Archive for November, 2009
Exclusive Interview: Taquita & Kaui From Mtv’s New Reality Series "taquita & Kaui"
by admin on Nov.26, 2009, under Art And Entertainment
Groshan Fabiola asked:
The stars of the new reality show from MTV, Taquita & Kaui, talks to BuddyTV about their show of the same title to give the viewers a heads up on what’s in store of their spanking new program.
The show Taquita & Kaui takes the two best buds in an interesting journey to the Las Vegas spotlight. Taquita & Kaui initially met on the reality series Making the Band 3. They enjoyed their Making the Band experience but most of all, they cherished the friendship they honed during their stint on the show. Now, They will once again attempt on making it big in the entertainment world with their show, which is set to launch at 10:30 PM on April 2.
The generation of the show was unexpectedly concurrent to their pursuit of the limelight. Both Taquita & Kaui were bound to head for Las Vegas while MTV suddenly offered to film their escapades. Given that the show has a reality structured plot, it would entail many unexpected and unscripted scenes which is one of the interesting features of the show. And although the two specialize in dancing and singing, this time, they are set to partake in all sorts of odd and out of the ordinary jobs in the entertainment field which they claim are fun and entertaining to watch.
Filled with energy and enthusiasm, the two best friends get through the all the struggles of the chaotic entertainment world by depending on each other.
Their ability to confide and lean on each other is also one of the fascinating elements of the show. Centering on friendship but extending to an array of misadventures, their determination to succeed, not to mention their need to earn a decent income to support their living conditions and aspirations becomes a motivating and stimulating aspect of the show.
For more resources about The Duel or especially about Exclusive Interview: Taquita & Kaui from MTV’s New Reality Series “Taquita & Kaui” please visit http://www.buddytv.com
The stars of the new reality show from MTV, Taquita & Kaui, talks to BuddyTV about their show of the same title to give the viewers a heads up on what’s in store of their spanking new program.
The show Taquita & Kaui takes the two best buds in an interesting journey to the Las Vegas spotlight. Taquita & Kaui initially met on the reality series Making the Band 3. They enjoyed their Making the Band experience but most of all, they cherished the friendship they honed during their stint on the show. Now, They will once again attempt on making it big in the entertainment world with their show, which is set to launch at 10:30 PM on April 2.
The generation of the show was unexpectedly concurrent to their pursuit of the limelight. Both Taquita & Kaui were bound to head for Las Vegas while MTV suddenly offered to film their escapades. Given that the show has a reality structured plot, it would entail many unexpected and unscripted scenes which is one of the interesting features of the show. And although the two specialize in dancing and singing, this time, they are set to partake in all sorts of odd and out of the ordinary jobs in the entertainment field which they claim are fun and entertaining to watch.
Filled with energy and enthusiasm, the two best friends get through the all the struggles of the chaotic entertainment world by depending on each other.
Their ability to confide and lean on each other is also one of the fascinating elements of the show. Centering on friendship but extending to an array of misadventures, their determination to succeed, not to mention their need to earn a decent income to support their living conditions and aspirations becomes a motivating and stimulating aspect of the show.
For more resources about The Duel or especially about Exclusive Interview: Taquita & Kaui from MTV’s New Reality Series “Taquita & Kaui” please visit http://www.buddytv.com
Sones De Mexico Ensemble Chosen to Represent U.s. at the 2008 World Folk Song Festival in Beijing
by admin on Nov.24, 2009, under Music
Eric de Fontenay asked:
Beijing has been the world’s focus of attention for international events in 2008: the Olympic Games in August, and the Paralympic Games in September. From October 3rd to 8th, Beijing will host the 2008 World Folk Song Festival, featuring performers from 25 different countries and 13 Chinese provinces.
The six-day extravaganza will be held at Beijing’s colossal National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), a 600,000 sq. ft. facility nicknamed “The Egg”. A reflective pool in front of the majestic dome gives the illusion of a gigantic egg suspended in mid air. For one week, the NCPA will echo with songs from around the world and will introduce Chinese audiences to some of the finest folk music and traditions from around the world. Sones de Mexico Ensemble will perform live in concert in the National Centre for the Performing Arts Theatre on Monday, October 6th at 2:00pm. The group will give a performance presentation in the NCPA Conference Hall on Tuesday, October 7th, at 3:00pm.
