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Noi di Heavyworlds.com abbiamo avuto l’opportunit\u00e0 di scambiare due chiacchiere con Charlotte Wessels, cantante della band olandese Delain, in occasione dell’uscita del nuovo disco “The Human Contradiction”. Charlotte, nonostante un intenso tour europeo, \u00e8 riuscita solo a risponderci un po’ di giorni fa.. buona lettura!<\/i><\/p>\n
– Ciao Charlotte! Bentornata su Heavyworlds.com. L’ultima volta che ti abbiamo intervistata \u00e8 stato in occasione del vostro ultimo concerto in Italia a Romagnano Sesia. Come vanno le cose?<\/b><\/p>\n
Bene grazie, stiamo facendo un tour intenso e abbiamo ricevuto buoni responsi per il nostro nuovo lavoro \u2018The Human Contradiction\u2019.<\/p>\n
– Parliamo del vostro nuovo lavoro \u2018The Human Contradiction\u2019, la prima cosa che si nota subito \u00e8 il cambio di sound. Qual \u00e8 la principale ragione di questo cambio? So che a volte il sound viene fuori cos\u00ec, senza ragione e forse \u00e8 successo cos\u00ec ma vorrei sapere la vostra opinione a riguardo. <\/b><\/p>\n
Forse si tratta del fatto che abbiamo davvero preso la cosa a due mani. Infatti, abbiamo preso l\u2019ispirazione cos\u00ec come veniva e il cambio spesso \u00e8 stato di poco conto. Ma penso che il modo in cui abbiamo scritto e registrato questo album abbia contribuito in modo subconscio al sound e alcuni cambi si sentono anche. Ci siamo impegnati molto per questa produzione, con Martijn al comando e sfruttando altre parti solo per a processo quasi ultimato. Inoltre non abbiamo avuto alcun problema con la casa discografica, visto che ora siamo \u2018felicemente sposati\u2019 con la Napalm. Quindi tutti \u00e8 stato prodotto in un\u2019atmosfera ricca a livello creativo, che ci ha permesso di concentrarci sul processo creativo stesso.<\/p>\n
– Il nuovo album a ha un bel titolo, forse legato al concept dell\u2019album. Potresti dirmi qualcosa circa questo concept e sulla cover art?<\/b><\/p>\n
Il titolo \u00e8 un concetto che racchiude i temi delle lyrics ed \u00e8 stato preso dalla trilogia Sci-Fi \u2018Lilith\u2019s Brood\u2019 di Octavia Butler. Nei libri la contraddizione umana \u00e8 descritta come il fatto che siamo una specie intelligente ma anche gerarchica. Questa contraddizione causa una mentalit\u00e0 di \u2018noi contro gli altri\u2019, un\u2019attitudine che ci fa selezionare alcune qualit\u00e0 negli altri, e ce le fa usare per giustificarne una certa classificazione su una scala sociale precostituita. Questo \u00e8 proprio il comportamento che permette sistemi di oppressione come il razzismo, l\u2019(etero)sessimo, lo specismo etc. Crea un dualismo, un\u2019attitudine, che nel libro (e anche nella realt\u00e0), si rivela autodistruttivo.<\/p>\n
In questo modo, “The Human Contradiction” presenta e amplia i concetti del nostro \u2018We Are The Others\u2019: il senso dell\u2019altro e come la gente si confronta con questo. Si tratta di un tema che \u00e8 molto personale per me, e ne sono stato ossessionata sul piano artistico e accademico per un paio di anni. E\u2019 ormai un tema ricorrente nei Delain, sia l\u2019altro nella nostra specie, sia verso le persone che sono viste come diverse (il tema del nostro precedente album appunto) o considerate come non umane (tema di “The Human Contradiction”).<\/p>\n
Per quanto riguarda la cover art volevamo che rappresentasse varie cose collegate al disco, come l\u2019elemento cosmico, che \u00e8 un tributo alla trilogia di Butler. E\u2019 una rappresentazione visuale del dualismo, abbiamo scelto un\u2019opposizione umano-non umano, grazie al contrasto tra il lato sinistro e quello destro della cover. Il piccolo logo tra il titolo richiama uno Yin Yang che \u00e8 a sua volta simbolo di dualismo.<\/p>\n
