around the world without band. Meaning on a holiday. We are just about to regroup to talk what to do next. Some gigs for sure. Gonna work on something, but what it is, yet to be mystery...
-What new bands or new music are you listening to now that excites you?
I actually have started to listen everything. Right now, Cirque del soleil, Alegria. I have always been  considered to be heavy metal guy, because of my past... But to be honest, I don't know that much about it. So I guess I should listen to it more. There are so many different kind of music to listen that every single day I just listen. If something excites me that is good. Sometimes however, it is important to mellow down, so I pick another kind of music genre..
 Really can't specify that much. Started to listen classical music, but than again went back to my roots, and started to listen to The Prodigy. Depends on the mood... (Sometimes a good trick is to pick really something randomly. "Depends on "words make me think of Depeche Mode, so there it is. Next song will be Depeche Mode.
-Tell me, your relationship with music from the start?
My relationship to music... Well, I breathed music through my dad, and bit through my mom, and of course by listening to Bon Jovi, U2, Def Leppard... So many bands played by my big brother. The first cassette I got, was Twisted Sister's Stay Hungry. So I lived and breathed through 80's hard rock. Took a direction to dance music after that, so I guess 2 Unlimited and other stuff just ate the room of rock from my life.
My dad plays keyboards, so learned to play with his organs and piano, and keys. First studied for 3 years, but I realized it is easier to just copy music. So learned the basics of reading notes. Enough now at this age, but in HIM for example, it would have been nice to have some more background of studies, in order to make me feel more secure in my role.
-On stage, there are some bands that make you feel part of them; what does it means to play in a band?
To play in the band is exactly what you just said. To make the concert pure energy with audience. We are there to entertain, and audience is there to have fun. If everything works great, it's pure positive energy for 1 hour and a half.
Of course band is a family. Another home as I said before... But all families have problems. As well if the band gains success, it is a double sided sword. Not that easy to cope with the fact that some people look up to you because of the status. I know it is necessity in this business, and I've been like a kid in the candy store while meeting famous people. But when it comes to the point that you are one... Well, let's just say that I'm happy not to be Ville. Frontman takes all the crap as well. Public should always remeber that there is a person behind everything. All the mistakes are part of life. Leaders don't have time for the whole army, so suck it in, if you don't get a smile, if you ask for autograph. 24 hours a day is limited...
-There was a time in your life in which the music wasn't no care or something to love, but a poison?
It first turned from a dream to a nightmare. I was in HIM for 2 years, and there is a limit of what a person can take. I mean I loved the time, but I got tired. First I was afraid, and then in complete panic. In panic person runs away, and that is what I had to do, in order to survive. Otherwise the escape route might've been down from the balcony without ladders...
So it turned to be poison for me. Or to be more specific, I guess I just had a massive hangover from music. I wasn't ready, and if I drink too much, I get hangover.
It took time, but now I love music again. It cures. We can sing about love, but we can love singing. It's just positive energy again. White chess: we play not to compete, but to just gain nice experiences.
-You're busy with not-musical matters. How can you separate music with other stuff ?
It's all about organizing. One needs to take control, and produce one's own life. There's a certain amount of things one can do a day. If time runs out, it's just a matter of prioritizing. I mean some things are more important than the others, always. So if time runs out, just leave the least important things for tomorrow.
Music is part of my life, but so is also everything else.
-Recently you're come back from Greece for realize an interesting social documentary. It was the first time or you have already done similar work in other countries?
This was the very first time for the documentary on this level. Pretty soon I will graduate, and get my very first occupation. It's funny that I'm gonna turn 36, and this is the first time I have a "real" job... Or degree. :D
But back to your question... It was a journey, and now I know next time what I can do, and what is there to be done differently. This whole journey took me once again to hospital, because last days, I didn't sleep anymore.
If one is searching for something, have to be ready to face what one finds. I was looking for hope in Greece, found it, but as well started to think my place in this universe. Really deep thoughts of my existence. Finally faced some fears.. For a tired person, through frequent panic attacks I found my place. I think everyone needs to go their Via Dolorosa, in order to understand, how life works. It is pretty personal...
-What do you learn from these experiences?
Live in the moment. Life is precious gift, and time is the only valid measurement in life things. As it is limited, one should be careful not to waste it. Enjoy life, and laugh to yourself. Every single evening one should think for a second, and it is pretty easy to say.. It could be worse.
-Which is the most beautiful song in your career that you have played?
I'm still rehearsing it...
-What are your dreams now ?
I live in my dream, and dream to wake up to another day full of dreams to fulfill. My dream is to make other people understand that there is a place which is hard to find, because it is somewhere really close, but so far. Keep on searching, and maybe your dreams come true...
Thank you so much and I hope your dreams come true..
Thank you!
Interview by Michela

SadDoLLs Interview!