Sones de Mexico Ensemble, a Mexican independent folk group and arts organization from Chicago, whose 2007 album “Esta Tierra es Tuya (This Land Is Your Land)” garnered both GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY nominations last year, received an unsolicited invitation from the Festival selection committee in late May.
Juan Dies, a co-founder of the group, said “I was just as surprised as anyone else that we would have been selected, especially when we discovered that we were the only group attending from the United States.”
Besides their “norteno” homage to Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land”, the group is mainly known for preserving a tradition of folk songs collectively known as “son”, from Mexico’s diverse cultural regions, performing them with a preservationist’s care on a collection of over 70 acoustic instruments.
In an interview for China Radio International, Chen Ziming, an expert on folk music and also a professor in the Central Conservatory of Music, said that the festival is a good chance to broaden people’s understanding of world folk music and to change the long-time focus solely on European music.
When asked about his selection criteria, Ma Wenjie, the organizing committee’s liaison to the American continent, spoke of “Yuan Fen”, a “predestined affinity”. He explained, “We use this word to describe two people who never know each other, and once for a very coincident opportunity they meet each other, then they become very good friends and do great things together.” Mr. Ma Wenjie found Sones de Mexico Ensemble on the Internet, and he felt a connection.
In response, Juan Dies said “I think we may write a new song when we meet and call it ‘Yuan Fen’.”
ABOUT SONES DE MEXICO ENSEMBLE CHICAGO: Sones de Mexico Ensemble Chicago is a premier folk music ensemble specializing in Mexican “son”, including the regional styles of “huapango”, “gustos”, “chilenas”,”son jarocho”, and more. The group formed in 1994 to keep the tradition of Mexican “son” alive in its many regional forms. As a performer and recording artist, the ensemble has developed and popularized many original arrangements of Mexican traditional songs. Some of its original work has experimented cross-culturally with symphonic, Irish, folk, C&W, jazz, and rock music, though never abandoning its roots in Mexican “son”. The ensemble is also committed to teaching and has a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to music education. All band members reach out to young and old with award-winning educational programs nationwide.
http://www.sonesdemexico.com
Beijing has been the world’s focus of attention for international events in 2008: the Olympic Games in August, and the Paralympic Games in September. From October 3rd to 8th, Beijing will host the 2008 World Folk Song Festival, featuring performers from 25 different countries and 13 Chinese provinces.
The six-day extravaganza will be held at Beijing’s colossal National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), a 600,000 sq. ft. facility nicknamed “The Egg”. A reflective pool in front of the majestic dome gives the illusion of a gigantic egg suspended in mid air. For one week, the NCPA will echo with songs from around the world and will introduce Chinese audiences to some of the finest folk music and traditions from around the world. Sones de Mexico Ensemble will perform live in concert in the National Centre for the Performing Arts Theatre on Monday, October 6th at 2:00pm. The group will give a performance presentation in the NCPA Conference Hall on Tuesday, October 7th, at 3:00pm.
Sones de Mexico Ensemble, a Mexican independent folk group and arts organization from Chicago, whose 2007 album “Esta Tierra es Tuya (This Land Is Your Land)” garnered both GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY nominations last year, received an unsolicited invitation from the Festival selection committee in late May.
Juan Dies, a co-founder of the group, said “I was just as surprised as anyone else that we would have been selected, especially when we discovered that we were the only group attending from the United States.”
Besides their “norteno” homage to Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land”, the group is mainly known for preserving a tradition of folk songs collectively known as “son”, from Mexico’s diverse cultural regions, performing them with a preservationist’s care on a collection of over 70 acoustic instruments.
In an interview for China Radio International, Chen Ziming, an expert on folk music and also a professor in the Central Conservatory of Music, said that the festival is a good chance to broaden people’s understanding of world folk music and to change the long-time focus solely on European music.
When asked about his selection criteria, Ma Wenjie, the organizing committee’s liaison to the American continent, spoke of “Yuan Fen”, a “predestined affinity”. He explained, “We use this word to describe two people who never know each other, and once for a very coincident opportunity they meet each other, then they become very good friends and do great things together.” Mr. Ma Wenjie found Sones de Mexico Ensemble on the Internet, and he felt a connection.
