New Timo T interview!

Here you can talk about Stratovarius and related bands. Language used is English.
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scorpions
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New Timo T interview!

Post by scorpions » Fri Feb 24, 2012 2:33 pm

Timo Tolkki, "Do not ever'll cooperate with what I consider evil. Never. "
feb.24, 2012

Timo Tolkki. Ex-leader of Stratovarius, from the dawn of the band until his illness which has moved away, and undermined the integrity of the band. Guitarist and composer excellent. Musician pioneer, which attracts high caliber artists for music projects power / progessive high level. Character tarnished by gossip, by critics, the press, for his recent declaration of withdrawal from the scene. Yet, for those who wrote and directed this introduction to the interview, has always been an example, both musical and poetic influence. This writer does not believe in what is often said with ease and ruthlessness. So does this interview. That's not an interview. It 'a dialogue between minds they think. Rare commodity nowadays. Tolkki the renegade? The failed? You will see that it is perhaps one of the few, too few rebels remained. Happy reading.
(Luca Piotto)


Hello Timo. Thank you for responding to this interview. We are all very excited to have you among our pages. I'm going to direct questions. First of all, let me know how you are. Was written about you all and more, and personally I'm tired of reading nonsense. Tell Timo: How do you feel now, and how you spend your time, your life, now that you're away from the spotlight and the rhythms of a rock star life.
Well, not much has changed from what has been and is being written about me. After the Stratovarius I have publicly pointed the finger at, my image was destroyed in a rather dramatic, and then there are a lot of stories circulating about me, with "evidence" is usually spread by people who want something to me (and I do not want to give it to them) or simply have fun in their criticism. If I were to spend my time thinking about these things, we would conclude anything concrete, because I think the world of the internet does not really exist. Remember the period before the Internet? I also think it is easy to misjudge the gossip that involve me, because people always look for the bad things and ignore the positive ones. And there are also positive things about me.

There was a time for the rock star life, but people tend to forget that "Visions" was made 16 years ago. It 'a long time ago. Surely then, I had fun with alcohol and women. It is perhaps for this reason that one starts to play normally? Seriously, those years were a rock star in the layer as a roller coaster ride, and have passed very quickly. 6-7 disks in 7 years, pretty much like the Beatles. With Stratovarius, ever since I joined it in 1984, has always been for music. Not for the friendship. I was (and is) a good friend of Tuomo Lassila and keyboardist in particular the original Ervaskari Mika, who also played on my album "Hymn to Life". He committed suicide in 2005. He was my best friend.

My current life as a rockstar: I get up in the morning, kiss my wife, I make coffee, read some 'Helsingin Sanomat, a local newspaper in Helsinki. Then I look outside, and the second time I go out and do the photos of landscape, or to go in the study of the production company where I work now. It 'an interesting new concept. Or take the guitar and I write a song. Rest as I worked very hard over the past 5 years, with all failures. So those 10000 hours of work over my disease, bipolar disorder, require a pledge. I have to take things slowly for now. To complete the discussion of what has been written about me, I must say that at least my wife, my daughter Nina (who is 23 years old), my ex-wife, my mother and my brother thinks I'm a relatively normal person, and I love it. I like to think I know better than that Jose Manuel (generic name used by Timo to indicate a Joe, Ed.) But if Jose Manuel thinks I'm an asshole hypocrite, we can still talk of worldly things that I find important. Because those are the important things. I am not important.

Recently you wrote on your blog about your retirement from the music scene. You said that the dying music industry is stuck in a dying altrattanto business system. The musicians are not paid to sufficiency to live on music alone. I see digital music sell for a dollar a song, when I think about you all the albums should cost a dollar, to make it easier to purchase illegal downloading. The music industry fights against its own customers. It makes no sense. Is there a business model that you suggest to save the music? Beware, I say save the music and not the industry that revolves around us.
This thing has been going on for a long time. It all started with the decline in record sales, a fact well known anyway. I would say that this situation does not blame anyone. Simply has been a continuous decline in annual sales over the past 12 years. I do not think that iPods and MP3 "save the music". Nowadays the music costs nothing. He no longer has any real value. Even paper books are more valuable than the music.

The major labels are always involved in buying smaller labels, and then buy each other, sometimes forming such joint ventures illegal, since it is placed in a monopoly position. They are always fighting those who "illegally download" initiating these lawsuits against these guys, trying to take home huge amounts of money. Well, instead of doing these things, why not focus our energy for something positive, why fight a losing battle? Did anyone really think that you can stop downloading? It will not stop, and the music industry is moving at 360 ° of business where the label takes a percentage from the publications and also the money made on tour. These are becoming the conditions for the advance of money. And here is where I have drawn a line.

The current business model leads to very interesting music because the artists are branded massively, locked up in the brand. Even in the metal. Some small labels still publish interesting music, but overall it's all boring, with so much music that published it is impossible to identify the valid artist.

My "retirement from the music business" comes from a rational decision, gained by looking at the sales numbers, the number of shows booked and the number of spectators. With these data I have no doubt I made the right choice. See, it affects all aspects of music. Even the tour, because when the band did not sell records, then they want to go on tour, which is full of sharks, promoters with little experience, and finally trade agreements between the largest booking agencies that control the scenes. Finally, all these people have no money to go see the concert of their favorite bands. So they too become very selective.

It's not completely impossible that music, like physical media or digital, should cease to exist. I would say that everything depends on the next five years. Perhaps these last 50 years or so, were only a development of greedy interests, and now we see the music sounded like at the time of Bach and Beethoven, who could not put their iPods in sonatas. Sad though it will, but ....

You said in your blog, you went over. What do you see the legions of the twilight to sing (the song "Legions" album "Vision" of STRATOVARIUS, ed) when you have 50 years. I agree. You're clearly moving away from the trend which has bands like Hammefall (with whom you have been on tour) who are still singing the same things and selling records. So is the music business going down to hell or are you that you have raised to a higher level? Both? We then say what is music for you today?
Well, I can only speak for myself. Definitely not sing of the Twilight Legions of 4 years. You are wrong when comparing bands and music. Everyone makes his music according to his motivations. My motivation has always been the same since as a kid: I just do songs. After it became a profession, but for me has always been a "just write songs"


When I use the metaphor of the legions of Twilight, I mean you can watch the seasons in life, right? Summer, Winter, and so on. For me it's the same thing in music. My discography, from "Fright Night" to "Trinity", was a clear and recognizable trends in music. I speak as I see, not the second as Jose Mauel sees things. I'm not here to please Jose Mauel, I am here to express my soul and my spirit through my gift of music, and this has nothing to do with the money.

I have a broad interest in psychology, and have been in therapy for 8 years, I read a lot about it and I see a psychiatrist every three months because of my illness, all this has an influence on me. I find myself increasingly more serious as I get older, and therefore the theme of the Legion would not be correct because they are 17 years older than when I wrote that song. There are other things that interest me now.

