VALO'S INTERVIEW

VALO'S INTERVIEW

PnR: How do you feel now that you're commercially successful?

Ville: I can say  that I waited for this to happen since I formed the band and I was making Black

Sabbath's covers.I am with Mige for ten years in HIM but we know each other since 80's:we were going from band to band and at least for me nothing has changed.The things are just organized now.We're not playing for a long time with the other members of HIM and I feel more connected with Mige. We have changed a lot of bands together!So the base of HIM is our friendship that exists from the years that we were together at school.Since then,we prefered to play music than than playing cards!

Mige: In this country,you can't live by playing music.We'd have to sing in finnish,to happen something like that.Our dream-being popular in other countries too-came true when we took the risk of singing in english.I am excited that we are excepted by people from the whole Europe.As regards the sells,it's all about music industry.The game that is played by the music industry is awful but that's maybe the only way to be popular outside your country.Until now,we were popular only in Germany and it happens that Garmany is a country from where we have more hearings.I think that the reason is that our culture is similar with the culture of the german-speak countries and that we accept some irritations.

PnR: Ville,you said something about Black Sabbath.It impressed me...

Ville: The truth is that I didn't manage to play Black Sabbath for a long time because I left quickly that band.I can only say for myself that I started playing,as a bassist,covers on Kiss songs.After that,I tried to create a band with permanent members.So,we had to try a lot of people to be sure that it was going to work out.I just hated all this procedure.Then,we started the rehearsals twice a week and I tried my luck in singing.

PnR: There are some bands that are successful out of their countries and other bands that are very good but popular only inside their countries.What do you think about it?

Ville: It's just luck.Maybe you know that there are very good bands in the whole world and we have never heard about them.It does not matter if your music is weird because with a little of luck you can be commercially successful.There are guys that are doing their best to promote their group,but they can't get away from the "undrground " encirclement.For me,luck plays a really big role.

PnR: What has affected you the most about your music?

Mige: We can't give a specifical answer in that question,as we are inerested in many different artists.
Ville: If you think well about it,everything can affect you like the music that we hear right now(he's talking about an awful pop finnish song).I like songs from Madonna,Cradle of Filth,Manowar,Elvis Presley.I love songs and not their creators,I'm just sufficed by a nice melody.Only a chorus could make me feel good.In my opinion,this is the most healthy attitude.

PnR: Two of the songs from your first album are in the second too.Why did this happen?

Ville: There is an explanation.These two songs("Your sweet 666" and "Wicked Game")are only in the european version of "Razorblade Romance" for the reason that "Greatest Lovesongs Vol.666" hasn't been released there.So,we chose these two songs because they were the best and they can also give a general picture from our first album.

PnR: What made you cover "Wicked Game"?

Ville: I saw "Wild at heart" from David Liewis and this song was the main subject of that movie.Then I bought the soundtrack,a movement that happened at the same time that HIM formed,and as we had already three songs ready,we found a fourth one that we could play.

PnR: How do you face cinema?

Ville: Like all people do.I enjoy going to the cinema.Fortunately,in Finland smoking is allowed in the cinema-rooms,otherwise I couldn't stand two hours without a

cigarette...Now that I think about it,I'm visiting very often the toilet,so there is an other thing that prevents you to enjoy a film!
Mige: I'm only gonna say that I like films that can entertain me.

PnR: "Join me in death" w 17217r1722r as in the soundtrack of the futurist movie "The 13th floor".If somebody asked you to recover the whole soundtrack of a film,would you except the proposition?

Ville: Definately not,if it was a comedy.As regards a drama,like "The english patient",yes.I would surely write the music for a Tim Barton's film because we admire him.

PnR: Which film from the past you'd like to write the music for?

Ville: There are a lot of finnish movies that I liked,but we'd do something like that only if we had to be occupied with the whole score and not give only one song like we did with "The 13th

Floor".Hhmm,I think that it is going to happen in a couple of years(laughs).

PnR: If you went tomorrow in the studio to make your third album,how would it be like?

Ville: We have already written some demos!Probably,the music would be more rock n' roll,noisy,more rythmical.But be patient,as we have to wait for the new recordings to see how it's going to be like.Basically,I imagine it more melodical,more 70's,something like Led Zeppelin.With our first album we were in 90's,with the second in 80's and with the third in 70's:we have to follow our tradition that wants us to invert the decades.This is a way for the revival of the music that wa sheard then.

PnR: Does that mean that we're going to hear hits from the 60's in your fourth album?

