Interview: Jacko (APOLLO'S CHILD)

   Apollo's Child (formerly The Black Room) is a multi-cultural London based band, with a romantic sound, fusing bohemic vibes from the past with harsh rock and roll sounds of today. Originally finnish lead-singer Jacko Turunen is here with us for a little talk!

pdn: Howdy, Jacko! Please tell me, how did you decide upon The Black Room name for your band?

Jacko: William Blake wrote that:

"When the doors of perception are cleansed, man will see things as they truly are, infinite."

The Doors took their name from this. I'm a huge The Doors fan and I was thinking a name for the band when a thought possessed me. What is behind the doors. A room? How does infinity look like? Infinity is the darkness that surrounds the moment that we are living in right now. The dark space around our life in this time. Opening your mind and seeing beyond this moment. This life. It truly is like going through those doors of perception to that dark space that is the universe. The Black Room without space and time in the house of your mind.

pdn: When and how did you start playing music? Please tell me a bit about that!

Jacko: I've always loved music. Since the day I was born. I went to music school when I was a kid

and actually started my career as a very high pitched soprano in the school choir. When

I hit puberty, and couldn't really sing anymore I started playing trombone. Haha. Out of all 

instruments. I guess I've always wanted to be different. Well anyway, that must have taught

me how to breathe properly into my stomach and gave me the power to sing from multiple

octaves.

pdn: What and/or who were your main musical influences?

Jacko: Everything in life.

pdn: If you could pick any bands to collaborate with or share the stage with, which would those be?

Jacko: If I can pick any bands out of any time, I would have to say. A festival where there would be a feeling like what I think it felt like in Woodstock. A big collaboration of great bands and an audience who knows what is going on in this world.

pdn: And if you could choose any events, where would you love to play? Like festivals or so.

Jacko: Haha. That same festival.

pdn: What other passions and main preoccupations do you have except making music?

Jacko: Hmm... Passions? There are many things I love in this world. All kinds of art that is heartfelt and umm... Women :) Good food and most of all. People that are real and that you know you can trust.

pdn: Which are your main ambitions, goals? The Black Room's plans for the near future?

Jacko: I want this band to be recognized for what it is. Something that is missing from the rock music scene. We have a lot of talent in the band and also so many great bands/players that are coming from this town, that its time to do something about the sad situation that is the current popular music.

pdn: Thank you for your time! Anything you would like to add for friends and fans here at the end? :)

Jacko: A change is coming.. 

http://www.soundcloud.com/apolloschildband

https://www.facebook.com/apolloschildband
http://www.youtube.com/apolloschildband

Quote of the day: Skindred

"Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything!"

Interview: Jape Perätalo ( TO/DIE/FOR )

   To/Die/For is a very well-known gothic metal band from Kouvola, Finland, and they've been rocking ever since 1993 and up to date, and buttering up our souls with harshly sensitive tunes. Lead singer Jape took the time to chat with us today!

pdn:  Hello, Jape! And thank you! I know there was a change regarding the band's name, back in 1999. Why did that happen and what influenced the new name?

Jape: Our lyrics fits better with the name To/Die/For.Before TDF we ere called as MARY-ANN and we played some kind of street rock and roll so it was right moment to change the name of the band when we signed our first record deal. 

pdn: At what age did you start making music, how did all this get initiated for you?

Jape: All of us started playing music when we were little kids. I composed my first song when i was 6years old.I did it with piano.It wasn´t good one :) but i still remember how it goes. I had my first band when i was 12years old, and i guess other TDF members has same kind of history. 

pdn: What were your main influences in becoming a musician? What bands and just things in general?

Jape: Thinking of it now,i guess i wanted to escape somethings...for examble my parents were strongly believers and i hated it. I wanted to take my own freedom. The band which set me on fire was Finnish band called SMACK. I heard their album "live desire" and that was it! no turning back. Also The Doors, The lords of the new church, and Stiv Bator, Hanoi Rocks  etc. These bands are ones to blame.

pdn: You have toured with many bands so far; who were mos fun to tour with? Do you have this one most memorable moment from all the band's history?

Jape: We loved to be on tour with SENTENCED in 2000. Also In Flames guys were very friendly for us. Just these to mention but we´ve met many great people during these years. on our first European tour we stole all beers from In Flames while they were on the stage. They still didn´t get mad at us, but their tour manager did. We did wrong but...shit happens. Once our guitarist didn´t find the stage in russia and intro was playing etc. It happened exactly as on Spinal Tap movie.Spinal Tap is the truth about this thing called Rock and Roll glamour:)  a lot of memories.... 

pdn: Which is your favourite part in the life of a musician, concerts or the studio hours?

