One of the most remarkable albums that recently saw the light of day is ‘On Rituals And Correspondence In Constructed Realities’ of the debuting Finnish collective Cantata Sangui. The music focuses upon the virtuoso guitar skills of two bass players, vocals are an interaction between (quite low) female vocals and male grunts. The result is an interesting blend of doom and gothic metal with the innovative approach of jazz/fusion. A band who is already a master in such intricate material at its debut has to be supported and we eagerly give them a chance to tell more about their achievements and endeavours. Both bassists and female vocalist Anna gave proper answers to our questions.
It is an important issue to mention that Cantata Sangui does not include any regular guitar skills but two bass players. So let us start from that point. How did you manage to fill up that hiatus music-wise from a musician’s point of view? T: Cantata Sangui started as a two-bassist band and we have never used any guitars, so using two basses has become an integral part of our sound. For this album, we also utilised a piccolo bass and a 12-string bass, whose baritone strings help adding some higher tones to the sound, especially with distortion. Using two basses instead of guitars also has an effect on the way we compose songs: as you know, the bass differs from the guitar in many ways, and some things that work on the guitar just don't sound good on the bass.
J: We've had a rather clear-cut division as to which one of us plays what on his bass, at least so far. Tuomas plays the 5-stringer, which means that he can reach lower musically speaking, while I mostly stick to the higher parts. This said, we also go unisono on many parts, and naturally also change our roles every once in a while. Our playing styles are also quite neatly divided: Tuomas plays all of the funky bits as well as most of the arpeggios, while I concentrate on the distorted riffs.
A: I don't feel that there's anything missing sound-wise. On the contrary, leaving out the guitars leaves naturally more room for the basses and the keyboards, and this helps us create a unique sound.
The name Cantata Sangui has its particular signification for you. Why this name and some words about its meaning for you would be nice… T: There's blood, and there's chanting, which together combine into something much more powerful. You could say that the fusion element that is prevalent in all that we do is also reflected in the name.
A: It also represents the combination of the sacred and the profane. I agree with Tuomas that one of the key elements in Cantata Sangui is our tendency to take seemingly different things and then fit them together somehow. You can also derive endless interpretations from the name, which makes things more interesting both for us and our audience.
J: The name can also be seen as a metaphor for getting to the essence of music so that you become the music yourself. A sort of no-hand clapping, making your body sing, making your blood sing – and not just vocally, mind you. What you hear are the chants of blood, but whose blood is it that sings: yours or ours?
In that respect, the lyrics deal with themes of that ilk, anyway an aura of mysticism is created. Can you tell us about the fascination for things showcased in the lyrics? J: Generally speaking, our lyrics deal with philosophical and scientific topics, such as they appear in our daily lives, which we view through a psycho-mythical approach with a distinctively Lovecraftian twist. And while the lyrics of this album deal with various aspects of human life (and death), it is this approach that ties it all together. We draw endless inspiration from different mythological and religious traditions, from the Sumerian to the Gnostic and the excesses of the Renaissance. No tradition stands above the other however, interpretations from all schools are welcome.
T: Take ‘Broken Stars’, for example, which ties together various loose ends around the concept of Leviathan, from the Biblical tradition to the modernist social contract theories of Hobbes to Aleister Crowley. Yet the main idea of the lyrics lies in the way society interacts with its participants. Every radiant soul must fall at some point, and end up into the grinding jaws of Leviathan, or the society. And in the end, you need to ask yourself what sort of a covenant you are ready to make to get out: what price are you willing to pay to unlock the chains of ye olde serpent?
J: Another example, which again takes us back to the Mediterranean tradition, is ‘Lazarus’. Here the lyrics put the Biblical story of Lazarus into a new light – while the story is generally taken as just another example of the miraculous powers of Christ, it actually makes more sense if you view it in the context of traditional necromancy. This interpretation of course screams heresy, but it does make you wonder where this type of powers come from, and whether this might not be linked to the nephilim, the mythological giants of the Genesis. This in turn would join Christ and Lucifer as prime examples of Promethean rebels, come from the dark the world to save.
