Ava Inferi Interview is up...

http://www.myspace.com/avainferi



1. Ava Inferi is a very interesting project tell us a bit about yourself to
those in North America just learning about this project.

R: Well, we were formed in Almada, Portugal during the summer months of 2004 with the aim to deliver heartfelt, introspective and honest Doom inspired music. It was formed by myself and Carmen Simoes initially with the rest of the members joining in shortly after. We released our first album "Burdens" in 2006, the follow up "The Silhouette" in 2007 and finally now our 3rd release "Blood Of Bacchus" in may 2009. Carmen has also joined forces with Moonspell for 2 of their recent studio albums, and also participates with them live on occasion. I myself has a more extreme background having served as the only composer and new-boy in Mayhem since 1994 until 2008, in which I decided to step out of the band permanently and to focus on other paths and views of creativity, re-joining Aura Noir and putting full focus on this beloved band of ours, Ava Inferi. Ava Inferi is in all its glory a marriage between the dark and the angelic; the musical vision of me, a joint approach to our melancholic poetry, and the resplendent vocals of Carmen.

2. Ava Inferi is a strong mix of Neoclassic, Gothic and Metal was the plan
also to mix these sounds??

R: Id say that there are no plans, really. Its just happening by accident or improvisation so to speak. I never really think about what im gonna write you know, its just a spark of the moment, its there and then and within a certain frame. But ultimately, I guess it all narrows down to the vision of the 5 headed entity that is AI. In a way we all put our personal touches to the final product, despite the fact that I am the creator of 98% of the music.
Its also interesting to see the respective backgrounds in this band, as myself has a more straight forward metal edge to my things, Carmen has a more 80s gothic rock ala Fields of The Nephilim, or Dead Can Dance whilst our drummer Joao Bandido has a more jazzy drum feel. Its quite funny really as he is the least metal orientated drummer ive played with, you know, not doing the regular double bassdrums or the typical fills that youd expect. No, he is merely dancing with the drums, hehe...making it a different journey alltogether. Then there is Jaime Ferreira and Nuno Roberto, who had a band together in Dwelling, dwelling (intended!) in more accoustic neo classical stuff and using that background to a certain extent.

3. The female vocals really shine on Blood of Bacchus the seem to be more
expressive on this title then last. Was something done different this time
around?

R: I think the factor is that we are really getting closer to knowing how to approach the mystery and the core of the band. We all are getting more aware of how to obtain a certain desired result, and I see it growing with each release. Its a bit like fine wine really, it gets better with maturation...But you are absolutely right regarding Carmen. She is the most talented vocalist Ive ever worked with and she has an unique and soulfull voice, and quite frankly, she is the star of the band in my opinion.
On a digressive side its rather interesting that we never made a demo you know, we never recorded anything under the banner of Ava Inferi until we got the record deal and recorded "Burdens". It was due to my close relationship with Season Of Mist (with Mayhem) that I kinda avoided the "years of demo"-stages. For good and for bad really, as if we had made 2 demo´s or so before an actual album it would be a different start alltogether. When we first did the "Burdens" sessions, the guys didnt know shit was to expect as it was all in my head you know...and its now finally that I feel that all of us share the same vision of the band. On the other side of things; you wont have any release called "The demo years" or something unavoidable like that from us, as its out there already, hehe. But let it be said; the 2 first albums are jewels in themselves, albeit a bit raw and uncut. But they surely holds the mysticism and the qualities of a band who´s not gonna stop until we have reached our place in the overcrowded music scene.

4. There is a strong Progressive rock element in the music from time to
time. Do you think its 4 people from 4 very different musical style coming
together here?

R: Both yes and no. As I mentioned earlier on, its mostly my music here anyways, and if you listen to what I have done in the past you can tell its written by a "progressive" mind. I were always fascinated by the aspects of playing intricate music, well atleast from a rythmic point of view. Guitar "masturbation" however was never really my thing, as I truly believe in the pwer of the riffs and in the melody of the song. But I think the ultimate is achieving a balance between the "challenging" or progressive versus the more obvious and I think the mix of those two things fits the AI moniker the best. That being said, our new, as in "new" new, we are tending towards more regular 4/4 beats to get more of the groove down on paper. You know, after our european tour with Tiamat and The 69 Eyes, we felt like rocking it out a bit more, instead of the start-stop kinda doom, hehe...so with this knowledge at hand, the next album will be more live friendly as well. But rest assured it will sound comepletely Ava-ish.

5. You have been working with Season of Mist for while have the getting the
name of the band out they way you wished?

R: Well, it is definetely hard these days to break through. Its like you either have to have a overly controversial message( with most of the times mediocre musical abilities) or superficial yet catchy music that goes straight in your ear to get noted these days, wheras the real musick is most of the times left behind by the masses. You know, sometimes I feel like people dont have the time to actually listen to music. Its all like like fastfood, you know. Where are we headed? There is little or no further extention to most popular bands out there these days, no individual approach, no real feeling. I further believe Ava Inferi is one of those bands that can promote a feeling or atleast an opinion, and therefore it may be more difficult to get across to the common listener, as we would demand something from them as well. To answer more directly to your question; I think Season Of Mist has done a pretty good job with us, getting us out on the road amongst other things. We are truly grateful for that. But it demands even more in these times, thats the unfortunate. We definetely need another tour and another album out there, as things go tough and is easily forgotten in a scene like this. But we are indeed willing to pay that price as I believe in persistence and talent, in which i believe we possess the both.