Jape: Being on tour, on the way to somewhere and being on the stage and also writing the songs. All which are based on some kind of business Sucks a big time.  Usually i hate to be at the studio too,but while re cording SAMSARA album, i had fun first time. These guys are so great to play with and compose songs with..i love our band right now! All of us loves to be on the stage and on tour most, it is the MOST important thing for us...and that you never write perfect song,that makes you try harder and harder all the time. It is nice!

pdn: There were many line-up changes along the years; why was that, mostly?

Jape: I am almost bored to answer to this question :) Well..some of ex-member joined to our band because of wrong motivation, and had totally wrong attitude. Sometimes we were too busy to check, is someone GOOD for TDF or not. We had tour coming or somethings. All i can say that every line up change happened because of real reason. It felt painful everytime but things just happen. This is the first time we are all equal and on the same line. 

pdn: Who writes the lyrics and what inspires them most of all? What are the main subjects in the sounds and message of the songs?

Jape: On SAMSARA album i wrote all lyrics. This tiime i was influenced about our real lives. There´s not any fantasy things this time. A lot of things happened during 2010 so i wrote lyrics about that. Samara is like a circle of the year 2010. There two songs which are dedicated for my little brother who died in 2010. Also one song about brain cancer which happened near us, also lyrics about how we always had fun even we are walking like on the edge etc. Also one songs which is about freedom and about society and so on...And we never forget this important thing called love. We do not always sing about love between two persons, but also about Love to Nature and how we love our lives etc. There´s many kinda love you see. 

pdn: What are the plans for the near future?

Jape: Writing new songs, trying to get shows and tours as much as possible. Boring ha? :) 

pdn: Thank you so much for your time! Anything you would like to add for your friends and fans, as few closing words?

Jape: have fun, Stay alive and stick around! and CHECK our sixth album SAMSARA! and hope to see you on tour Someday, Somewhere, Somehow. 

JAPE von CroW+ TDF CLAN

http://www.todiefor.fi/

http://www.myspace.com/tdfrocks

Interview: Itse Ruoja Suruntuoja (AJATTARA)

   Itse Ruoja Suruntuoja, formerly lead singer in Amorphis and Shape Of Despair, took the time to talk to us a bit about the well-known finnish atmospheric black metal project Ajattara, which is one of his three active bands at the moment!

pdn: Hey Ruoja! First of all, how did the band name get to be Ajattara? Does it have any particular meaning?
Ruoja: I want it to represent the true nature of my kind, as Ajattara is a goddess of lost in finnish mytology it is the one to lead our way trough purgatory and lies that dualism brings to harash our live's.


pdn: At what age did your passion for music come to the surface and how did you get started? Which was the first instrument you played?
Ruoja: I was born to do this, and if I can trust a words of my allready passed parent's I'dd sang before I could speak..


pdn: As I've seen, there were a lot of line-up changes in the band's history. Could you tell me a bit about that?


Ruoja: I harbring sorrow and everyone is not ready to achieve such misory that my band brings to our lives when you join in. So there's no option but get rid off bad hypocrit influences.


pdn: Who writes the lyrics and what inspires them most of all, what are the main themes and subjects in the songs?
Ruoja: I write the lyrics as I compose all music. I'm inspired by the stupidity of mankind and all the symptons it couse.


pdn: And how come you decided to mainly have finnish lyrics? It is not a really common thing for bands to play in their native language (in case that is other than English), but I like that!
Ruoja: It was a natural decision,it fit's way better than this anglo-saxon blaa blaa that I try to write at a moment.


pdn: Which would be some bands you guys haven't played with yet but would like to someday? To collaborate or share the stage...
Ruoja: pussycat dolls


pdn: What would be your main goal(s), aspirations in life?
Ruoja: To make a better world trough achieve more space to live.


pdn: What are Ajattara's plans for the near future? Tours, new material maybe?
Ruoja: I'm working on a new album and it should be out end of this year..in meantime we do as much shows it's possible.

pdn: Thank you so much! Any final words you would like to add for your fans, friends?
Ruoja: enjoy peace, it wont last forever!




http://www.myspace.com/ajattara
http://www.last.fm/music/Ajattara