Interview with Fission

 FISSION

INTREVIEW WITH ANDREAS----KEYBOARDIST,VOCALIST FOR THE BAND FISSION......DONE BY PATRICK SCHROEDER FOR NO BULLSHIT WEBZINE

1.HAILS!!!! HOWS LIFE BEEN TREATING YOU LATELY? PLEASE TELL THE READERS A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR SELF...

V: Well, life’s gentle to me and treat me good, even if I’m in a constant battle with the 24 h cycle. So much to do and explore, and so little time. But I can’t complain, filled with enthusiasm and inspiration for song writing and recording. And it’s great that it’s winter, so I’m spending a lot of time with my family outdoors just having a good time.

2.PLEASE GIVE A BRIEF HISTORY OF FISSION..HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH NAME OF YOUR BAND? FOR THE READERS WHO HAVE NOT HEARD YOUR BAND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE BAND'S SOUND?

V: I and the other guy Benny have known each other for 20 years nearly and we grew up in the same small village, and he just asked me at a party if I could put some vocals on two of his tracks that he had written. I said yes, and I put some quite varied vocal types in there and also added some fx and keyboards. Benny was very pleased with the result and we started to talk about doing it all the way, with an album and everything…and we felt that the songs has a good potential to become something fresh and exciting, so it developed into a serious project. And we started to write songs with an album in our mind, and Napalm wanted to co-operate with us..and here we are! We don’t have a long story as a band, but as friends and musicians.

3..CRATER IS YOUR DEBUT CD. SO I WAS INTERESTED ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH HOW IT TURNED OUT? HOW HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN FROM THE UNDERGROUND?

V: We’re very satisfied with the result, from the actual songs to the production and the design of the cover. Our goal was just to compose and record an intense but still melodic piece and I think we succeeded in that mission, and this was just our first attempt so we’ll continue refining our sound and visions. The response has been great so far, both from media and audience. Still the most important part is that we feel at ease ourselves with the album, it feels like it fills out at space I had reserved for it in my soul. So, we’re happy at the moment with it, maybe we’ll re-evaluate our emotions later, but for now it perfect.

4.DOES THE BAND REHEARSE VERY OFTEN? DOES IT TAKE LONG FOR THE BAND TO COMPOSE A FISSION SONG? DO YOU HAVE ANY CERTAIN TOPICS THAT INSPIRES YOUR LYRICS? WHAT ARE SOME TOPICS YOU HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT ON CRATER?

V: We’ve never rehearsed at all actually. We both have our own small studio where we do a lot of the recording and composing, so we send files between each other and meet sometimes for some recordings and the mix of course, it works beautifully for us having that kind of momentum. Lyricwise the album revolves around emotional states and feeling locked out from the society just ‘cause you think different and in new patterns. Many times you’re seen upon as a lunatic if you dare to trespass the given formula that people seem to be happy living with and in..but that kind of madness is healthy in our perspective, so it takes a starting point in that type of questionings. But we haven’t said that we’ll follow this type of topics in the future, we’ll see what feels natural and suits the music best?

5.HOW DID THE BAND COME IN CONTACT WITH NAPALM REC..? ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE JOB THEY HAVE DONE SO FAR?

V: They’ve released all the Vintersorg albums and some other I’ve been involved in, so it was kind of a natural choice for us when they were interested in working with us. And they have done and are doing a good job all the way, even if a band always want even more promotion….

6.DOES THE BAND HAVE ANY PLANS TO TOUR ANYTIME SOON? ANY IDEA WITH WHO? IF YOU COULD SET UP A DREAM TOUR WHO ARE SOME BANDS PAST OR PRESENT YOU WOULD LOVE TO TOUR WITH?

V: We’re strictly a studio project, so no touring will take place at all. We feel most comfortable in that environment and we’ll keep it in this format, and we’re only two guys so touring would be a hard, have to hire session members etc.

7.IF YOU HAD TO PICK YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE BANDS WHO WOULD THEY BE? ARE THERE ANY CURRENT BANDS YOU THINK THE READERS SHOULD CHECK OUT?

V: Uriah Heep, but Starcastle isn’t that far behind. Some really extraordinary bands in my world, they just have it all. Emotional music that reflect the whole spectra of emotions, from horror to love. And they just blow me away with their melodies and arrangements. Real masters and giants to me. So, check ‘em out, it’s something special even if their golden era was in the 70’s.

8.I BELIEVE YOU ARE ALSO A MEMBER OF THE BAND VINTERSORG. HOW LONG HAS THE BAND BEEN TOGETHER? DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO PLAY IN TWO DIFFERENT BANDS? HOW IS FISSION DIFFERENT FROM VINTERSORG?

V: Yes, and I’m also in Borknagar and Havayoth plus some other projects as well, so it really keeps me busy, add full time studying and a family, I have a one year old son…So it’s always about finding time to do stuff, but I’ve become a good organizer in that field. Vintersorg has been going for 10 years now and it’s just getting better and better. All the projects I’m working in have their own character and musical ideology, of course some similarities can be found at times, but still Fission and Vintersorg for example is very different, the link between them is my voice I guess. I really like doing a lot of different things, it keeps my inspiration going and I’m a guy that like a lot of different types of music, so now I can have it all,, Not a bad thing for a guy that grew up in a tiny little village in the wastelands of Sweden.

9..IN YOUR OPINION WHAT IS THE BEST AND WORST THINGS ABOUT THE UNDERGROUND TODAY?

V: Well, it’s hard to say. I’m not totally up to date with the deepest levels of it. I really like the fact that people are more open-minded these days than lets say 10 years ago, it gives you a better opportunity to create your own sound, so that is really great. Still, commercial forces are involved with it in another way today than 10 years ago. It’s hard to conclude these kind of things I think, there’re both positive and negative side to it, as with many things. The tape trading is fading away quickly, but on the other hand Internet is the new “tape trading” arena.

10..THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO FILL OUT THIS INTERVIEW ..DO YOU HAVE ANY FINAL COMMENTS?

V: Nah! I’m not good in giving smart closing words..hehehe..I would just recommend people to check out the Fission album, it’s not exactly a new genre we’re starting, but still the album feels fresh and intentional in several aspects. I think that we have something unique that