– Si tratta del vostro primo album su Napalm Records. Avete notato differenze lavorando con quest\u2019etichetta piuttosto che con la Roadrunner?<\/b><\/p>\n
Quando parliamo della Roadrunner per\u00f2 non includo \u2018We Are The Others\u2019 perch\u00e9 si tratta di una transizione, come avevamo fatto con la Warner. E\u2019 stato molto diverso, cos\u00ec come per quanto riguarda la comparazione tra Napalm e Warner, si tratta di una cosa diversa come il giorno e la notte. Per la Warner alla fine eravamo solo una parte del contratto e non potevamo mai scegliere come lavorare. Con la Napalm invece sentiamo che il nostro successo \u00e8 importante per loro quanto per noi.<\/p>\n
– Non \u00e8 solito avere nove canzoni in un album. C\u2019\u00e8 una motivazione per questa cosa?<\/b><\/p>\n
Davvero? Avevamo un po\u2019 i canoni e abbiamo solo fatto una selezione delle migliori. Nel nostro lavoro precedente c\u2019erano pi\u00f9 tracce s\u00ec, ma visto che le canzoni in questo sono pi\u00f9 lunghe, alla fine il tempo \u00e8 quello. Personalmente mi sarebbe piaciuto includere \u2018Scarlet\u2019, che ora \u00e8 anche inclusa nel disco bonus tra la selezione, ma questa l’abbiamo finita giusto in tempo per il special CD.<\/p>\n
– “Your Body Is A Battle Ground” \u00e8 la prima canzone che abbiamo sentito. E\u2019 un featuring con Marco Hietala dei Nightwish. Avete gi\u00e0 fatto delle collaborazioni con lui. C\u2019\u00e8 un motivo per cui l\u2019avete scelto di nuovo per questa canzone? <\/b><\/p>\n
Marco \u00e8 stato un grande apporto vocale per il nostro primo disco, e spesso ci immaginiamo delle parti vocali maschili per le canzoni, e pensiamo subito a lui. Se gli chiediamo di partecipare siamo certi di avere un risulatato ottimo, e il suo cantato per “The Human Contradiction” \u00e8 ottimo.<\/p>\n
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– Marco canta anche in \u2018Sing to Me\u2019 una canzone un po\u2019 melanconica. Di cosa parla? <\/b><\/p>\n
Parla della melancolia di diventare grandi presto. Ci sono molte metafore e disillusioni.<\/p>\n
– C\u2019\u00e8 anche una versione studio di \u2018My Masquerade\u2019 che avete introdotto durante il \u2018My Masquerade Event\u2019 di Novembre. Di cosa parla la canzone? <\/b><\/p>\n
“My Masquerade” parla (tra le altre cose J) di abbracciare il lato pazzo che c\u2019\u00e8 in ognuno di noi, e negli altri.<\/p>\n
– Un altro duetto \u00e8 quello di \u2018Tell Me Mechanist\u2019, con George Oosthoek. Avete lavorato con lui in passato, com\u2019\u00e8 stato lavorarci di nuovo? <\/b><\/p>\n
La reunion con lui \u00e8 stata molto bella. Ha suonato con noi varie volte, per le parti cantante in \u2018grunt\u2019, ma \u00e8 un po\u2019 che non registrava con noi. E in questa canzone i grunts erano prominenti.<\/p>\n
E\u2019 una delle prime canzoni, da anni, che ne ha cos\u00ec tanti, e lui era la persona pi\u00f9 adatta, proprio come aveva fatto per il nostro primo disco \u2018Lucidity\u2019<\/p>\n
– L\u2019ultimo duetto invece \u00e8 la track finale, \u2018The Tragedy Of The Commons\u2019 con Alissa degli Arch Enemy ed ex The Agonist. L\u2019avete incontrata durante il tour con i Kamelot. Come \u00e8 stata l\u2019esperienza e l\u2019amicizia con lei?<\/b><\/p>\n
La canzone con Alissa \u00e8 stata una delle ultime ad essere stata mixata, quindi la sua voce \u00e8 stato il tocco finale. Siamo molto felici di questa collaborazione: amiamo la sua voce potente e versatile, e dopo aver passato un po\u2019 di tempo in tour con i Kamelot abbiamo deciso che ci serviva la sua grandiosit\u00e0.<\/p>\n