You say that you withdrew from the music business but not from music. You're basically saying free, and perhaps points to do what you think. What kind of music we should expect from Timo Tolkki in the near future? And how do you distribute? Download Free? Some free label Misantrof.net?
I have always been free. I am a free spirit. If I seem to be limited artistically or if negative energy and I feel violent, I'm leaving. I end up in a fight for a brief moment, but then you see me disappear. This has happened with Symphonia, which was a brand SUPERBAND power metal, and consequently failed because it was not completely honest. It was all too planned and too many people were there for the money, and this was against the project's success. I could keep the name, or alter it a bit ', and do something in the future. It 's too early to say if you publish something else. I have to please the biggest critic of the material before you can post: myself

I see that you're dealing with photography, even if they seem to publish many shots. Other photos are rockstars like Nikki Sixx who has also written a book on it. Photography is another form of capturing the essence of life, as it probably was the music? What is the difference between the sentiments expressed in your own melody in your own text and capture the moment in a photo?
Well, I do not really consider myself a rock star, rather than a guy who loves music and has an interest in life. As you suggest, it seems that subconsciously I develop a common theme in everything I do in art that is beauty. The world is beautiful for me, music can be beautiful, a stranger with a friendly smile can feed my hopes again. And 'there if you seek it. In the picture are still a beginner. I look for beauty in nature and I try to capture it, but as always are very open to anything that can deviate from the basic process.

A few years ago, I read that you had set up this study, where you you got demos from new artists. Offer you advice and assistance to these new projects: a chance to record with you and your experience. I thought that having a talented rock star who takes the time to help young musicians is an example to consider. What can you tell me about this project? Are you still involved?
It 's still there. It 'a production company based in Helsinki, which is called Random Productions and are preparing well, with a good digital studio set up with my help. They are also very good at social media techniques. Virtually anyone can send them a registered project to make the mix and, if available, I mix it and I will produce the master. Their prices are very competitive.

Out of all your projects, and I intend to Stratovarius, Revolution Renaissance, Symphonia, etc. ... because you never really attempted a solo career as Timo Tolkki, in the style of Malmsteen, Friedman and other virtuous? It 'possible that the esserti hidden among other talented artists is the reason that none of these projects took off like (I think) would deserve?
Perhaps because it was always much more fun playing in a band. In all the bands where I played, I always assumed a relative total control, especially in the arts. Obviously this has not worked. You can not predict things in music.

Speaking of the future, if ever again I will do something with music, I would say that now is the right time to publish my own name. But, with all due respect, I do not wanna end up like those who travel the world to play their old songs like cover bands. I understand that it must feed their families like everyone else. But, since I had already visited 62 countries in 20 years, rather prefer to stay at home to write my music in peace and maybe find a job. More or less what I'm doing now.

Lately, in your facebook page, there was this story about a kid playing "Stratosphere". I think that a young boy should try to write 'his own stratosphere' instead of being seen playing yours. What is your point of view about these young people who want to become a virtuoso of the guitar? But there are really out there? What do you think of the young boy in Stratovarius?
It 'a she. Her name is Zoe Thomson. At first I could not believe all this publicity, then, subsequently, all the negativity. It 'just a kid for God! Jose Manuel, at least let it play for a while 'before you begin your attack.

The guitarists are generally boring and think they are a divine gift to humanity, when they are not at all. I've never seen a guitarist, rather than a composer. I know what I was elected by Guitar World and blah blah blah, but for me the beauty of music is not technique, which does not impress me anymore.

Matias (Matias Kupiainen, Stratovarius current guitarist, who has replaced Timo, ed) is a multi talented guitarist. As a composer, however, must still do a little 'street. He is completely innocent and is out of the bickering and negative energy that is now connected to the word Stratovarius.

Even the younger generation. Enjoying some time reviewing music for Metalhead.it, I happen to hear a lot of new bands and new albums, most of my needs. It is often difficult even to recognize the other band. Perhaps the power of the internet, but it does seem that there are thousands of bands popping up everyday, especially in the metal scene. What do you think of all these realities, their desires, their style. See the new revelations, new Black Sabbath, Stratovarius or Mötley Crüe around? And if you see them, think they have any hope of making it?
I share your pain. Yes, there are new Sabbaths, there are already enough Stratovarius and Crüe. We need a certain level of consciousness on the part of these kids to really understand where they are going. So you have some hope. If you are talented and put all your heart for music full time for the next 5-10 years, you will succeed. But most of these spring before.

Europe. Policy. Economic crisis. Wars. Energy. Religion. Your point of view?
All these words belong to one another. We add a couple and get Mother Gaia. We are experiencing a phase of change. The energy can be heard everywhere. We will see profound changes in the ecosystem, in the monetary system, perhaps in the planetary system during the course of our lives, in the next 40 years. We are at the end of a cycle, but this cycle is not the result of some prophecy meaningless. And 'the consequence of the terrible actions of man on this planet. There have been wars ever since there have been men. Politics is just a disguise what is really happening. Why do people who work harder than you paid less? And because no one does anything about this? Because there are countries in this world who spend $ 1 billion annually for military purposes while each day 12,000 children die in Africa due to preventable diseases? These numbers are crazy, and should be enough to stop what is happening.

The so-called Environmental Congress in Darfur on global climate change, has done no more than postpone all other 5 years. We have another 5 years.

To my delight, I began to see the opposition to the system. A system that is neurotic, unjust, and based on fear and horror. Recently, people took to the streets in Greece. Of course the masses will drink what they are told by the media, namely that the Greeks are lazy. The Greek people must be cut to minimum wages by 20%. Again, those who can not afford to pay, even if he can do. There is a very clever play of power within the EU, China and the U.S., with all the lobbyists. There are also components in fascist European community. These are the forces that the Greek people attacked a few weeks ago.

All systems are corrupt or man-made based on the strategy of fear at some level. All religions, the "self-help," yoga. They are all nonsense. Before the lives we all have to give up sooner or later. This is inevitable and no one can avoid it.

And this asshole calling me Jose Manuel hypocritical for this or for that matter, that tells me I can not write about these things or that I can not delete their comments on my facebook, and I have to publicly criticize me leave, I tell them what follows: I am not important, but they are things of which I write, therefore we discuss them. This is not enough to Jose Manuel, of course, so he spends his time spreading the truth about me, and puts all his energy, but maybe I'm in the woods taking pictures. In my spiritual journey, which was called 12 years ago, I swore one thing: do not ever'll cooperate with what I consider evil. Never.

Ok Timo. We really appreciate having your words here on Metalhead.it. For me your music has always been one of my biggest inspirations. Thanks for everything. I ask you to close this interview in a different way: a message to readers, or a song that we suoneresti or a brief message of good luck.
My friends, I have only one thing to say, really. If there is ever something that you do this interview, take the following: the key to the universe is love.