T: So, we do subscribe to a certain mystical overall feeling. This doesn't need to lead to actual mysticism, however, as it tends to be a somewhat static and passive approach, while we aim for the active. Go straight for the jugular.
Now we have the debut album at the end of January. But can you resume your first steps before coming to this recording adventure? In other words, what did precede the record we may enjoy right now? T: Basically the album was preceded by ten years of hard work. After all, we have been more or less active throughout the decade of our existence. During this time, people have come and gone, and we have naturally developed quite a bit as a band. Still, we wanted to include some of our earliest material on this album – not because we didn't have anything else on our hands, but because we felt that the old songs fit the thematic whole of the album so neatly.
A: It can be said that we entered a new musical era when we started to work with Ola Sonmark on our ‘Aletheia’ promo, which was recorded in 2005 and mixed in 2006. This progress has been a natural extension for our sound: we still build our songs on two basses, but have now added sound engineering and extensive vocal production to the mix, which definitely makes our sound a lot richer and better in many ways.
T: It has taken us some time to mature to the point where we are now, but in this respect we're like quality wine: we get better with age.
Hmmm… pretty long title: ‘On Rituals And Correspondence In Constructed Realities’. I guess you expect the question for any explanation in interviews… T: There are many interpretations to the title, and all of them are equally acceptable. Actually everyone is invited to make their own interpretations and preferably stick to them. We chose the title pretty much because it is very descriptive of the album. It sums up the lyrical themes of the album in one coherent phrase: there's the interplay between different realities as well as a hint at the ritualistic nature of the lyrics and the music itself.
A: The album title also refers to a possible research in some music theories that we may approach in the future: an attempt at creating a second-decree simulacrum. There's a song on this album, ‘Reality’, which would serve as a starting point for the research. First, we need to create a simulacrum for this song by purely technical means (this becomes the construction). Then, in order to reach back to our present reality, we take the first simulacrum and create another one on top of that by natural means (which makes for a constructed reality). As the research is still unfinished, we can't tell what the outcome is, and how our musical homunculus will come to look like. This is why we can only approach the subject by the means of ritual and correspondence, which can be understood as work-in-progress metaphors for scientific methodology and discourse.
Can we consider it as a gate to ethereal reflection to escape for a while from this hectic society? J: Why not, as a constructed reality can obviously be linked to les paradis artificiels. If the album offers you a sanctuary from the mundane, then we have succeeded in something. This actually brings us back to the lyrics of ‘Broken Stars’: while it is deceptively easy to stoop down to the darkly splendid world around us and drown in your nihilism, the most important question remains: how do you get out and why?
T: It can also be taken to mean playing with reality on a more general level, or twisting the reality to suit your needs better. For the average mind, the world we live in may well be the only reality you can think of, but does this need to be so?
J: Looking at this on a more mundane level, isn't this precisely what happens to you in your daily activities? You set out to do something, and provided that your task is not a simple routine chore, you change slightly doing it – your reality changes. Or to put this in generalised mythological terms, you embark on a heroic mission, travel through various adventures, and return as a changed man. Return if everything goes well, that is.
Next step was recording and make a choice of the created material. Can you tell about your feelings during the recording process and some more details? T: We actually set out only to record a few tracks for a demo at Studio Kekkonen in Helsinki. We then realized that we might as well spend the two days' studio time in recording the drums for a complete album, and add other instruments later with the mobile studio equipment borrowed from Rusto-Osiris.
A: Our change of plans also meant that we had to make the choice of which songs to include on the album quite quickly. This turned out to be quite easy, however, as we had a sort of a vision of the coming album in our heads at this time already, and some songs just fit in better than others.