In response, Juan Dies said “I think we may write a new song when we meet and call it ‘Yuan Fen’.”
ABOUT SONES DE MEXICO ENSEMBLE CHICAGO: Sones de Mexico Ensemble Chicago is a premier folk music ensemble specializing in Mexican “son”, including the regional styles of “huapango”, “gustos”, “chilenas”,”son jarocho”, and more. The group formed in 1994 to keep the tradition of Mexican “son” alive in its many regional forms. As a performer and recording artist, the ensemble has developed and popularized many original arrangements of Mexican traditional songs. Some of its original work has experimented cross-culturally with symphonic, Irish, folk, C&W, jazz, and rock music, though never abandoning its roots in Mexican “son”. The ensemble is also committed to teaching and has a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to music education. All band members reach out to young and old with award-winning educational programs nationwide.
http://www.sonesdemexico.com
Will Dead Sara Wake Up LA Music?
by admin on Nov.09, 2009, under Music
Ron Powers asked:
I was so impressed by Dead Sara’s last performance at the Whisky a Go Go, that I thought I would catch them again. (Could I be right? Is Dead Sara LA’s next gem?)
So I went to the Knitting Factory, Saturday, February 3, 2007, but I didn’t get there until 10:00pm. A number of people told me they liked the band that just played, The Vespertines, but I can’t attest to much else myself. Catch them on MySpace if you are interested.
First band up after I arrived, THE AMNESTY ( You can hear them on MySpace under Connor Ragan if you are interested.) They seem to have a good number of fans in the audience. (They were sold out.) At first they didn’t seem bad. Good music, but the lead singer does need a few vocal lessons, though he did have a good stage presence, and communicated to his audience well. But, after about 3 songs I started getting a little bored and antsy. Songs weren’t distinct, vocals weren’t good. These guys may have potential but they need a little more practice. Their MySpace music is much better than this live performance was, though even on MySpace it is evident the lead singer needs to get some vocal training.
Their performance: Decent, but a little boring after awhile; Musicianship: Decent; Vocals: a little off key, (sound better on MySpace); Creativity: OK, but after a while individual songs made no distinct impression on me. Audience rapport: good. They seemed to have a lot of fans, and the audience was paying attention as they played. Final analysis. Improving the vocals would really help this band. However, in all fairness, the lead singer was complaining to the soundman throughout his set that he couldn’t hear himself. (But in complete fairness, Dead Sara complained about that too, but their vocals still rocked.)
Second up: DEAD SARA ( You can hear them on MySpace if you are interested.) What can I say. Dead Sara Rocked again! The crowded room even got more crowded when Dead Sara took the stage. (Another sold out performance, but it seemed like extra people were sneaking in the room, because it was really crowded.) And the already excited audience even got more excited as Dead Sara began. They did a set similar to the Whisky set they did. They opened up with their two song two member (reminiscent of the White Stripes) set, and finished with four more songs (Including “Innuendo” and “Momma Told Me” from MySpace) with a guest bassist and drummer (Their MySpace page still says bassist and drummer needed).
Performance: Great again! These girls (Emily and Siouxsie) rock, are alive, love music, and seem to have that extra quality that most of the other shows I see lack–these girls are going to be stars–It just shows. Musicianship: Great. Siouxsie rocked again on both guitar and drums. Vocals: Excellent! Again best vocals of the night. Great voice and Emily can both scream and sing! ( Not the same style but vocally reminiscent of Janis Joplin’s ability to both scream and sing.) Creativity: Tops! Good mixture of songs and styles. Nothing boring. Audience rapport. Great! They were totally in sync with the crowd and afterwards you hear nothing but good comments coming out of everyone’s mouths. Final Analysis: Like I said last time, keep your eyes on these girls. They are going places.
Third up: ENDLESS HALLWAY. ( They too can be found on MySpace). Good rocking music. But the vocals were a little weak (better on MySpace) and stage personality was even weaker. Didn’t really communicate to the audience at all. But very good musicianship. Had a good size following there and like Dead Sara and The Amnesty they were sold out and had the audience with them throughout their set.
Performance: Overall, good. Musicianship: Very good. A good tight band. Rockin’ music. Vocals: A little weak, (Better on MySpace than live.) Creativity: Good, not a lot of variation of style, but none the less good. Didn’t get boring. Audience rapport. None. Didn’t seem to think it important to communicate to the audience, so they didn’t. None the less they seemed to have lots of fans there, and the fans liked them. Final Analysis. Worth seeing. Especially if you like good rockin’ music.