Luca Piotto

http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... ai&act=url

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browneyedgirl
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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by browneyedgirl » Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:25 pm

It's a good interview but i think most of us have heard all these things many times before. :)
Good luck in spreading your message, TT.
"Your life is yours, and yours alone. Rise up and live it!"

Bob: I don't believe in God.
Archangel Michael: That's OK, Bob, because He doesn't believe in you, either!~Legion~

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by foerg » Fri Feb 24, 2012 5:50 pm

dear mr. piotto,

in the following attachment you will find the questions and the answers for our interview...

...


tl/dr

(tolkki letter, didn´t read)

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by Ilsekena » Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:14 pm

:lol: :lol: :lol: Another interview? How many are still left?

This one is so kawaiiiiiiiiiiiii ^^nääääääääää^^sweeeeeet.
Pffff. It goes on my nerves! Such a beautiful (in some parts) lie.

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by AAAAAAAAAA » Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:55 pm

If he uses the word "neurotic" one more time, I am going to shoot myself.

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by nightfireivey » Fri Feb 24, 2012 7:10 pm

How more interviews are we going to see?

With all drama between him and Stratovarius aside, the only thing I could agree with him is the music industry. The reason I think why he retired from it is the fact that he doesn't have 10 years to build up a band. In Stratovarius it wasn't until 4th Dimension we all listened and learned about the Stratovarius that we all know. Even some songs earlier represent many of the songs that he's made between 94-05

I love to play in a band and I love metal but being in the most music ignorant country in the world: The United States, I know that if I do make a band, I won't make a living off of it. It'll be just a hobby.

The Music industry was never about music, it's been about money and business for years. Probably since the early 80s..maybe earlier.

However there's nothing new from this interview. It's the same shit we've heard before. It's more or so a matter of time before we hear another dumb comment, or hear another interview to come out.

Remember guys...the next interview will only last 5 years.

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by icecab21 » Fri Feb 24, 2012 7:43 pm

Jose Manuel is an asshole it seems

it should not be surprising that the music BUSINESS is about BUSINESS.

be my guest to go on a crusade and try and find artists who you think "deserve" success. there are surely thousands of bands with myspace profiles releaseing all sorts of virtouso music with all sorts of fusions. there are more skilled out there then ever.

how hard can it be to develup a relationship with a few thousand people per big city to buy tickets or even some thousands in one's own city?

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by miditek » Fri Feb 24, 2012 10:08 pm

Next week on "The View"

"So tell us, Mr. T@**ki, when did you actually discover that you were (100% USDA certified) clinically insane?" :lol:

Image
I love to play in a band and I love metal but being in the most music ignorant country in the world: The United States


The United States is a country that brought the world the following forms of music:

a) Blues
b) Country
c) Jazz
d) Rock and Roll
e) Big Band/Swing
f) R&B/Soul

and countless other sub-genres, so I would hardly consider the U.S. a musically ignorant country.

Without Rock and Roll, there would have never been Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Just something to keep in mind.

America has had a great number of virtuoso musicians of its own, and many of which have had both critical and commercial success.

Consider this interview snippet of a guitar virtuoso (Steve Vai) describing the musical skills of one of the best drummers in history (Vinnie Colaiuta) in one of the most prolific bands in history (Frank Zappa):
"I was just enamored with Vinnie. Back in the Frank days, his whole approach, when I heard Vinnie play, his phrasing - it satisfied something in my heart. It was easy to get certain rhythmic gratification from straight up-and-down-type players. Playing grooves, alternate grooves here and there. But Vinnie just came in and threw a wrench into the works. The guy is an alien. He was able to touch buttons with his sense of polyrhythms that no one has ever done. Frank's band was the perfect soundboard for that. I started transcribing his playing for The Frank Zappa Book. I mean, there's five to six different notations for the hi-hat!" [laughs]

"I'll tell you a really great Vinnie story. He's one of the most amazing sight-readers that ever existed on the instrument. One day we were in a Frank rehearsal, this was early '80s, and Frank brought in this piece of music called "Mo 'N Herb's Vacation." Just unbelievably complex. All the drums were written out, just like "The Black Page" except even more complex. There were these runs of like 17 over 3 and every drumhead is notated differently. And there were a whole bunch of people there, I think Bozzio was there."

"Vinnie had this piece of music on the stand to his right. To his left he had another music stand with a plate of sushi on it, okay? Now the tempo of the piece was very slow, like "The Black Page." And then the first riff came in, [mimics bizarre Zappa-esque drum rhythm patterns] with all these choking of cymbals, and hi-hat, ruffs, spinning of rototoms and all this crazy stuff. And I saw Vinnie reading this thing. Now, Vinnie has this habit of pushing his glasses up with the middle finger of his right hand. Well I saw him look at this one bar of music, it was the last bar of music on the page. He started to play it as he was turning the page with one hand, and then once the page was turned he continued playing the riff with his right hand, as he reached over with his left hand, grabbed a piece of sushi and put it in his mouth, continued the riff with his left hand and feet, pushed his glasses up, and then played the remaining part of the bar."

"It was the sickest thing I have ever seen. Frank threw his music up in the air. Bozzio turned around and walked away. I just started laughing."





icecab21 wrote:Jose Manuel is an asshole it seems

it should not be surprising that the music BUSINESS is about BUSINESS.

be my guest to go on a crusade and try and find artists who you think "deserve" success. there are surely thousands of bands with myspace profiles releaseing all sorts of virtouso music with all sorts of fusions. there are more skilled out there then ever.

how hard can it be to develup a relationship with a few thousand people per big city to buy tickets or even some thousands in one's own city?
Κύριε ἐλέησον

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by icecab21 » Fri Feb 24, 2012 11:48 pm

so what i said got quoted, but not responded to.

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by FindYourOwnVoice » Sat Feb 25, 2012 12:02 am

Translated using Google translate... And it shows. Accurate enough nevertheless. He has very good points, even though at first his decisions or actions might strike as "total lunacy".

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by NeverendingAbyss » Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:31 am

Anybody actually read this?

What's it say?

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by Peace Warrior » Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:40 am

NeverendingAbyss wrote:Anybody actually read this?
What's it say?
Here is the original (not google translate). Tl;dr

Interview to Timo Tolkki

By Luca Zakk Piotto, for www.metalhead.it

TITLE: Timo Tolkki, “I will never co operate with what I consider to be evil. Never.”