T: After the drum takes were finished, the other instruments were recorded in three different sessions during the spring of 2007. We were lucky to get Ola Sonmark to work as our recorder, and Santeri Pienimäki helped him as the assistant engineer. Ola also mixed the album the same summer in Sweden. We then utilised the sound designing skills of Stefan Schneider to get the record sound as finalized as possible. Stefan actually lived in Venezuela when doing the sound designing, so you can say that the album turned out to be a rather international one.
A: Ola Sonmark also co-produced the album with us, which turned out to be an excellent choice. Ola has the ability to get the best takes out of each musician, and he also has an impeccable ear for arrangements, especially with the vocal lines. With his help, we were able to really crystallize the essence of each song.
Now back to basics: the album was recorded with Mika for harsh vocals and second bass, but he left for familiar reasons. How did you deal with this problem and can you tell something about the two new members Kari (vocals) and Juha (bass)… A: Mika found himself in a situation where he simply didn't have the time both for the band and his family, so he decided to focus on the latter. While this is naturally a sad thing, we tend to see it more as an opportunity than as a problem. Things have gone good the past ten years, but they can always go better. Cutting down a tree may change the landscape a bit, but it also allows the other trees more light, and a better chance to grow.
T: First we took a deep, deep breath, and then started looking for replacements. Both of the new members are old friends of ours, and these two seemed the most suitable ones. After some months of training and getting to know the band and its modus operandi, the new guys have both now become a part of the team.
Does it mean you have new challenges in writing a sophomore album? Any ideas how this will upgrade and influence your future recordings? T: Writing and recording a new album is always a challenge, but the writing process is going so smoothly at the moment that I don't think we'll have any problems with the next album. We already have a bunch of new tracks ready, and new ideas keep on coming, so probably we'll end up scrapping excess material rather that worrying about having too little to record.
A: The writing process will naturally change to some degree, but this isn't as big a transition as it could appear to people outside the band. We have always composed most of our material by jamming at our rehearsal place, so every one of us has always been involved in the writing process anyway. You could say that the songs become Cantata Sangui only when we start arranging them as a band.
Your roots are in doom metal, mainly reflected in ‘For The Forgotten One’ on this album. Can you tell a bit more about this song? T: ‘For the Forgotten One’ is one of the oldest songs on the album, and gives a good example of the doom-oriented style of the first incarnations of Cantata Sangui. It’s also one of the best examples of the sort of two-bass dialogue we look for in our music. The two basses have very distinctive sounds, and they basically play different things, but work together so seamlessly that the two bass lines intertwine and seem to form one line.
A: When recording the song for this album, our producer Ola Sonmark had a vision of adding a sort of New Orleans funeral procession feel to it. The song was very slow, heavy and majestic to start with, and adding brass orchestrations in it, as well as a saxophone solo, just brings the song to a completely new level.
And about your doom and other influences when starting the band… J: The major influences of our founding fathers at the time of starting the band consisted of a healthy mixture of doom metal, fusion jazz, and some old gothic metal. Doom metal brought in the heavy overall sound, the gothic bands a touch of melody, and the fusion bands the mad scientist attitude we still cultivate. All of these influences still show, but I'd like to emphasise the latter, as it is the experimental attitude and our willingness to try out less typical riffs, arrangements and sounds that keeps things interesting.
T: To name a few bands that still have an influence on us: old Cathedral, Fields Of The Nephilim, Primus, Motörhead. And then there's some interesting black metal stuff as well.
J: And you shouldn't forget the basic metal foundation that naturally works at the bottom of all music of this kind. Even though it's not explicitly mentioned in every interview, all the greats from Metallica to Mayhem have paved the way for us.
Having a label is not that easy but important these days, still. How did you get in contact with Season of Mist, resulting in inking a deal? A: We sent our previous demo ‘Aletheia’ around, and at about midway through the recording of this album, Season of Mist contacted us and wanted to make a deal. Sounds like a simple thing, but this was of course preceded by years of hard work. After some months of negotiating the details of the contract, we sealed the deal and have since been happy with the label's work.
