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October 14, 2011

What is Promonetics and Why You SHOULD Join. Interview with Promonetics Founder Patrik Lindstrom

Filed under: Interviews — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 8:00 am

VIVA MUSIC: What is Promonetics in brief?

Patrik Lindström: Promonetics is a promotional community for labels, artists, promoters, DJ’s and media. You can think of it as a blend of Facebook/Myspace/Google+ together with a promopool. At Promonetics, artists and labels are able to share their promotional material such as promos, videos, photos and live dates to hundreds of potential partners and get all the feedback on the same place. The DJ’s and media have a great library of promos to review, give feedback on and create partnerships. All for free.

VIVA MUSIC: What is the appeal of Promonetics for a bigshot? What about a newcomer?

Patrik Lindström: There’s big potential for the big label as well as for the small artist. For the big label, they are able to reach DJ’s and media they would not have come in contact with otherwise. As well as cutting down maintenance and cost on their own promopool (I know a few labels that have stopped their own promopool to go over to Promonetics to 100%). The (perhaps unsigned) artist is able to easily get their promo out to hundreds of potential media users, but also other labels, so they both get the promotion and the possibility to be signed.

VIVA MUSIC: When did you first have the idea of Promonetics and when did it all start?

Patrik Lindström: When I started to learn how to code PHP (actually only learned about 1-1½ years ago), I wanted to make something that was both usable and good for learning. So it all started out as a down-loadable webapp promopool kit. The thought was that labels could download it for free, install it on their own platform and customize the appearance to fit their own design. When I was only a few hours until completion, I started to think what I wanted myself as a editor of a netzine (Brutal Resonance). I was tired of visiting so many  different promopools, I wanted all the promos from the same spot, an easy way to find new interesting labels, give feedback in an easy way and most off all, get a closer connection by actually creating a friendship. I also wanted it to be a free service, financed by peoples donations. So I started to form the basic idea of what Promonetics is today. With the help of German promoter Promofabrik, that gave me webspace, I was able to start out with a simple promopool functionality, just to see if it was any interest in it. It was, the site grew and I left the Promofabrik server for Blackbyte.se who supply me with servers for a very, very decent amount. Since the release, the site has gone through quite a few versions, different functionality (testing what works and what is not) and is what you see today. The social and free promopool platform that is Promonetics with around 500 users. Now, I can honestly say that I have reached the point where I am pleased with Promonetics, what I wanted one year ago when I started out testing different approaches. But the fact that I am pleased does not mean I am done, I always, every day, think of new ways to make it better. I also listen to all user feedback and try to supply with their wishes whenever possible. (more…)

September 29, 2011

Schoengeist – The Exclusive Viva Music Interview!

Filed under: Interviews — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 12:04 pm

Meeting with Schoengeist is always fun, fresh, and intriguing. On the occasion of this interview we had much fun, because of the openness of lead singer Timur Karakus and of his willingness to answer the quirkiest of our questions. This is how we found out what he likes to do before going on stage, whom he would like to share the stage with, and what his feeling is, as an artist, about the scene and the demands artists face and comply with in their careers. It was a very enjoyable experience and we warmly recommend listening to Schoengeist and paying attention to their plans – you are going to hear a lot about them, if you haven’t yet. Enjoy!

 

VIVA: What is the story of Schoengeist? And how did you come up with the band’s name?

SCHOENGEIST:  It is quite simple. You know, Schoengeist means a kind of beautiful spirit of human kind. A spirit we have totally lost in the last decade. More and more people are getting poor and are afraid of their lives, and what is in store for them in the future. The reflex is selfishness and a permanent, destructive fight one against another. No room left anymore for the beautiful things from our environment. So the consequence for me was to build an opposition against this inhuman attitude.

VIVA: Your band on stage seems like a get-together of friends. How did you guys meet and when did you decide to work together in the present formula?

SCHOENGEIST: Oh yes I love my band very much. They are high qualified in their art and also very honest and fair people. The relation between us is awesome. It is three years already that we work together in this format. We all come from the same city, Munich, where the scene is quite small. It was only a question of time before we met each other ;-)

VIVA: For your latest material, “Keine Zeit” you collaborated with Eisbrecher’s Alex Wesselsky. How did you meet and how did your collaboration go? (more…)

September 12, 2011

Klangstabil – the Exclusive Viva Music Interview!