INTRODUCTION: Timo Tolkki. Former Stratovarius leader, from the band’s early days untill his illness that leaded to his departure and endangered the integrity of the band itself. Guitar player and composer with an extraordinary talent. Pioneer musician, that attracts top artists into his high level power/progressive music projects. A Man that has been damaged by gossips, detractors and press, even because he recentily declared he is going to retire from the scene. Yet, for the one who wrote and directed this inteview, he has always been an example, a musical and poetical influence. The one writing this doesn’t believe to what gets said easily and with unscrupulousness. This is how this interview gets produced. Not a real interview. Rather a dialog between two thinking minds. Something rare nowadays. Tolkki the renegade? The one who failed? You will see that, probably, he is one of the few, too few, rebels left. Have a nice reading. (By Luca Zakk Piotto)

Hello Timo. Many thanks for answering this. We are all so excited to have you among our pages.
I go straight to the questions:

1. First of all, I’d like to know how you are doing. Everything has been written about you, and I am sick to read senseless stuff. Tell us Timo: How are you doing now, and how do you spend your days, your life, now that you are far from the fast pace of the rockstar life?


Well nothing much has changed about what’s been written about me and what is being written about me. After the Stratovarius publicity stunt my image crashed quite dramatically and every since there are countless of stories about me circulating with much “evidence” usually spread by individuals that either want something from me that I disagree about or are just bashing otherwise. If I would spend my time in following all that, I would never get anything done because internet world doesn’t really exist. Remember the time before internet? Also I think it is easy to misjudge the amount of bad rap I get because people tend to look for the bad stuff and ignore the positive stuff. And there exists also positive stuff about me.

Well there was the time for the rockstar life, but people tend to forget that Visions was made 16 years ago. That’s a long time ago. Sure in those days I got crazy with booze and women. Isn’t that why everybody starts to play with anyway? Kidding aside, those rockstar years in Strato were like a rollercoaster ride and they went really fast. 6-7 albums in 7 years is almost like a Beatles speed. With Stratovarius since I joined back in 84, it was just always about music. Not so much about friendship. I was quite good friends with (still am) Tuomo Lassila and particularily with the original keyboard player Mika Ervaskari who also played the keys on Hymn to Life album. He commited suicide in 2005. He was my best friend.

The current rockstar life is that I wake up, kiss my wife, make some coffee and read Helsingin Sanomat, a local Helsinki newspaper. Then I look outside and depending of the weather, I might go out and take some landscape pictures or I might go to the studio of the production company where I am currently working. It’s a new and interesting concept. Or maybe I grab my guitar and write a song. I rest a lot because I have been working very hard in the last 5 years and failed every time. So those 10 000 working hours plus my illness, Bipolar Disorder do take their toll. I have to take it easier at the moment.
To end the on the note what is being written about me at least my wife, my daughter Nina (who is 23 now), my ex wife, my mother and my brother think I am a relatively normal person and they love me . I’d like to think that they know me better than Jose Manuel (just a general name used by Timo to refer to somebody not well identified, Editor’s note) in Rio do Sul. But if Jose Manuel thinks I am a douchebag hypocrite, we can still talk about issues in the world that I find important. Because those issues are important. I am not important.

2. Lately you wrote about your retirement from the music scene. You claim that the dying music industry is stuck with a dying business system. Musicians aren’t paid enough to make a living out of it. I see online music selling one song for one euro… while I think that the whole album shall cost one euro, to make it easier to buy it than illegaly downloading it. Music industry is fighting their customers. Senseless. Is there any model of business you suggest to save the music? Mind, I say saving the music, not his industry.

The whole thing has been in the works for a long time. It started with the dropping record sales, which are a fact by the way. I would like to say here that I am not blaming anyone about the situation. It just has been on a steady crash course for well over 12 years now with dropping record sales each year. I don’t think iPod’s and MP’s are going to “save the music”. Currently the music doesn’t cost anything at all. It doesn’t have any real value at all anymore. Even hard copy books have much more value than music has.
The major record companies are busily buying smaller companies and each other’s and being so sometimes form illegal joint business ventures because of the position of a pratical monopoly. They are also fighting the “illegal downloader’s” by suing these kids in court and trying to get these immense amounts of money from them. Well instead of doing all this, why not concentrate the energies to something positive instead of fighting against something you cannot possibly win. Does somebody really thing the downloads will stop? They will not and the music industry is turning to 360 deals where the record company gets a share also from the publishing and the touring income or they don’t pay any advances out anymore. And this is where I draw the line.
The current business model results in uninteresting music because the artists are heavily branded. Even in metal. Some small companies still release interesting music but on the whole it is boring and there is so much music out there that it is impossible to find out what are the good artists.
My “retirement from the music business” came as a rational decision by looking at the sales figures and the amount of booked shows and the attendance of the people in the shows. Out of this, there was no question in my mind that I made the right decision. You see, it affects all areas of music. Also touring because when the bands don’t sell records they want to tour and since everybody wants to tour not only are there these sharks, questionable characters out of water, and promoters that are very inexperienced and then there are joint ventures of bigger booking agencies that dominate the scene. Still, people have only so and so much money to go and see their favourite bands. So they are being very selective.
It is not entirely impossible that the music as a physical or digital format will cease to exist completely. It depends on the next five years I would say. Maybe this 50 years or so was just a development of greed and we have to see music being played like in the times of Bach and Beethoven who could not put their Sonata’s to iPods. Sad if it’s so but.

3. You claimed, on your blog, that you moved on. That you don’t believe in singing about Legions of the Twilight (from the song Legions of Stratovarius, Visions album, Editor’s note) when you turn 50. I agree. You clearly walk away from the business trend, as there are bands like Hammefall (with whom you toured togheter) that are still singing the same stuff and selling albums. So, is it the music businsees going down to hell or is it you moving to a higher level? Both? Can you tell us what music is for you today?

Well I can only speak for myself. I certainly would not sing about Legions of the Twilight in 4 years. You do a mistake when you start comparing bands and music. Everybody does their music out of their own motives. My own motive has always been the same, since I was a teenager actually: I just make songs. Later it became a profession to me but still it was the same thing:” I just wrote songs”.
When I use the LOTT metaphora, I mean that in life you can observe seasons, right? Summer,Winter and so on. To me it is the same in music. My discography from Fright Night to Trinity has been a clear and well reckognicable evolution in the music. I am speaking as I see it, not necessarily as Jose Manuel sees it. You see, I am not here to please Jose Manuel, I am here to express my soul and spirit through the gift of music I have been given and it has nothing to do with money.
I am very interested in psychology and having gone through 8 years of therapy, lots of reading and I also have to go to see a Psyhiatrist every 3 months due to my illness since 6 years, all these things affect to me. I do find myself getting more serious as I grow older and therefore the Legions theme would not be right today since I am 17 years older when I wrote that song. Other things interest me.

4. You say you retired from the music business, but not from music. You are basically setting youself free, and probably aiming to do what you want. What kind of music shall we expect to hear from Timo Tolkki in next future? And how will you deliver it? Free download? Some free label like Misantrof.net?