6. Will Ava Inferi be touring on US on Blood of Bacchus?

R: My immediate answer would be; no. But then again who knows...but there is no plans of going over to the states as of yet, allthough we would love to do a full-scale tour in the States as a support act. But as of now, I believe the focus will be to get the 4th album done, as it is mostly composed. I hope we can enter the studio in december or so to finish it up, and then we would like to focus a bit more on the touring aspects. I will do my share to promote us over to the states.

7. Has Ava Inferi become a full time project over the 3 release or is it
still more a project Rune and company work on when other projects are busy?

R: In my head and opinion, Ava Inferi is a full-time band. I work for the band on daily basis, wheter it be composing, rehearsing, doing interviews and doing all sorts of planning and preparations for shows or whatever it might be. It doesnt pay any bills yet though, I have other bands that pay that part for me, but the interest is growing and I feel its a matter of time before we can blossom as a band and do international tours and actually get some funds back as well. I personally have forwarded a huge amount of money into this band, but I did it because I believe in it, its my child. You dont give up on your own child you know...

8. Is there a running theme on Blood of Bacchus?

R: Id say the running theme, if I can call it that, would be dedication to life. It was written in a difficult period in my life which required a lot of thought and decisions and I feel the album is multilayered with many introspective thoughts. Someone wrote in a recent review that "it doesnt get you sad, it doesnt get you happy, it certainly makes you think about your life" and I thought that to be kinda fitting. I think this album will maybe raise a question or two regarding deeper personal things if listened correctly and being understood the way intended. Atleast thats what it felt to me during composing and recording. For me its like my own periodical tree of life, every little musical detail makes out the branches and manifests as something greater that has been moving or growing along in my life. I believe the same goes for the lyrics really, its just another heavy and revealing page in the book of our lives, to say it a bit cocky. I think music conducted this way holds a deeper side as it can lift your own perceived reality and possibly raise some questions about it as well.
Singing about something common or non personal was never an option for us. But ultimately, I also feel that creating something so personal, or sing and write lyrics about it, it can be more difficult for the listener to get into the album, as I hinted to earlier on. The more personal, the more it can distance itself from the listener. Either you take part in it, as in "giving it time to become "you", or you throw it away, snapping "its a lame album with no catchy melodies". Believe me, we have heard that one too... But hey, who said philosphy should be easy reading?

9. What is Ava Inferi recording like in studio is it a band recording or is
it done in layers as it seem very complex?

R: Everything is layers, hehe. I believe I have everything from 1 guitar to 12 you know, all about the intensity of the passage. The same goes for vocals.

10. If there was one cover song that Ava Inferi could work and make there
own. What would it be and why?

R: Good question. Maybe "Nights in White Satin" or "House of the Rising sun". Both songs are deep in their own matters, and some of the very few songs in its respective genre or era that really touches me. Especially Carmen is passionate about "Nights...". I think both songs would be appropriate for us as they convey some sort of melancholy with beauty, not unlike what we try to portray as well. Its dark yet its gleaming with love and passion. Another song we have in mind actully doing a cover of is Danzig and the song "How the Gods Kill". A fantastic song from a great and true artist!

11. Are the members of the band fans of the modern digital age of Myspace,
Internet / Satelite Radio, Webzines or do you miss the days of old Print
media/ FM radio and Vinyl?

R: I dont know, really. Its not like wish it was like it used to be back in the old days, but I believe the thing with the net and all has gotten totally out of hand. Its a chaotic freeway where sadly everything is possible to get for free. One thing I kinda miss from the old times though is when it was "cool" to go to the record store, searching hours in the shelves, pick up that vinyl or cd and go home, dying to hear it, read the lyrics, the thanxlist and God knows what, you know. It was a special and magical feeling. But I understand and accept that those times are lost or never existed for most young listeners today...Actually this last sunday I went and picked up 2 cds in my local record store. I bought the new Mastodon and an old Danzig album just to have it on cd as well. It always feels good, doing it the old way, as I admit I usually order stuff online.
But yeah, there are things fortunate with this day and age as well as there is drawbacks. Regarding media; i still buy printed magazines. Its a perfect opportunity to get away a bit. Go out, buy a magazine and enjoy it accompanied with a beer. Thats what its there for; take some time off, go buy that cd.

12. With is a live performance like??? Do you have a stage show or do you
just let the songs do the talking?

R: Up until now weve had a dim lighted show with the songs doing the most of the talking. We are however working on a stage show these days with some carefully chosen projections etc. We are planning to use it in full at our next show in Portugal, taking place in september.

13. Ava Inferi is interesting name what does it mean??? and why did you pick
it?
R: Ava Inferi means something along the lines of "High above, down below" and it felt like the perfect match for the sound of this band and the collaboration between Carmen and myself. Its our own personal yin/yang, sort of.

14.Thank you for your time any closing thoughts here..

R: Thank you for showing interest in AI.