I still can't load IGNORABIMUS' site, therefore I hope you wouldn't mind  telling me a bit of your band's past, present and future?

- Well, all the action started in 1994. There were only three of us then  (Riho, Raino, Tarmo). We practised a lot and wrote songs for two years  almost before we could start with gigs. Very soon after some gigs we  realized that we need a second quitar very desperately and we found an  excellent guy for the job - Aksel. With him we played almost a year and  became pretty well-known and appreciated name in Estonian scene. But  unfortunately he had to leave the band because of lack of time and we were  again the three of us. Here we stopped practising for two months until we  understood that we must go on and on the first rehersal we composed the song "Prayer". With this song began the new era of our development. Very soon (February '97) we found a new guitar player Kaarel who was a businessman running his own company but still good enough to play our stuff. Kaarel is also the one who plays on our demo. Today he's not in our band any more - he spent more and more time on his company and the band suffered from that. We decided to find a new guy. Accidentally happened so that Aksel wanted to play again with us after a year-long break. We're happy that this procedure thrived well because generally in Estonia it's very hard to find a good metal guitar player. At present we're working on our new material and preparing our forthcoming gigs. About the future we must say that we must and will go on (not the Titanic theme!) as much similary to present as possible. Of course we hope to become a signed band one day and release records under a label and perhaps to get some possibilities to play alive outside Estonia, too.

By the way, where and why did you take this (rather strange) name, "Ignorabimus"? Does it have anything to do with Estonia's mythology?

- Hehe, a good question - we don't remember any intie that does not include a question about our bands name! The name is Latin. When we were looking for a good name we happened to read an old lexicon. We liked it at once and it's meaning fit well with our concept. It's related to nature ("I will never know / understand it"). It has nothing to do with Estonian mythology.

Honestly speaking, I was somehow surprised, when reading one of the interviews with you I saw you defining IGNORABIMUS the following way: "… sort of doom-death metal sound which includes a lot of vibrations from different styles like rock, jazz, blues, medieval music, gothic, heavy metal  etc. It's impossible to define us because our music is much too crazy mixture". Don't you think that such kind of statement appears as a bit  exaggerated one? I listened to your demo with undoubtedly great pleasure,  however, except brilliant guitar work and few jazz-inspired structures, I didn't find anything that could truly stand out and make your music impossible to be defined…

Riho: I'm glad you enjoyed our music. Actually we don't like to define our  music at all. This all was written by Raino and I think such description  will help the people consider what is the music alike we do play. In general, yes, you may say it's doom-metal, but not the ordinary one!
Raino: I'm guilty. The reason why we doesn't define our music clearly is  that we almost never agree in titling our music this or that. There's always  something in a song that says: stop, this is far from that genre. My  favourite phrase of our genre was written in one newspaper and it's like this:  "cheery rhytmed sympho metal". For me the genre we play is IGNORABIMUS. You guys may think that oh boy, is that a posh man! Well, I think I should be proud: if I didn't appreciate my music the best who else would?

You're one of those not numerous contemporary doom metal bands whose  recordings lack keyboards and whose singer has a "good-old" growling (ah, I love it!). Why so? You just don't need synths and plenty of "clean" voices  or you try to escape the crowd of trend-followers this way?

Riho: No-no, we're not trying to escape from anything. We simply don't need  any keyboards at all and I think that growling vocal is an inseparable part of metal.
Raino: Exactly, no keyboards. For me it's pretty much easier to growl while playing bass than singing normally, and anyway, I don't like clean voices  much. Of course there are parts in our music that contain clear voice but I  think they fit well there. Also, I must admit that I'm not a singer, not even a bad one. This is a coincidence if I stay in tune ;). Don't you think that growling is much more powerful than normal singing? I do. About this trend-following I want to say that we definitely are not a trendy band and will probably never become one because IGNORABIMUS is a musical reflection of our minds and personalities and we haven't noticed yet in four years that any values of our personalities have changed in general. And as we're not a trendy band, we are not trying to escape as Riho already said. I guess that's why we'll become old-fashioned one day... and the next generations will enjoy us saying to each other: "what a good old 90's music". ;)

