For three long years, the Finnish gothic rockers of HIM have kept their fans waiting. The gossip factory was working overtime, it was understood that the band was about to split up. Now, finally, their eighth studio album Tears on Tape is released. Singer Ville Valo and bass player Mikko “Migé” Paananen good-humouredly bring light to the darkness.
On-site visit in the capital. In the tenth floor of a fancy hotel above the roofs of Berlin, some of the open questions should finally be answered. The both musicians lounge on a huge couch, sipping alcohol-free beverages and complaining about the bad weather in Finland. Ville’s girlfriend had called shortly before and reported about the -20°C outside their home’s doorstep. So Ville definitely is not single anymore. And the cigarettes are also glowing with increasing regularity again. “I really did try to keep my hands off cigarettes and alcohol completely. It didn’t took long with the cigarettes, on the whole a bit over half a year. By now, I also drink wine again. But I try to don’t let get things out of hand and keep away from the hard stuff. When you’re drunk every day, it gets boring at some point. But when you’re sober every day, it gets boring, too”, the heartthrob tells with an irresistible smile on his face. This new approach seems to work, since Valo looks healthier and fitter than he did in the past years. And even better than on the recent promo pictures. But the singer knows exactly that the real test is yet before him: With a gaze to his long-year friend and colleague Migé he says: “When we’ll start touring soon, we will see if I can maintain that balance. When I was in rehab, I was always warned about ever taking a drink again. I already thought it to be silly back then. And so far, I’m really feeling comfortable. But I’m also curious about if it works on tour, too.” Gourmand Paananen gives an approving nod while tampers with a can of what looks like an energy drink but actually contains a single gherkin which he extracts and consumes with relish. “Hmm, Spreewaldgurken!”, he says in German while Ville almost falls off the couch laughing. Thusly refreshed, the actual interview begins., starting with the question why the band allowed themselves three years for the recording of Tears on Tape. Ville shrugs. “For Type O Negative, that would have been really quick. But seriously, of course we’d loved to release the record already last year. But about two and a half years ago, our drummer Gas Lipstick suffered from a wrist injury. We wanted to wait for him by all means, but sadly, there had always been complications that in the end cost us eight months. That was a hard time, because we were completely in limbo and didn’t know when and if at all it would continue. We downright had existential fears, because for us, continuing with another drummer simply was not an option. We are a unity of five close friends, you can’t just replace someone in it, not even temporarily.” So the rumours about the band even splitting up for a time and Ville taking solo paths are not true. “No, there was no point in time we’d have considered something like that. There had always been meetings at the rehearsal place, I filled in for drums then. On the other hand, maybe this involuntary break didn’t come at a bad time. You somewhat gain some distance to the things you usually do and can look at them from a different angle. Besides, I could compose a lot in this time.” Migé supplements: “In Finland, rumours grow really fast when a band isn’t that active for once. But basically they’re right. We split up three times every day, but just for fun. Thanks to facebook and twitter, people think that they have to hear news form a band at least every three hours otherwise something is wrong. That can be really annoying.”
With more than enough material up their sleeves and a fit drummer, they finally proceeded to business in 2012. “The first serious rehearsal was in June, and it went really great. After the long hiatus, it felt really good to make music again as a whole band,” Valo, who at some parts sounds even softer than usual on Tears on Tape, remembers. “Do you think so?” the Finn asks surprised. “Maybe that’s because I smoke less. But essentially, I was always into singers with a clear voice. Just think of Frank Sinatra, Roy orbison or Jim Morrison. I already take them as an example for all my life.” Another striking point are the interludes that separate the single songs. Is there some textual concept behind that? Ville shakes his mane of curly hair. “I’m just into short instrumental tracks. They did them a lot more often back in the day, think of Black Sabbath or Deep Purple who I admire very much. Or Mr. Crowley by Ozzy osbourne. Incidentally, my favourite intro comes from Iron Maiden. The famous Churchill speech We Shall Fight on the Beaches by Aces High, when I think about that I always get goosebumps. And just like Maiden, we’re gonna use this interludes live.” Although HIM aren’t going to put speeches by politicians in their songs, but take us in the land of experimental sounds. But the short interludes with titles like Unleash the Red, Trapped in Autumn or Lucifer’s Chorale also serve another purpose, Valo admits. “This times, the songs are very direct and simple. I dearly wanted to have something mystic on the album.” Migé jumps back in. “And they also have an influence on the pace of the album. The songs really push the gas pedal, and the interludes apply the brake a little-. That’s why they sound so weird in places.” That also holds for the song W.L.S.T.D. Anybody who listens to the track discovers that the name stands for When Love Starts To Die. So why the abbreviation? Ville grins mischievously. “Quite honestly? Because with Love Without Tears and No Love we already had two tracks with the word ‘love’. When we saw that written, it didn’t work very well. So I just abbreviated it. It reminds me a bit of the W.A.S.P. logo.” The abbreviation of the album title, on the other hand, gives a German word...[tot=dead] “We also noticed that. But only after we already settled for the Title. So there’s no deeper meaning behind it.”