Ville: I'm not worried about it...I'm thinking what is going to happen in the tenth one,in which probably we're gonna play with

afrikan crust!Seriously now,we'd like our next album to be more rythmical,I confort it like a kind of development for us.Something that is being indispensable when your sound is based on the guitars.

PnR: What about the technological evolutiom?

Ville: I like electronical music,and consider Depeche Mode pioneers and great musicians.But,when you play rock you don't have a lot of choices,basically because of the live concerts.You're obligated to play with contractual organs.If the music is written with synth,the drummer has to hear from the receivers the sequencer to follow the song.When ypu play rock,you're not able to play the same you did the previous night.It's easily understood that in two hundred gigs you'll play in two hundred different ways and it doesn't matter if the songs are the same in every gig.If you play every night in the same way,then the situation is going to be really boring.

PnR: But there are also the remixes...

Ville: I like them but we haven't done anything yet.John Fryer,our producer,would be the appropriate person for this job.He impressed me with the remixes he has done for White Zombie.He's very productive and he has the ability of transforming songs with the remixes.I think that it's a difficult job.You can't overtake some wonderful remixes,but on the other hand there are a lot of people who are occupied with this sport so a crush is created...For me,the remix has to be perfect and that demands hard work.I return to Fryer and Rob Zombie and I'm saying that I respect them both in this specifical subject.

PnR: Do you have any information about music in the other countries except U.S.A. and England?

Ville: Of course we know what's happening in Europe,especially in central Europe.The country that we know the most about is Germany;I like very much german's music,for example their goth music.I know a lot of things about the artists of german scene. And of course,like we said,there are a lot of interesting groups in the whole world.

PnR: Wanting it or not,you're named as a goth group.Do you like that?

Ville: We can't do anything about it.But I think that we are a special shade of goth,we are more tender than the others of that kind of music.This obsession in gothic has to do also with the other personal tastes of me,I like being dressed in black clothes,but also with the finnish musical tradition.Our traditional music is very melancholic.

PnR: The subject of your lyrics is mostly about love,lost lovers etc.Are these the only things that observes you?

Mige: Love is an important social relationship and if you you look at the people around you,you're going to hear everybody talking about love.From the Arctic Circle to South Africa,everybody is chasing a relationship,everybody is talking abou t love-so unavoidably it possesses a great part of music philosophy,because everyone has experiences with love.Then,the personal relationships are becoming social and we pass in bigger social groups.When we started,ten years before,we alredy knew

the subject on which we were going to work.The lyrics of "Join me in death" were symbolical,but they were the cause of being misunderstood as a band,as many people thought that we were suggesting the suicide.But we symbolised the end of a relationship with the word "death",we did not mean the physical death.When you start writing songs,you have the intention to talk about different situations that have marked your life and of course you emphasize the melodies.

Ville: What we want to give as HIM is entertainment,because maybe someone who listens to us doesn't care about my opinion about some things that happening.You give whatever you write to people from different countries and singing about your own experiences gives them the opportunity to compare them with theirs or even turn them to theirs.Actually,we don't want to say something with our lyrics,we're not affected by the political situation in Finland and this happens because nothing has changed after the Second World War.In Finland prevails almost the socialism(???!!!),there aren't rich or poor people!

PnR: And what would you elect in a plebiscite about the position

of your country in E.U.?

Mige: I would elect for the stay of our country in E.U.,but I have to admit that I can't see our direct advantages.I just know that now we can travel to other countries only with your passport,but there are a lot of people in Finland that are against E.U.,especially the farmers...

PnR: Will you play Billy Idol's "Rebel yell" at your gigs in Athens,as you use to do?And why have you chosen this song?

Mige: Hhmm,maybe because it's a strong songand a little bit easy,I like it very much.From the discography of Billy Idol I would choose to buy the best of,I like some of his songs but as regards the rest of them,it would be better not to talk about it...Now that I think about it,this song belongs to the best music season for me:the second half of 80's.So punk music hasn't even touched me,I don't even have "Never Mind The Bollocks"!

Ville and Mige were guests in "Select MTV".. the VJs (Trey & Eden) made a test to the guys to see if they are really that dark people...so they showed up a papers with words and the guys had to choose what they prefer.. so take a look!

