FAS: Tell me about the feedback you get from other countrys where you have released the new album Raja! How was the succsess?
Antti: Actually I don't really know how much CD's we have selled in other countrys, well, somehow our german Record Lable distributes the album in Europe and I am not sure in wich countrys they did. But when we were touring with Apocalyptica I could see that many people, even geman speaking people, really liked the music and maybe they liked the record.
FAS: Wich chartnumber you hit in Finland??
Antti: Raja was number one in Finland for two weeks!
FAS: Whats special on Raja comparing with Uudet Kymmenen Käskyä?
Antti: Shortly: We had a different producer, it was Janne Joutsenniemi who's a big idol for me and maybe the other bandmembers and with Janne we could practice the songs and... well I'm not going to say we produced the songs together but he was in our rehearsal place when we started to rehearse the songs for the studio and he really liked to join us and he had stuff to say about the songs. That is something we didn't on the Uudet Kymmenen Käskyä or the Stam1na album. I think in the Raja album there's a little bit more sound not made by us, cause Janne was in the process. I would say Uudet Kymmenen Käskyä album is like a big, complicated there is fucking lots of guitars and lots of stuff and it's a little bit like a difficult album and that is only because we as a band produced it! On the Raja album everything is more straight and more clear!
FAS: Who writes the lyrics and what are they all about??
Antti: I write the lyrics, unfortnately the guys didn't want to start writing when we started to do the finnish lyrics. As you maybe know we made music in english for 6 years. In the year 2000 we changed to finnish lyrics. I think I decided early that I like to write in a strong language. The lyrics are strong and agressive and it tells storys about politics and our community in Finland.There are some songs about relationships and even then they are no lovesongs. In Luova hulluus (track number eight) in the chorus I list all the stuff I want to sing about. There is stuff about depression, alcohol, mental disorder, did I mentioned alcohol? About love and about suicides and like hating people. Actually you can find out more about the lyrics in our forum, there are a lot of lyrics translated.
FAS: Tell us about the Tour with Apocalyptica.
Antti: It was the first time ever touring Germany. It fucking rocked because .. Actually this is our second time here in Germany and when we went in to this club today (Knaak , Berlin) the smell was the same. Actually the same smell in that place than in any other german place we played. I don't know if you use some particular cleaning liquids maybe. No place in Finland smells like that!! They have there own unique smells. It was really great to tour with Apocalyptica, our first time here and outside of Finland, and the people liked us and the songs, actually they have never heard us before. We played half an hour every night, fourteen gigs in germany and the first two songs people were standing with their mouth open thinking "what the fuck is this?" Then we started to do jokes and speak to the people and they liked it!
FAS: Yeah I remind you talked in finnish to the german Fans all the time in Berlin last year!! But they where crazy after that!! They didn't understand a word but they all agreed!
Antti: Yes, exactly, it's funny if you are a performer and you talk to the people, it's easier with thousands or tenthousand people than a few, but it's not important what you say, just how you say it!! Ich habe 2 Jahre gelernt deutsch, so ich kann sage I speak a few words here but I like to say necessary things and people can try to understand what I am talking about and I think they enjoy that!
I think it's sympathic.
FAS: What brought you to the music?
Antti: Well I started playing when I was eight, first guitar the I played drums for a few years, I even had a band - a punkrock band- and then just after we founded Stam1na there we needed another guitarist and I thought maybe I can play. It was in 1996, so I play for 12 years actually!
FAS: Who are your Idols?
Antti: As a band I think we are inspired by Heavy Metal in general but maybe Dream Theatre and Pantera this old kind of Guitar hero stuff! Well and Diablo (main act that evening) are really great! I just heard their upcoming album, it's fucking great. It's really nice to know we play with these guys tonight! Well we all listen to metal music in general but the drummer likes Jazz!
FAS: How do you keep your body fit for your show? (Stam1na is the most headbanging band I've ever seen!)
Antti: Well we have this special thing that we do. Well Kaikka has no hair- but we other hairy guys soak our hairs with water, so that our hair really soar because when you start headbanging it looks much better!! If it's dry it doesn't look good!!
FAS: But it must be heavy to do that all the time on stage?
Antti: Well if we are not touring in half a year the firs show could be really hard! But it's only the first show, cause I think we all have like unnormal necks, we have abnormal muscles there, all the time they are really like cramped.
FAS: Is there anything you need to have along with you on tour??
Antti: Well on tour we need to have humor and sometimes we buy masks, like childrens masks or we buy some air balloons, some special things that we can use in the show. Some childish stuff, you know!
FAS: Well thats quite normal, some italian band told me they need wet toilet paper in Germany cause we don't have it in the hotels!!
Antti: Well haha, stuff like that, I need special shoes for the show cause they get wet...
FAS: What can we await in future, what are your plans?
Antti: Well, we tour this summer, we are going to play many festivals in Finland and hopefully we can arrange some stuff , maybe to come to Germany again, but nothing certain at the moment, we are going to enjoy the beautiful summer in Finland. We like to play live a lot! Maybe it's even the best thing about playing in a band, meeting a lot of people, travelling, Germany for example, it gives you a lot!!