– Qual \u00e8 stata la canzone pi\u00f9 facile da scrivere e quale quella pi\u00f9 difficile e perch\u00e9?<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2018Tell Me Mechanist\u2019 \u00e8 stata abbastanza facile mentre \u2018The Tragedy Of The Commons” \u00e8 stata una delle pi\u00f9 difficili perch\u00e9 ci abbiamo messo un po a capire come fare il ritornello visto che avevamo tante idee. (ok, \u00e8 un problema relativo!) Abbiamo quindi deciso per quello che potete sentire ora.<\/p>\n
– Qual \u00e8 la tua traccia preferita e perch\u00e9?<\/b><\/p>\n
Forse “Here Come the Vultures”, perch\u00e9 la struttura originale \u00e8 un po\u2019 pazza.<\/p>\n
– Il processo creativo \u00e8 cambiato nel tempo? O \u00e8 sempre lo stesso?<\/b><\/p>\n
Alcune cose sono cambiate, cos\u00ec come i nostri metodi rispetto agli album precedenti. Le canzoni erano scritte da Martijn, Guus (nostro partner musicale da anni) e me. Abbiamo tenuto le canzoni per noi finch\u00e8 non siamo stati certi di avere una struttura solida, riff interessanti e melodie per tutta la traccia. Poi abbiamo aperto il processo a tutti e ognuno ha lavorato alle sue parti in modo dettagliato. Martijn lavora agli arrangiamenti e i ragazzi hanno cominciato a fare le prove e a lavorare sui testi. Poi nel caso ci siano terze parti incluse, generalmente ci lavorano a loro volta. Il grande cambiamento \u00e8 stato, come ho detto, che questo disco ha avuto poche \u2018terze parti\u2019 e per la produzione se n\u2019\u00e8 occupato Martijn.. C\u2019\u00e8 stata pi\u00f9 responsabilit\u00e0 da parte nostra, quindi \u00e8 un album un po\u2019 pi\u00f9 personale.<\/p>\n
– Che ci dite dell\u2019Italia? Tornerete, visto che non siamo stati inclusi nel tour europeo? <\/b><\/p>\n
Non vediamo l\u2019ora di tornare in italia! Ci manca la gente adorabile e il vostro ottimo cibo. \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n
– Immagina che la tua casa sia in fiamme, con animali e familiari gi\u00e0 in salvo.Puoi salvare solo cinque album della tua collezione. Quali sono e perch\u00e9?<\/b><\/p>\n
Opterei per i vinili perch\u00e9 ci sono molto legata, alcuni erano dei miei genitori.<\/p>\n
– Kate Bush – Never for Ever<\/p>\n
– Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells (in realt\u00e0 ne ho due copie, non si sai mai)<\/p>\n
– Deep Purple – Burn<\/p>\n
– Led Zeppelin – II<\/p>\n
– e l\u2019unico CD: Radiohead \u2013 Amnesiac<\/p>\n
– E’ tutto per ora, grazie per il tuo tempo, c\u2019\u00e8 qualcosa che vorresti dire ai tuoi fan, ai fan dei Delain e ai nostri lettori?<\/b><\/p>\n
Grazie del supporto e speriamo di vederci presto!<\/p>\n
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[ENGLISH VERSION]<\/i>:<\/p>\n
– Hi Charlotte, welcome again on Heavyworlds.com! Last time we interviewed a Delain member was during your last gig in Italy in Romagnano Sesia. How are things going?<\/b><\/p>\n
Fine! We are touring extensively and we\u2019re receiving awesome responses to our new record The Human Contradiction.<\/p>\n
– Let’s talk about your new work, “The Human Contradiction”, the first thing I can immediately notice is a new change of the sound. What’s the main reason of this change? I know sometimes the sound comes out like that without any reasons and maybe it’s that but I would like to know your opinion about it.<\/b><\/p>\n
It could have to do with the fact that we really took matters into our hands again. Indeed, we just take the inspiration as it comes and changes often slip in unnoticed. But I do think that the way we wrote and recorded this album contributed on an unconscious level to the sound and some of the changes you hear as well: we\u2019ve been really keeping to ourselves in this production, with Martijn back in the producer chair, and only involving third parties in a late stage of the process. Also, we didn\u2019t have any or the label issues we did when recording our previous record, as we are now \u2018happily married\u2019 with Napalm records, so all