I have always been free. I am a free soul. If I feel I am being limited artistically or there is negative violent energy, I go away. I might caught up in the fight for a brief time but then you will see me gone. This happened with Symfonia, which was a very branded power metal supergroup and consequently it failed because it was not totally honest. It was to planned and too many people were in it for the money for it to succeed. I might keep the name, maybe alter it a few and do something with it in the future. It is too early to say if I ever will release anything again. I have to please the biggest critic first before I would release anything at all: myself

5. I see you are doing photography, even if you don’t seem to be publishing much of them. Other rockstars do this, like Nikki Sixx that also wrote a book about. Is photography another way to capture the essence of life, like, probably, music used to be? What is the difference between the feeling expressed in a melody of yours, a lyric of yours and the moment caught on a picture?

Well I don’t really consider myself as a rockstar but a guy who loves music and is interested in life. No that you mention it, I seem to be unconsciously thriving for a common theme in everything I do in art and that is beauty. The world is beauty to me, music can be beauty, strangers friendly smile can light up my hope again. It’s there if you look for it. In photography I am still a rookie. I am looking for beauty in nature and try to capture that but as always I am very open to what might suddenly come out of the process.

6. Few years ago I read you had this music studio, where you would have demos from new artists delivered. You offered tips and help to these new projects. A chance to record with you and your experience. I remember thinking that having a talented rockstar like Tolkki taking the time to help out young musicians is something that should be seen as an example. What can you tell me about this project? Still about it somehow?

It’s still there. It is Helsinki based production company called “Random Productions” and they are kind of getting their stuff together but they have a good digital studio that I helped to build and they are also very talented in Social Media. So basically anybody can send them a recorded project to mix and if I am available, I will mix it and master it. Their prices are very competitive.

7. Out of all your projects, I mean Stratovarius, Revolution Renaissance, Symphonia etc… why you actually never properly tried out a solo career as Timo Tolkki, kinda like Malmsteen, Friedman and other virtuosos? Could it be you were hidden among other talented musician the reason these projects never really took off the way (I think) they deserved?

Probably because it has been much more fun to play in a band. In every band I have been, I have taken a relatively total contral in artistic matters anyway. Obviously this has and hasn’t worked. You cant predict things in music and neither should you.
Speaking of future, if I still do something in music, now has come the right time to release music under my own name properly. But with all due respect, I do not want to end up to these has beens who are flown around the world to play their old songs with cover bands. I understand that they have to feed their families just like everybody else. I much rather then stay at home having visited 62 countries in 20 years and do my music in peace and just get a job. Sort of what I am doing at the moment actually.

8. Lately, in your facebook page, there was an issue about a kid playing Stratosphere. I think a young boy shall try to write ‘his own stratosphere’ instead of showing off playing yours. What is your point of view about these new generation virtuosos wannabe? Is there really any new virtuosos? What do you think about the young guy in Stratovarius?

Actually he is a she. She is called Zoe Thomson. I could not believe first of all the hype and secondly about the negativity. She’s just a kid for God’s sake. Jose Manuel, let her at least play for awhile before you start your attacks.
Guitar players by and large are incredibly boring and think they are God’s gift to mankind while they are not. I have never considered myself as a guitar player but a composer. I know I have been elected by the Guitar World and blah blah, but to me the beauty in music does not lie in technic. That don’t impress me much as Shanaia sang.
Matias (Matias Kupiainen, current Stratovarius guitar player, the one that replaced Timo, Editor’s note) is a multitalented great guitarplayer. As a composer he might have to live a bit more. He is totally innocent of the fights and the negative energy that is today attached to the word Stratovarius.

9. Still on the new generations. Spending my time doing reviews for Metalhead.it, I get to listen to a lot of new bands and albums, way more than what I need. Often it gets hard to even recognize one from the other. Maybe thanks to the power of internet, but it seems there are thoudsands bands popping up everyday, especially in heavy metal genre. What do you think about them all, their wishes, their style. Do you see some new revelation, some new Black Sabbath, Stratovarius or Motley Crue out there? And if you see them, do you think they have any hope to make it there?

I feel your pain. Yes, there are the new Sabbaths, enough Stratovariuses already and Crues. It takes a certain level of consciousness for these people to realize where they are going. So yes they do have hope. If you are talented and you give your heart to your music full time but being aware for the next 5-10 years, you will be successful. But most quit before that.

10. Europe. Politics. Economic Crisis. Wars. Energy. Religion. What is your point of view?

All these words belong together.You add a couple more and what you get is Mother Gaia. We are living the times of change. The energy is felt everywhere. We will see profound changes in the Ecosystem, monetary system, perhaps even planetary system during our lifetime in the next 40 years. We are at the end of a cycle but this cycle is not a result of some nonsensical prophecy. It is a consequence of terrible actions of human being on this planet. As long as there has been humans there has been wars. Politics are just a camouflage to hide what’s really going on. Why is it that the people who work the hardest are always paid the least? And why isn’t anybody doing anything to it? Why are the countries of the world spending 1 Billion Dollars to military purposes each and every year while every day 12 000 children die to a totally treatable disaseas in Africa? These are insane figures and should alone be enough to stop what is going on.
The so called Environmental Panel in Darfur did nothing else to the Global Climate Change than to postpone everything with 5 more years. 5 more years we don’t have.
To my great happiness, I have started to see opposition to the system, the system that is neurotic, unjust and is based of fear and horror. People recently came to the streets in Greece. Of course the masses buy what the mass media is selling them about the Greeks being lazy and so on. The Greek people have to see cuts to their minimum wages for 20%. Once again those who cannot afford, will have to pay although they cannot. There is a very clever power game going on inside of the EU and China and the USA of course are lobbying there. There are also fascicst elements inside of the European community. This force the Greek people attacked just a few weeks ago.
Every man made system is either corrupt or based in fear in some level. All the religions, “self helps”, yoga. They are all nonsense. In the face of life we all must surrender sooner or later. This is an inevitable fact that nobody can escape.
And as much Jose Manuel is calling me douchebag and hypocrite because of this and that and that I cannot write about these things or I cannot delete his insults from my facebook, but I have to let him critizice myself publicly, I just say this: I do not matter but the things I write about matter so let’s discuss about them. This is not enough for Jose Manuel of course, so he spends his time spreading his truth about me and spends enormous amounts of energy to this and at the same time I am at forest taking pictures. In my spiritual journey that I was called upon 12 years ago, I have vowed one thing: I will never co operate with what I consider to be evil. Never.

11. Ok Timo. We really apreciate to have your words here. As far as I am concerned I think your music has been one of my greatest inspirations. Thanks a lot for everything. I ask you to end this interview in a different way: a message to our readers, or a song you would play to us, or a short ‘wish well’ message.