I believe, you couldn't escape typical "mournful" doom metal band image (a picture portraying cemetery, etc + sorrowful though romantic lyrics). Do you consider it to be really necessary for you? I don't think that this sort of image is that important for such band as IGNORABIMUS…

Riho: Well, this imago stuff is just like the concept of the band is. I don't think we're after a certain image or sth. It just happened to be of such kind.
Raino: About that concept one can translate the band name and the demo title and take it as one quotation: "That I will never know - that's why the tears". As the concept of that quotation is sad, so seems the demo cover sad, too. Of course there are lots of other symbols to express sadness, but we chose the easiest and cheapest way - photographic art. Ant the other thing, that kind of cover is nice to look at, isn't it? At the same time we can't take this cover art seriously as an image. I think we don't got any purposely image at all - I remember one sentence from the movie "Braveheart": "… just be yourselves." And we are. We are ourselves image I think.

Who writes lyrics in IGNORABIMUS and what inspires him?

Riho: The lyrics are written by me and Raino. Most of them are written by Raino. Me personally  does inspire the nature and spiritual things in my life and around ourselves.
Raino: I don't think that anything inspires me but extreme sadness. Seems that when I'm sad it's more easier to concentrate and produce beautiful lines. Actually not a single of my lyrics is based on concrete situation, more like a  view of something. Instead I try to write poems with very beautiful words and combinations of words and I think I have succeeded in it. Anyway this lyrics thing is rather confusing subject for me, I don't exactly what I'm up to but producing music and poetry I like.

"Hinc Illae Lacrimae" tape features self-titled song sung in Latin. Can you tell me more of it's content? And what is the translation for this phrase?

Riho: "Grand silence, quickly hastens death, fear of emptiness, that's why the tears." It means for me that when someone loses a very close person, then very oftenly he is afraid of the future and what is coming next (Raino comments: hehe, "How do I live..."; ConAir)  and yet then he'll regret all the things he hadn't had said and done while the person still lived. You better be not quarreling with your closest friends and persons as death is hastening and the tears are agile to come after that.
Raino: Did you notice that we interpret that phrase rather different? There's a good explanation for it. It 's obvious that we do not do much in purpose, containing a message or sth, it just flows out of us. Seems like we screw something together (the music and the lyrics fitting best to sing) and yet after that we consider what the hell we have done now.

"Stillborn" is the studio where you recorded your (debut?) demo. Well, the production is good to my ears, consequently I'd like to know: a) how did you find aforementioned studio; b) was it expensive to record and mix your stuff there; c) were there any other metal bands who visited Stillborn before you; and finally d) as the general question - is it hard to be a metalhead in Estonia (i.e. does it take a lot of money and efforts to organize a gig, to rent a rehearsal room, to have your album or demo been recorded in the studio with a good equipment and skillful sound-engineer, etc.)?

Riho: Yes, this is our debut demo. We do know a person (named Keijo) who plays in a band called WHISPERING FOREST (actually, we do know all of them). This guy owns the studio, which he has built in his own apartment. It's a very little studio but good enough to record a good-quality demo there. The main reason we chose Stillborn, was the price which is about two times lower than in any other decent studio in Estonia. Also the atmosphere at your acqauintance place is much more pleasant than in a strange studio. The other bands that have visited SB are VAIKUS (“Silence” in English) and WHISPERING FOREST itself. (For today also KALM, DIVERSIA, FORGOTTEN SUNRISE). About this being a metalhead in Estonia I must say that it has been rather a burden. It really takes much money. For the gigs we play, only the transport costs are paid. We do have a rehearsal room of our own and it's situated on the attick of Raino's parents house. This is really a cool place because the house is old and the architecture of that room is really nice, antique-like design. Of course the worst thing is that the record companies here kick all the metalheads butts, so here in Estonia we have to pay for everything, even the demo, but I guess it's everywhere like that. On the other hand here are wonderful recording possibilities, there are at least 6-7 studios but they are really expensive and specialized on pop-yuck-music. So - no professional metal sound-engineers. Stillborn is the only studio created only for metal recordings. By the way, Keijo does pretty good mixing, doesn't he?
Raino: Yes he does. Hehe, maybe he did such a good work because we let his band use our rehearsal room! No, no, I was just kiddin'. You know I have arranged two bigger events with 6-8 bands playing. This is very asskicking job if you do it for the first time and also very thankless job anyway. My experiences tell, that you MUST find some sponsors, who would recompense at least 20% of the budget. In that case the arranger won't lose money. Of course finding them is pretty hard but fortunately we have a lots of beer-producers here and for one of the gigs I could pay the bands with lots of beer. ;) But also I'd like to mention that, you know you said "the production is good to my ears etc.". Well, the point is that we spent more than 3 years in practising before we recorded that demo thing. I have told (my friend in France for instance, an editor of zine OcThetaan Morphique) that so many bands do rehearsals for month or two and then record a very shitty sounding tape (in reh-room?) that could not be titled even a bootleg, but they call it demo and send it everyfuckingwhere. What I want to say to the beginners is that there's no point in such scurry. You will not make a band in days, a band grows in years and through the years. You'd better be sure about what you do want to expose to the listeners.

