INTERVIEW: LANVALL of Edenbridge - March 2017
According to a recent press release: "Any band wanting to leave their mark in our fast-lived world needs first and foremost two things: compositional substance and consistency. After all there are plenty of one-hit wonders in this industry, those overnight sensations with their artificial fast food-like products that frequently dont even have the shelf-life of fresh fruit and veg. Edenbridge, on the other hand, have already proved their great musical potential, eight studio albums since their debut in 2000, in addition to a number of live recordings, DVDs and compilations speaking for themselves." With the discs recent release, we were able to grab Edenbridge's Lanvall, who is a jack-of-all trades in the studio (in addition to producing the disc he also played Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Bass, 6 & 12 String Acoustic Guitars, Nylon Guitar, Piano & Keyboards, Hammered Dulcimer, and Bouzouki) to answer 10 Quick Ones to shed light on the bands latest release and more...
1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?
Right after our last studio album The Bonding I wanted to do something different musically. In 2010 Sabine and I played a short acoustic showcase in Hanoi (Vietnam), just piano and vocals. This was really inspiring, so we founded VOICIANO, the acoustic project. Only acoustic instruments were allowed to use, so no drums, electric guitars and keyboards. I recorded most of the piano parts live without clicktracks and then everything followed. In 2014 we released our first album Everflow. After that I had the idea to do a History DVD about the first 15 years of our career. In the end I sat over 1 year in the cutting room and out came a 9 hours documentary on 6 DVD´s called A Decade And A Half...The History So Far. In Spring 2015 I immediately started writing the new studio album The Great Momentum which also took me one year in the writing and arranging process. It took me one year of writing and arranging. In June we recorded the drums and after that I spent the whole summer of recording in my own studio. That all was a very relaxing process this time and made a lot of fun. After a 3 weeks holidays break, I went to England to Karl Groom (Threshold) for the mix, which was a great process again. It is the 5th album we have been done together now and the collaboration is always awesome. Finally Mika Jussila put the final touches on the album on mastering in Finnvox. The Great Momentum is a very powerful title, therefore it needed an equivalent artwork. The Great Momentum is the “timeless, absolute NOW”. People often tend to live in the future or in the past and forget about this very moment, where life is happening. The stone lady in her meditation pose and the energy flowing through her body, reflects this very well. The album title is moving like a red line through all the lyrics. The longtrack “The Greatest Gift Of All” for me is music and therefore it is a tribute to music lyrically. From the smoothest, mellowest parts to the orchestral blast beat inferno, you find nearly everything in those 12 minutes. I think a lot of details will stay hidden at a first listen. A lot of details in the orchestrations e.g. if you listen to the 2nd chorus of “The die is not cast” there is a 2 bar phrase fans of classical music may notice, but I won´t tell you what it is haha.
2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?
I grew up with classical music when I was a child, started to play the flute at the age of 6 and then piano at the age of 7. I took classical piano lessons for 12 years. I also loved to play soccer, but on a certain point I had to choose which one I want to continue. At the age of 17 I learned bass by myself and a little later guitar and started to write my first songs. After a little detour with studying commerce at the university it was finally clear I wanted to become a musician and worked hard on it to be able to make a living out of it.
3. Who would be your main five musical influences?
Difficult question. Maybe the first one was Frederic Chopin. That was my goal as a piano player and I did it. Then it was maybe Abba, what I listened to a lot when I was a child. Tony MacAlpine´s “Maximum Security” album definitely made me wanted to play the guitar. Anton Bruckner is my alltime favorite composer and then I have to mention Dream Theater of course, which is my favorite band for over 25 years.
4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be?
I have no idea, there would be many to mention.
5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?
The wider term is “Symphonic metal” but I think it´s a lot more different to other bands in that style. We have our own way to express ourselves. We use a lot of modulations and altered chords in our music and also the structures are quite different. Sabine has an absolute unique voice which cannot be compared to somebody else. But the best thing is not to describe the music but to listen to it.
6. What’s the best thing about being a musician?
First of all to be able to make the music you love without any compromises. This was always the fact in our case. Second is to hit the stage, perform for your fans and travel the world, with the thing you love to do!
7. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?
As we have the studio and rehearsal room in our house. Sabine will cook of course, she is a master in cooking. I will get the drinks in. The first one to crack an acoustic guitar out, would be Dominik. But when we rehearse we rather have a drink in the breaks than cracking out the acoustic guitar.
8. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?
Racing driver, which was my big dream when I was a child. I am still addicted to Formula 1 for over 40 years now and a big dream came true when I got a paddock pass for the Barcelona race in 2009. I met them all there, had a chat with Hamilton and other drivers. Heikki Kovalainen, who drove for Mclaren back then, likes our music very much as he is a metal head and it was great to hang out with him on that weekend.
9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”?
Missteps are important in life cause you learn from them. Life is never what you are planning and does its own thing. If there is one thing. In our beginnings I should have never given the publishing rights to a company, which promised a lot but absolutely did nothing in the end.
10. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?
Hard to say, maybe Dream Theater's Images and Words album. There is no perfect album, but this is frightening close to it.
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