As for me, I was mainly there to see Dead Sara. After seeing them at the Whisky I kind of consider them a rare find–a diamond in the rough. And apparently I am not the only one. As I type here at my keyboard this Sunday morning, I am already hearing rumors that Dead Sara was approached by record execs last night who were “wowed” and want to sign them.
Hey Guys –I found them first!
So I guess I am going to have to track these girls down and do an interview before they get too big and famous to remember me.
Sounds like a plan.
(c)2007 Ron Powers
I was so impressed by Dead Sara’s last performance at the Whisky a Go Go, that I thought I would catch them again. (Could I be right? Is Dead Sara LA’s next gem?)
So I went to the Knitting Factory, Saturday, February 3, 2007, but I didn’t get there until 10:00pm. A number of people told me they liked the band that just played, The Vespertines, but I can’t attest to much else myself. Catch them on MySpace if you are interested.
First band up after I arrived, THE AMNESTY ( You can hear them on MySpace under Connor Ragan if you are interested.) They seem to have a good number of fans in the audience. (They were sold out.) At first they didn’t seem bad. Good music, but the lead singer does need a few vocal lessons, though he did have a good stage presence, and communicated to his audience well. But, after about 3 songs I started getting a little bored and antsy. Songs weren’t distinct, vocals weren’t good. These guys may have potential but they need a little more practice. Their MySpace music is much better than this live performance was, though even on MySpace it is evident the lead singer needs to get some vocal training.
Their performance: Decent, but a little boring after awhile; Musicianship: Decent; Vocals: a little off key, (sound better on MySpace); Creativity: OK, but after a while individual songs made no distinct impression on me. Audience rapport: good. They seemed to have a lot of fans, and the audience was paying attention as they played. Final analysis. Improving the vocals would really help this band. However, in all fairness, the lead singer was complaining to the soundman throughout his set that he couldn’t hear himself. (But in complete fairness, Dead Sara complained about that too, but their vocals still rocked.)
Second up: DEAD SARA ( You can hear them on MySpace if you are interested.) What can I say. Dead Sara Rocked again! The crowded room even got more crowded when Dead Sara took the stage. (Another sold out performance, but it seemed like extra people were sneaking in the room, because it was really crowded.) And the already excited audience even got more excited as Dead Sara began. They did a set similar to the Whisky set they did. They opened up with their two song two member (reminiscent of the White Stripes) set, and finished with four more songs (Including “Innuendo” and “Momma Told Me” from MySpace) with a guest bassist and drummer (Their MySpace page still says bassist and drummer needed).
Performance: Great again! These girls (Emily and Siouxsie) rock, are alive, love music, and seem to have that extra quality that most of the other shows I see lack–these girls are going to be stars–It just shows. Musicianship: Great. Siouxsie rocked again on both guitar and drums. Vocals: Excellent! Again best vocals of the night. Great voice and Emily can both scream and sing! ( Not the same style but vocally reminiscent of Janis Joplin’s ability to both scream and sing.) Creativity: Tops! Good mixture of songs and styles. Nothing boring. Audience rapport. Great! They were totally in sync with the crowd and afterwards you hear nothing but good comments coming out of everyone’s mouths. Final Analysis: Like I said last time, keep your eyes on these girls. They are going places.
Third up: ENDLESS HALLWAY. ( They too can be found on MySpace). Good rocking music. But the vocals were a little weak (better on MySpace) and stage personality was even weaker. Didn’t really communicate to the audience at all. But very good musicianship. Had a good size following there and like Dead Sara and The Amnesty they were sold out and had the audience with them throughout their set.
Performance: Overall, good. Musicianship: Very good. A good tight band. Rockin’ music. Vocals: A little weak, (Better on MySpace than live.) Creativity: Good, not a lot of variation of style, but none the less good. Didn’t get boring. Audience rapport. None. Didn’t seem to think it important to communicate to the audience, so they didn’t. None the less they seemed to have lots of fans there, and the fans liked them. Final Analysis. Worth seeing. Especially if you like good rockin’ music.
