Part 17 V: You can find the similarity in it: It’s the same tears on tape, the music that everyone has been listening to. It’s kind of like a diary. Everybody can remember the first song when they kissed or fell in love, you know. For many people music is like a diary. At least to me it is, so it has something to do with that. Music is connected to everything. Always.
Part 3 V: It was weird…Linde is a very quiet guy and doesn’t really advertise anything. It’s a part of his personality, which I think is really good. The last time we played at the Download festival in England…it was a few years ago, maybe three years ago…and I remember it was weird playing our Rock’n’roll and then turn to look at the side of the stage, at Linde’s direction actually, and Tony Iommi was there looking at us. And he didn’t leave, he watched the entire set.
Part 1 Textbox: HIM’s album called Tears on Tape was released 26.4. The band has told that the album is a hat’s off to its own idols. Interviewer: Where did you get this kind of idea that now it has to be done like this? Ville: I don’t have the slightest idea; it just came along the way. I had the title song written…Rock’n’roll is nice because sometimes things just happen and you don’t think everything through.
Part 16 V: Stefan and I were sitting in my kitchen speculating and thinking about what the video could include. That there would be one symbol that people are drawing but for different reasons. The most important thing is to keep it open and Stefan has a good way for it.
Part 2 V: Sometimes it can take years and then you realize: “oh, this was the idea in this”. In a way I kind of tried to feeling vise get to those things that have created the joy and inspiration for me to get into this weird career. Textbox: Ville Valo has openly admitted that HIM would not exist without Black Sabbath. The guitarist of the band, Linde, is nowadays dating the daughter of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi.
Part 4 I: So that was a compliment from his side in that sense V: Well yeah, or at least I took it as a compliment…It might be that he didn’t dare to leave or something. Or he couldn’t get out of there. That’s the only time after that particular festival gig that we have hung out a little. It was interesting but we talked about entirely other things. We talked about bands, music, life and everything just for the hell of it.
Part 6 V: We made the cover “Strange World” with Hiili for the compilation that came out last fall. We wanted to see how things work and that everything is ok. Because everything worked fine we booked the studio and started making it. The reason to do it with Hiili at Finnvox is that we know the space and each other so well that we got straight to the point. You don’t have to pretend anything… I: You can leave the petting out of it
Part 9 V: Not because of boredom but because it’s nice to be surprised in the studio. You have the same player but you’re like “what the hell is happening”. Like “Into the Night”, the first single here, the guitar in the intro is played by me. It’s a Telecaster straight into an old boombox from the 70’s which was miked there in the hallway.
Part 8 V: Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Bob Marley and The Rolling Stones they worked a lot in the Olympic Studios and they had Helios mixers there. I thought: “there has to be something about these Helios mixers. Ok, I will find out how they sound” And then I got myself a little rack system. Then we took it with us to the studio and played a lot of drums and other stuff through it. We tried to make something a bit more special happening.
Part 5 V: That’s how it automatically goes…It was weird and psychedelic to sit next to that man and think about this and that but that’s the cool thing about it. You notice that they are all humans and the old classic thing, as you have probably noticed yourself too, that the bigger the star, the nicer they usually are. I: Usually it is like that yeah Textbox: The album Tears on Tape was mainly done with the same team as HIM’s fourth album Love Metal
Here's a rough breakdown of what's happening: First they talk about Tears on Tape, all the usual crap you can hear in any interview After that they mention Linde's relationship with Toni Marie and how he never told them before they actually met Iommi at Download in 2010. Then about the technicalities, like choosing the right mics and how the intro riff for Into the Night was played by Ville in some random hallway with a Telecaster rigged to a small Fender transistor amp. Then about Tears on Tape video and the Malachim font, the usual crap once again.
Part 11 I: I remember reading that Ville Valo was seen with a pint in his hand V: Cool I: And it was even on the cover V: Really? What pint was it and was it full or empty? I: It was a glass pint and probably full of beer V: I was drinking non-alcoholic Nikolai for a really long time and some people came to say that: “Now he’s started drinking again” I was like…(makes a wondering face)
Part 7 V: Exactly! I was just about to say that it’s not like a first date. My personal mission was to start technically finding out with what equipment my favorite albums were made. Who has produced them, how have they been done. I searched a certain singing mike for myself, or mikes actually. Certain amplifiers… A little bit of that technical nonsense.
