 This was one of the very first interviews I did and until recently it was available on the "Agonia" site of Poland. However, unfortuanly it seems that site was shut down and thus I had to dig up the interview I had saved. I was rather disappointed though, since a few questions were either missing out on some info or were not answered at all. It's kind of sad since it is a rather early interview and it would be really nice to be able to feature it in its' entirety. But here is the interview I saved: 1) Hello Marcus! How did it happen that you found a one man band and called it just Elvira Madigan? Introduce us with your history and curret realases, please. Greetings Filip! Well, Let's get right to it. 1995 - I believe it was, my previous band "Andalucia" split up. I suppose I was the one writing most of the stuff, but it never came out as I intended it due to differences of oppinions between the members. So when launching ElviraMadigan one of the main goals was to have the music recorded as it was initially written. 1995 I started to built MadiganStudios and got in heavy practise to learn the guitar (since I was only a singer and bassist at that time). I worked really hard for three years and felt confident enough to record the first set of songs (debut album "ElviraMadigan" - officially unreleased) in 98. I had thought alot about what I wanted to do musically and found that a one-man project would be the best alternative for me so that I could start getting my songs on tape as fast as possible. Compositions were stacking up on me. Anyway, it was not until the fall of 99 when "BlackArts" was finished recorded and the first version of the official homepage (at www.elviramadigan.com) was constructed that the project came to be official. In the autumn of 2000 I finally got "BlackArts" pressed and released. I guess that's the main part of this project history. I started it to express myself artistically and musically and I suppose that's why the music is so wide. 2) You published "Black Arts" yourself. Northlore Records is your label, isn't it? Is it a label just for use of Elvira Madigan or are you going to realase other bands too? I have heard that Elvira Madigan had been signed to Hammerheart Records but finally you resigned. What was the reason for? Yes indeed, Northlore Records is my own label but I will only use it to release ElviraMadigan releases or other eventual projects I might come up with in the future. I'm glad you asked about the "Hammerheart issue", because I feel that I can set the records straight. Fact is that I send a promo to their office in The Netherlands and I shortly got an answer with them being interested and wanting to hear more. I was happy to oblige and sent them a custom made promo (CD-R) with additional tracks. And after having obtained that second shipment HAMMERHEART backed out and not I. If I had my way, I would really have enjoyed landing a deal with them. Fact is that I hope they'll "renew" their interest when I'm sending them the entire album. I do sorely need help with the distribution. 3) Tell me why did you decided to enclose tracks from your first album on the brand-new? Is the previous album still available? The main reason for enclosing those five bonus tracks is because I wanted people to get value for their money spent. The first album "ElviraMadigan" has actually never been available, and since I don't have any intentions to release it in it's entirety (and funding it myself) it felt like a nice opportunity to cram as much into the "BlackArts" CD as possible. The album "ElviraMadigan" was intended to be only a "demo/promo", but because of the result (which was perfect - very raw/cold but still not ruining the "progressive" aspects) - I couldn't see myself re-recording the material, and felt that it would be better to have it official. I can make official that I have plans to have the songs (from the "ElviraMadigan" debut) not included as bonus tracks on "BlackArts" released on the web for download in a few months or so. So if people buy the "BlackArts" album whith the 5 main tracks they can download the rest from the web and thus make their own complete copy of the ElviraMadigan-debut!! Sort of a bonus for those who buy "BlackArts" I guess. 4) And how different is your first album than the second? As I noticed the songs from "Elvira Madigan" album are more differantied than these new. What was the reason for so diversity of this previous stuff? For example "Varsel" and "Fran Ogat Marlen Blodrod Tar" are two tottaly different songs which come from the same album (!!!)... The "BlackArts" album is perhaps more representative of the ElviraMadigan concept. But the first album is really not that far from "BlackArts" as one may think. The conceptual nature might not be as clear since it is not featured in its entirety. Alot of riffs, accoustic lines and melodies reappear in different songs on the debut just as the material of "BlackArts". The main differences between the two albums is that the first album is much colder and has a more raw feel to it. I suppose it's a little faster and a little less epic and progressive and instead more speed-metal. The diversity of the songs is one major aspect of ElviraMadigan. Like you said; "Varsel" is something completely different from "Fran Ogat Nar en Blodrod Tar", but this very issue is something that makes it all musch interesting for me as a songwriter and allows me to write music regardless of genre. I really don't like to limit myself, so as long as it sounds good and fits together with the rest of the tracks, I don't have any problems in mixing such different tracks. It allows the listener to perhaps breathe for a few minutes until it's time to attack again. It's all about creating lush vivid worlds that allows the listener to "dive" deep into the drama of the music. 