1. The Adam's Family/one other..I couldn't hear it well..:( : The Adams, because of cousin Fester
2. The X-files/Friends: The X-files
3. Day/Night: Night
4. Christmas/Halloween: Halloween
5. Wedding/Funeral: Wedding
6. The Amazon River/The Styx River: Ville choosed The Styx river because he said we will see it soon...and Mige liked the way it sounds.
7. Red nail-polish/Black nail-polish: Both..
8. Abba/The Cure: Abba
9. Pokemon/South Park: South Park
10. Heaven/Hell: The guys choosed heaven because they both wanted to go there..
11. Ciggarrettes/Alcohol: Both

Ville interviewed by Veronica

They are quickly becoming Finland's claim to fame in the international music industry: His Infernal Majesty, or as they are known all over Europe, HIM. The CD Razorblade Romance is in any case a breath of fresh air in the mainstream album charts. And much of that is owed to leading man Ville Valo, singer, composer and sex symbol in the making...

Veronica: His Infernal Majesty... whoever came up with that name?
Ville: "The name His Infernal Majesty was intended as a joke. But people thought, because of our name and the fact that we're from Scandinavia, that we were Satan worshippers! And that of course totally attracted the wrong crowd, so we decided to use the name HIM."

Talking about Satan and other creepy business... according to some rumours you are a descendant of Count Dracula. True or false?
"I wish I knew! My grandmother, who was of Hungarian/Romanian origins, did claim that we are descendants of Dracula. But she is dead now, and I can't ask her about that anymore. I am doing some research on it, because it would be very cool to be

relative of a vampire. But I myself am absolutely not into blood, you know. I'd rather have a good glass of red wine!"

Next rumour. Is it true that you worked in a sexshop?
"That is not a rumour, that's true! Well, it was just the moonlight. My dad has had a sexs hop for years now, and so it was just obvious that I would help out behind the counter. I started doing that when I was fifteen, so I did get some strange looks from the customers. But after a while, you just don't care about those dildos and butt plugs anymore! Besides, a baker doesn't nibble from his own bread all day either, does he? It was a period in which I didn't know what I was going to do anyway. Take up a study or find a real job? The longer I worked in that sex shop, the more it became clear to me that I needed to do something creative. I was always writing poems so the shift to song writing wasn't that big."

Love is an important subject in your music. Isn't it difficult to have a relationship when you're in a band?
"Unfortunately I don't have time for a girlfriend. And I'm also not into onenight stands. Well okay, every now and then. The boys in

the band are my platonic lovers. Sometimes I buy clothes for the rest of the band. Things you would normally do for your girlfriend. But in this case it is also to prevent my colleagues from becoming smelly, because those guys will easily walk around in the same unwashed trousers for two months. Dirty! But then again, I'll think to myself, that is rock 'n' roll. I would like to have a muse to whom I could dedicate my work, but unfortunately, that's just not the case for now. Anyway, the constant lack of sex offers enough inspiration to write beautiful songs!

Ville in a chatroom

AngelEyes) What does it feel to do that new CD is it better than the last one?
(Ville) It has more hurricanes in it.

(HiMgirl) Do you consider yourself as a Goth band?
(Ville) Migé is too fat to be a Goth.

(ansku) Did you wait for this success?
(Ville) We wished

(Heli) From where is the song "Join Me" made??
(Ville) From the night life of Helsinki.

(Erika) What do you think is the best song from the new album?
(Ville) Gone with the Sin.

(Brainless) Are you smoking at the moment?
(Ville) You can't smoke in here.

(Tyde) Why did you get popular at Germany? Wouldn't Sweden

be closer?
(Ville) The Bomfunk's were there already.

(Elisa) Was Wales a good place to do that kind of movie?
(Ville) It was unbelievable - marvellous!

(erica) I have wondered this for a long time: where does the name Him come from?
(Ville) Helsinki ice-hockey maniacs, cause our drummer Mika Karppinen is from Eskilstuna (liar..lol)

(Cyborg) HEY a good question... Do you find it good to be there NOW - do you get a lot of money all the time?-)
(Ville) Not a coin, everything goes to our manager, to Faust.

(Iines) All time favourite album?
(Ville) Black Sabbath-Black Sabbath.

(janzu) How do you react when you're thought as a woman

(Ville) I haven't heard such thing before.

(Pete) With what vehicle you travel when you're doing gigs? (bus/limousine/miniplane...?)
(Ville) With a tripod.

(duud) Is your tour life like that cliché, spirits, women and money?
(Ville) None of them.

(Kata) This might be a stupid question, but what is tripod?
(Ville) Three-leg robot with what you can move from place to place. : )

(Bulldog) How goes a rock stars day?
(Ville) Improvising.

(Tiitu) The best red wine

Ville) Michel Fagot.

