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Interview with Johannes - Elenium
It was not only a treat to receive and review Elenium's first, and now only, release for Rage Of Achilles; the elegant and powerful "For Giving...For Getting". It was also a pleasure to get an email interview from the enigmatic and humorous keyboardist Johannes Salo. Faced now with finding a new record deal, which shouldn't be too hard, the band are continuing on with material for #2 album and with good fortune will be able to release that second album to the metal world sooner than later! I think you will find Johannes to be very entertaining so please read along! Thanks!
David) What does this name Elenium mean and why was it chosen for this band?
Johannes: We were just recorded our first demo and it was nice to release it with a name, so our vocalist J came up with the name Elenium. It doesn't mean anything. It's a story from one book series.
David) So how has the success of "For Giving...For Getting" been so far?
Johannes: We have received good feedback even the album is quite slowly opening and challenging. Great that people have patient!
David) Is there any message for this band, anything you are trying to get across in the lyrics or music or both?
Johannes: It is a Christmas theme record, Ha-Haa!!!
David) Who writes the lyrics and vocal parts in the songs?
Johannes: Vocalist J writes all lyrics. Bassist Tuomo did also some text job to the song "FOR ME". The vocal part creations are all under J's responsible, but everyone is allowed to bring ideas.
David) I really like the jazz excursion in "Subcreator" track 6. Whose idea was this and can we expect more of this type of dynamics and variety in the new album?
Johannes: Varied and dynamic it will be. Great that you like Subcreator! It's the oldest song from the album, so memories are a bit dim how the song ended up to that shape. Anyway, when the jazz part melody came to my mind I was inspiring some continuation to the main vocal riff (that groovy guitar one). Finally the jazzy passage came out like a variation from that vocal riff.
David) Are the drums triggered for this album and if so how do you feel of this technique?
Johannes: Mikko didn't use any triggers in the sessions. Maybe triggers suits better to modern speedy drummers.
David) I think the keyboard sound with the tinkling type bells, heard on more than one song, is very cool. Is this sound an idea of having a trademark sound for the keyboards? Will it appear on the next album? I think it really adds to the band's identity as a whole.
Johannes: Yeah, the sound is quite ok, but the notes don't sound strongly in all cases. I'm mean it's possible that you don't hear the fault if I push the wrong key, Hehee! Maybe I inflate a bit! Anyway, that mentioned sound was half-ready in "For Giving - For Getting" recordings as well as almost all other sounds! There will be some sort of tinkling also in future. Better tinkling! Will it ever be trademark in Ele, I don't know that.
Hmm. At the time when we recorded the album we had major problems. Only two weeks before the studio our rehearsal camp suffered sewer crash, which destroyed my previous partner and also a lot of our other instruments. All the sounds were ready in that ruined synth, so you can imagine how much that pisses me off!
I was totally stressed in that time, cos I had only two weeks time to tune the new keyboard! That's why almost all sound in the record are half finished. Well, I'm still satisfied to the final result in some way, but I can't wait the next session.
David) What can we expect from the next album....are the band members still the same?
Johannes: New songs are groovy and once again varied and there will be cunning riffs and dynamic passages. Next album will be ground breaking!!! At this far there are maybe 4 or 5 new songs in good shape and all the time everyone brings new excellent ideas. We have three composers in Elenium (bassist Tuomo, guitarist Tommi and I). All of us like many different music styles, so that helps us bring fresh aspect to heavy music.
All the time I concentrate also more and more to drum beats in song writing process. That's awesome work!
It's still quite hard to envision the result of the album. What fucking album!!!???
Here I'm talking things about next album and we don't even have deal, Heh! Members are the same.
David) There are a lot of keyboard melodies in the songs. Do the keyboards parts determine the songs course or is everything written on guitars and then keyboards added later?
Johannes: There's no specific method in song writing process. In "For Giving - For Getting" all songs differs quite much from each other, so the composing process happened in different moods with different purposes. Our new ones are written more in terms of guitar and I'm quite sure that you won't hear a new IMPOSTOR in our next record.
I mean the basic structures are done usually by thinking more guitars, but still don't forget the keyboards from the soup and variety. Of course some song are more into keys, which surely effects again to writing process! I still try to keep the use of keys in sensible amounts. In song conditions is the way we work. Although keyboard is important element in Elenium guitars are still guitars you know?:)
David) We talked before in e-mails of the change up in your label status. What has happened with you and Rage Of Achilles and how are you feeling about it all?
Johannes: Rage of Achilles lost the possibility to release any new records. They will sell all of their released CD's from their stock, but that's it. Band roster will be destroyed and Rage of Achilles go back to roots and begin release only British underground punk/rock (or something) and only in Great Britain. During the past few years R.O.A has signed bunch of great bands, so it's sad situation. Anyway, I don't have any personal hate towards R.O.A.
I'm not talking about rip off company definitely and I hope that they can work out their problems.
Now it's time to search the new label!
David) If I was to visit Finland what beer should I try and what traditional Finnish food should I eat?
Johannes: Taste these foods:
- Liver Box
- "Flying" Fish Rooster
Let it be a mystery what they really are.
David) The album is ended by a short orchestral piece that is very elegant and graceful. Is there someone who is a composer in the band or would like to be? Are you trained in theory and composition?
Johannes: No one has ever studied composition work. When I was kid I played piano for about 10 years from Suzuki piano school to Helsinki Conservatory and also studied theory.
It has been many, many years when I last played from notes, so I guess that nowadays it's probably hard to understand them :) ! I should try someday.
All the orchestral/key parts are my creations. It would be totally blasting if I can someday compose music to TV or even a movie score! Wishful thinking.
I haven't heard much feedback from my orchestral tunes, so it's nice to hear those words from you!
David) What is music?
Johannes: It's the most important element, which keep my mental health in some condition!
David) Ok that's it for now...please feel free to take some space to say anything you'd like. Thanks a ton for the interview!
Johannes: Thanks to readers and to you David for this interview!
David: My Pleasure!!!!
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Written by David - 8/3/2004 |
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