How I discovered this band...is a secret, this my first chat with George and I'm proudly of this!
I ran into….
Sometimes your passion, your dedication about certain things that you do, run into people who aren’t only the real fans of your favorite band, but also excellent musicians. And that’s what happened to me a few months ago, running around the Facebook pages … From Phidias’s and the great poets’ homeland, the SadDolls have been a pleasant musical discovery, for this reason I’d like to introduce our readers the band, which regardless its name betrays a romantic mood.
Admitting a stronge stalker by me, the singer George Downloved was really very nice and helpful and I thank you for your patience:
-Have you been together for a long time? Do you want to tell us how this adventure started?
Hello and thank you for this interview . We started in 2006 as a cover band playing mostly Suomi covers, and after we composed a few songs of our own we decided to record and E.P. just to see how this goes,so we did. After that some support shows happened with bands like Lacrimas Profundere, Xandria and Paradise Lost,a contract with a record label,and the recording and the release of our first full length album “About Darkness”.
- I won’t ask you which groups have influenced your musical scene?
Our influences are many, I do can name a few : Deathstars, Rammstein, Type O Negative, The 69 eyes, HIM, old Lacrimas Profundere, In Flames, Killswitch Engage etch
- I think that your album is very personal, vocals growl meet most romantic line, good electronic sounds, a couple of scratchy vocals, how was born a SadDolls’s song?
Personally, the music is what’s driving me to compose my vocal lines and to write down the lyrics, Paul Evirose provides me with the sounds he writes, and depending on the sound I hear, I write down the lyrics and the vocal arrangements,this is more or less the way we compose songs
- You has been associated to the founding fathers of this genre. It’s so hard to be compared to Paradise Lost or HIM?
Well, Paradise Lost is a great band. We had the honor to share the same stage with them back in 2009 in Athens. What I have to say now? We try to avoid this comparison with other big bands. We have been influenced both from Paradise Lost and HIM (But mostly from HIM) but we try to have our own style and outfit. I believe we gained this in our latest album “Happy Deathday”. Of course, it’s hard to be compared with those bands but we cannot do anything for that.
-  This is your second album and it seems that you’ve already achieved some success. Are you ready to handle that success , maybe sacrificing something of your privacy?
Believe me there is no reason to sacrifice anything but money in music business. We have invested a lot for our music and promotion, and we never wanted something in return except for people to get to know our sound and maybe like it. Our privacy and personal lives remain intact for the time at least
- There are big names among the guests in this album, all are Scandinavian or Finnish. Why this geographic choice?
As I told you before we are hudge fans of Scandinavian music mostly from Finland and Sweden, this is how it all began in the fisrt place. We have been good friends with Jape and Jusja Salminen (EX HIM) from To Die For,and we wrote down some songs which we thought was perfect for them to do a performance,and so it happened.The guys gave them a listen and loved,so there,Jape Is on The Drug and Juska is on Dying on the dancefloor, and also Juska will be joining us live in November 24 2012,in a HIM party that will take place in Athens to play with us a small HIM tribute live,so it will be cool to listen to the guy playing those HIM songs,ten years later. Lets see how that will go  Also we wanted a well known growler to do the screams part for Psychedelic Love song,so we contacted Roberth Karlsson from Scar Symmetry on Facebook,and when he listened to the demo version of the song he immediately agreed to do the part. We had a great collaboration with Roberth, he is just the coolest guy ever,and he also makes an appearance in our new music video for Psycehedelic Love
- Greece is one of the European country with the greatest number of love metal fans. Why, in your opinion?
I Actually don’t know about that,I believe that Russia is top in the amount of “Love Metal” fans, and not Greece. Metalheads rule around here.
- Is it still exciting play music or seen that the music industry is suffering are loose the enthusiasm?
Well I must say that it almost broke us loads of times the fact that music is going downwards, and labels are closing one after the other,but we decided that this fact should not be an obstacle on what we do as musicians,there is no reason to loose our excitement and will to create music, it’s a crisis that has affected the whole globe, I think it will pass one day and things will slowly start to get back to normal.
- Soon you’ll be the opening act for a historical group like Moonspell. How are you preparing for this event? Is your first experience with a big band ?
No, we have also opened for Paradise Lost and a couple of time for Lacrimas Profundere and for symphonic metal band Xandria. Surely we are excited to open for Moonspell (it’s a two day gig deal so that makes it more awesome) we are well rehearsed,and we are completely ready for those shows,fingers crossed for others to follow them.
- Probably this magazine will fly with us to newt Helldone: who’s the true Him’s fan inside the band?
I Must say Paul Evilrose is the biggest and truest fan in the band, he and drummer Gus actually.
- Would you like to play with them?
Of course-
- Will we see you soon in Italy?
We are in talks with our Italian Label Lunatic Asylum records to book some shows in Italy, maybe with Mandragora Scream,but nothing is confirmed yet, so the answer is no for the time being, but we’ll keep you posted.
- Love Metal was born twenty years ago, we have found new sons of it?
Maybe there are other bands around playing this particular genre (Icon and the black roses,ace of hearts and entwine) we are referring to our music as electro gothic metal, I don’t think that songs like Misery ,Psychedelic Love or Be Darkness can even compare to “Love metal music” and I think that the true creators and fathers of this “genre” are HIM and no one can compare to them or do it like them.
Interview by Michela
(Photo: Credits to Kostas Kallipolitis - Phi Factor Studios) 

New Update:
"Grave Party", their third album will be released on April 25 with a party in Athens ... and we will be there!
Check this band on FB