My friends, I have only one thing to say to you really and if there is anything you take home from this interview then please take this: FUCK YOU!! :x :x :x

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NeverendingAbyss
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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by NeverendingAbyss » Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:51 am

Peace Warrior wrote:
NeverendingAbyss wrote:Anybody actually read this?
What's it say?
Here is the original (not google translate). Tl;dr

Interview to Timo Tolkki

By Luca Zakk Piotto, for www.metalhead.it

TITLE: Timo Tolkki, “I will never co operate with what I consider to be evil. Never.”

INTRODUCTION: Timo Tolkki. Former Stratovarius leader, from the band’s early days untill his illness that leaded to his departure and endangered the integrity of the band itself. Guitar player and composer with an extraordinary talent. Pioneer musician, that attracts top artists into his high level power/progressive music projects. A Man that has been damaged by gossips, detractors and press, even because he recentily declared he is going to retire from the scene. Yet, for the one who wrote and directed this inteview, he has always been an example, a musical and poetical influence. The one writing this doesn’t believe to what gets said easily and with unscrupulousness. This is how this interview gets produced. Not a real interview. Rather a dialog between two thinking minds. Something rare nowadays. Tolkki the renegade? The one who failed? You will see that, probably, he is one of the few, too few, rebels left. Have a nice reading. (By Luca Zakk Piotto)

Hello Timo. Many thanks for answering this. We are all so excited to have you among our pages.
I go straight to the questions:

1. First of all, I’d like to know how you are doing. Everything has been written about you, and I am sick to read senseless stuff. Tell us Timo: How are you doing now, and how do you spend your days, your life, now that you are far from the fast pace of the rockstar life?


Well nothing much has changed about what’s been written about me and what is being written about me. After the Stratovarius publicity stunt my image crashed quite dramatically and every since there are countless of stories about me circulating with much “evidence” usually spread by individuals that either want something from me that I disagree about or are just bashing otherwise. If I would spend my time in following all that, I would never get anything done because internet world doesn’t really exist. Remember the time before internet? Also I think it is easy to misjudge the amount of bad rap I get because people tend to look for the bad stuff and ignore the positive stuff. And there exists also positive stuff about me.

Well there was the time for the rockstar life, but people tend to forget that Visions was made 16 years ago. That’s a long time ago. Sure in those days I got crazy with booze and women. Isn’t that why everybody starts to play with anyway? Kidding aside, those rockstar years in Strato were like a rollercoaster ride and they went really fast. 6-7 albums in 7 years is almost like a Beatles speed. With Stratovarius since I joined back in 84, it was just always about music. Not so much about friendship. I was quite good friends with (still am) Tuomo Lassila and particularily with the original keyboard player Mika Ervaskari who also played the keys on Hymn to Life album. He commited suicide in 2005. He was my best friend.

The current rockstar life is that I wake up, kiss my wife, make some coffee and read Helsingin Sanomat, a local Helsinki newspaper. Then I look outside and depending of the weather, I might go out and take some landscape pictures or I might go to the studio of the production company where I am currently working. It’s a new and interesting concept. Or maybe I grab my guitar and write a song. I rest a lot because I have been working very hard in the last 5 years and failed every time. So those 10 000 working hours plus my illness, Bipolar Disorder do take their toll. I have to take it easier at the moment.
To end the on the note what is being written about me at least my wife, my daughter Nina (who is 23 now), my ex wife, my mother and my brother think I am a relatively normal person and they love me . I’d like to think that they know me better than Jose Manuel (just a general name used by Timo to refer to somebody not well identified, Editor’s note) in Rio do Sul. But if Jose Manuel thinks I am a douchebag hypocrite, we can still talk about issues in the world that I find important. Because those issues are important. I am not important.

2. Lately you wrote about your retirement from the music scene. You claim that the dying music industry is stuck with a dying business system. Musicians aren’t paid enough to make a living out of it. I see online music selling one song for one euro… while I think that the whole album shall cost one euro, to make it easier to buy it than illegaly downloading it. Music industry is fighting their customers. Senseless. Is there any model of business you suggest to save the music? Mind, I say saving the music, not his industry.

The whole thing has been in the works for a long time. It started with the dropping record sales, which are a fact by the way. I would like to say here that I am not blaming anyone about the situation. It just has been on a steady crash course for well over 12 years now with dropping record sales each year. I don’t think iPod’s and MP’s are going to “save the music”. Currently the music doesn’t cost anything at all. It doesn’t have any real value at all anymore. Even hard copy books have much more value than music has.
The major record companies are busily buying smaller companies and each other’s and being so sometimes form illegal joint business ventures because of the position of a pratical monopoly. They are also fighting the “illegal downloader’s” by suing these kids in court and trying to get these immense amounts of money from them. Well instead of doing all this, why not concentrate the energies to something positive instead of fighting against something you cannot possibly win. Does somebody really thing the downloads will stop? They will not and the music industry is turning to 360 deals where the record company gets a share also from the publishing and the touring income or they don’t pay any advances out anymore. And this is where I draw the line.
The current business model results in uninteresting music because the artists are heavily branded. Even in metal. Some small companies still release interesting music but on the whole it is boring and there is so much music out there that it is impossible to find out what are the good artists.
My “retirement from the music business” came as a rational decision by looking at the sales figures and the amount of booked shows and the attendance of the people in the shows. Out of this, there was no question in my mind that I made the right decision. You see, it affects all areas of music. Also touring because when the bands don’t sell records they want to tour and since everybody wants to tour not only are there these sharks, questionable characters out of water, and promoters that are very inexperienced and then there are joint ventures of bigger booking agencies that dominate the scene. Still, people have only so and so much money to go and see their favourite bands. So they are being very selective.
It is not entirely impossible that the music as a physical or digital format will cease to exist completely. It depends on the next five years I would say. Maybe this 50 years or so was just a development of greed and we have to see music being played like in the times of Bach and Beethoven who could not put their Sonata’s to iPods. Sad if it’s so but.

3. You claimed, on your blog, that you moved on. That you don’t believe in singing about Legions of the Twilight (from the song Legions of Stratovarius, Visions album, Editor’s note) when you turn 50. I agree. You clearly walk away from the business trend, as there are bands like Hammefall (with whom you toured togheter) that are still singing the same stuff and selling albums. So, is it the music businsees going down to hell or is it you moving to a higher level? Both? Can you tell us what music is for you today?

