Speaking of the history of FMP
- was the current line-up settled from the very beginning or did you choose
your future members (including people who did the backing vocals) among several
candidatures?
Altti: The line up developed when the idea
went on. We were thinking about several suitable members into the
band..but some of them were too busy with other interests during that
moment. I’m absolutely satisfied with the current lineup and I’m also sure
that this was the best from all those alternatives we had with Petri.
Does the band in the way it exists today (the band, the music and the rest)
differ much from what Altti and Petri originally wanted it to be when they
first thought about it in 1999?
Altti: Actually this is quite exactly what
we were looking for with Petri. Original idea was that Lauri would do the
vocals in the band and also play the guitar. But then I got familiar with
Juha and he did vocals on the lates EToS album, I started to think how his
voice would suite into our music. Also Lauri liked the idea to concentrate
only playing guitar this time because he has been doing both things in
Embraze. So, I asked Juha to join the band and the rest you already know…
=)
How did the idea of calling the band 'For My Pain...' occur to you? What
does the name (and the dots:) mean? Who came up with the idea?
Juha. I think For my pain... was originally
name for a song made by Olli. Altti Suggested to use that as a name for
the whole project. I don't think it has any deeper meaning it just sounded
great.
Altti: Yes, Olli had one lyrics draft entitled as “For My Pain” and I
thought that it would describe our style perfectly..dark, atmospheric etc…
We just decided to add those three dots to make the name more mythic and
make people thinking about their meaning =) So those dots do not have very
deep meaning.
If you had to describe FMP music to someone who knows absolutely nothing
about the band, how would you do that?
Altti: Atmospheric/gothic metal with
beautiful and catchy melodies.
Juha: Emotional metal with beautiful atmospheres and catchy melodies.
All of you live in different cities and also have to play in your other
bands. How do you manage to find enough time to get together and do some
rehearsing?
Juha: It really is difficult, but it's just
a matter of some extra arrangements to us. The idea of this project is to
work together when we really have time for it.
Altti: We don’t let it harm our working..We arrange rehearsals when we
need them for example for arranging new songs or for the studio sessions.
It needs traveling of course but we rehearse only when it is needed..so we
don’t have very much so called jamming sessions.
When we first knew about the FMP project, we thought it to be mostly Altti's
creation. So, we were surprised to discover that his role in songwriting was
less that that in EToS. Could you comment on this?
Juha: Olli had lots of great material ready, so this time we used those
song ideas. Everyone did their part in song arrangements and made the
material work for the band.
Altti: Yes, Olli and other guys had really great songs ready when we
started rehearsing with band. I didn’t see a need to write more material
on this album because we already had helluwa songs ready. Maybe on the
next album there will be more ideas from me aswell..but for me it doesn’t
matter who is responsible for writing the material if it’s good. The
arrangement work is done anyways by the whole band.
The next one is personally for Juha.
The lyrics you write for your main band RefleXion differ much from those you
do for FMP, the latter being more 'Gothic'. Was it difficult for you to 'turn
Gothic'? What do you think of this subculture in general? Are you into it?
Juha: Well, personally I don't think the
lyrics are that different. I’m just looking/writing the same things from
little bit different point of view. Reflexion lyrics are more like
everyday-life type of lyrics. FMP lyrics have same idea but they are
colored by using more metaphoric language, honesty, fiction and reality.
Uh, hmmm... I've never turned "gothic” or anything else than myself. I
really don't think about that kind of things I just put my feelings to the
paper that’s my way to express myself. That’s my self-therapy.
You often mention angels and demons in your songs. What's your idea of
them?
Juha: Do I?? , Thanks for telling me that, I won't happen again... =) Hmm..
Another hard one.. Like I said I like to use metaphorical language and
opposite type of expressions. Like angels and demons, love and hate,
pleasure and pain, dark and light etc. As you know few other lyric writer
has also noticed that that kind of words gives certain kind of excitement
to the lyrics =) Let’s just say that I believe in absolute good and
absolute evil at the same time.
It seems to us that the song 'Dear Carniwhore' stands out against the general
background of the album - both thanks to its music and its lyrics. What kind
of image the Carniwhore is? Is it only a contribution to the present fashion
for the 'pain and pleasures' theme (used also by Poisonblack and some other
bands) or is it connected with your pesonal experience?
Juha: Dear carniwhore is just and ordinary
story from one-side love relationship. Sometimes you don’t see or even
care how badly the person you love threats you just because you're willing
to do anything to make the relationship last.