Ville Valo himself refers to Tears on Tape not only as direct, but also a general return to earlier days. “Most of the tracks, I would describe as old school. I always like to give the riff of Hearts at War as an example, which faintly reminds me of Symptom Of The Universe by Black Sabbath, whereas All Lips Go Blue instantly reminds me of Cathedral. The opening riff reminds me strongly of the Englishmen.” With their return, HIM are almost trendy again. Because at the moment, a lot of hip combos from Ghost to The Devil’s Blood, refer back to the seventies.
Migé takes over the elaborate answer. “ I’m totally into Ghost. But I also see a danger in this purely retro wave. A lot of those bands are just copying the ideas of other colleagues without creating something original. That’s too cheap. And in the end, that artist are going to get down with the trend, because nobody will remember them in one year’s time. We, too, have an excessive preference for the seventies, but our sound also encompassed Depeche Mode or The Sisters Of Mercy from the eighties. And we mix that references with our own influences to create something new. The Hellacopters were also strongly influenced by the seventies. But they were miles apart from being a sheer copy.” But the Finns don’t see themselves as profiteers of the rampant retro wave. “We’re already in the business for quite some years and have a fanbase of our own that hopefully keeps up their faith after the short break. Somebody who goes after trends won’t get very far,” Ville is sure. Valo interrupts his answer and impassively points at the distinctly greyed beard of his colleague, at which said gets in a huff and retreats to his corner of the couch.
HIM, on the other hand, are going to present themselves to the public at large, according to the front man, the tour schedule for 2013 is packed. “We play some showcases in Europe to bring ourselves up to speed. Then we fly over to the US for some gigs before the festival season begins. After that, we’ll book the really big tours for the US and over here. of course, it depends much on how the fans react to Tears On Tape. But I have a good gut feeling.” And also the fire seems to be back burning in Ville. 2010, the whole band seems a bit tired - today they are hungry for the stage. “At the beginning, I enjoyed not to have to play a show every single evening. But after awhile, you start to miss the live situations and the contact to the fans. But I could live well without the whole travelling. The hotels, busses and planes are actually the hardest part of the job. And Migé adds: “Maybe we overdid it a bit in the past. We had to learn not to accept every offer for a tour - no matter if it’s sensible or not. It just takes too much strenght, and after a while it really takes it out of you. We now make sure to take breaks for or own. Of course, it’s always a money question. But if we can afford it, there’ll never be back-to-back tours.”
text: Marc Halupczok pics: Joonas Brandt
Question and Answer - HIM
Ville Valo
What does HIM mean to you personally? “My north, my South, my East and West, my working week and Sunday rest” (W.H. Auden) Which HIM album, except the new one, means most to you personally? The next one, because we haven’t finished it, yet. Which song do you especially enjoy playing live...and why? Sleepwalking Past Hope has some instrumental parts that are very handy for cigarette breaks. Was there a low point with the band for you? The Remix of The Beginning of the End, when we tuned down the bass to A just because we could. What can you tell about your first band rehearsal? It was an unforgettable gloomy, cold and loud evening between mice and spiders in Migés creepy basement. When did the thought of becoming a musician first strike you? In said basement, when a four-track cassette recorder vomited first-rate proto HIM noise. What would you be your today’s job given it wouldn’t have worked out with music? That of a critic. How nervous were you before your first concert? Not as nervous as I should have been. Blame it on Red Stripe beer... And what happens in the last 30 minutes before a concert these days? The same ritual every average man goes though after getting up. What’s typical Finnish to you? Väinämöinen. ["central character in the Finnish folklore and the main character in the national epic Kalevala"] And typical German? Kraftwerk. Which songs do you especially love on Tears On Tape? The title track and Hearts At War are least repulsive to me. Why should everyone listen to Tears On Tape under all circumstances? Because our suffering is legend - even in Hel.
Mikko Lindström
What does HIM mean to you personally? An attitude to life and my second family. Which HIM album, except the new one, means most to you personally? I rarely listen to our old stuff. Which song do you especially enjoy playing live...and why? Sometimes this one, sometimes that one. Recently probably All Lips Go Blue, because it’s new. Was there a low point with the band for you? I have to mention our Black-Sabbath-cover-disaster at Istanbul. I mean, that song has three notes, what a jackass do you have to be to screw that one up? What can you tell about your first band rehearsal? Migé wore his mother’s slippers on white tennis socks that had turned pink in the washing machine. And Pätkä, our then-drummer, was too drunk to play. When did the thought of becoming a musician first strike you? When I saw a guitar for the first time. What would you be your job today given it wouldn’t have worked out with music? Veterinarian. How nervous were you before your first concert? Just as nervous as I am before every concert. It is horrible. And what happens in the last 30 minutes before a concert these days? I pee in a cup. What’s typical Finnish to you? Suicide. And typical German? Salted pork leg. Which songs do you especially love on Tears On Tape? All Lips Go Blue. Why should everyone listen to Tears On Tape under all circumstances? Because it’s a masterpiece.