5) Tell me how do you determine yor music yourself? All in all it is an Art Metal with Rock and Epic influences, in my opinion. Also you're rather a guitarist and each of your songs has rich guitar arrangements. The music is more important there than vocalls, and other things. Tell me about your vison of music you perform, please. It's quite hard for me to say what kind of music I do, and therefor it's nice having other people trying to classify what style ElviraMadigan is. I am influenced by so much different music (mainly metal and progressive/symphonic rock though) and I suppose it all comes to show in the final result. I sometimes label the music as Progressive/Black Metal, but really! I don't actually know! The compositions are to me more or less artworks to me. The vocals are a little tuned down at times, but this is because the music ought to get more space in those situations. Every little detail is neatly thought of and just as important as any other. The words are very important - both contents and how they are featured/sung. Woaw! Hot topic! I can go on forever here, but I'll try to keep it short. First off; I do understand that I might narrow down the potential number of buyers when spanning between so many genres, but I do write songs naturaly and completely from the heart. I sort of collect sporradic visions when jamming or when just getting through with my everyday life and when writing/recording the songs it all comes to show. I do think of the songs (I intend to have on the same release) as one "unit" and not just a bunch of tracks. I work hard on creating interesting arrangements in and between songs so that they all complete each other when you listen to the entire release. Every single detail is neatly thought of and the songs are never completely finshed written until the very last note is put down on tape. (PS This was not the entire answer. The copy of the interview I saved did unfortuanly provide only excerpts of my answer on this particual question) 6) The brand new album was preceded with 3 track promo cd 2000. Tell me about response just for this herald of the upcoming, second album, please. - Unfortuanly, the copy of the interview I saved did not include the answer to this question 7) And finally are you satisfaied with results you reached on "Black Arts", aren't you? You have recorded this stuff in your private studio: were there any other people who helped you recording this stuff or was it only your idea, from beginning to the end? I'm very proud of the result. I listen to it myself at times - from beginning to end and I do enjoy it! And yes, I guess I take extra pride in the fact that no other person was involved in the making. Everything you hear on the album is written/performed/recorded/produced/mixed a.s.o. by me. That makes it extra fun when listening to the result! (PS This was not the entire answer. The copy of the interview I saved did unfortuanly provide only excerpts of my answer on this particual question) 8) Is it easy to creating music just yourself; further recording it yourself, publishing and distributing it yourself? Were you came accross obstacle a lot of time? - Unfortuanly, the copy of the interview I saved did not include the answer to this question 9) I have to admit that the cd was published very good or even more than good, it's sophisticated realased, indeed! Tell me who was the idea for the cover and who is the author of it? it's a very fanastic one - Unfortuanly, the copy of the interview I saved did not include the answer to this question 10) And can you explain us the lyrical and Artistic concept of the album, please? You say that what you're creating is an Art. Does your music refer to Art in general? How important is the possibility of creating your own sounds for you? - Unfortuanly, the copy of the interview I saved did not include the answer to this question 11) Are you going to make any performances in the nearest future? Are there any session musicans who can help you? And maybe you have already played some gigs? I have nothing scheduled for the future. No gigs. I would like to have the ability to perform live, but since it is only me in this project I don't really have a choice. Perhaps ElviraMadigan will progress into a live-act some time in the future, but that all depends on wether I can hook up with the right people. 12) One more thing: do you plan to enrich Elvira Madigan line-up with a drummer or other musicans? I think that group of people can make that the music starts flow, really flow and in my opinion it's a way for Elvira Madgan, isn't it? No other eventual members are scheduled to join me. I can confess to be an addict of my own songwriting and I have a tendency to be rather egoistic and "tyrannic" concerning my compositions. But that is just because I feel so strong about my music and feel like having control over every single detail to create one whole "unit" or visionary manifest. I commit myself so very much when creating material that I have difficulties with external interferrence. 13) How do press and metal heads react to "Black Arts"? Well, this is quite early in the ElviraMadigan history. The album has just been released and is yet scheduled for several reviews. So far, I haven't got any bad reviews or response. One funny thing is that alot of folks not even devoted to metal like the album. Why?? Well, I don't know. 14) Is Elvira Madigan your first and only band, Marcus? How long are you playing the guitar? I have played in quite a few bands. Andalucia was the one lasting the longest, but no band actually got that much attention. I didn't really start playing the guitar. Actually I'm not sure I consider myself mainly a guitarist. Perhaps more of a songwriter or "devoted creator of art". I started playing the bass 1989 and stuck to that instrument (with a terrible passion I might add) for six years. It was only when MadiganStudios was built that I had to start performing the other instruments too. It was not until 1998 that I felt confident enough to record the "ElviraMadigan" -debut. 15) Do you have any famous bands or musicans? Can you list them, please? In my opinion your music is a little influenced with old Metallica and epic Bathory.... Funny that you find simularities between ElviraMadigan and old Metallica! Because in fact, I don't care much for Metallica at all. And I'm afraid I must disagree there, but I'm happy with the mentioning of epic Bathory. I guess "Hammerheart" & "Twilight of the Gods" have had a major impact on me when they were released. And I suppose Quorthon and I share a few things (like the interest in different music forms, art in general & we both work as one-man projects solely in the studio). If I am to list other influences I might come up with names like: Skyclad, Royal Hunt, Blind Guardian, Cradle of Filth, (New) Marillion, Hexenhaus, Mekong Delta... this list can go on forever. Funny to know perhaps, is that I highly praise such masterminds like Tori Amos & Tracy Chapman. |