The "Hinc Illae Lacrimae" cassette's design is tremendous, no doubts! Is Diana Milerman a close friend of yours or you simply bought her pictures? And who is that mysterious person with <aksel@mindless.com> email?

- The story of Diana was like that: we were looking for a good photographer and we chose her, because she had done tremendous pics of our gigs. At first we knew that she'll do it for free as she was a good friend of Kaarel and she knew we are running out of money soon. But we thought that we'll pay her at least something, a symbolic sum. But what the shit, when she finished the pics she asked us $50 for 6 pictures!!! This is a lot of money for us. OK we were amazed and paid half of the sum. We will NEVER deal with her again. Of course she is a very good photographer but as a person... About Aksel we already told something. He works as a designer and he just offered us a free design as we are very good friends. Well he did his job very damn well. But as said, he plays again with us. He is an extremely cool guy and an excellent guitar player.

Erh… Enough with music, at least while now… Let's better have a discussion on… eh, "spiritual themes". What are your thoughts upon life after death? Does it exist or there's nothing but everlasting oblivion that awaits us after the final decline? Of course, no one knows what happens to us then, but what is your opinion anyway?

Riho: I think that after death of the body the spirit will keep on living but where it goes and what is to become next is the knowledge belonging 100% to the nature and it's powers.
Raino: I must say that it's a very difficult question because we never do discuss about it between ourselves and me myself don't think of it at all. I try to use my present life (if it is a life?) as much as possible and I don't want to think about death of myself yet as there will be very many beautiful memories and good friends which I leave behind when the day comes and again the friends whom I possibly never see again. Life is actually too beautiful and short to waste it for no good, I mean actless thinking. I'm not against the philosophers - vice versa - but my personality demands thinking serious thoughts during doing something useful, and (unfortunately? for you I mean) these thoughts don't happen to be about death. Somehow I still like the concept of regeneration. It would be rather cool to reborn as an intelligent pigeon for instance - then you can choose from your memories on whom to shit at!

What is your view upon religion as a social institution? Don't you think that all kinds of it (be it christianity, satanism or paganism) are destined only for those who are poor in spirit?

Riho: Principially I have nothing against religions but what makes me angry is that they are oftenly used in order to make easy money and also forcing religion upon the others is very wrong. I think that every person should find his own if he wants to.
Raino: Generally the same, with the difference that I hate some sects. Choosing or creating yourself a religion or sth is a very serious matter and I must say it's not a clear, not even a pleasant topic for me. Anyway it's something inside me, be it a good or evil one, preferabely a tricky combination of them. But at the same time I like superstition - you know such kind as our ancestors used to have. For example this money-picking-up proverb and the old saying that you should put an empty beer-bottle off the table in order not to brake you incomes. Is religion only for those who are poor in spirit? Maybe really, if I hadn't had so many thoughts and ideas of my own, perhaps I would have become a religious one? Who knows.

As far as I understood reading your former interviews, you consider yourself a heathen, but tell me - how can you combine those ancient beliefs with modern technologies, internet in particular??

