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-
I think it's very hard to put a label on your music, but how would
YOU describe your music to an outsider?
MICHAEL
- MY BAND MELODIC MELTDOWN IS FAIRLY TRADITIONAL ROCK/ METAL,
I'LL SAY. AS FAR AS MY INSTRUMENTAL CD'S I AGREE THAT IT'S MORE
DIFFICULT TO CATEGORIZE.
INSTRUMENTAL
CD'S TEND TO BE VERY MUCH THE SAME ALL THE WAY THROUGH (WELL IN
FACT MOST CD'S ALL IN ALL TEND TO BE THIS WAY) – IN ORDER TO
MAKE THE MUSIC MORE EXCITING AND LESS PREDICTIVE I HAVE CHOSEN TO
WRITE DIFFERENT KINDS OF MUSIC ON THE INSTRUMENTAL STUFF.
THAT
IS, AS FAR AS I CAN SEE, THE STRENGTH ON THESE CD´S.
Where
do you see the main difference between your band Melodic Meltdown
and your solo albums?
MICHAEL
- AS MENTIONED ABOVE. MELODIC MELTDOWN IS PRETTY MUCH
TRADITIONAL ROCK/ METAL. THE INSTRUMENTAL STUFF IS MORE
EXPERIMENTING.
How
long have you been playing guitar, and for the guitar-heads out
there can you please tell us a bit about the gear you use??
MICHAEL
- I HAVE PLAYED THE GUITAR SINCE 1991. AND IN 1996 I ATTENDED
CLASSICAL
MUSIC
ACADEMY
– BUT LEARNED THAT I WAS MORE A ROCK-PLAYER THAN THE TRADITIONAL
CLASSICAL PLAYER. BUT I DO FIND GREAT INTEREST IN BOTH STYLES.
AS
FAR AS EQUIPMENT I USE MY OLD FENDER STRATOCASTER A HUGHES &
KETTNER VORTEX AMP. – FROM THERE I JUST PRETTY MUCH TURN THE
VOLUME UP – HE-HE!!
I
DO LIKE THE DELAY AND THE WAH-WAH A LOT.
Who
and what inspires you when you write a song?
MICHAEL
- AS A SONGWRITER I'M INSPIRED BY DIFFERENT BANDS – VERY
DIFFERENT BANDS – I LIKE PINK FLOYD A LOT – AND I'M AN OLD FAN
OF METALLICA. I ENJOY TOTO, SATRIANI, DEEP PURPLE, MEGADETH, AND
LED ZEPPELIN – THE OLD QUALITY-DUDES.
I
RARELY BUY NEW CD´S AND WHEN I DO – I BUY THE CLASSIC NAMES
LIKE OZZY, MAIDEN ETC.
Which
song do you consider to be the best one you have ever written?
MICHAEL
- THIS IS WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO SAY I HAVE WRITTEN SO MANY
GREAT TRACKS THAT I CANT POSSIBLY PICK ONE, ISN'T IT. –HE-HE.
AS
FAR AS THE VOCALBASED SONGS (AND BEING A LISTENER – NOT MAINLY A
GUITAR PLAYER) I LIKE THE TRACKS “
MEMORY LANE
” AND “A NEW BEGINNING” FROM SECOND
SKIN (2003) “DRAGON'S TEETH IS ALWAYS A KILLER WHEN PLAYNG
LIVE - AND I VERY MUCH LIKE THE NEW TRACK “VIRULENCE” OF THE
MISSING LINK E.P (2005).
AS
A GUITAR PLAYER I LIKE MY DEBUT FROM 1997 A
LOT
- AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME GREAT SOLOS ON NO
WORDS NEEDED (1998)
.
When
you write a solo, do you tab it out and practice it, or do you
come up with stuff in more of an improvisational style? And do you
have a different approach when you write for Melodic Meltdown?
MICHAEL
- I MUST ADMIT THAT 99% OF MY SOLOING ON THE INSTRUMENTAL CD'S
ARE IMPROVISED – I LOVE IMPROVISATION. AND I THINK THAT SOLOS ON
AN INTRUMENTAL CD ARE ALLOWED TO BE IMPROVISED. ON MELODIC
MELTDOWN IT´S MORE 50-50 'CAUSE I ALSO THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU
CAN ACTUALLY SING SOME OF THE SOLOS. NOW THAT'S WHAT MAKES DAVID
GILMOUR AND KIRK HAMMETT GREAT PLAYERS IN MY OPINION.
What
about your family and friends, do they enjoy the music you create?
MICHAEL
- I DON'T THINK THAT MY PARENTS LIKE IT AS MUCH AS THEY WISH
TO, BUT WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT. BUT MY BROTHERS SUPPORT ME A LOT. SO
DOES MY GIRLFRIEND AND MY LITTLE SON. HE ROCKS WHEN DADDY'S
PLAYING.