Finland is known for many great melancholic and extraordinary bands. What are your favourites/influences from this scene? Or should we place your roots abroad? T: I don't think we really have any direct influences in the present Finnish scene. As stated before, our main influences lie in older music anyway.
J: There's obviously some good stuff in the present scene as well, but as Tuomas said, I don't think the newer bands have any direct influence on us. Thematically, and to some extent lyrically, Babylon Whores are worth mentioning in this context.
Besides the release of the album late January, another eye-catcher is the contest to win a bass guitar (without strings) It would be great to mention all details about this one for our readers… A: This contest was actually cooked up by the guys at Season of Mist. It's a great idea, as it emphasises our bass-oriented approach to music in a sufficiently tongue-in-cheek way. In the contest, you basically need to take a look at our latest band picture (available at our web site), and write your interpretation of what's happening in it. I assure you that we have hidden quite a bit of different little things in the picture, which should make the task interesting enough. The best story is rewarded with a Career CB4 bass.
I see you have played some gigs in your home country, probably in several line-ups. Most recently is the gig in December in Helsinki (8/12) and the upcoming gig for album release (27/1). Can you tell about the recent gig and the prospects of playing live in future? T: The most recent gig we played took place at a local rock club, and to a relatively nice crowd. We only played a few gigs last year as we needed to consolidate our new line-up first. Now we have successfully tested the new members' concert capability and are ready for a new round of gigs.
A: Last year was still about practice, by and large. Now that we're about to have the new album out, it's much more convenient to play live, as the audience knows the songs better, and we have something to promote as well. We'll probably keep adding something new to the gigs along the way: the most recent example of this is that with the last two gigs, we've started using samples on our live shows. Our next show, which is also the release party for the new album, will take place at the end of January.
With a deep-draught signification for your moniker and the lyrics it would surprise me if you cannot tell anything more about the artwork… T: The cover picture shows an initiated well that is located in the alchemistic garden of the palace of Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal. The well is actually a tower that has been built upside down and inside out, and the picture has been taken at its bottom. One way of looking at the image could be that the picture's well and the staircase hidden behind its windows represent the album. After listening to the album through, you have passed through an initiation, and into a different reality.
J: Alchemy is always good for the soul, and the picture also reflects the musical and lyrical themes of the album, and provides a focus for further speculation at the same time. In other words: when the music stops, you can either turn out the lights or continue the journey. And if you've gotten out of the well, you might as well do the latter.
What are the plans for the near future? A: As soon as we’re done with the interview spree that’s going on now, we’ll start focusing on live shows again. So, I think we’ll spend most of the spring delivering the music to the people. At the moment, most of our rehearsal time goes into practising our live set, but we also keep on writing new material all the time.
T: Live shows will be our main priority in the near future, but we also have all sorts of other plans. Making a video would be nice, for example. But all of this still remains on a speculative level, so let’s not get too deep into that now.
And of course a principal question to occlude is always fun: who are the best bass players in history? (metal and beyond) Apart from that (if not the same) any bass players who influenced you… T: Michael Manring seems to know a thing or two about bass playing. Les Claypool, Jonas Hellborg and Lemmy Kilminster are also players that you can only look up to, but it's really hard to name which player is the best and why.
J: I'll have to choose Cliff Burton as number one: that's where it all started for me. I used to listen to a lot of fusion stuff, and I think Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke are among the most influential players in this genre. In the death metal scene, Steve DiGiorgio is the unrivalled bass king of Florida, and on the Old Continent, I've always liked the bass lines Arcturus has, and the tracks here lead to Hugh Mingay.
I wish you lots of luck with your original approach of dark metal and hope to see you live some day… Thank you. There are two possibilities for fulfilling your wishes to see us live: either we come to the Netherlands or you come to us. Let's see which happens first!
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