Mika Karppinen
What does HIM mean to you personally? HIM is my second family. It’ll be forever in my heart. Which HIM album, except the new one, means most to you personally? I can’t say. Every album is our baby, you can’t give preference to one. Which song do you especially enjoy playing live...and why? It changes all the time. But Buried Alive By Love is always good fun. Was there a low point with the band for you? The Istanbul fiasco, when we covered Black Sabbath’s Black Sabbath. Something happened and we totally screwed up the song. That was pure blasphemy, because that song is one of the best and most important ones ever written. I’ve never been more ashamed. When did the thought of becoming a musician first strike you? That must have been around 1976, when KISS had just released Destroyer. My best friend and I sneaked into the room of his big brother and discovered that album in his record collection. We put it on - and were completely blown away! One week later, we performed as KISS in the kindergarten. I remember the kindergartener to paint our faces with watercolor and that we used brooms for guitars. I think that was the moment when that thought first occurred to me. What would you be your job today given it wouldn’t have worked out with music? Finland’s Next Top Model. How nervous were you before your first concert? Before the first HIM show I had quite a lot butterflies in my stomach. You know, back then, I was only the session drummer and hadn’t much time for practicing. And what happens in the last 30 minutes before a concert these days? Nothing special. I try to concentrate, stretch arms and legs. Pretty boring, really. What’s typical Finnish to you? Beer, sausages and Sauna. And typical German? Beer, sausages and Sauerkraut. Which songs do you especially love on Tears On Tape? Into The Night and Love Without Tears. Why should everyone listen to Tears On Tape under all circumstances? Because it will rock your socks off.
Mikko Paananen
What does HIM mean to you personally? HIM rules my destiny. Which HIM album, except the new one, means most to you personally? My left eye is worse than my right one, but they are of equal importance to me. Which song do you especially enjoy playing live...and why? The Kiss Of Dawn, Sleepwalking Past Hope, Soul On Fire,... Was there a low point with the band for you? You want depressing confessions? Very well, here is one: One time, I had upset my stomach and pooed in my hotel bad in Venice. That’s still okay, shit happens, haha. But to my deep shame, I only left a 20 Euro tip for the cleaner. As if that would have been enough to remunerate her for her troubles. Really embarrassing! What can you tell about your first band rehearsal? That ritual was the soundtrack to the storm of the century. The gorge of madness opened up by command and jubilance and insanity united to a riff-generated power. Rats and locusts crawled over my skin as I recited loudly from a grimoire while a cold and calculating power we had conjured from the depths of hell ripped my soul apart. But do you know what? Egad, I liked it! When did the thought of becoming a musician first strike you? When I played our demo tapes backwards and I harkened the voice of the devil. He offered a deal, and I accepted. What would you be your job today given it wouldn’t have worked out with music? I might be a servant. How nervous were you before your first concert? Neurochemical laws are effectless on me. I am a machine. And what happens in the last 30 minutes before a concert these days? No idea, I’m not conscious then, yet. I’m only raised from my chemically precipitated coma when I’m needed. And I’m not needed 30 Minutes before a gig. What’s typical Finnish to you? Man, hip to hip in a Sauna, pitying themselves a lot. And typical German? Your Saunas allow women next to men, so probably something similar but less homosexual. Which songs do you especially love on Tears On Tape? I’d like to indicate the dark energy of W.L.S.T.D. Why should everyone listen to Tears On Tape under all circumstances? Out of curiosity.
Janne Puurtinen
What does HIM mean to you personally? Five instable and deranged men making music together. Which HIM album, except the new one, means most to you personally? At the moment Love Metal. I’ve lots of good memories from that time . which might be due to the fact that ten years block out most of the mad memories. Which song do you especially enjoy playing live...and why? I don’t know. When the atmosphere is right, it could be every song. Was there a low point with the band for you? One time, we wanted to surprise Ville with a version of Happy Birthday for his birthday. But it dod sound more than horrible. When did the thought of becoming a musician first strike you? I never really thought about it. But after a few years with HIM, i realised that it would be extremely hard to change the job now. What would you be your job today given it wouldn’t have worked out with music? Barkeep. How nervous were you before your first concert? I should have been a lot more nervous. What’s typical Finnish to you? Perkele. And typical German? Precision. Which songs do you especially love on Tears On Tape? Lucifer’s Chorale. Why should everyone listen to Tears On Tape under all circumstances? Because it’s good. Pretty, pretty good!
Все даты в формате GMT
3 час. Хитов сегодня: 0
Права: смайлы да, картинки да, шрифты да, голосования нет
аватары да, автозамена ссылок вкл, премодерация вкл, правка нет
- участник сейчас на форуме
- участник вне форума