He threw the drink,fell in love and recorded one of the most hit records in his career.Candid as never leader of HIM told us how he rolled to the bottom and stood back on its feet.He also revealed is he likes to go topless... Story began with his perverse fascinations... TR:Previous album, HIM, Venus Doom, was a tribute to your doommetal roots. Meanwhile latest Screamworks,shows the pop side of the band-this are tuneful, three and a half minutes songs about classic pattern... Ville:We have many-you can call them perverted-concepts and music preferences.I loved as a kid on a par My Dying Bride i Duran Duran.If you listen to the previous album,songs like Passion's Killing Floor,Bleed Well or Love In Cold Blood,you realize,that they do not depart too much from the latest.So much that the wording is different.Then we wanted to slow temp and here the energy is almost punk.Counts directness- this album grabs you by the hand and not let go,can not tear away.Doors are open but once you go insid,closes, the music will not let go.This has been achieved in a limited way-which probably has a relationship that is the first album that I recorded completely sober.I used to drink hard which had huge influence on my work.I decided to leave the bottle,say goodbye to the beer and vodka,so I can much more energy put in the CD.And a lot more work than ever before.I think it's really heard-that we have nothing to lose:fuck you all,fuck us,we will do whatever we want,but everything that we can to record a fucking album.I believe that we succeeded.Is it many references to the 80s,to rock of the early 90s,little Sabbath here and there.While it is still Him.Consistency is preserved and fits well whit what we did in the past.So that there is more here and now-as opposed to roll into a ball,hidden in a dark corner Venus Doom. TR:Truly surprising song on the album is completly electronic The Foreboding Sense Of Impending Happines.Is it the result of fascination with Aphex Twin? V:Well actually I like electronic music but the funny thing with this track is something else.This was to be a miniature acoustic,ornament of a kind Song Or Suicide from the previous album if a link beetween party A and B.But when we had just recorded rhythm guitars on this album,our guitarist contracted some hand infection-had to take antybiotics and the doctor forbade him to do anything for 4 days.Moreover,his fingers so swollen that he simply could not play.We did not want to have a break in the recording so we took this less obliging track and we started to combine.And speaking the truth this was true interlude to my creative work with producer Matt Squire.We made a number together,although obviously helped us keyboardist and thus we able to get to know.Is great to have a track where you do not have to be limited in the slightest,from which you can do whatever you please.And Matt had a special joy because like me he loves Depeche Mode-we were so easy to do some illustrative number. TR:Speaking about the contents of the new album you have used the term "tragedy of the dance".How can you mean? V:I was always a big fan of Depeche Mode.Martin L. Gore is a fantastic composer.And he has a really unique ability,which had a bit of Roy Orbison,a bit of Cat Stevens,a bit Neil Young-writing melancholic,just maybe a bit tragic sad songs but still that make people smile listening to their.Of course I like music a dark and depressive because it fulfills the functions of cleaning.When you have a bad day,you can listen to something like Black Sabbath and thus deprive the music of the pain and frustration-at least I always regarded the music as sound therapy.But Depeche Mode have this specific feature that Precious,Enjoy The Silence or In Your Room listened to at home are extremely emotional,moving, but when you go to a concert all dance,hip spin,a great fun with them.And exactly the vibrations I hope to achieve on the new album.So that it was a rock how The Cult played in the 80s,at which you want to drink beer,have fun, make lots of stupid things.And while that was in a lot of melancholy.I grew up listening to Depeche Mode, Duran Duran and a-ha-They all have that something so much that they play a more electronically.But the feeling of sadness is inherent in them.Just like the early The Cult-listen to Rain or She Sells Sanctuary.Or Sweet Child Of Mine Guns N'Roses.These are not funny song but pour joy in your heart.I do not know if I can explain-you feel it or not.It is difficult to talk about music. TR:In a recent interview you called music HIM you called not chauvinistic rock.What do you mean? V:Hmm, what could I have in mind...I think that rock, especially in the 80s and 90s was focused on men,build their egos and women in its meaning was nearly tools.You know, the whole ethos of the groupies and that a woman is primarily to serve the needs of man.Meanwhile, we as a band, we have great respect for women.And, of course, breaks through our work,which is much more romantic than the old trick of "putting on and taking off".Therefore someday we invent name "love metal" because in this what we are doing is a lot of poetry and sensibility.Never tried to be deadly serious and aggressive.That is to say, I still think that music can be severe,sharp, aggressive and raw but also must be beautiful.Beauty is the key.It's like a good movie:should not be closed in one specific genre,best to include various elements to be able to reach it as much as possible.Such are some of the films of David Lynch-for example, Blue Velvet.And can we just try to do this kind of music?We do not want to limit ourselves.We do not want to be hardrock or metal or else some other.We want to be able to present many different ideas in music. TR:Talking about recording a new album you said that you worked on it harder on him than on any previous.What does this mean?Sat on the songs until "white day"? V:the Well "white day" is a relative term.Now I live in Los Angeles where is the seat of our label and operates in a different time zone than the Finnish.So get up at two-three in the afternoon and I go to bed at seven in the morning-ie at dawn.