What are your favourite songs on the album? What makes them so special
and dear to you?
Altti: I like Sea of Emotions, Autumn Harmony, My Wound.. They are simple
and catchy songs.
Juha: It would be dear carniwhore. I simply love to sing that song.
If FMP played a cover song, what song (what band) would it be?
Altti: We have couple of alternatives as a
cover song and maybe in the next sessions we are going to record one. I
don’t want to tell any names yet.
Juha: I don’t know. Probably some lame 80’metal ballad.
The music for many of the most beautiful songs on the album ('Sea of Emotions',
'Dancer in the Dark', 'Broken Days', etc.) was written by Jarmo Kylmanen.
The information about him and his band Scyron is very scarce and it's impossible
to find anything about them on the net. Still, it's very interesting to know
more about the band - especially now that we know that Altti is planning to
play the bass for them. Could you please tell us more about both Jarmo and
Scyron?
Juha: Jarmo is my brother and he is the one
who originally introduced me to rock/metal music. He is the "Desmond child"
from Oulu, Finland =) He is one kind of a kind musical genius. Scyron has
it's own unique style of metal music and I think you'll hear from them a
lot in the future.
Altti: I would describe Scyron as something like traditional heavy/power
metal with progressive influences..But they have very own style to play it.
Jarmo is a really great singer and he has a really great heavy metal voice!
Also Scyron’s other main member Risto Ruuth is very talented guitar player
and a great song writer. I’m sure that you’ll hear about these guys in the
future.
Once you told you were going to start touring as soon as you get some free
time from your main bands. When is it likely to happen? (in months, years
- just for us to pack our things away and get ready to BE THERE!:))) And what
about playing some gigs at local festivals this year?
Juha: as far as I know there’s no plans to
do tour or gigs at the moment. I hope we are able to do few gigs in the
future.
Altti: We cannot say any exact date when it would happen..we just see when
everybody will have suitable time for that from other activities. It would
be cool to try the material on stage as well!
By the way, what band(s) would you like to tour with?
Juha: It would be great to tour with some
big names from Finland. It doesn’t matter which group, as long as the
bands can play to the same audience.
Altti: The name does not matter..the main thing is that the group would be
a bit similar with us that the audience would be suitable for both.
You mentioned that a video is not such a good investment in Finland pointing
out that making video is quite expensive and it doesn't get much publicity.
But what is your attitude to the very idea of making a music video? If you
could not care about the money but do what you really wish, what a FMP video
would like? What song would you choose for shooting a video?
Altti: I think “My Wound..”, “Rapture of
Lust”, “Carniwhore” or “Autumn Harmony” would work best as a video…
Juha: I would choose dear carniwhore and use a lot of leather and make up!!
=)
Altti: And beautiful women in leather of course!! :D
It's easy to notice that Oulu is a real rock city:) What's the current
situation in the city - perhaps, new bands or most interesting music festivals?
What places should a true metal lover visit when first in Oulu?;)
Juha: I guess there are not any regular
festivals containing metal or rock music. Still there are little bit
smaller events all along the summer. I have lived in Helsinki for two
years now, so I don’t know all the current music news from Oulu =)
Altti: Actually there was one new festival in Oulu, called Qstock. It got
very good feedback from the audience and I bet it will grow much bigger
during next years. There were both rock and metal bands and it last 2 days.
Here are lots of great bands..too many to name one.
Is it difficult to earn one's living by making music (and nothing else)
in Finland? What's your present occupation? Did your band activities interfer
with your professional interests or studies (or vice versa)? Did you ever
have to choose between your band and your job?
Juha: It’s really difficult. There are just
few bands in Finland that does only music and earns their living from it.
I have worked in several places during these years. This fall I try to
start music-technology studies.
Altti: Yes, you have to be a very big name if you try to earn your living
by music only. There aren’t very many bands who can do it here in Finland.
I was studying Information Technology and I graduated at spring 2000. Now
I work as an user interaction designer at Nokia Mobile phones. You can
find my designs for example from Nokia’s first camera phone 7650 (Internet
and WAP user interfaces were my responsibility).
The bands you listed in your profiles on the official website are quite old
- more like classics. What modern music do you prefer? What was the last CD
you bought and the last concert you visited? Did you like them?
Juha: Latest album I got was Tarot, suffer
our pleasures. Great album! I’ve been listening Tarot since I was 12 years
old.
