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"Asrai" have released their second album, "Touch In The Dark". How was this album composed and recorded? After releasing our first album As Voices Speak, we wanted to record a second album. That took more time than we wanted but we had some line-up changes and a lot of things happened in our personal lives. So, we got delayed. The whole band creates our songs; everyone had his part in composing the songs. For that, it's good to have a steady line-up. When we took the decision to record the next album, we met Roman, and we decided to record the demo in his studio in Aichtal (Germany). If we couldn't find a record company we would release the album ourselves. But we were lucky. Beer, Margriet's boyfriend, was recording with his band at the Excess Studio, and Hans Pieters gave him the tip for sending our demo to Transmission Records. So we did, and we've never regretted it! Hans van Vuuren from Transmission Records signed us and gave us the opportunity to record the album with a larger budget and a very strong team. Of course we also had our demands, our time recording the demo with Roman worked well, so we wanted him as our producer. He knew what we wanted and where we were coming from. To lower the costs we had recorded the keyboards and bass-part at the Beautiful Lake studio (Roman's Studio) and the rest was done at the Excess studios. We recorded Touch in the Dark in a month - much more than the three days we had for our first album As Voices Speak, or the two weeks we had to record our demo for Touch in the Dark. So we were able to get more out of our music. Our album was mixed by Sasha Paeth, and he deserves the name of being one of the best mixers of this time! It was very nice to work with him. Also with Hans Pieters of the Excess studio. But next time we would like to do the recordings at the same studio. Now we missed the team work with the other band members What are the principal differences between the two records by Asrai? There were two main differences in the recording of the two albums. As we said before, we had a month to record Touch in the Dark. But when we recorded As Voices Speak we did arrange everything by ourselves (learned a lot from it), we recorded the album within three days, with another line-up, and without a producer and there's wasn't a very large budget. But still the album is recognizable Asrai, more raw but the same emotions and intensity. Why the first single was "Pale Light"? For us it was difficult to choose the first single, there are more good songs on the album. The record company wanted Pale Light as a single, for the catchy sound. We agreed. "Touch in the Dark" was released last month in Brazil. What expectations do you have for the Brazilian market? Difficult what to expect, because it's the first time that our music has been released in Brazil. But of course, we hope people here will like our music and that one day we'll be able to do a few concerts in Brazil. The greater number of integrants passed for the "punk rock" and "new-wave", why changed the musical style? It wasn't a choice, but our music has grown through the years into this style. But we have never played punk rock or the typical New wave. From the start we played more Dark rock, basic and somber. Most "gothic metal" bands have women only as singers, but you are three women musicians. Musically, does this make you different from other bands? We started as an all-girl band. Throughout the years we had several line-up changes. After three years as a girl band that wasn't our biggest priority anymore. Finding the right musicians, with the same interests in music and the same ideas of making music had became much more important to us. The three women in Asrai is still based on our history. We started when punk rock was very much alive in Rotterdam, a lot of our friends played in bands. The energy was much more important than the technical part. When we started we couldn't play at all. But after 5 weeks we had 5 songs and our first gig. I guess that's not possible anymore because the standard nowadays is a lot higher. In that time it gave us the opportunity to learn and experience the power of music. That's what formed and shaped Asrai. Talk about your influences; how would you classify your sound? We're an '80's baby, our influences are from that time. I guess that the music that you grow up with will determine your life. Bands like Joy Division, The Damned, The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, Dead Kennedy's, Stranglers, The Ramones, Birthday Party, Bauhaus and many more. Those bands inspired us to make music and during playing all those years we created our own sound. It's starnge to put a label on our own music...but I guess that Gothic Rock will do. In Brazil, we aren't meeting many Hollander's bands, talk about how are these scene in your country? We know a lot of great bands and good musician in Holland. Unfortunately not all good bands get the credit they deserve. The Gothic scene in Holland is more Industrial orientated at the moment, while the more rock and metal bands get their successes in other countries. It's difficult when you are beginning as a band because there aren't many possibilities for gigs nowadays. For a lot of clubs it's not financially attractive to book a band while a dance event brings a lot more money. But we noticed that more youngsters get interested in live music and that's a very good thing. At this moment bands like "Nightwish" and "Evanescence" and "Gothic Metal" bands with the lyric vocals, are reaching great success, what're your opinion about this moment success of "Gothic Metal" and lyric vocals? It took a long time before the bigger crowd embraced the Gothic-rock-Metal. I guess bands like Nightwish and Evanescence fills the hole between the underground music and the popular music. Their songs are accessible while their roots sound through it. Maybe the bigger crowd need more honest music after a lot of meaningless music and "created" bands. I hope there's more space for the underground bands, they earn their credit too. What're your opinion about "Nightwish" and "Evanescence"? Do you like that the band's style? I don't think that you can compare these bands. Both have their own unique sound. You can hear that the musicians from Nightwish are more experienced than the musicians from Evanescence, but Evanescence has more that catchy sound. Both bands have their charm, but we aren't influenced by them. I like the image of Evanescence, it seems pure and honest. The video of Nightwish is much darker, I like the part with the crows, it fits quite well with their sound and image. Do you have projects or will you realize a Brazilian Tour? At the moment we are preparing ourselves for the upcoming gigs. We're starting in Belgium and it would be great if there's a possibility to do a Brazilian tour. For the future, what are the plans? Do you have a prevision for a next disc? First we're doing a lot of gigs and in the meantime composing new songs for a next album. In september our second single "In front of me" will be released. We hope that after this one there will be a chance to do another single from our cd.. and to do another video clip. Making the clip Pale Light was a lot of fun, and the next one was completely drawn by Marcel de Jong (he also made Pale Light). It would be great if we can work together in the future. We would like to thank you for the interview and solicit from you a message for the public and home page visitors. We hope that you love our music and hope to meet you all in the future. By Antonio Rodrigues Junior ...And HEAVY METAL For All http://www.andheavymetalforall.com.br |