Well I can only speak for myself. I certainly would not sing about Legions of the Twilight in 4 years. You do a mistake when you start comparing bands and music. Everybody does their music out of their own motives. My own motive has always been the same, since I was a teenager actually: I just make songs. Later it became a profession to me but still it was the same thing:” I just wrote songs”.
When I use the LOTT metaphora, I mean that in life you can observe seasons, right? Summer,Winter and so on. To me it is the same in music. My discography from Fright Night to Trinity has been a clear and well reckognicable evolution in the music. I am speaking as I see it, not necessarily as Jose Manuel sees it. You see, I am not here to please Jose Manuel, I am here to express my soul and spirit through the gift of music I have been given and it has nothing to do with money.
I am very interested in psychology and having gone through 8 years of therapy, lots of reading and I also have to go to see a Psyhiatrist every 3 months due to my illness since 6 years, all these things affect to me. I do find myself getting more serious as I grow older and therefore the Legions theme would not be right today since I am 17 years older when I wrote that song. Other things interest me.

4. You say you retired from the music business, but not from music. You are basically setting youself free, and probably aiming to do what you want. What kind of music shall we expect to hear from Timo Tolkki in next future? And how will you deliver it? Free download? Some free label like Misantrof.net?

I have always been free. I am a free soul. If I feel I am being limited artistically or there is negative violent energy, I go away. I might caught up in the fight for a brief time but then you will see me gone. This happened with Symfonia, which was a very branded power metal supergroup and consequently it failed because it was not totally honest. It was to planned and too many people were in it for the money for it to succeed. I might keep the name, maybe alter it a few and do something with it in the future. It is too early to say if I ever will release anything again. I have to please the biggest critic first before I would release anything at all: myself

5. I see you are doing photography, even if you don’t seem to be publishing much of them. Other rockstars do this, like Nikki Sixx that also wrote a book about. Is photography another way to capture the essence of life, like, probably, music used to be? What is the difference between the feeling expressed in a melody of yours, a lyric of yours and the moment caught on a picture?

Well I don’t really consider myself as a rockstar but a guy who loves music and is interested in life. No that you mention it, I seem to be unconsciously thriving for a common theme in everything I do in art and that is beauty. The world is beauty to me, music can be beauty, strangers friendly smile can light up my hope again. It’s there if you look for it. In photography I am still a rookie. I am looking for beauty in nature and try to capture that but as always I am very open to what might suddenly come out of the process.

6. Few years ago I read you had this music studio, where you would have demos from new artists delivered. You offered tips and help to these new projects. A chance to record with you and your experience. I remember thinking that having a talented rockstar like Tolkki taking the time to help out young musicians is something that should be seen as an example. What can you tell me about this project? Still about it somehow?

It’s still there. It is Helsinki based production company called “Random Productions” and they are kind of getting their stuff together but they have a good digital studio that I helped to build and they are also very talented in Social Media. So basically anybody can send them a recorded project to mix and if I am available, I will mix it and master it. Their prices are very competitive.

7. Out of all your projects, I mean Stratovarius, Revolution Renaissance, Symphonia etc… why you actually never properly tried out a solo career as Timo Tolkki, kinda like Malmsteen, Friedman and other virtuosos? Could it be you were hidden among other talented musician the reason these projects never really took off the way (I think) they deserved?

Probably because it has been much more fun to play in a band. In every band I have been, I have taken a relatively total contral in artistic matters anyway. Obviously this has and hasn’t worked. You cant predict things in music and neither should you.
Speaking of future, if I still do something in music, now has come the right time to release music under my own name properly. But with all due respect, I do not want to end up to these has beens who are flown around the world to play their old songs with cover bands. I understand that they have to feed their families just like everybody else. I much rather then stay at home having visited 62 countries in 20 years and do my music in peace and just get a job. Sort of what I am doing at the moment actually.

8. Lately, in your facebook page, there was an issue about a kid playing Stratosphere. I think a young boy shall try to write ‘his own stratosphere’ instead of showing off playing yours. What is your point of view about these new generation virtuosos wannabe? Is there really any new virtuosos? What do you think about the young guy in Stratovarius?

Actually he is a she. She is called Zoe Thomson. I could not believe first of all the hype and secondly about the negativity. She’s just a kid for God’s sake. Jose Manuel, let her at least play for awhile before you start your attacks.
Guitar players by and large are incredibly boring and think they are God’s gift to mankind while they are not. I have never considered myself as a guitar player but a composer. I know I have been elected by the Guitar World and blah blah, but to me the beauty in music does not lie in technic. That don’t impress me much as Shanaia sang.
Matias (Matias Kupiainen, current Stratovarius guitar player, the one that replaced Timo, Editor’s note) is a multitalented great guitarplayer. As a composer he might have to live a bit more. He is totally innocent of the fights and the negative energy that is today attached to the word Stratovarius.

9. Still on the new generations. Spending my time doing reviews for Metalhead.it, I get to listen to a lot of new bands and albums, way more than what I need. Often it gets hard to even recognize one from the other. Maybe thanks to the power of internet, but it seems there are thoudsands bands popping up everyday, especially in heavy metal genre. What do you think about them all, their wishes, their style. Do you see some new revelation, some new Black Sabbath, Stratovarius or Motley Crue out there? And if you see them, do you think they have any hope to make it there?

I feel your pain. Yes, there are the new Sabbaths, enough Stratovariuses already and Crues. It takes a certain level of consciousness for these people to realize where they are going. So yes they do have hope. If you are talented and you give your heart to your music full time but being aware for the next 5-10 years, you will be successful. But most quit before that.

10. Europe. Politics. Economic Crisis. Wars. Energy. Religion. What is your point of view?

All these words belong together.You add a couple more and what you get is Mother Gaia. We are living the times of change. The energy is felt everywhere. We will see profound changes in the Ecosystem, monetary system, perhaps even planetary system during our lifetime in the next 40 years. We are at the end of a cycle but this cycle is not a result of some nonsensical prophecy. It is a consequence of terrible actions of human being on this planet. As long as there has been humans there has been wars. Politics are just a camouflage to hide what’s really going on. Why is it that the people who work the hardest are always paid the least? And why isn’t anybody doing anything to it? Why are the countries of the world spending 1 Billion Dollars to military purposes each and every year while every day 12 000 children die to a totally treatable disaseas in Africa? These are insane figures and should alone be enough to stop what is going on.
The so called Environmental Panel in Darfur did nothing else to the Global Climate Change than to postpone everything with 5 more years. 5 more years we don’t have.
To my great happiness, I have started to see opposition to the system, the system that is neurotic, unjust and is based of fear and horror. People recently came to the streets in Greece. Of course the masses buy what the mass media is selling them about the Greeks being lazy and so on. The Greek people have to see cuts to their minimum wages for 20%. Once again those who cannot afford, will have to pay although they cannot. There is a very clever power game going on inside of the EU and China and the USA of course are lobbying there. There are also fascicst elements inside of the European community. This force the Greek people attacked just a few weeks ago.
Every man made system is either corrupt or based in fear in some level. All the religions, “self helps”, yoga. They are all nonsense. In the face of life we all must surrender sooner or later. This is an inevitable fact that nobody can escape.
And as much Jose Manuel is calling me douchebag and hypocrite because of this and that and that I cannot write about these things or I cannot delete his insults from my facebook, but I have to let him critizice myself publicly, I just say this: I do not matter but the things I write about matter so let’s discuss about them. This is not enough for Jose Manuel of course, so he spends his time spreading his truth about me and spends enormous amounts of energy to this and at the same time I am at forest taking pictures. In my spiritual journey that I was called upon 12 years ago, I have vowed one thing: I will never co operate with what I consider to be evil. Never.