in all there was a creatively free atmosphere in which we were able to focus our attention to the creative process.<\/p>\n
– The new album has a cool ”title” probably linked to the concept of the album. Could you tell me something about the concept and also about the cover art? <\/b><\/p>\n
The album title \u2018The Human Contradiction\u2019 functions as an overarching concept for the lyrical themes and was directly borrowed from the Sci-Fi trilogy \u2018Lilith\u2019s Brood\u2019 (Author: Octavia E. Butler). Within the books, the Human Contradiction is described as the fact that we are as a species both intelligent and hierarchic. This human contradiction causes an \u2018us versus the others\u2019 mentality; an attitude which makes humans randomly select qualities in others and use those qualities to justify ranking them higher or lower on the socially constructed ladder; this is exactly the kind of behaviour that allows for systems of oppressions such as racism, (hetero)sexism, species-ism etc. to exist. It creates dualisms, and basically it is an attitude, which in the book \u2013 as well as one could argue, in reality \u2013 proves to be most self-destructive. In that way, The Human Contradiction presents a broadening and deepening of the lyrical concept of our previous record We Are The Others: \u2018otherness\u2019 and how people relate to this, is a topic that I has indeed become very personal to me and that I have been obsessing over both artistically
and academically for the last couple of years; it has become a recurring theme in Delain\u2019s lyrics. whether it is otherness within our species, so towards people who are perceived as \u2018different\u2019 by other people (which was \u2018We Are The Others\u2019 main focus) or in our attitudes towards nonhuman \u2018others\u2019, which is the lyrical addition made by our new record.<\/p>\n
As for the cover art, we wanted it to represent several things linked to the record; the cosmic element, that pays tribute to the origin of the album title (Butler\u2019s trilogy), a visual representation of \u2018dualism\u2019 itself; we chose to go for the human\/non-human nature opposition, which is represented through the contrast between the left and right side of the cover. The little logo between the title has a yin\/yang quality about it that could be considered a symbol for dualism\/contradiction in general.<\/p>\n
– This is the first full lenght you released under Napalm Records. Do you notice any differences between working with this label and Roadrunner?<\/b><\/p>\n
When talking about Roadrunner I try not to count We Are The Others, as the transition to Warner had already happened then, and working with Roadrunner was a very different thing then working under Warner. As for the Warner\/Napalm comparison it\u2019s a difference of night and day as the first is a record company where we ended up being \u2018part of the deal\u2018 but we never deliberately chose to work together, as where with Napalm we did, and we have the feeling that our success is as important to them as it is to us.<\/p>\n
– It’s unusual having 9 tracks in an album. Was there any reason for this choice?<\/b><\/p>\n
Is it? Well, we had a bunch of tracks, and we simply thought that this was the best selection. Our previous records had more tracks, but since the songs on this one are slightly longer we count in on a similar playing time to our previous records. Personally I would have liked to have the ballad \u2018Scarlet\u2018 which is now featured on the bonus record in that selection too, but this one we finished only in time for special CD.
