Band: DREAMS OF SANITY
Country of origin: Austria
Style: gothic metal
Questions by: Emilio Hueso (conducted by Herr Stalhammar)
Answers supplied by: Michael Knoflach (bass)
 

Let me suppose that the latest album of yours, "The Game", is conceptually based on what our lives are all about...

- Yes, it is about reality and what life is about: is life a game, and if it is a game whose game is it? Is it my game you play in or your game, I play in, or someone elses game we all play in?

It seems like all of your albums appear as conceptual ones...

- So far we also had some "stand alone songs" (like "Treesitter", "The Maiden And The River", ...) each alone featuring a very small story not worth making a whole concept out of it. So I guess DREAMS OF SANITY could also make an album with single songs, but so far we are happy with the concept stuff.

Both "Masquerade" and "The Game" feature only Sandra handling vocal duties, however, as far as I remember, formerly there were two female singers...

- Actually we had personal and musical differences with Martina and so we threw her out. Afterwards we were looking for a new singer but we found non that would be as good as Sandra, so we decided to stick with her alone.

What is the current line-up?

- Don't ask, but still: Christian Marx, Michael Knoflach, Andreas Wildauer, Florian Steiner, Patrik Schrittwieser. And right: no Sandra anymore.

Back to "The Game". In my opinion, it's much more diversified piece, more melodic yet still based on "metal"-sounding guitars... Do you agree...?

- Yes! "Masquerade" had a very straight concept not offering too much variety in the mood for the songs, but with "The Game" we have everything in it!

... also being heavily influenced by classical music...

- As always we are influenced by orcestral / classical music.

It looks like gothic metal scene becomes bigger and bigger nowadays... What's your opinion on it and it's representatives? Should we reckon DREAMS OF SANITY to this genre?

- I don't consider DREAMS OF SANITY a straight gothic band. We are a mixture between alternative-pop, art rock, gothic metal and heavy metal. So I am not too fond of all these "me too"-bands just trying to make mainstreem goth-metal with female vocals, but without any inervation or own style.

What do you consider most important when it comes to compositional process?

- I think the most important thing is melody. For most listeners the most acsessible way are the vocals. So we give the most attention to the vocals and try to put the arrangement in the background (during vocal parts).

Tell us a bit about yourself. I guess you have plenty of various influences... What bands would you name, and what style would you mark out as the one you prefer over others?

- I like all bands that transport emotions (preferably melancoly and
desperation) like: THE GATHERING, LACRIMOSA, PORTISHEAD, Calexico, Johnny Cash (the Rick Rubin albums), Bush. And I also like some of the strange 70s Music (KING CRIMSON, David Bowie, THE CAN).

Are you interested in paintings and literature?

- Both. I prefer contemporary books (younger than 1950: Boll, Borchert, Echo, Coelo, ...) and pictures (Klee, Picasso (especially the blue period), ...).

What's your view on various religious movements and religion in the whole?

- I don't believe in any god or devil. But I sometimes envy people who do, because I think it must be a good feeling that everything is guided by a good god.

Painting a picture of Austria, I would say that it's a catholic country with a seemingly strong censorial institutes. Do you feel like you're a free man? Lotsa people face serious problems in Austria, Germany and other European countries due to their political and / or (anti)religious views...

- Austria is only a catholic country, but I know that it is by far less conservative than Italy (it is no problem to have children before getting married). There is no cencorship in austria (at least not more than in any other european country). The only thing that is cencored are homosexual porn movies (Austrians generally are rather discriminating homosexuals) and hardcore splatter / horror (but less than in Germany). But for the rest there is no cencorship. I do feel a free man.

What's your opinion on Haider (Austria's prime-minister - ED)? Do you think this chap is a nazi, as it is being claimed...? 

- I do not think that he is a nazi, but he is a populist, so he looks for things people want to hear, and as the majority of the population of Europe and also Austria feels strange with people they don't understand (people from other countries) he went on that one. So he is really right wing, but he is no nazi, just a clever asshole getting the votes of all the assholes in Austria.

Any tours already confirmed?

- No, sorry.

You've played in Mexico recently. Any memorable recollections?

- It was the best gig we ever had. 2000 wild fans. We almost felt like a very famous boy-group. It was great!

Thanx for your time. Best regards from Spain!!

- Greetings back to Spain.