Forgotten Sunrise
Wywiad przeprowadził Andrzej Papież
"...Snowman id dying, please forgive him"... man who wrote those sentence must be wired, don't you think? Wired as a whole Forgotten sunrise musicall, lirycally and visually is. This Esonian five piece band sterted playing simple death/doom metal in the beginning of 90's... and transformed itself to very hard described music with influences from metal to trip-hop and acid jazz. I interviewed vocalist and guitarist - Anders, Forgotten sunrise's mainman. How did you get familiar with metal, ok.? I would like to know what was the first ever bought metal cd in your life?
Salute! The first tape that I recorded to myself was Manowar, the first LP was a compilation "Metal Maniac vol.3" (incl. Saxon, W.A.S.P., Whitesnake etc.) and the first cd was Death "Scream...". I hadn't cd-player yet, but I wanted to hear these 2 bonus tracks on it. Death was my absolute favourite band. Before that I was a fan of Metallica.
"a_Nimal flesh" is your latest release so far. It's cool mixture of doom metal with electronic beats, trippy samples. Really good music for smoking, don't ya think?
Sorry, but I can't hear any doom metal influences in our music ?. The best music for smoking is Trip-hop and some good Ambient. Yes, we have a lot of influences from these styles and that's the reason why our creation also works on weed. A lot of stereo effects and surprising moments. Maybe our music works even better on acid. Who knows...
What was the feedback on this stuff? Any of metal orthodoxes died? Hahaha
We have got mostly only positive feedback, there are some close-minded metalheads, who don't want to understand our music, but it's their own problem - that's impossible to create the music that fits to everyone's taste.
Many of metal bands use keyboards, samples, all that electro-stuff nowadays. And some of them are shitty and some not. The kovenant on one side and Nile on other side, for example. In which group will you place Forgotten sunrise?
Do you wanna call our music to shitty ? I don't like norwegian Kovenant (but swedish Covenant is very good!) and I like Nile a lot. I can't put us to any groups, 'coz our music is so different. Our deathbeat style is more similar to some industrial and synthpop acts, I think. We are not so metal.
Why your original songs are put in musically changeable order? First goes brisk track, then slow and misty one, and all over again. Isn't it boorish a little bit?
You're right, it's a little bit boorish, but it wouldn't work also then, if there will be some downtempo tracks first and some aggressive tracks later or vice versa. I think we can put the tracks to our first album by better order. You'll hear it…
On last two releases you added remixes of your tracks. Where the idea about them comes from? Did you try to play it in music clubs? Who recorded them?
The idea was mine if I remember right. Yes, I have played these remixes in clubs, everything was fine. Our new single "Ple:se Disco-Nnect Me" will contain 6-8 remixes and there will be some real killer remixes. Also some foreign remixers will do some tracks.The remixes from our older cd's were done by the brother of the sound-engineer. He's working on light-systems and he is a big drum'n bass fan. This new single will contain also one remix by him.
Words "...snowman is dying/please forgive him" or generally your lirycs are little strange and connected with evil, in a way... ?
Eheheheheeeeee, is this fragment that you bring out an evil one ?? There are no evil messages in my lyrics. All of my lyrics are written in some depressive moments and they are full of life-hating, death, and an absurd stuff. I like a lot of abstract lyrics and hidden messages. All of my lyrics are written in estonian and they are just a poems. One friend of mine translates the lyrics into english later. I know that there would be some differences in the lyrics with translating them, but my english isn't so good yet that I can write everything I want in it.
Listening to your music and reading the lirycs I managed that you MUST use soft drugs. There's nothing wrong with that. But aren't you affraid that people call you drug addicted and your music will be seen as invention of mad drug user? They say that marihuana is a great musical influence?
Yes, we (Tiiu and I) smoke a weed and taste some acid/mushrooms in some time, but not often. I remember that my fantasies and a way of thinking were also weird in childhood and a much before the drugs testing. I don't mind what the people think of us. I'm not a junkie and I know what I'm doing. Everybody can do what he/she wants if there are no minor results on other persons.