As for me, I was mainly there to see Dead Sara. After seeing them at the Whisky I kind of consider them a rare find–a diamond in the rough. And apparently I am not the only one. As I type here at my keyboard this Sunday morning, I am already hearing rumors that Dead Sara was approached by record execs last night who were “wowed” and want to sign them.
Hey Guys –I found them first!
So I guess I am going to have to track these girls down and do an interview before they get too big and famous to remember me.
Sounds like a plan.
(c)2007 Ron Powers
Exclusive Interview: Ami Cusack of ‘survivor: Micronesia ‘
by admin on Nov.08, 2009, under Uncategorized
Groshan Fabiola asked:
ght episode of CBS’ hit reality Survivor, Ami Cusack was voted out 4-1 after Erik told Amanda, Cirie and Ozzy that she’s plotting with the Fans behind the Favorites band. A very emotional Ami tried to convince them that her loyalty is with the Favorites but did not succeed. She was asked to go home. BuddyTV’s staff writer Gina Scarpia had the chance to interview Ami. Below are the highlights of their discussion.
Ami believed Ozzy was insecure with her and at the same time, he was also uncertain of where Ami really stood. “He heard what I was saying, but he didn’t feel it, so I think it all stems from Ozzy’s insecurities with me,” shared Ami. Ami She also admitted that she believed Ozzy was responsible for her dismissal.
Ami wished she had the chance to sat down and talk with Ozzy before the tribal council. “I know he would have understood where I was coming from. I just didn’t get that chance. If I have one regret, I wish I could have hung out with him and had a conversation with him,” she said.
Three years ago, Ami was a contestant on Survivor: Vanatu, and she was one of the strongest female competitors. Asked on whether she had new philosophies or strategies for her comeback game, Ami said that she made it a point to get to know the other players. “You can’t really know what you’re doing until you know who you’re doing it with. Getting to know them was a big part of it, but the second Yau-Man was gone I felt that my game had very severely diminished.”
After Survivor, Amy’s big plan is doing charity work with other cast members who also want to give back to the community. “I really want to bring them all together, and actually start a foundation where people have access to us putting on a benefit for them in their city or community, where we can give back,” she said.
ght episode of CBS’ hit reality Survivor, Ami Cusack was voted out 4-1 after Erik told Amanda, Cirie and Ozzy that she’s plotting with the Fans behind the Favorites band. A very emotional Ami tried to convince them that her loyalty is with the Favorites but did not succeed. She was asked to go home. BuddyTV’s staff writer Gina Scarpia had the chance to interview Ami. Below are the highlights of their discussion.
Ami believed Ozzy was insecure with her and at the same time, he was also uncertain of where Ami really stood. “He heard what I was saying, but he didn’t feel it, so I think it all stems from Ozzy’s insecurities with me,” shared Ami. Ami She also admitted that she believed Ozzy was responsible for her dismissal.
Ami wished she had the chance to sat down and talk with Ozzy before the tribal council. “I know he would have understood where I was coming from. I just didn’t get that chance. If I have one regret, I wish I could have hung out with him and had a conversation with him,” she said.
Three years ago, Ami was a contestant on Survivor: Vanatu, and she was one of the strongest female competitors. Asked on whether she had new philosophies or strategies for her comeback game, Ami said that she made it a point to get to know the other players. “You can’t really know what you’re doing until you know who you’re doing it with. Getting to know them was a big part of it, but the second Yau-Man was gone I felt that my game had very severely diminished.”
After Survivor, Amy’s big plan is doing charity work with other cast members who also want to give back to the community. “I really want to bring them all together, and actually start a foundation where people have access to us putting on a benefit for them in their city or community, where we can give back,” she said.
Sorg Uten Tarer
by admin on Nov.01, 2009, under Music
Liam Hayman asked:
Sorg Uten Tarer (Sorrow Without Tears) is a one man band, on hearing this, my already high respect for this man after listening to some of his tracks went up tenfold. Visit his official website to download his albums, definitely worth a listen!
Hi! Thanks for finding time to do this interview.
First off, can we get a quick bio of yourself please?