(kukka) if you could change the past, what would you?
(Ville) I would take away all the wars?

(Kim) What is your attitude to drugs
(Ville) Negative.

(Brainless) What do you think of adolescents using alcohol?
(Ville) It is an alarm
(Ville) The change has to come!!!!

(creep) Ville: what do you hate?
(Ville) Nazis.

(ansku) Do you think that you're a example to young people?
(Ville) I hope not

(HiMgirl) Ville, why did you cut your hair???

Ville) It was a psychosis.

(Jukka) Are you as though guy as P. Stanley?
(Ville) Tougher.

(Brainless) Lay your maxims to the young people....
(Ville) Don't kill.

(tiina) perforations?
(Ville) Don't have the nerves to take them

(Crystal) Hey answer me.... How would you like people to adopt an attitude to you?
(Ville) In a good way

(Sonya) Ville, seen you on MTV playing jenga, looked pretty funny! You don't play games like that quite often huh?
(Ville) That was my first time

(leena) Do you believe in God?
(Ville) Yes, for the sake of orphan kids.

(Tiia) Terrible hunger - what place would you recommend (Helsinki)?
(Ville) Kabuki or Stadi's kebab ('stadi'=Helsinki)

(Sandi) what kind of women you like?
(Ville) Women like Tarja from Nightwish

(Snowfall) What kind of men you like?
(Ville) Men like Migé
(Ville) Live long and gospel, wishes the guys from HIM

The favourites of Valo

Lovemetal's supreme god talks about his favourite things.

Record
"There are many magnificent records, but I must mention Kiss's Animalize. I got the sparkle to get to music business, when I was little and I saw Kiss's gorgeous big budget music videos, with hairy chests, expensive cars and beautiful women."

Book
"I don't read much, I don't have interest in books like I have in music. You can listen a record again and again, you read the book once and that's it. I don't like fiction, the mostly I like true stories, like Rauli Badding Somerjoki's (he is [was??] a Finnish musician) life story."

Seasons
"I don't like winter. Then I try to work as much as possible cause you can't do anything else. And in summer it is far too hot. Autumn and spring are my favourite seasons

City
"Oulu. Good atmosphere and mentality, pleasant people and nice cafes."

Admired person
"There's lots of them, I can't choose just one. I'm going to answer to this very Finnishly: (I don't think that Finnishly is really a word but I think that you will get the point!) Tapio Rautavaara (I think that he is/was a finnish song writer, maybe a singer too??). He is an all time idol, a man who reached much and screwed up a lot, but never loosed his face ('loose face' is a phrase in Finland, is it in England also?)."

Ville interviewed

Is there anybody who knows about the dark side of love while being able sing about it beautifully at the same time? There certainly is! Like no other vocalist before him, HIM front man Ville Valo articulates escaping illusions as well as a strange belief in the inconceivability that is called love. Since the beginning of their career the band from Finland have been raking in just about every award that a newcomer band may qualify for. In the annual polls held by the two biggest Finish music magazines they were voted "Newcomers Of the Year" and received the Emma award (equivalent to the Grammy) in the same category in January. They collected a similar award in the "Best Debut Album" category for their "Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666".At home in Finland Ville & Co. are already considered the new superstars of rock. With two top ten singles ("Your Sweet Six Six Six" & "When Love And Death Embrace") and their debut album, which immediately went gold in Scandinavia, HIM already belong among the most successful Scandinavian rock newcomers ever. Their mixture of gothic-oriented rock and amazingly beautiful melodies is bound to cause a sensation on our shores, too. HIM's live qualities don't fail to impress the Scandinavian music press: some claim that seeing Ville Valo perform live is like watching the reincarnation of Jim Morrison, others compare him with the young David Bowie during his "Ziggy Stardust" era due to his androgynous quality,

Thanks to his incredible aura he is unanimously considered the new male sex symbol. Ville's public appearances are determined by the infamous boygroup syndrome: where ever he turns up, packs of screaming girls materialize.