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Meeting Boris May in person is like taking a deeper look into a mirror and seeing exactly what you want to see. Add to that 3 Klangstabil live concerts – at Nordstern Festival, Amphi Festival and at Nocturnal Culture Night! Klangstabil can rock your world easily if you are attending their concert well prepared to play along and match the energy and subliminal messages on stage. And yes, Klangstabil sounds very different live compared to their CD’s. The quiet, polite, sensitive and intelligent persons you meet in real life become “wild children of any revolution” on stage. And somehow the 2 personalities blend together perfectly. Boris May and Maurizio Blanco are fighting for a better world, starting with themselves. Add to that the fact that not only their personalities are complementary, but even their names stand as symbols of a perfect duality: B. M. and M. B.

The answer to the question: “Is this world perfectible or we should better just live in our own world where everything supports my inner peace” may find an answer today. Enjoy this great interview!

 

 

VIVA MUSIC: It is always a pleasure to meet polyglot artists. You sing in German, English and Italian. Still, the feeling one gets while watching you on stage is that the language itself as means of communication is irrelevant. We felt we could understand the language of anger and emotion even when you were playing in German (a language we don’t speak)…

KLANGSTABIL: Our music conveys emotions without filtering them, so you can easily comprehend them. Voice serves as an additional instrument, and we choose language according to its phonetic properties. Italian, for instance, is a very powerful language that can be experienced in a very passionate way. Within only one verse it can switch from inner turmoil to highest happiness and, by doing so, capture the audience. (more…)

August 12, 2011

The first international interview with PAKT!

Filed under: Interviews — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 10:58 pm

For a few weeks now, the entire scene has been reading about the latest developments following the split of And One. We, at Viva Music, have also been watching closely the outcome of this separation. Yes, we are selfish. Yes, we chase good bands. Yes we work for the fans! We always hope that each band in our scene will produce great music for the fans to enjoy, so we looked forward to being able to officially welcome the newly formed PAKT! More about the birth and first video of PAKT, here. Read below the first interview with Chris Ruiz and Gio van Oli of PAKT, and do not forget to order their “Freiheit” single out tomorrow here!

Chris, Gio, thank you for agreeing to answer to Viva Music’s questions. We take pride in being the first webzine to interview PAKT, and we know your fans will be thrilled!

 PAKT is such a young project, and still at Amphi festival 2011 we saw an impressive number of fans wearing PAKT T-shirts! So here we are, so curious to find out what is the secret of your success before even launching your first single. Let’s shoot!

VIVA: How did you come up with the name of PAKT?

PAKT.: …I found the name years ago. I liked the name because you can really play with it very well. It has no real meaning like we’re now a PAKT against someone or whatever.

 VIVA: It is very easy to speculate why your first single is called “Freiheit”, considering the split from And One. Does the title of the single mean more than freedom from the past, from And One?

PAKT.: …Everyone says that. But it doesn’t really have much to do with the split. “Freiheit” means more breaking free from the chains of a manipulated society. We see it every day, how easy people take an opinion without asking what is the story behind….

VIVA: For a ‘new’ act, to be eagerly awaited at M’era Luna is an important achievement. Who gets the credit for such great promotion for PAKT?  

PAKT.: …yes that’s really fantastic for us, to have such a chance to be on stage at M’era Luna two days after our first single release. We’re really happy for it, and the Oscar goes to Steven, our Manager ;).

VIVA: When should we expect full-length material from PAKT? You have already planned out a very outgoing release strategy, including four parties in different cities in Germany plus autograph sessions just in August. What’s next? Is there a tour to accompany the single/album release?

PAKT.: …We’re already in the studio to record more songs, we’ve planned to release our first full length album in early 2012. It will be followed by a tour.

VIVA: The tagline you chose for your website reads ‘two guys who just wanna play with you’. Is it going to be just you two guys, or is the studio/live formula of PAKT going to include other artists as well?  

PAKT.: …Live we have a drummer with us on stage, his name is Cani, an awesome guy! He also plays drums in the studio for us. The rest is just Gio and me. Two simple guys who just wanna have fun. :)

VIVA: “A dance-floor-compatible coup that encourages thinking and is perfect for letting go, singing along and going wild”, says your home label, Out of Line. Do you find that description of PAKT satisfying or would you like to add more to it? 

PAKT.: …no, that’s a perfect description for the moment. No more we can say…. PAKT will.