Part 14 There have been so many gossips that it’s not the end of the world. It’s good that people are interested in my drinking habits. Textbox: Stefan Lindfors directed the new HIM videos Tears on Tape and Into the Night. Stefan himself can be seen on the videos. V: Isn’t it a really “Stefan” thing to do to direct a video, script it and then perform in it? I: Undeniably. V: He had to make a cameo.
Part 15 I: What is that confusing thing that everyone keeps on drawing on the video? V: A British artist we know did our entire cover art where this old font called malachim is used. It’s said to be the language of angels. It has been used in ceremony magic ages ago. It’s this weird twirl thing. And what they are writing in Stefan’s video is TOT, as in Tears on Tape. It’s a styled version of the malachim font, which is a bit more complicated.
Part 13 I: You probably have developed such a thick skin over the years that you don’t get bothered? V: You have to take it all with humor. If there is some negative stuff, which I really don’t even read, the only thing is my mom and dad…If something has been written in a really nasty way or I’ve fucked something up myself, I quickly try to warn my mom and dad not to freak out if something weird is coming.
Part 10 V: That’s why it’s played so badly and it sounds awful. It’s not like today’s fancy stuff with million computer plug-ins. Hiili is great at that. The term I guess is: “Take no prisoners producing”. You decide the sounds while recording so you don’t leave everything to the last minute. That gives a good feeling.
PArt 12 I: What do you think about that? V: It’s super funny. If there are so little things to write about in the world then this world is a pretty good place…If that is big news. Then that one particular day is pretty good, no bombs exploding all over the place. And then smoking, or not smoking… What does that have to do with making music? Or drinking beer? Or actually that can have. If you make an album when you’re really drunk then it probably sounds like it.
One of the things I respect about Ville is he always talks so lovingly about his parents. Obviously they did a good job raising him!
Part 17
V: You can find the similarity in it: It’s the same tears on tape, the music that everyone has been listening to. It’s kind of like a diary. Everybody can remember the first song when they kissed or fell in love, you know. For many people music is like a diary. At least to me it is, so it has something to do with that. Music is connected to everything. Always.
HIMpulafan you're an angel -- thank you so much for these translations 🖤
He is such a beautiful person, and not just on the outside
Part 3
V: It was weird…Linde is a very quiet guy and doesn’t really advertise anything. It’s a part of his personality, which I think is really good. The last time we played at the Download festival in England…it was a few years ago, maybe three years ago…and I remember it was weird playing our Rock’n’roll and then turn to look at the side of the stage, at Linde’s direction actually, and Tony Iommi was there looking at us. And he didn’t leave, he watched the entire set.
Part 1
Textbox: HIM’s album called Tears on Tape was released 26.4. The band has told that the album is a hat’s off to its own idols.
Interviewer: Where did you get this kind of idea that now it has to be done like this?
Ville: I don’t have the slightest idea; it just came along the way. I had the title song written…Rock’n’roll is nice because sometimes things just happen and you don’t think everything through.
Part 16
V: Stefan and I were sitting in my kitchen speculating and thinking about what the video could include. That there would be one symbol that people are drawing but for different reasons. The most important thing is to keep it open and Stefan has a good way for it.
I love it when Ville speeks finnish
Part 2
V: Sometimes it can take years and then you realize: “oh, this was the idea in this”. In a way I kind of tried to feeling vise get to those things that have created the joy and inspiration for me to get into this weird career.
Textbox: Ville Valo has openly admitted that HIM would not exist without Black Sabbath. The guitarist of the band, Linde, is nowadays dating the daughter of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi.
Part 4
I: So that was a compliment from his side in that sense
V: Well yeah, or at least I took it as a compliment…It might be that he didn’t dare to leave or something. Or he couldn’t get out of there. That’s the only time after that particular festival gig that we have hung out a little. It was interesting but we talked about entirely other things. We talked about bands, music, life and everything just for the hell of it.
It's always the same: we don't understand a word he is saying but keep listening to his sweet sweet voice XD
Part 6
V: We made the cover “Strange World” with Hiili for the compilation that came out last fall. We wanted to see how things work and that everything is ok. Because everything worked fine we booked the studio and started making it. The reason to do it with Hiili at Finnvox is that we know the space and each other so well that we got straight to the point. You don’t have to pretend anything…
I: You can leave the petting out of it
Part 9
V: Not because of boredom but because it’s nice to be surprised in the studio. You have the same player but you’re like “what the hell is happening”. Like “Into the Night”, the first single here, the guitar in the intro is played by me. It’s a Telecaster straight into an old boombox from the 70’s which was miked there in the hallway.