The success curve of the infernal melancholics HIM is still rapidly rising. It has just reached "The 13th floor". Scandinavia has the honour of delivering the swan song for Roland Emmerich's (Independence Day, Godzilla etc.) dark vision of the future which is entitled like that. For the USA, it is the Swedish Pop wonder The Cardigans ("Erase/Rewind"), in Europe, you can hear HIM's "Join Me" towards the end of the profound cyber thriller. This soundtrack single for "The 13th floor" will see the light of day on November 2nd, a good three weeks prior to the official film start. The title track "Join Me" is a beautiful Gothic Rock ballad for being among one's friends by the light of a candle on a grave, and, for the time being, the single will be released as a precious limited Digi-Pak together with three bonus tracks which are: the sad Rock song "It's All Tears" in a velvety-swinging unplugged version including a humming double-bass and a whirring organ and Ville Valo who shows the full spectrum of the contrasts of his voice. The one who won't go all goose-pimply to that, may then rock to the powerful, very playful live version of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell". And the very true devotees will get a special gem with "Dark Secret Love", previously only included in a very limited (1.000 copies) 4-song-EP from 1996 which had been released only in Finland. This bulky heavy chunk always swings dangerously between elegy and agony, but is nevertheless a love song (as you can tell by its title) sung by Ville as a duet with Sanna-June Hyde who had already proved the qualities of her voice on the latest album during the track "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". The one who only snatches hold of the regular MCD in a "normal" case has, alas, to do without this gloomy ray of light, but, having three gorgeous songs as a foretaste, he may look forward to the forthcoming album which is probably due out in February 2000, mixed and produced by John Fryer (Depeche Mode, Fields Of The Nephilim, White Zombie, Nine Inch Nails amongst others) who has also mixed and produced the single. Then they are going to proceed to the 14th floor and further upward to the sky until they have reached the 666th floor

... AND SOME ANSWERS FROM THE BAND

What's the most important thing in life?
Ville: Sleep.

What's the most important thing in life right now?
Kaasu: That we could play music 100%. The thing is that you don't want to rush to rehearsals after an 8-hour day. We've been doing this for 10 years, I hope we can continue at least the next ten, too.

What you do when not with the band?
Linde: I like watching movies.
Ville: Hang out with the guys.

How you picked your instruments?
Linde: Guitar's so easy!
Mige: It's easy 'cos your don't need to concentrate.
Burton: Kind of drifted into it...

Who would you play with if you had the chance?
Mige and Linde: Iggy Pop. We'd be great with Iggy Pop.
Ville: John Lee Hooker.
Burton: Stockhausen.

What's a perfect world like?
Mige: It's like a trampoline. All things just go bouncing. And if that's not a perfect world, it's at least damn near one!

How often do you rehearse?
Mige and Linde: About once a year, four hours at a time.
Ville: Haven't had a vacation since 1991.

Tattoos?
Mige: Can't show you mine.
Linde: I only have a small one, doesn't show in the

pictures.

How do you feel about body piercing?
Mige: It's fine. All types of violence fascinate me.

Are you always dressed in black?
Linde: God, yes.
Mige: All the things we do relate to black. We actually are black.

The most embarrassing thing you've ever done?
Linde: Probably haven't done it yet.
Mige: Can't think of one - maybe I haven't done any.

How do you feel about Napster?
Ville: It's a two way street. Its great that new bands get their music heard but at the same time if our record is out there, it's ripping us off

Your heroes?
Linde: Iggy Pop.
Mige: Jackass! I think that all of us think so!

Why those aliases?
Kaasu: It's a humor thing. Old joke.
Mige: I hope I never hear those names again.
Burton: It's an old thing.

What kind of music do you listen?
Kaasu: Slayer, older Metallica, Rammstein. Some melodic heavy metal... I guess I am the heavy metal guy in this band - but I also listen to Garth Brooks. Pretty large scale.

Who's Suho Superstar?
- He's a real person. Truly

What does HIM stand for?
- Ville's comments on this issue (from Soundi 6-7/2001):

Well, sometimes I wish that we'd picked other name for the band than HIM. The name constantly pisses me off. It's utterly terrible! HIM! The upside is that it doesn't actually mean anything, there are just three letters which are pronounced similarily in basically every language. It's practical.

In almost every interview someone asks what does HIM stand for. I can't even remember our latest lie about that. When Hanson was hot, we said it means Hanson Is Murder. The name doesn't have a particular history. His Infernal Majesty was a totally different band. I think HIM derives from some death metal joke. And it was our protest to Haile Selassie's rastafarian religion, he used to be called His Imperial

Majesty. But nowadays because of Linde's hair, we actually might be supporting him

Interview mit Ville Valo vom 28.01.02 in Helsinki / Finnland

(ACHTUNG: Finnisch-Ironischer Humor included!!!)

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?

V: What do I like to do in my spare time...mmh I like to sleep, unfortunately it's impossible because of all this promotion...this is torture...basically to bath and read good books and you know, ... high culture is my hobby....

Q: Is an acoustic guitar part of your luggage when you travel?