I came up with the idea of Sorg Uten Tårer in 2006. A bio of the band is available on the official website. Let’s not repeat that and bore your readers. As for me, I’m a 27 years old man who studied music as a child, but Industrial Engineering, and Computer Engineering with Software Engineering as major much later. I’ve always been an art, fantasy and sci-fi lover. At first, I was only interested in classical (Baroque and late Romantic , If I need to be specific) as a result of early piano and choir training, but when I was around 11-12, I got into Metal music, starting from Death Metal and old school Black Metal bands such as Venom, Bathory. However technology was not as advanced as it is today. So, even if I tried to record my own songs, it was done with a few tape recorders (and at a quite low quality). I have always been a gladly unsociable person, and I didn’t quite fancy the musicians and metalhead community in my city. It seemed to me they were interested in everything the metal community offers, but the music. So, my band experience is minimum at best. Having acquired the equipment I need to start a band, I began writing songs.
Your name I must say, is a fitting choice when listening to your music, what inspired this choice?
Sorrow, has always been a major inspiration source in art. However, some commercial genres of late 20th century turned the meaning of sorrow into something despicable as “crying music”, or “emotional music”. I wanted to have Sorrow in the band name, as it best describes the inspiration used to create it. And I didn’t want it to sound like another “Everybody hates me, I’m going to kill myself with razorblades of romance” band.
When you decided to go down the solo route, what influenced the decision?
I didn’t know any musicians who met the artistic and creative qualifications I’ve set in my mind. Also, I didn’t want anyone to divert this journey from its original path later on. After all, I only have a perfectionist, personal but non-commercial cause for this band. Any conflict in this matter would only end up in immediate split up.
For those readers that don’t know, could you please describe briefly the way in which you create your music?
For any Sorg Uten Tårer song, the source of inspiration it is to be based on is translated into some mental images and an implicit story. That is then translated into melodies in respective scales which can reflect the emotions. Lead guitars are recorded this way. Rhythm guitars are added on top on key notes that can create beautiful sounding harmonies (If a lead melody, or a harmonious couple of lead melodies are going up to higher tones, the rhythm should go down, or create polyphonic harmonies with the bass melody, in response to the rhythm.) Finally, drums are added to prepare the listener for what is to come, or fade away. Vocal melodies are those that popped in my mind whilst composing the lead melodies as “this could go well with it, but not on guitars” or “this can make that a whole”. It’s is all quite trivial once you get a rhythm of work going.
With this in mind, could you also highlight some of the major experiences you have come across?
I can’t come up with anything else than some 31000 experience points from a 3-man quest, actually. And I’m not even joking about it. 31000 bloody experience points.
Aside from the route you took, do you feel any real influences towards your music in general?
Where I grow up has a strong influence on it, as oriental scales, as some might have noticed. Classical music, early Death and Black metal bands. Influences of some great heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden or Dio are hard to miss in most songs. But I try to be as different and as unique as possible. It would upset me to sound like some other band or musician. Sounding like myself, on the other hand, is okay. I grew up in the 80′s where great pop bands and Mtv was the real thing. So, I tried to adopt every good composing technique from them as well, without knowing it.
With a host of albums, is there one in particular which you feel expressed exactly what you wanted it to?
I believe, Grave Songs and Shadow Symphony deliver my usual inner atmosphere crystal clear. But you can’t make every album sound the same. So they remain as they are, albums that quite much sound exactly like them, won’t follow.
How do you view your music in comparison to other bands?
I believe I come up with quite unique stuff. Maybe not “awesome”, but unique. And anything that slips through my uniqueness filter must be some idea that I liked too much and wanted to adopt with respect to the original owner of the idea, musically speaking. Such as Children of Bodom playing a Bach piece in the middle of a song. They don’t want to resell it. They loved it so much, they want to share it with you. Also, I’m not signed to any labels, so there are no commercial constraints whatsoever on Sorg Uten Tårer’s work. I do what I like to do, and don’t have any obligation to turn my music completely into [nu/hiphop/thor's thunder will strike you down, let's milk the viking theme as much as we can, that's where the money is/ or female vocal wedding music with keyboards and "I want to cry, the vampire will bite my soul" lyrics] stuff by my manager’s wishes.
Retribution
Sorg Uten Tarer (Sorrow Without Tears) is a one man band, on hearing this, my already high respect for this man after listening to some of his tracks went up tenfold. Visit his official website to download his albums, definitely worth a listen!
Hi! Thanks for finding time to do this interview.