(laughter) So if it comes to hard work it was actually consisted in the fact that I did not leave the house.Throughout the last year probably three times I met with the three closest friends-and it was basically enough.I met for a twelve-hour attempt with the rest of the band and every little detail hardcraft-each passage on the drums,every possible variation of chord.We recorded all and then I came back to myself, shut myself up in an apartment and listened to all in my ministudio,inventing the vocals, the other voices,changed arrangements.And then we recorded all over again.I worked for a year after some 16 hours a day.It really was a pile of work, but a positive work.Not complained,I did not feel like I went to the factory, but I developed my passion.I put energy into and I saw before me a tangible effect.When, after twelve hours in the studio, I can not sing anything and drummer hands bleed,we all feel great because we know that we've done something good.This is especially valuable, because we're together for so long and still able to surprise and we can still enjoy the new songs. TR:For a long time continuously collaborate one producer-Tim Palmer.Told me last that you get along wonderfully that does not make sense to change it.But this time worked with Matt. V:Tim mixed "Love Metal" and then producing our next CD.Then he has mixed the live DVD.And actually we very close friends.But you can still stay in the greenhouse conditions,sometimes you have to take a chance to awaken.So we left the safe zone, we decided to do something new.I met with several producers but when I met Matt's something immediately clicked.Perhaps because he is young,the same age as me and share a large part of the fascination of music-in any case we came to terms very quickly.In addition, I have included that the next meeting he came with a notebook full of comments to the songs-he really deep analyzed it.It was wonderful!The role of the producer is draw from the band all the best.Do not say you have to do it differently but: you can do it better.I like this passage,may be longer?Or:at this point unless there is something missing,can still sit on it??In such conditions want to work, because you feel that you have nothing to lose.And so you have a good track and could become better? TR:You said once that Matt brought the dance rhythms... V:Yes?I probably have someone pressed fairy.Of course, we have several loops,in some songs there is little pop intro but Matt has the main merit of introducing more electronics, in the spirit of Depeche Mode or Kraftwerk-it is exactly heard on The Foreboding Sense Of Impending Happines.We have more synthetic sounds than the piano or violin. TR:The texts of the Screamworks document the birth and relationship breakdown.I understand that you took it from personal experience? V:Sure!I always did, and did so at this career!I do not know where the idea that this relationship is broken-it seems to me that, as energy music rather it should give the impression of lights in the tunnel.I started to write lyrics when I lost all faith in any relationship and then I met someone who turned my world upside down.And it did not ended!Of course, I do not know how it's gonna continue but this relationship is in no way ended.It's still a mission that must be filled.You know, that relationships are complicated.Over the last year I worked hard on the album and in some ways is a sound Valentine for that person.Perhaps through music she'll understand what I feel because privately I am always very hard to translate emotions into words.Maybe that's why having twelve or thirteen years I grabbed a guitar and I wrote the first song.It always came to me very easily. TR:Album was to show the 14 of February, on Valentine's Day, but for some reason it did not work out. V:Record Labels prefer to albums appeared on the first day of the calculation of the sale summed up the charts after a week.In the United States this first day is Tuesday.In addition, this year's Valentine's Day fall out on Saturday when many shops are closed.So finally disc comes in the week preceding the 14th of February-and so give a gift(laughter).-->> (interview took place in January) TR:Apparently you were out Screamworks as well as seven other titles on the disc. V:Seven?This is too little (laughter).I always have the one million.But one day I woke up in the head with Screamworks-and fit perfectly.It is important to me that title has appeared in the early stages of work on the album. TR:And you can give examples of other proposals? V:One was the Pickup Lines From Hell but it was clear that this is too funny.This verse from the song Scared To Death but rather to fit an album title White Zombie or comic.Another proposal was Baudelaire in Braille but it was too heavy and bizarre.Finally, as we called bonus disc,added to the special edition.It is also a verse from the song,Love,The Hardest Way,which, like the cover of a nun-talks about all these incredibly confusing aspects of life,love and relationships.But maybe it should all be complicated, so life is still exciting?If everything went well, it soon would make a monotonously. TR:You can tell us more about your abstinence? V:We travel a lot and I recently had various personal problems.And as a man from Scandinavia I drown my sorrows in percent.I finished, I can say as a normal alcoholic-I ceased to function normally,not coped at concerts...I was in really bad shape,almost ended up in hospital and simply had to quit drinking.For the good of the band and for myself-and it was a really great change.Whwn you're a musician in a band,you have plenty of opportunities for partying.And we're playing since I was about 14 years so experiencing this always...So great that I be freed from this.I'm not the type of guy who can drink from time to time a glass of wine.I have to drink like a spade and temper... TR:Since you do not drink you seem to be much more communicative,just happy. V:Many of our fans are worried about me and I'm very grateful.My parents are too worried.So I wanted to treat a new beginning.But it's no big deal,it's just a guy who has fought but rose to his feet-no great international event.For me it's rather something funny.In general,I think we should look at the funny side of life,instead of taking things too seriously,especially if you are a musician.And I think this is some next phase in my life but do not declare that I never not drank.Never say never!I do not believe in absolute denial.If you tell yourself "never lights a cigarette!"you do yourself one more harm because immediately start thinking about smoking. TR:For many women,you're a sex symbol but tell me honestly whether you really need half-naked photo session?You really need is presented in this way? V:If you mean my session topless we know that there is a large difference between those images of men and women.Besides,people always attracted and will involve nudity-so it is and why porn is so big business.But for musicians is something else-this part of rock mythology and aesthetics.Iggy Pop,Ozzy Osbourne,Mick Jagger,Jim Morrison this iconic character with a bare torso.If you play in a rock band doing some things,are using makeup,doing tattoos,take off your shirt-this part of rock culture.And this is not something that I thought at 15 years but it just came naturally and I have nothing against it.It also considers it rather amusing.While the other hand,it seems to me that what present visually is extremaly important,image is very important and the best fit to the music.If not compatible, nothing bad is happening.For example Kurt Cobain's appearance perfectly represented by its own message.So if someone can tell me that I am sex symbol answer:Yes and so what?It does not help me in my personal life nohow,does not affect my relationship,does not make me feel more happy.It's something beyond me-such what you see in the pictures I'm just a face band HIM and that is why sometimes I have to undress.But now sitting on the couch at home I'm not half-naked.Besides, is simply too cold (laughter). perevod maartaa87
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