Sleep of Monsters Interview!

The second full length of Sleep of Monsters “Poison Garden” is out today and marks the return of vocalist and lyricist Ike Vil.

Waiting to enter in their secret garden, the SOM' drummer Pätkä Rantala gave us a very pleasant video-chat. Enjoy!

Interview by Michela (Anesthesia)
Ph. credits: Ville Juurikkala and Aleksi Lausti

LFdM: Hi man, I'm honoured to talk to you. You are one of my favourite drummer ever, you know?

Patka: Oh, the pleasure is mine and thank you lady.

LFdM:  Your band is called Sleep of Monsters and I’m curious: which monster kept you asleep when you were a child?

P: Ok… wow, the best question ever! The one with female voice and the biggest arms, a very masculine figure.

LFdM: My mom uses to say that I’m a man in a woman's body, 'cause when I was young I loved to play football and with soldiers, not with dolls so, maybe, I don't know!  So, now I’m scared! (laugh)
P: Also you are very scary! That’s my nightmare. Anyway I’m a football man, too.

LFdM: Let’s not touch this topic, please. My favourite football team just lost the good chance to go to final, I’m so sad.

P: What’s your football team?

LFdM: Juventus

P: From now, on I’m a Juventus fan.

LFdM: Wow, you are more than welcome! But, we’re here to talk about the album. So…be serious.

P: Your football team is much more interesting that a lousy album.

LFdM: Compared to the previous albums, you captured more obscure issues and esoteric themes. You enriched the sound making it hotter, more rock than metal. Which evolution had Poison Garden?

P: You speak about lyrics, at this point. I have no idea. The lyric writer is a kind of Santa Claus: he gives whatever he gives and ask children to know nothing about it. This is my best answer about whatever lyric he wrote. I asked him before this interview, because you know, he’s a genius, so I  can only give you my own opinion. I’m just glad that he plays with me. He chose me, this band, I’m honoured. We’ve been together for ages; I know him since ’91-’92. I always respected him more than he respected me. But now he’s in the same band with me and it gets better.

LFdM: I don’t know Ike as man of course, but I know him as artist. From your point of view, as a drummer, you worked with two different and important artists in Finland, Ike Vil and Ville Valo. How can you explain and play their paths, hopes, imaginations? How do you put in drums their feelings? 

P: Well, with HIM Ville used to tell how I had to play HIM songs right. In Sleep of monsters I tell people how to play. I play what I want. Everybody plays what they want to play. It’s very loving and caring environment. Everybody laugh, including the girls singing the background. We’re all part of the band, we love each other and everyone says what they want to sing or play.

LFdM: Many people are familiar with fantastic occult and death band from ‘90s called Babylon Whores, but not many people know Sleep of Monsters. If you have to describe your sound using the point of view of a journalist what would you say?

P: We like sexy, dark, beautiful music. Just like Nick Cave and Tom Waits, to be clear.

LFdM: I found in some songs something that remembered me about soundtracks from movies, like Sergio Leone and Tarantino. Among you guys, who loves movies?

P: Oh, thank you! We always try to make songs as if it was a Tarantino song. 

LFdM: I think we can say that Sleep of monsters are the new Tarantino in music. You describe the genius in your music.

P: You are too kind, thank you so much. We really are a punch of hippies who makes some noise.

LFdM: Ike writes both music and lyrics, right?

P: Ike writes the lyrics, the guys and me write the music.

LFdM: The technical parts look much more polished. It seems like you wanted to give more prominence to singing and to the whole structure. How  important was your trip in Spain? I read you arranged this album in Andalusia. Is it true?

P: We wrote the music in Finland and we did some recording in Spain. We also wrote some music in Spain. It was a big part of doing this album, especially for the atmosphere.

LFdM: Why this choice?

P: Good question. Because one of the best man, one of our best friend lives now in Spain. He’s at Inchcomb studio. He is the best guy ever. So we went there and made some magic. Kari Reini is the best guy I had the privilege to know.

LFdM: You put a lot of Mediterranean vibes in your album. It reminds me of bands like Moonspell. In the special song there is a wonderful flamenco solo.

P: Mediterranean, you say? Mystery. Mediterranean landscape is perfect to define the theme.

LFdM: I think that in the world of music there are more unsolved mysteries than in religion. There are many great bands unknown and others, mediocre, known all around the world. Sleep of Monsters could stay among the great bands, you have good musicians, good sound and stuff... but you are unable to reach the success outside Finland. Why?

P: You would be a good looking groupie! (laughs). This is the music, mystery. It's a wicked game.

LFdM: Maybe. I want to do something good to share good music, but it’s really difficult, because I see around me people listening to shit, only because is fashion and cool, not because they understand the meaning of the songs. You know what I mean. I want to feel something.

P: You do, you know that! We know what’s best. The rest is wrong. I love Tom Waits, I love Neil Young, Amorphis, Sentenced. So, we are right!

LFdM: I like your way to describe the meaning of the esoteric and obscure stuff.

P: Obscure is a very good word to describe us.

LFdM: Yeah, I think so. You know is the same with old bands: Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult… 

P: You put us close to Black Sabbath. I’m honoured, thank you.

LFdM: Plans for the future for this album? Do you think you’ll play outside Finland? 

P: Yeah! Almost all the members of the band will come to Italy for a wedding in Napoli in July. I’m not coming, both the girls will sing at the wedding. You can meet them there or wherever they’ll land.

LFdM: Won’t you come?

P - No, I have to work, there are festivals in Finland. 

LFdM: Will you start a tour for the album?

P - Hopefully yes, I think in Autumn. Do you come?

LFdM: Would be great, I miss Finland.

P: You should be at Tavastia on 10th of June for the release party of the album.

LFdM: Sounds good! 

What can you tell me about this album? What do you feel about it?

P: Fear. You know I played fifteen albums, but this is the album of love. I think it sounds like that, for everybody who have listened to it. When I played it, I played it by myself, I played it with the biggest heart and love for the rest of the group. I think it sounds. Do you feel it?

LFdM: Yes I do. When did you start to play drums?

P: I was twelve years old. My first and only instrument. I’m not a musician, I’m a drummer. 

LFdM: What’s your favourite drummer?

P: Very bad question, but only for you I’ll say… perkele! Give me a minute… Sami Kuoppamäki. He’s the best in the world. Listen to him, to his solos and you won’t listen to any other drummer, not even me. I promise you, Sami is the best.

LFdM: Oh, ok, I trust you. He’s a man who can play whatever he wants?

P: He’s a man who can play whatever YOU want. He stopped me from reharsing in drumming.

LFdM: What’s your favourite song in this album?

P: The first one. Poison king. Yours, too?

LFdM: Umh no. My fav song is “Foreign Armies East". Matter of feelings, remember?

P: Wow. I really really really love you. It’s hard for me to understand if somebody else likes to listen to it.

LFdM: Well, we’ve finished! I thank you for your time and hope to see you on stage for the second time. It’s been a pleasure to talk with you and see you again.

P: For me too. Hope to meet you at the party in June.

LFdM: Thank you, Patka!

P: Goodnight!

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Editing by Alessandra