VIVA: Chris, you are a wonderful photographer – and the PAKT artwork is just another proof of your talent. It’s remarkable how you are photographer, and subject at the same time; not too many, if any, artists do that. Do you plan to be the official PAKT photographer?   

PAKT.: …Oh, first of all, thank you! I guess I will be our official PAKT photographer. It’s for free, so… ;) If one day a pic won’t come out right using the self timer, I will let someone else take the photographs for sure.

VIVA: DAF, FUNKER VOGT, FORMALINE – how did the collaboration with them for the “Freiheit” single remixes go?  

PAKT.: …I met Robert (Robert Görl of DAF, Ed.) a few times over the last years, we met in the studio again and he asked me if I wanted to make a video for his next single. I said “of course”, and I asked him if he was interested in doing a remix for us. With Funker we had a barter, I would take pictures for them in exchange of a remix for us. Formalin are really very talented and lovely guys, we met them in the studio and so we arrived to this.

VIVA: Is there anything else you would like to add? Maybe a little bit about your personal life? Any recent changes?   

PAKT.: Everything feels much better now. We are free to put all our ideas into practice, (and we have a lot!) and can’t wait to bring them to life on CD and on stage.

VIVA: What do you know about Romania? What’s your message for your Romanian fans?   

PAKT.: …uhm, not much. So time has come for us to pay Romania a visit and have a gig, I guess :).

VIVA: Thank you very much for answering Viva Music’s annoying questions! We look forward to seeing our first PAKT concert live.

PAKT.: …thank you!  Do you have any coffee??

May 19, 2011

VoA VoXyD from Ad Inferna – the Exclusive Viva Music Interview

Filed under: Interviews — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 1:00 pm

We have often spoken, and written about Ad Inferna (as witnessed by the links below). But what we enjoy most, is to listen to Ad Inferna (and we do our share of listening, steadily and thoroughly). Ad Inferna’s VoA VoXyD was so kind to answer our questions for an exclusive interview: the lighter note on which questions flung forth and answers ricocheted back should not fool you though: Ad Inferna means serious business!

| Read Viva Music’s Ad Inferna band bio here. | Read Viva Music’s review of Ad Inferna’s album “DSM” here. | Read Viva Music’s review of Ad Inferna’s newest album “There Is No Cure” here.

How many times a day do you eat? And what?

VoA: Well… I am not really fanatic about hours and plans, so, it really depends on the day of days… And about my food, humans of course (especially their liver, lol).

How many hours do you sleep per week on average?

VoA: There again, it depends on the day, but I am not really a big sleeper, as I am usually very skeptic about my mood on waking up. But, let’s say something like 4/5 hours per night.

Do you party? Where?

VoA: Nope, not anymore, I don’t like people around me and their proximity.

How do you spend your free time?

VoA:  I don’t know the meaning of the words “free time”, not for several years… but except work and making music, I spend my time thinking, worrying, thinking, worrying etc. (more…)

May 18, 2011

Necro Facility – the Exclusive Viva Music Interview

Filed under: Interviews — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 4:49 pm

Necro Facility‘s recent album release of Friday May-13 received a lot of positive attention from the scene and media. Since we encourage their progress on the scene, and fully trust their potential, we were also curious to find out more about what lies beheath Necro Facility – hence the interview below. Enjoy!

Read Viva Music’s review of Necro Facility’s new album here. | Read the album press release here.

How did you come up with the name Necro Facility?

Oscar Holter (OH): A friend of ours just came up with the name: “hey guys, why don’t you name the band Necro Facility”? And we thought it sounded cool so there you go! It doesn’t stand for anything special! Just a cool name!

Henrik Backstrom (HB): Yeah, that’s pretty much it. There’s no hidden message or anything behind it. It’s just two words that sounded cool.

Back in 2000 when you came together as Necro Facility, what did you think you were going to be like in 10 years’time?

OH: Seriously we never thought of that. Necro Facility never had the intention to earn money from this, nor being super rock stars playing shows all night. Necro Facility mainly is the friendship between Henrik and me. Necro facility is also a place where we can experiment on music!

HB: As Oscar says, none of us had any intentions being “big” with Necro Facility. The desire to earn money and become huge rock stars has never been there. It’s nice that people listen to our music and support us as much as they do, though. We are really thankful for that. But the main things have always been hanging out, making cool beats and experimenting with different ideas. (more…)

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