11. Ok Timo. We really apreciate to have your words here. As far as I am concerned I think your music has been one of my greatest inspirations. Thanks a lot for everything. I ask you to end this interview in a different way: a message to our readers, or a song you would play to us, or a short ‘wish well’ message.

My friends, I have only one thing to say to you really and if there is anything you take home from this interview then please take this: FUCK YOU!! :x :x :x
Cool thanks! :wink:

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StratoFabio
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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by StratoFabio » Sun Feb 26, 2012 2:14 pm

this is the funniest part (apart the closure of course):
[...]After the Stratovarius publicity stunt my image crashed quite dramatically [...]
StratoFabio

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by browneyedgirl » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:03 pm

StratoFabio wrote:this is the funniest part (apart the closure of course):
[...]After the Stratovarius publicity stunt my image crashed quite dramatically [...]
:lol: What an understatement! :lol:
"Your life is yours, and yours alone. Rise up and live it!"

Bob: I don't believe in God.
Archangel Michael: That's OK, Bob, because He doesn't believe in you, either!~Legion~

TimoKotipeito
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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by TimoKotipeito » Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:54 pm

I wasn't mentioned at all?

Bummer.

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by nightfireivey » Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:29 am

miditek wrote:Next week on "The View"

"So tell us, Mr. T@**ki, when did you actually discover that you were (100% USDA certified) clinically insane?" :lol:

Image
I love to play in a band and I love metal but being in the most music ignorant country in the world: The United States


The United States is a country that brought the world the following forms of music:

a) Blues
b) Country
c) Jazz
d) Rock and Roll
e) Big Band/Swing
f) R&B/Soul

and countless other sub-genres, so I would hardly consider the U.S. a musically ignorant country.

Without Rock and Roll, there would have never been Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Just something to keep in mind.

America has had a great number of virtuoso musicians of its own, and many of which have had both critical and commercial success.

Consider this interview snippet of a guitar virtuoso (Steve Vai) describing the musical skills of one of the best drummers in history (Vinnie Colaiuta) in one of the most prolific bands in history (Frank Zappa):
"I was just enamored with Vinnie. Back in the Frank days, his whole approach, when I heard Vinnie play, his phrasing - it satisfied something in my heart. It was easy to get certain rhythmic gratification from straight up-and-down-type players. Playing grooves, alternate grooves here and there. But Vinnie just came in and threw a wrench into the works. The guy is an alien. He was able to touch buttons with his sense of polyrhythms that no one has ever done. Frank's band was the perfect soundboard for that. I started transcribing his playing for The Frank Zappa Book. I mean, there's five to six different notations for the hi-hat!" [laughs]

"I'll tell you a really great Vinnie story. He's one of the most amazing sight-readers that ever existed on the instrument. One day we were in a Frank rehearsal, this was early '80s, and Frank brought in this piece of music called "Mo 'N Herb's Vacation." Just unbelievably complex. All the drums were written out, just like "The Black Page" except even more complex. There were these runs of like 17 over 3 and every drumhead is notated differently. And there were a whole bunch of people there, I think Bozzio was there."

"Vinnie had this piece of music on the stand to his right. To his left he had another music stand with a plate of sushi on it, okay? Now the tempo of the piece was very slow, like "The Black Page." And then the first riff came in, [mimics bizarre Zappa-esque drum rhythm patterns] with all these choking of cymbals, and hi-hat, ruffs, spinning of rototoms and all this crazy stuff. And I saw Vinnie reading this thing. Now, Vinnie has this habit of pushing his glasses up with the middle finger of his right hand. Well I saw him look at this one bar of music, it was the last bar of music on the page. He started to play it as he was turning the page with one hand, and then once the page was turned he continued playing the riff with his right hand, as he reached over with his left hand, grabbed a piece of sushi and put it in his mouth, continued the riff with his left hand and feet, pushed his glasses up, and then played the remaining part of the bar."

"It was the sickest thing I have ever seen. Frank threw his music up in the air. Bozzio turned around and walked away. I just started laughing."





icecab21 wrote:Jose Manuel is an asshole it seems

it should not be surprising that the music BUSINESS is about BUSINESS.

be my guest to go on a crusade and try and find artists who you think "deserve" success. there are surely thousands of bands with myspace profiles releaseing all sorts of virtouso music with all sorts of fusions. there are more skilled out there then ever.

how hard can it be to develup a relationship with a few thousand people per big city to buy tickets or even some thousands in one's own city?
I couldn't agree more but it's 2012. All those genres are in the past and it's nothing more but hiphop, pop, and R&B. And anyone who claims to be a metalhead is into slipknot, and shitcore bands.

So my point being is that if I'm not making a band that doesn't have anything above then it's not going anywhere. Unless if I wanted to play in Europe or South America where people there are always open to many music types, genres, and new creations.

Even though I live in this shithole called Cleveland it is surprising big on classic heavy metal and underground bands...10 years ago.

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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by Jabi » Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:43 pm

Peace Warrior wrote: My friends, I have only one thing to say to you really and if there is anything you take home from this interview then please take this: FUCK YOU!! :x :x :x
:lol:
OMG, they fired Jari! Bastards!

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browneyedgirl
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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by browneyedgirl » Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:23 pm

My friends, I have only one thing to say to you really and if there is anything you take home from this interview then please take this: FUCK YOU!! :x :x :x
That's a real nice thing to say to people who are supposedly friends. :roll: I guess he was just being sarcastic. ???
"Your life is yours, and yours alone. Rise up and live it!"

Bob: I don't believe in God.
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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by Beast_Pete » Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:40 pm

browneyedgirl wrote: That's a real nice thing to say to people who are supposedly friends. :roll: I guess he was just being sarcastic. ???
Or the one who posted here altered the original message to the new one. ;)
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S a tested is a porba hullék,
Akkor is van még remény,
Mert a lelked továbbra is él."

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from the book, Nick's legend

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browneyedgirl
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Re: New Timo T interview!

Post by browneyedgirl » Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:49 pm

Beast_Pete wrote:
browneyedgirl wrote: That's a real nice thing to say to people who are supposedly friends. :roll: I guess he was just being sarcastic. ???
Or the one who posted here altered the original message to the new one. ;)
:huh:

Oh, OK. Now I see! :D :oops:
"Your life is yours, and yours alone. Rise up and live it!"

Bob: I don't believe in God.
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