CMX

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Interview : CMX - Janne Halmkrona

When and how was your band created?
In Tornio, Northern Finland, on Good Friday 1985. Three teenagers totally fed up with playing pop and rock music decided to form a hard-core band. A very odd hard-core band with a combination of Discharge, Black Sabbath, Rush, Lappish joik and jazz is born. And we must not forget another influence: Terveet Kädet, a very remarkable punk band from Tornio.

Where the name of your band is coming from?
Cloaca MaXima.

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
Loads. From Sex Pistols to Judas Priest to Yes and Genesis.

What are the positive and negative aspects of being a musician / singer (in Finland)?
Positive: You don't have to get a proper job.
Negative: You probably have to get a proper job anyhow.

How could you qualify your style of music?
Qualify? I am not sure I understand the question but simply: I wouldn't.

Have you ever considered the possibility to change totally your style of music? If so, what style of music would you choose?
Well, our 'style' has probably changed considerably from the beginning but to us it's always been more natural growth than anything premeditated.

What are stories/topics you tell/treat in your songs?
You'd have to ask our lyricist Yrjänä, I don't want to bring my own interpretations to the fore. Or to quote Yrjänä's old line: 'Our songs tell about the relationships between a child and a parent, a man and a woman, an individual and a society, mankind and universe'. Or something like that.

What is your favorite song in your repertoire and why?
Currently (it changes every so often) probably the title track from our new album 'Isohaara'. We're on tour in Finland right now and it's a great song to play live. It's very satisfying to hear the audience to take the role of the children's choir that we have on the album.

Do you tour regularly? Do you actually prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
This is our first tour in four years. When I am in the studio, I miss playing live. Not that we're on tour, I sometimes miss the comfort of the studio sofa.

During the process of making an album, what is the moment that you prefer?
The last two albums we've basically written and rehearsed in the studio and the best part is the beginning when the songs really start to take shape. The writing, arranging and multitracking layers of sound on to tape, or hard disk on this case. I normally won't interfere with the mixing. Normally!

What kind of music / What artists do you currently listen?
Last week: the new Coldplay album, Nick Drake's first, System of a Down, Led Zeppelin, Marillion and some Finnish music (Kotiteollisuus, Ismo Alanko).

Right now: Queens of the Stone age: Songs for the deaf

What are your actual and future projects?
I've been messing with some Black Sabbath songs with a few friends. We'll see what happens with that. But other than that, trying to enjoy the current tour with CMX. It's been great so far. Sold out venues, great audiences and too much alcohol.

A stupid question but... what is among all the songs you've been listening in your life the BEST song? Why?
Huh! One cannot really answer a question like that. One song is the best because it's the most moving, the other because it kicks some serious ass and so on... And emotions fluctuate.

Internet is something interesting for musicians because it gives them the opportunity to touch a larger audience but it is also a threat for them (regarding the copyrights). What is your opinion regarding this medium?
I love the Internet. I use email almost every day and it's given our band an excellent way to communicate with our fans - even though our fans sometimes don't like it so much!

But when it comes to distribution of music, there's the problem. As long as there's no convenient means to distribute music legally, online piracy will prevail. And once people get used to getting stuff free (by STEALING!), it's very difficult to get them to pay for things. But I hope that there will be some kind of solution before all bands (especially in Finland, a small music industry nation is the most vulnerable) have to stop and get a proper job. A tough issue, but it's up to the music listener to make the decision. NO ONE distributes his/her mp3-files by mistake!

But one thing I am very suspicious about: the copy protection on cd's.
There's always going to be ways to crack protection and there's always a cracker who prides in cracking the code.

I am hopeful though. There'll be a change for the better. For everyone, not just for the artist but for the fan as well.

Do you use computers or home studios during the process of making an album or a song?
Yes. In the studio when recording and mixing the song/album. At home, not that much.
Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2002