Riho: You can't combine them at all. Or if, maybe for creating more contacts with peaople of you kind and barter information.
Raino: This is a weird question. I personally don't consider myself nor pagan (heathen) nor religious or whatever. I don't even understand the concept of the word. Hehe, do you mean that we should be sending our letters with pigeons or riding couriers? ;) It's really hard to answer that one, if you explain us what do you want to know then maybe we will be able to answer you correctly.

Will I be wrong supposing that you possess advanced knowledge of Estonian epos? I believe, a short description of it may appear as rather interesting for our readers...

Raino: I don't think we have any advanced knowledges of our Epos. We all have read it as all the Estonians have. Nothing more. But it's concept is in freedom forever by whatever effort it may take. It begins with the appearance of Kalev who settles down somewhere nearby the present Tallinn. He marries Linda who gaves birth to 3 brothers, the youngest named Kalevipoeg (the son of Kalev) which also is the title of the epos. All through the writing, Kalevipoeg is an adventurer who visits even the Hell for some times and fights very bravely in all the numerous battles of the crusade. In the beginning when Kalevipoeg travels to Finland to buy a good
sword from the Finnish Blacksmith he happens to party with him and his sons, gets drunk and kills the eldest son of him. Then the blacksmith puts a curse on him. In the end his own sword will cut off his legs but he won't die but will be nominated a guard at the gate of Hell.

Aren't you going to use any traditional (i.e. folk) instruments in the course of your next effort's recording?

Riho: No, we do not have such plans at the moment.
Raino: And I think we never will. We don't use the keys either. But to be honest, we have had a violin-player for one rehearsal! After that we never saw him again... And also we have tried to use a flute - this was pretty good but not any more. We believe that two guitars, bass and drums are good enough to produce interesting music.

And, by the way, what will it be (and sound) alike - your next effort?

- There won't be any serious changes in sound, but our new material is rather complicated and therefor more interesting to listen. At least you won't get bored after some sessions of listening...

What about Estonian metal scene? And as a matter of fact, does your country possess Scene or there's only a bunch of bands being in state of war with each other? Are there any kinds of "brotherhoods" (I mean, when few acts unite into some kind of a communion), serious and honest distro-companies and gigs' organizers? As to me, I'm familiar only with POSTMORTEM and Kaido's (Draconic) projects (CARNIFEX, etc)…

- We do have a metal magazine of our own - "PlSigmakk". This is a very professional mag and of a very good quality, too. Also in Tallinn there is such club as "Gildi" where the metal bands are welcome to play and usually mostly the Russian metalheads spend their time there. If there weren't such club, we'd be really fucked up here as the other possibilities to play a live are very rare. We do have pretty a number of good bands: DIVERSIA (a killer girls band, like gothic-celtic metal), INSTIGATOR OF GRIEF (a very  melodious doom metal with lots of keys), VAIKUS (gothic, one man project), KALM (black metal), THARAPHITA (rather original black metal), WHISPERING FOREST (doom). Of course the "old fishes" like POSTMORTEM and CARNIFEX. Actually the bands are in pretty good relationships to each other. We for instance are very good friends with POSTMORTEM guys and DIVERSIA girls. There's no point in arguing, we're fighting for the same reason here - to develop metal life and scene, aren't we? About such brotherhoods you told, we don't have any of them, at least we don't know a single one. The only distro company is Guano Cult, which is basically the same thing and enterprise as "PlSigmakk" is. The metal events are still rather rare, maybe 6-7 times a year is a bigger one. But there are places where bands can play during weekends. So, we're not a dead meat here yet, at least until we have strength to go on with a minimum (close to zero!) support of the media.

Would you like to add anything?

Riho: Thank you for the interesting questions. I hope and really want that the contact between Estonian and Russian scene becomes more and more closer than it has been till today. I don't know a thing about the bands you have there and what the hell is going on at all. We'd like to give our darkest greets to all Russian metalheads. We hope we can come and play for you one day and the same about your bands, come and play to us! Stay heavy!
Raino: I would like to add, that actually I happen to work with "PlSigmakk" and I'd like to advert it a bit. So metalheads of Russia: get your demo tapes and send them to: Pk 7 Viljandi 71001 Estonia and beware of an interview, if you do!

IGNORABIMUS contact –
Email: raino@hotline.ee
       ignorabimus@mindless.com