First off, can we get a quick bio of yourself please?
I came up with the idea of Sorg Uten Tårer in 2006. A bio of the band is available on the official website. Let’s not repeat that and bore your readers. As for me, I’m a 27 years old man who studied music as a child, but Industrial Engineering, and Computer Engineering with Software Engineering as major much later. I’ve always been an art, fantasy and sci-fi lover. At first, I was only interested in classical (Baroque and late Romantic , If I need to be specific) as a result of early piano and choir training, but when I was around 11-12, I got into Metal music, starting from Death Metal and old school Black Metal bands such as Venom, Bathory. However technology was not as advanced as it is today. So, even if I tried to record my own songs, it was done with a few tape recorders (and at a quite low quality). I have always been a gladly unsociable person, and I didn’t quite fancy the musicians and metalhead community in my city. It seemed to me they were interested in everything the metal community offers, but the music. So, my band experience is minimum at best. Having acquired the equipment I need to start a band, I began writing songs.
Your name I must say, is a fitting choice when listening to your music, what inspired this choice?
Sorrow, has always been a major inspiration source in art. However, some commercial genres of late 20th century turned the meaning of sorrow into something despicable as “crying music”, or “emotional music”. I wanted to have Sorrow in the band name, as it best describes the inspiration used to create it. And I didn’t want it to sound like another “Everybody hates me, I’m going to kill myself with razorblades of romance” band.
When you decided to go down the solo route, what influenced the decision?
I didn’t know any musicians who met the artistic and creative qualifications I’ve set in my mind. Also, I didn’t want anyone to divert this journey from its original path later on. After all, I only have a perfectionist, personal but non-commercial cause for this band. Any conflict in this matter would only end up in immediate split up.
For those readers that don’t know, could you please describe briefly the way in which you create your music?
For any Sorg Uten Tårer song, the source of inspiration it is to be based on is translated into some mental images and an implicit story. That is then translated into melodies in respective scales which can reflect the emotions. Lead guitars are recorded this way. Rhythm guitars are added on top on key notes that can create beautiful sounding harmonies (If a lead melody, or a harmonious couple of lead melodies are going up to higher tones, the rhythm should go down, or create polyphonic harmonies with the bass melody, in response to the rhythm.) Finally, drums are added to prepare the listener for what is to come, or fade away. Vocal melodies are those that popped in my mind whilst composing the lead melodies as “this could go well with it, but not on guitars” or “this can make that a whole”. It’s is all quite trivial once you get a rhythm of work going.
With this in mind, could you also highlight some of the major experiences you have come across?
I can’t come up with anything else than some 31000 experience points from a 3-man quest, actually. And I’m not even joking about it. 31000 bloody experience points.
Aside from the route you took, do you feel any real influences towards your music in general?
Where I grow up has a strong influence on it, as oriental scales, as some might have noticed. Classical music, early Death and Black metal bands. Influences of some great heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden or Dio are hard to miss in most songs. But I try to be as different and as unique as possible. It would upset me to sound like some other band or musician. Sounding like myself, on the other hand, is okay. I grew up in the 80′s where great pop bands and Mtv was the real thing. So, I tried to adopt every good composing technique from them as well, without knowing it.
With a host of albums, is there one in particular which you feel expressed exactly what you wanted it to?
I believe, Grave Songs and Shadow Symphony deliver my usual inner atmosphere crystal clear. But you can’t make every album sound the same. So they remain as they are, albums that quite much sound exactly like them, won’t follow.
How do you view your music in comparison to other bands?
I believe I come up with quite unique stuff. Maybe not “awesome”, but unique. And anything that slips through my uniqueness filter must be some idea that I liked too much and wanted to adopt with respect to the original owner of the idea, musically speaking. Such as Children of Bodom playing a Bach piece in the middle of a song. They don’t want to resell it. They loved it so much, they want to share it with you. Also, I’m not signed to any labels, so there are no commercial constraints whatsoever on Sorg Uten Tårer’s work. I do what I like to do, and don’t have any obligation to turn my music completely into [nu/hiphop/thor's thunder will strike you down, let's milk the viking theme as much as we can, that's where the money is/ or female vocal wedding music with keyboards and "I want to cry, the vampire will bite my soul" lyrics] stuff by my manager’s wishes.
Retribution
