Chaoswave

author PP date 05/06/09

What I like about Chaoswave is how unique and original their sound actually feels like even after five or six listens to their debut album. You seldom get bands who don't sound like they've been directly inspired by a band in the past, but Chaoswave is one of them. That they have a Danish member makes it all the better reason to interview the band, so we sent Guf a short email questionnare about everything Chaoswave, and here's the result: a whole bunch of lengthy, in-depth answers about the band, the way all bands should do email interviews. Check it out.

RF.net: Hi and thanks for doing this interview. Could you please start off by introducing yourself to the readers, and giving an update on what’s going on in Chaoswave at the moment?
Guf: We need to thank you for this interview - you are the guys doing the real work! Chaoswave is a Danish / Italian metal band, with a style rather hard to describe. Normally we call it something like modern thrash metal, but it doesn’t really explain well our style. We have a very hard and thrash'ish rhythm section, while the vocals are clean and handled by both a male and female singer. Our label promotes us as "Nevermore meets Lacuna Coil", which might give somehow an idea of our style.

Right now we are actually concentrating on writing new material. Our new cd just came out 2 months ago, but in this period we are not playing too many concerts yet, so we are taking the chance to get some writing done.

RF.net: I understand that the guitarist Henrik Guf Rangstrup is Danish, but yet the band originates from Italy. I’m sure there are a number of readers wondering just how Henrik ended in Italy, and how did he first get in touch with the right people in the country to start a band? Perhaps a short background history to the band would be appropriate here as well.
Guf: Yes, I am Danish but I have been living in Italy since 7 years now. The story is quite simple and boring really. I met an Italian girl in Denmark, and we had a long distance relationship going. When I finished my studies my former band Sinphonia had just split up, and I thought "what the hell, let me try my luck in Italy". And here I am, still together with the same girl, and working hard to hopefully see my dream come true one day: living of music.

RF.net: Where does the name Chaoswave originate from? How did you choose it and why?
Guf: I made up the name more or less the same time I decided to start the band. I wanted something that fit the style I had in mind: aggressive guitars and drums, with melodic and atmospheric vocals. So I brainstormed and wrote down 2 lists of words. First one with elements that were aggressive or violent, and second one with harmonic and "beautiful" things. After that I puzzled a bit back and forth, and Chaos and Wave just fit so well, both metaphorically and as an original and simple band name. I googled it, and litterally found less than 10 results, so it was an easy choice after that.

RF.net: You’ve just released your sophomore album ”Dead Eye Dreaming” in Europe. What are your thoughts about the album?
Guf: It's a very solid album and definitely a big step forward compared to our debut. It's more than a year ago we finished the album, so of course I have some things I would have made differently now. Still, we are getting a very good response from the media, and I think we have managed to make an album that grows on people. I dont know how you do that - I guess it's just luck - but I have heard many times that it's an album that keeps on getting better for each spin, and I am proud of that.

RF.net: Steve Smyth (ex-Nevermore) guests on three tracks on the album. How did this collaboration come about, and how was it working with such a legendary axeman?
Guf: It was a big honour for me personally, but also for the sound of the album it was important. I knew Steve a tiny bit through some mails, and after meeting him at a few Nevermore shows. I know he liked what we had done so far with Chaoswave, and when I first got the idea to have some guest leads, he was the first one I asked. A very nice guy and an amazing guitarist. I wanted guest leads for many reasons. I always loved the guest lead element on albums, I was curious to hear some one else playing on our music, it is a good promotion, and so on... But first and foremost I wanted to variate the sound of the album this way. I am the only guitarist in Chaoswave and with guest leads we get some variation that we normally cant have. The cool thing about Steve's solos is that he studied the songs well first before doing the leads. He made them fit perfectly the specific atmosphere.

RF.net: Chaoswave has two vocalists, one male and one female. This adds an interesting contrast to the songs on the record, but I’m wondering if it’s difficult to write songs when you have two such different vocalists having to play off each other in every song? How does a Chaoswave song come together?
Guf: Having 2 singers can be quite a challenge sometimes. It might sound "superior" but we compared to the traditaional "singer/screamer" constellation we need to think of a few more things when we write and rehearse. When practising for live shows, we need to find the best way to level the vocals, so a harmony doesnt come out as the main vocal line, or a soft voice by Giorgia doesn't get overruled by Fabio, etc. Writing the vocal lines is another thing, because you have to think differently for recording. Normally Giorgia and Fabio meet at home to write vocal lines to the songs after the rest of us have more or less finished the instrumental parts. After that we bring it all together in the rehearsal room and try to perfectionize it and prepare a live version and a studio version of the same vocal line.

RF.net: What have been some of your influences musically?
Guf: I guess some of the most important have been Nevermore and Strapping Young Lad. They were the bands that made me want to create Chaoswave. I have always loved the way these 2 bands manage to create atmosphere yet "brutal" metal. I also missed more of this kind, so I decided to start something myself. But of course we have many other influences. In the band we listen to a lot of different music: Morbid Angel, The Gathering, Queen, System of a Down, italian pop and rock bands... It all influences directly or indirectly.

RF.net: Where do you see Chaoswave in 1) two to three years and 2) in five years? Whats the next step for Chaoswave?
Guf: In 2-3 years... I am pretty sure we will have been touring heavily for our 3rd album for a while at that point.

In 5 years... I hope that we will be doing our first headlining tours. Saleswise I dont care much. My main goal for this band is to be able to make a living out of it. Difficult, and only few bands manage to, but I am ready to fight for it.

Right now the next step for Chaoswave is to tour for the new album. We are still doing the promotion work, and we are preparing the national gigs as we speak. This summer we are mainly playing Italy and the island of Sardinia, where we live. Our main goal is to get at least 2 support slots on bigger tours, but that is planned for later this year.

RF.net: I’m sure our Danish readers would be interested to see you guys live; so are there any plans of touring across Europe, perhaps with a stop in Denmark?
Guf: Besides touring as support, we are working on a small 10-15 day tour in smaller venues in the beginning of September. I am sure we will return to Denmark then.

RF.net: Thanks for doing this interview and good luck in the future. Anything else you’d like to add to your fans and the readers?
Guf: Thanks! To you, to the fans and to the readers. Please check us out, if you dont know us already. Maybe the best way is checking out our new video on on Youtube

Comments
comments powered by Disqus

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.