Before using computer in music Forgotten Sunrise played doom/death metal. How do you mention those years when you wanted to be first metal band in Estonia? Are your first releases available somehow?
This was a great time back in early ninety's. We didn't want to be the first metal band in Estonia, 'coz there were a lot of metal bands in 
that time, but we wanted to be the first DEATH metal band ! But also some other bands were born before us. Bands as Aggressor, Rattler, Nekropol etc. We were the first dm band that tried to experiment our music with violins, flutes, keyboards, jew's harp and female vocals. And we are the only band that is still standing from this time. Yeah, we re-released our first demo "Behind The Abysmal Sky" on 3" cd just some times ago and this one is still available through us.
Forgive me that I am such ignorant but I know nothing about Estonian metal scene. Are there any bands record labels woth checking out?
There are some great labels in Estonia such as Kohvi records, Ulmeplaadid, Beg The Bug.....but the only metal label is/was Guano records. I don't really know that they are still working or not. There are lot of black metal crap over here, but also some interesting bands as Echosilence, Irdhing, Whispering Forest, Pedigree, Loits and of course our own side-project Killemboth - eh.
As far as I know Forgotten sunrise is the band without record deal. Is someone interested in relasing your stuff? How do you promote the band?
We'll sign on to our contract for two albums in december in this year. The label is small, but promising, an italian label. Before that we'll release our single "Ple:se Disco-Nnect Me" by ourselves.
How do I promote, hmm......just sending to some radio-stations and 'zines and labels. Everybody promote like this, I think. We don't promote us by any special way.
I downloaded Depeche mode cover from your site. What for did you recorded it? Are you satisfied with it? I think you added too much your style in this track...
Really ! This is great cover I think. Guitar sound is boring, but the song itself is like one from FS songs and I like it. We didn't want to sound too similar to Depeche Mode and we tried to put a lot of our feelings in this cover. If the guy who was making this compilation was asking us, that which track we want to do, we said like a one man that "In your room". That was amazing. We all wanted to do this song and we hadn't talk about that before. We recorded this song for an estonian tribute to Depeche Mode "No Hidden Catch". One of the best DM tributes ever made. Trust me! Lot of different styles on it and very good production (check it out www.depechemode.ee).
Anders, you play in other bands. You mentioned me that one of those band will play black or death metal, anyway ...brutal music. Isn't it strange that you changed Forgotten's sunrise music and now you play in old style again, in other band?
Yesssss, me and our guitar-player Renno are doing also death/grind band Killemboth (listen.to/killemboth). We have released one demo-cd and one live-cd for joke. This band is full of sick humor and digusting feelings. We didn't play such a music with FS before, these are completely different styles. Killemboth is like a show and fun band, but music is serious and straight. Some influences of Autopsy, Carcass, Terrorizer etc. can be heard.
Now your music is weird... how do you see yourselves developing into the future? What your music will be like?
Our music will be pure FS stuff for sure (as always ;-). Our new songs are a little bit faster and melodic. I think we'll be also Deathbeat in the future. Time will show…
Almost at the end I ask you what is life in Estonia like? I know it's not far away from Poland but... Is it easy to live in Estonia?
Not at all, the life in Estonia really sucks !! I don't like the country where I am living. But is it easy to live in Poland? Too much russians and stupid people here. This life in here is like in a village, Estonia is too small to live in here normally. Nobody wants to hear you if you aren't the similar to others, if you haven't the same thoughts and the same way to live. I really want to live in London and I hope that one day I'll move to live there. I love progressing and open-minded people that lives around you.
And for the end please tell us some good Estonian joke! Thanx for answer, sorry for delay in sending questions. All the best with the band. Don't smoke too much!
Ok, I can tell you a joke, but it's also like an exercise for you, 'coz I write it in estonian :
Kaks uusrikast saavad kokku ning üks ütleb teisele : "Kuule, ma ostsin eile uue mersu.", teine küsib : "Millise ?". Esimene vastab : "Ei...... kahe millise".
Thanx a lot for this great interview and sorry that my answering took so much time !! All the best !!!
www.forgottensunrise.com/
www.metal.ee/forgottensunrise/
Andrzej Papież