Special thx to our sweetheart friend from Finland @HIMpulafan for translating this very interesting interview from VV...☺☺
I like that the cameraman is the interviewer :)
He speaks so fast!!!
Part 8
V: Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Bob Marley and The Rolling Stones they worked a lot in the Olympic Studios and they had Helios mixers there. I thought: “there has to be something about these Helios mixers. Ok, I will find out how they sound” And then I got myself a little rack system. Then we took it with us to the studio and played a lot of drums and other stuff through it. We tried to make something a bit more special happening.
Part 5
V: That’s how it automatically goes…It was weird and psychedelic to sit next to that man and think about this and that but that’s the cool thing about it. You notice that they are all humans and the old classic thing, as you have probably noticed yourself too, that the bigger the star, the nicer they usually are.
I: Usually it is like that yeah
Textbox: The album Tears on Tape was mainly done with the same team as HIM’s fourth album Love Metal
Here's a rough breakdown of what's happening:
First they talk about Tears on Tape, all the usual crap you can hear in any interview
After that they mention Linde's relationship with Toni Marie and how he never told them before they actually met Iommi at Download in 2010.
Then about the technicalities, like choosing the right mics and how the intro riff for Into the Night was played by Ville in some random hallway with a Telecaster rigged to a small Fender transistor amp.
Then about Tears on Tape video and the Malachim font, the usual crap once again.
Part 11
I: I remember reading that Ville Valo was seen with a pint in his hand
V: Cool
I: And it was even on the cover
V: Really? What pint was it and was it full or empty?
I: It was a glass pint and probably full of beer
V: I was drinking non-alcoholic Nikolai for a really long time and some people came to say that: “Now he’s started drinking again” I was like…(makes a wondering face)
Part 7
V: Exactly! I was just about to say that it’s not like a first date. My personal mission was to start technically finding out with what equipment my favorite albums were made. Who has produced them, how have they been done. I searched a certain singing mike for myself, or mikes actually. Certain amplifiers… A little bit of that technical nonsense.
Part 14
There have been so many gossips that it’s not the end of the world. It’s good that people are interested in my drinking habits.
Textbox: Stefan Lindfors directed the new HIM videos Tears on Tape and Into the Night. Stefan himself can be seen on the videos.
V: Isn’t it a really “Stefan” thing to do to direct a video, script it and then perform in it?
I: Undeniably.
V: He had to make a cameo.
Part 15
I: What is that confusing thing that everyone keeps on drawing on the video?
V: A British artist we know did our entire cover art where this old font called malachim is used. It’s said to be the language of angels. It has been used in ceremony magic ages ago. It’s this weird twirl thing. And what they are writing in Stefan’s video is TOT, as in Tears on Tape. It’s a styled version of the malachim font, which is a bit more complicated.
Part 13
I: You probably have developed such a thick skin over the years that you don’t get bothered?
V: You have to take it all with humor. If there is some negative stuff, which I really don’t even read, the only thing is my mom and dad…If something has been written in a really nasty way or I’ve fucked something up myself, I quickly try to warn my mom and dad not to freak out if something weird is coming.
Part 10
V: That’s why it’s played so badly and it sounds awful. It’s not like today’s fancy stuff with million computer plug-ins. Hiili is great at that. The term I guess is: “Take no prisoners producing”. You decide the sounds while recording so you don’t leave everything to the last minute. That gives a good feeling.
god bless you
PArt 12
I: What do you think about that?
V: It’s super funny. If there are so little things to write about in the world then this world is a pretty good place…If that is big news. Then that one particular day is pretty good, no bombs exploding all over the place. And then smoking, or not smoking… What does that have to do with making music? Or drinking beer? Or actually that can have. If you make an album when you’re really drunk then it probably sounds like it.
oh yeah this language was made for your voice dear Ville! and seems to be as dificult as portuguese! haha! wish i could understand =/
I wish I could understand, I heard something about download festival in England
Any Finns want to give us an overview of what hes saying?
lalalalalala la
la