Altti: The latest album I got was Silentium’s latest album. A great
package which actually could be directed as a theatrical act. Nowadays I
use to listen quite much traditional heavy metal..For example the Tarot
album Juha mentioned was really a master piece!
If you were not a musician, what other profession would you choose?
Altti: I think I would be doing the same
thing like currently. Or I could also work for an own record label..I
think that might be a cool job.
Juha: composer, producer… I can’t seriously think that I would do
something that doesn’t involve music in some way for the rest of my life.
Most bands have a lot of funny stuff while recording their albums. Though
FMP doesn’t gather together that often - still, were there any curious moments?
Juha: Every recording session includes some
crazy moments. FMP sessions had quite relaxed atmosphere in general, there
were no pressure at all. Everyone was well aware of their function and did
their job as well as possible.
Altti: Just like Juha said, we had very relaxed atmosphere at the studio
and we didn’t have pressures at all. So, I could say that this was maybe
the most painless studio session where I have ever been involved..(despite
of band’s name! =))
Have you got any nicknames? How do your friends call you? (It's always
been a problem for us, all those shorter versions of Finnish names: like Jarmo
- Jape, you know...:)
Altti: Some of my frieds call me Altsu. The
guys from FMP (especially Jupe) call me Alzheimer! =)
Juha: yep! Call me JUPE!! Or like Altti and Pete calls me Eka Vekara (originally
Eega Beeva) Mickey Mouse’s friend… =)
What do you do to overcome gloomy mood and depression?
Altti: I take a guitar or a bass and
play..or then I write some lyrics. Of course I also discuss about it with
my friends.
Juha: I write.
In the interview to Gothic Metal World Altti mentioned the next album.
Have you already got any ideas about it?
Altti: The next album is not very topical
at the moment because everybody are very busy with main bands and
everything like that. But we have already some material for the next album
and we have been rehearsing those songs already. We’ll make the next album
when everybody have time for it..so I cannot say the exact date yet.
Juha: Some new song ideas but there’s nothing certain plan yet, we’ll see…
...and some stupid questions to finish it up:)
2 questions for Juha
How did it occur to you to have your hair dyed and curled? What brand of dye
do you use?
Juha: I’m obsessed by red color. I don’t
use any particular brand. If it’s red, it’s enough to me.
Imagine: you sit on the bank with a fishing rod fly-fishing and relaxing...
what would you do if you fish out a mermaid?
Juha: =) huh, I would probably use catch &
release technique in that case.
the one for Altti (as an amateur hunter:)
Whom do you usually prey? and what type of weapon do you use?
Altti: I use to hunt ducks, wood grouses, black grouses, willow grouses
and other birds like that. Also hares and elks. With smaller game I use
shotgun (with two pipes or a pump shotgun) and when hunting elks, I use a
hunting rifle for elks.
for everyone
What would you do if one fine morning you woke up as a woman?:)
Altti: I would become a groupie.
Juha: I would get pregnant.
Imagine that you owe somebody a considerable sum of money. There are only
two ways of making some money to pay the debt. What would you prefer - to
do backing vocals in HIM for a year or to work for a week as a male stripper
in a local bar?
Altti: Of course by being a stripper! :D It
would be much more fun than just doing the backing vocals..And I don’t see
any reasons, why I couldn’t strip for beautiful women :D
Juha: Local bar, of course =) well, I depends on the circumstances. Doing
backing vocals is always very educating..
They say that to become a technique or a roadie in Sentenced tour
one must be able to drink a lot and not fall before Ville Laihiala. What must
one do to go on tour with you?
Juha: Rule 1. You have to jerk off 8
times/ each day
Rule 2. You have to be able to drink as many “mustikkahдrdelli”
drinks as Pete, and not to fall.
Rule 3. Don’t leave from the bar before you have drunk every single
cent you or your friends have got!!
Altti: hehhee…I cannot deny any of these rules! :D
What is there in your pockets right now?
Altti: hmmm…I have there my wallet and keys
of my car.
Juha: hmm… cigarette lighter…red color of course =)
We hope that FMP will come to Russia in the nearest future. What about some
words for your fans over here?
Altti: Thanks you for the great interview
and building up the fan site for our band! I bet it would be great to play
there sometime!
Juha: Thank you from your awesome support!!! I hope we’ll see on gigs in
future!!
We'd like to thank you again for the interview. Sorry if it took too much
time - we just can't help being curious when it concerns the band:)
Altti: Thank you for your great work!!
Juha: Yep, thank you!!
PS - send our love to Juho Heikka:)
Juha: I will!