– “Your Body Is A Battleground” is the first song we heard thanks to the lyric video. It’s a great one with Marco Hietala of Nightwish. This duet reminds us to the first two albums where there were some collaborations with him. Is there any reason to choose him again for this song? <\/b><\/p>\n
Marco has indeed been such a prominent sound on our first records, that often when we imagine male vocals on a part, we end up automatically imagining his vocals there. Whenever we ask him to collaborate we\u2019re certain to have an awesome outcome, and his guest vocals for The Human Contradiction are no exception.<\/p>\n
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– Marco also sang in “Sing To Me”, a melanchonic song. What’s the song about?<\/b><\/p>\n
It\u2019s a melancholic coming of age track really. Filled with metaphors and disillusions that go with that sort of thing.<\/p>\n
– We can find a studio version of “My Masquerade” that you guys introduced during “My Masquerade Event” in November. What’s this song about?<\/b><\/p>\n
My Masquerade is about embracing (among other things ;)) the freak in yourself, and others.
– Another duet is in “Tell Me, Mechanist” with George Oosthoek . You guys have worked together for a while, how was having him back as a feturing in a new track for this work?<\/b><\/p>\n
The reunion with George is a very fortunate one! He\u2019s been joining us for years on stage at various occasions performing the older Delain songs which feature grunts, but on our records it\u2019s been a while since we\u2019ve had prominent grunts featuring in a song. \u2018Tell me, Mechanist\u2019 is the first song in a long time to have such a big role for grunts so it was only fitting to have George perform those again, just like he originally did on our debut \u2018Lucidity\u2019.<\/p>\n
– Last duet is in the closer track, “The Tragedy Of the Commons” with Alissa (ex- The Agonist, Arch Enemy). You guys have met her during Kamelot tour. How was this experience and is there a friendship with her?<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2018The Tragedy Of The Commons\u2019, the song on which Alissa White-Gluz performs, was actually one of the last songs to be finalized, and Alissa\u2019s vocals consequently were some of the very finishing touches on the record. We are very excited about the collaboration: we love her great, versatile and powerful vocal style and after spending time on the road with Alissa on our tour with Kamelot last fall, we simply needed her awesomeness.<\/p>\n
– Which song was the easiest to write and which one the most difficult and why?<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2018Tell Me, Mechanist\u2019 came out pretty easy! \u2018Tragedy of The Commons\u2019 was one of the more challenging ones, it took us ages to figure out how to go about the chorus as we had simply too many ideas (which is a luxury problem, really). We ended up combining them into what you hear now.<\/p>\n
– What’s your favourite track of this new work and why?<\/b><\/p>\n
Probably \u2018Here Come The Vultures\u2019 because of its original song structure and just a bit crazy in a good way here and there.<\/p>\n
– Did the creative process change this time or was it the same?<\/b><\/p>\n
Some parts changed, some stayed the same. What stayed the same to our methods from the previous record is that the songs where written by Martijn, Guus (our long time musical partner) and myself. We keep the song between us until we are sure that we have a solid structure, interesting hooks and good melodies for the entire song, which is when we open up the process and everybody starts working on their respective parts in more details. Martijn works out the arrangements, the guys start rehearsing and refining their parts, I work on the lyrics, and if any third parties are involved, they usually come in right about here as well. The biggest change is that, as I mentioned before, on this record there hardly were third parties involved, and we took matters into our own hands by having Martijn back in the producer chair. There was a lot more responsibility for all of us, which made it a very personal record for the band.<\/p>\n
– And what about Delain in Italy? Did you plan to come here as we have been avoided from the european tour?<\/b><\/p>\n
We are looking forward to come back to Italy. We miss the lovely people, and let\u2019s not forget the great Italian food \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
– Imagine your house is on fire (animals and people will be rescued by others). You could save only 5 music albums considering you have all of them. What will they be and why?<\/b><\/p>\n
I\u2019m going for mostly Vinyl as they have most sentimental value for me, many of them are my parents\u2019.<\/p>\n
-Kate Bush – Never for Ever<\/p>\n
-Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells (I actually have this one double \u2018just in case\u2018)<\/p>\n
-Deep Purple – Burn<\/p>\n
-Led Zeppelin – II<\/p>\n
– And, the only CD of the bunch: Radiohead – Amnesiac<\/p>\n
– It’s all for now, thanks for your time. Is there anything you would like to say to your fans, delain fans or Heavyworlds.com readers?<\/b><\/p>\n
Thanks for the support and hope to see you soon!<\/p>\n
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