Are
there plans in the future for another solo album or will the main
focus be on Melodic Meltdown?
MICHAEL
- TO BE HONEST I WOULD LOVE TO DO ANOTHER SOLO-ALBUM, ONE WITH
A GREAT PRODUCTION TO IT!! BUT FOR THE MOMENT I THINK IT WOULD BE
WISE TO CONCENTRATE MY WORK WITHIN THE BAND. HOWEVER YOU LIKE IT
INSTRUMENTAL CD'S ARE MADE FOR VERY FEW PEOPLE (11 GUYS IN
HELSINKI
WILL BUY IT –HE-HE) – VOCALBASED MUSIC GOES OUT TO A WIDER
AUDIENCE
.
Do
you feel that you sound will evolve in some different direction,
in the future? Or will you still follow the same path?
MICHAEL
- ALREADY I HAVE TURNED A BIT DOWN AS FAR AS INTENSITY AND
TEMPO GOES. I THINK THAT THE
MISSING LINK IS A PRODUCT OF GETTING OLDER, MORE MATURE AS A
PLAYER AND SONGWRITER – NOT WANTING TO DO EVERYTHING IN ONE GO
AND PLAYING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE MOST OF THE TIME.
Let’s
speculate – you have been granted a free slot on a tour of your
own choice – who would be your ideal touring partners?
MICHAEL
- I WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT PINK FLOYD – I SIMPLY LOVE THAT
BAND.
-
What are your favourite old and recent bands?
MICHAEL
- AS MENTIONED BEFORE. PINK FLOYD, METALLICA, OZZY, DEEP
PURPLE ETC. – AS FOR GUITAR-PLAYERS I LIKE STEVE VAI, SATRIANI,
MACALPINE, VINNIE MOORE, AND MALMSTEEN – THOSE GUYS.
Now
to musicians and vocalists. Who would you most like to work with
for a bit of fun if you had the choice of anyone at all?
MICHAEL
-I WOULD LOVE TO BE OZZY'S “NEW KID IN TOWN”. HE SEEMS TO
ME TO BE SUCH A NICE GUY. HE WOULD BE A GREAT BIT OF FUN.
And
how do you feel about the metal scene in general at the moment?
And how about the Danish scene?
MICHAEL
- THE METAL SCENE IN GENERAL: HMMM I DON'T THINK TOO MUCH
ABOUT IT. THE NU-METAL THING HAS CREATED SOME GREAT SONGS BUILT ON
CLASSIC ROCK FORMS - CATCHY CHORUSES AND SO. BUT I'M NOT A FAN OF
THAT PARTICULAR TYPE OF MUSIC.
THE
DANISH SCENE IS GROWING STRONG I THINK. MY OLD FRIENDS FROM
MERCENARY, MNEMIC AND ANUBIS GATE ARE DOING VERY, VERY WELL – I
WISH THEM ALL THE SUCCES THAT THEY CAN POSSIBLY GET.
Vinyl
has had a small comeback lately – do you still prefer “the old
sound” or are you a CD/DVD kind of guy?
MICHAEL
- THAT I DO NOT CONSIDER – WHAT I KNOW IS THAT IT'S MUCH
EASIER TO SEND CD´S FOR A REVEWS THAN VINYL. – I DO LIKE VINYL
THOUGH, THERE'S SOMETHING PARTLY RELIGIOUS ABOUT IT.
Last
question - do you have any famous last words for our readers?
MICHAEL
-I HOPE YOU'LL BE BUYING MY MUSIC FOR YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR
FRIENDS. OR AT LEAST THAT YOU WILL SPREAD THE WORD AND DOWNLOAD MY
MUSIC FOR FREE SO THAT IT WILL BE PLAYED WHEREVER YOU EARS MAY BE.
THE BEST PART ABOUT WRITING MUSIC IS THAT IT WILL BE HEARD.
SOME
OF THE GREATEST EXPERINCES HAS THEREFORE BEEN THAT SOME FROM THE
BRAZILIAN JUNGLE HAS GOT HOLD OF MY MUSIC AND THAT I GET MAILS
FROM YOUNG GUITAR PLAYERS ALL OVER THE WORLD WHO LIKES MY MUSIC.
THAT MAKES YOU FELL IMMORTAL FOR A SHORT MOMENT. AND FINALLY I
WISH TO SEE YOU ON SOME OR ANOTHER SCENE NEXT SUMMER. KEEP ROCKING!!!!
Peter was asking the
questions on this one, and a big thanks for Michael Sobygge. We
wish him and his band all the best in the future...
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