FAS: Thank you very much and have a great show tonight
Antti: Actually I don't really know how much CD's we have selled in other countrys, well, somehow our german Record Lable distributes the album in Europe and I am not sure in wich countrys they did. But when we were touring with Apocalyptica I could see that many people, even geman speaking people, really liked the music and maybe they liked the record.
FAS: Wich chartnumber you hit in Finland??
Antti: Raja was number one in Finland for two weeks!
FAS: Whats special on Raja comparing with Uudet Kymmenen Käskyä?
Antti: Shortly: We had a different producer, it was Janne Joutsenniemi who's a big idol for me and maybe the other bandmembers and with Janne we could practice the songs and... well I'm not going to say we produced the songs together but he was in our rehearsal place when we started to rehearse the songs for the studio and he really liked to join us and he had stuff to say about the songs. That is something we didn't on the Uudet Kymmenen Käskyä or the Stam1na album. I think in the Raja album there's a little bit more sound not made by us, cause Janne was in the process. I would say Uudet Kymmenen Käskyä album is like a big, complicated there is fucking lots of guitars and lots of stuff and it's a little bit like a difficult album and that is only because we as a band produced it! On the Raja album everything is more straight and more clear!
FAS: Who writes the lyrics and what are they all about??
Antti: I write the lyrics, unfortnately the guys didn't want to start writing when we started to do the finnish lyrics. As you maybe know we made music in english for 6 years. In the year 2000 we changed to finnish lyrics. I think I decided early that I like to write in a strong language. The lyrics are strong and agressive and it tells storys about politics and our community in Finland.There are some songs about relationships and even then they are no lovesongs. In Luova hulluus (track number eight) in the chorus I list all the stuff I want to sing about. There is stuff about depression, alcohol, mental disorder, did I mentioned alcohol? About love and about suicides and like hating people. Actually you can find out more about the lyrics in our forum, there are a lot of lyrics translated.
FAS: Tell us about the Tour with Apocalyptica.
Antti: It was the first time ever touring Germany. It fucking rocked because .. Actually this is our second time here in Germany and when we went in to this club today (Knaak , Berlin) the smell was the same. Actually the same smell in that place than in any other german place we played. I don't know if you use some particular cleaning liquids maybe. No place in Finland smells like that!! They have there own unique smells. It was really great to tour with Apocalyptica, our first time here and outside of Finland, and the people liked us and the songs, actually they have never heard us before. We played half an hour every night, fourteen gigs in germany and the first two songs people were standing with their mouth open thinking "what the fuck is this?" Then we started to do jokes and speak to the people and they liked it!
FAS: Yeah I remind you talked in finnish to the german Fans all the time in Berlin last year!! But they where crazy after that!! They didn't understand a word but they all agreed!
Antti: Yes, exactly, it's funny if you are a performer and you talk to the people, it's easier with thousands or tenthousand people than a few, but it's not important what you say, just how you say it!! Ich habe 2 Jahre gelernt deutsch, so ich kann sage I speak a few words here but I like to say necessary things and people can try to understand what I am talking about and I think they enjoy that!
I think it's sympathic.
FAS: What brought you to the music?
Antti: Well I started playing when I was eight, first guitar the I played drums for a few years, I even had a band - a punkrock band- and then just after we founded Stam1na there we needed another guitarist and I thought maybe I can play. It was in 1996, so I play for 12 years actually!
FAS: Who are your Idols?
Antti: As a band I think we are inspired by Heavy Metal in general but maybe Dream Theatre and Pantera this old kind of Guitar hero stuff! Well and Diablo (main act that evening) are really great! I just heard their upcoming album, it's fucking great. It's really nice to know we play with these guys tonight! Well we all listen to metal music in general but the drummer likes Jazz!
FAS: How do you keep your body fit for your show? (Stam1na is the most headbanging band I've ever seen!)
Antti: Well we have this special thing that we do. Well Kaikka has no hair- but we other hairy guys soak our hairs with water, so that our hair really soar because when you start headbanging it looks much better!! If it's dry it doesn't look good!!
FAS: But it must be heavy to do that all the time on stage?
Antti: Well if we are not touring in half a year the firs show could be really hard! But it's only the first show, cause I think we all have like unnormal necks, we have abnormal muscles there, all the time they are really like cramped.
FAS: Is there anything you need to have along with you on tour??
Antti: Well on tour we need to have humor and sometimes we buy masks, like childrens masks or we buy some air balloons, some special things that we can use in the show. Some childish stuff, you know!
FAS: Well thats quite normal, some italian band told me they need wet toilet paper in Germany cause we don't have it in the hotels!!
Antti: Well haha, stuff like that, I need special shoes for the show cause they get wet...
FAS: What can we await in future, what are your plans?
Antti: Well, we tour this summer, we are going to play many festivals in Finland and hopefully we can arrange some stuff , maybe to come to Germany again, but nothing certain at the moment, we are going to enjoy the beautiful summer in Finland. We like to play live a lot! Maybe it's even the best thing about playing in a band, meeting a lot of people, travelling, Germany for example, it gives you a lot!!
FAS: Thank you very much and have a great show tonight
