MINDVILE interview
• Hi! Can you tell me about MINDVILE? Why did you choose that name for the band? What kind of ideas does the band explore?
We discussed the band’s theme and what topics the
songs would cover, and we felt this was the right name to choose.
The band’s name consists of two parts: ‘Mind’ and
‘vile’. The theme is to recount chilling stories and events and to try to delve
into the psyche of both the perpetrators and their victims; hence the play on
words representing the study of the most vile minds that humanity has ever
produced.
We also found the similarity between “vil” and “ville” interesting because Mindvile is an imaginary town where all the most perverse and twisted minds, both those who have recently roamed our streets and those who still walk them, will gather.
• The album Old Continent will be released next month. How does that make you feel? Do you feel that you have put the album out to the masses without any desire to change anything now?
We’re really excited about the release and can’t wait for it to come out. We think the album has turned out really well and that the sound is good; you’d always find things to improve after listening to it 300,000 times, but the result is excellent and we’re proud of it.
• Can you tell me more about Old Continent? What were the ideas behind the album?
There’s always been an interest in the ideas that inspired the album; we’ve
always loved horror films and the subject of the most chilling cases involving
murderers, and how a person can come to commit such atrocities.
This gave rise to the idea that eventually became the basis for creating the band’s entire backstory.
• Where do you draw inspiration from?
Our inspiration comes both from the songs created by
our predecessors in this genre and from films, horror stories, our everyday
lives, our moods and the experiences we’ve had and so on.
And, of course, the wickedness of humanity and the crimes committed by some people in this world.
• How would you best define MINDVILE's sound?
Mindvile’s sound is a blend of classic black metal and a more contemporary
sound; we didn’t want a sound that was too much in the vein of Darkthrone, but
rather one more akin to Mayhem or Emperor, albeit with a more modern twist.
We think we’ve achieved an aggressive and powerful sound, yet one that also
has a sinister edge, much like the older bands used to have.
Javi from Moontower Studios has been a huge help in creating our sound, thanks to his extensive experience recording various extreme metal bands over many years. To be honest, Javi was incredibly patient with us, as it took us a long time to decide on the band’s final sound, but we believe the end result was perfect.
• Are you on hiatus now, just relaxing and looking for album feedback, or have you started composing new material immediately?
We’ve already started writing for the next album and we’ve recorded a few songs in our home studio, but it’s tricky to juggle work, promotion and songwriting, so we’re waiting for the album to be released before we can focus 100 per cent on writing the next one.
• Who are your main musical influences? How much of an impact have they had on your sound?
All the bands we have listened to since we were
children have influenced our music. We
are all a collection of experiences and influences that shape who we are, so
we’re inspired not only by extreme metal bands like Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, and
Marduk, but also by King Diamond, Metallica, Blind Guardian, Iron Maiden...
• Is there a particular well-known musician that you would like to collaborate with on one of your upcoming albums?
Personally, I really like the singer from The Growlist, he sings with Perennial Isolation and a few other bands. I’d love to collaborate with him; he’s got an amazing voice, and I’ve been thinking about incorporating some deep vocals into a song down the line.
• What is your personal strategy for getting your music heard by a larger audience?
We don’t have any strategy at all, ha ha ha. We just want people to have
the chance to listen to it so they can decide whether they like it or not.
There’s so much music being produced these days that if your music doesn’t get a bit of promotion, even if it’s really good, it gets lost on the internet, so we just want our music to reach people so they can decide whether they like it or not, and we believe that if it reaches them, they’ll like it.
• Do you have any hobbies besides music?
We enjoy nature and spending time with our family; we’re not the sort of people who always like to be around others or attend big events. We like the peace and quiet of small places.
• Are you all supported by your families in your dedication to music?
Yeah, well, it’s more like, ‘You’re not going to make any money from this, you’ll just lose it, so if you like it, do whatever you want, hahahah.’ That’s the philosophy: if you devote so much time to something that, as far as they’re concerned, isn’t going to bring in any money, then you might as well do what you enjoy.
• Thank you for answering my questions. See you on the road!
Thank you for the interview! It was a pleasure. See
you on the road!
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https://mindvile.bandcamp.
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https://www.paragonrecords.
