Interviewed by Jessica Clingempeel
7/25/2018
Act II has been in the works for a while now, but is finally
seeing the light of day July 27th. Were there any obstacles that got
in the way between recordings, production, etc.?
Not really. I worked on it for 5 months fully. Even
though the shows were recorded already some time ago, I didn’t have time to
concentrate into it before. The amount of material that needed my attention was
so huge, so it took me a long time.
You chose to film Act II in Milan at Teatro della Luna. What was the
reason for this location?
I wanted to discard all the additional stress that
always is around when you are filming and recording a DVD show. That’s why I
decided to make the recordings in a theatre that I knew in advance and where I
have performed before. Also the logistics were important in order to get the
film crew from Germany coming in easier. And for sure I love my Italian fans!
How did the atmosphere and the audience differ from that of
Act I?
The theatre itself is not an old opera theatre
like in Act I is, but more modern one and the audience is not Argentinean
audience, but Italian. Those are very important factors creating the atmosphere
on this show. Cultural differences affect us. Argentinean audience is known as
being very passionate when it comes in showing their emotions and devotion to
the artists, whereas Italian audience is enjoying the concerts by watching
every little detail and showing their respect and adoration in different ways.
Apart from the main show in Italy, there will also be a
recording from the show at Metropolis Studios in London. This show was more
intimate being that it was not big and The Shadow Self hadn’t been released
yet. Were you at all nervous about how
the audience would react to your songs?
We played the songs from The Shadow Self-album live
for the first time in this tiny studio for handful of hardcore fans, media and
label people. It was an extraordinary exciting moment for all of us involved, the
fans included. The intimacy of this event made us really enjoy the fact that we
were capable of facing the challenge. I personally loved the performance,
because I could see the reactions of my fans so close by. I didn’t know how
they would react in my new creations, but it was beautiful to see their
expressions. I was not nervous about how they would react, because at the end
of the day, I was happy with my new album and work. After the concert I could
talk with them and get their feedback immediately.
Tim Tronckoe has been doing tremendous photoshoots with you
in recent years. Does he choose all the shooting locations and poses, or is it
a team effort?
I decide the locations and themes usually and we
go through together all the possibilities what to do and what we are seeking
for. About the posing itself, I am pretty used to be in front of the camera
already after all these years, but there is a huge difference in working with
such talented persons like Tim is. Your work gets enjoyable and easier when you
get to share it with a person that is very dedicated to it.
You had fans choose the covers for each edition of Act II.
Did the chosen covers come close to what you had in mind?
Pretty much! I was very happy to see the results
of this selection. My fans have a good taste!
How will Act II differ from Act I, apart from location,
setlist, etc. lol. 😊
In Act II you will see older, more confident and
not pregnant me! J
You can realize that I am having a great time with my band nowadays. The
musicians truly support and share my passion with music, so the work has gotten
easier in every way. There are only good people now around me and that fact is
very important to me. It is as important as the musicianship they have. I
produced the video in an artistic way, so you could feel like being in the
concert yourself when watching the concert at your place. I tried to recreate
the emotions and feelings that happened during the concert, so that the
experience at home would be the same and as enjoyable.
Besides interviews, will we see any off-stage footage?
In the mediabook edition, you have interviews of
me and my band mates, enormous amount of pictures taken by my fans etc.
There will be a couple of release shows in the U.S. for Act
II and many of your fans, including myself, are ecstatic to see you. How does
it feel to be able to perform for us again after so many years?
I am super excited to return to US after all these
years. Thank you for being patient with me! It has been very difficult for me
to tour in US as a solo artist, but now it seems my dream is getting real. I am
really wishing to have a great time there with my fans and band. Totally great!
You mentioned that you have been working on a new album, but
what is to come of “Outlanders”?
Ha! Outlanders is still in the making…I have
plenty of projects in “the air” as you can see. J As I am not in a hurry with it, I need to
find a suitable place and time for Outlanders release. When the time is right,
you will get to hear more about it for sure. The music in this project is just
very beautiful!
Regarding the new album, are there any thoughts of any
collaborations, if so anyone in mind or anyone you would love to work with? Any
details in general of the album?
I have already written plenty of songs for the new
album and I am happy that I have found confidence in the process of writing
them. I feel the album will follow the natural path that The Shadow Self-album
opened, just hopefully will be a better album! More than that I cannot tell you
yet. Only that I hope to release the album some time at the end of next year.
Certainly would be nice to collaborate with someone on an album, but I don’t
have concrete plans yet.
Recently you did a few shows for Noche Escandinava III. How
did it feel to reunite and perform alongside Marjut and Juha again?
We had a blast! It was so wonderful to meet again and
share the stage with my long time friends. We laughed a lot every day because
we had so many memories from the University times to share. I really hope to
make another round one day with these guys.
Who chose the setlist, especially “Miau” in particular? The
cats were adorable! 😉
We all decided our solo pieces and then discussed
about the possible duets. This Rossini duet is wonderful, entertaining piece of
music. We just wanted to make the audience laugh a bit.
Will there be a live DVD and/or CD for Noche Escandinava III?
It is not in my plans.
Any last words for your fans?
I really want to thank you for the support, love
and patience.
We shall meet very soon on my tour is US! Can’t
really wait.
Ethereal Metal Webzine 
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