V: Well, nowadays it is...or usually I just purchased for the German tour I just bought myself a really cool Gibson guitar, which is like the same sort of a model that Elvis Presley used to play. Yeah, I do! I have this sort of Johnny Cash fixation, so I do tend to carry around with me...and a laptop for internet porn.

Q: Between the five with you in your band. Will you all choose different holiday locations?

V: Basically, I had my last holiday in `91...we had like two weeks off basically in Rome on tour, but yeah we do ...Gas is going to watch some hockeymatches in the United States of America, Linde and Migé just went to Nepal (Kathmandu) and I don't know where Burton goes. He is a mystery man, so don't have a clue.

Q: Are you gonna have a holiday soon?

V: No! I have a mission to accomplish. To record a new album. So, I don't have any time to have any holidays. Unfortunately...this is my holiday.

Q: You are nominated for the German Echo-Award in 2002. What do you think about getting an award in general?

V: Well, if you get an award which is presented to you by Iggy Pop then it is really cool. But otherwise I don't really care...but it is nice when the viewers sort of like ...they give their calls and it's a viewer's choice thing. That's cool. But when there is like a some celebraties like just picking one band or artist out of a million that's pretty sick to my opinion.

Q: What about the German Echo-Award, which one is it?

V: which one is it...I don't have the clue about the Echos. It might be that we got one...but I have really really bad memory nowadays. I smoked to much hash when I was younger. You shouldn't be doing that. It's very, very bad for the shortterm memory. But

ECHO, well that's the sort of like very critically acclaimed thing. Well, that's cool- you know- we get free flights to Germany, free booze and get hang around with a bunch of models and the record company is offering us cocaine- that's cool...

Q: Where do you plan to be in five years time?

V: Five years then I'm gonna be 30...so if I am to maintain a status being a legend I have to die when I'm 27 so let's see what happens, but....30, ähm...hopefully fishing in Marocco. A couple of my friends are doing that. It supposed to be really good.

Q: What motivates you?

V: Well, my motivation... it's just music. It's an obsession anyway  just gotta do it...so...it's a drug. It's a badthing- you know- basically I'm hooked.

Q: The Music motivates you?

V: Yeah, basically yeah. A lot of things motivates me: Cars, Mc Donald's, ähm...what else...arts in general.

Mc Donald's is art. Mc Donald's is also murder. Meat is murder. Remember that.

10) Q: Is the break the only opportunity to keep HIM alive?

V: Well, to keep us alive...we would...you'll never know how long a band is going to be together. You know we are five different personalities. Gas is like the overbloated fat fellow who's trying to lose some weight now which is cool. But everybody is so different in the band so it's hard - you know- hard to keep the whole thing going on. Yeah, we write new songs and we are feeling very, very good about the next album which we gonna hopefully record in next autumn and release early next year.You know, shortterm plans. It's better that way, you know.

11) Q: Are there any songideas for the next album already and if so in what direction are you heading  with HIM?

V: It is hard to say before you go into the studio...and there is a producer and - you know- different sort of equipment which we are using. It's always pretty weird, because you just turn one knob and it's going to be totally different. So you never know in advance, but hopefully it's going to be a bit rougher. That's what we are going to do with the album anyway. Basically I consider the first three albums to be sort of like a trilogy and now we have to start from the beginning again. You know, to start to like a sort of like create something new totally and not just to continue the boring chapters which are already written. So, hopefully it's going to be a bit more Stooges and you know...Or basically we check out the Billboard-Charts and you know what...whoever is top of the charts we usually try to rip off from them or copy them. It is much possible. So, hopefully it's not gonna be a Ricky Martin this year...

12.) Q: What qualities should be on the next HIM album if you compare it with the "Deep Shadows & Brilliant Highlights"?

V: What qualities? What qualities...well,...

13.)Q: Will it remind? Will it be a continuous process developed from the...?

V: No. That's basically what I just told you- you know- ...in a sense that I consider that... We are doing albums... You know,  basically "Deep Shadows & Brilliant Highlights" is a good album, but we can't continue in that sense, because in that way because it is pretty mainstream. We...of course we want to be part of mainstream . We want to have loads of money and loads of Echo-Awards , but we are no hookers, so -you know- just trying to do what feels best in the moment.

14.) Q: Did the album-tour-album-tour cycle harm your creativity personally?

V: Now, album, tour, album, tour...-cycle.Yeah, it does because we don't have any time, you know. That's basically what happened with "Deep Shadows & Brilliant Highlights" and that's one of the reasons I'm not 100 % satisfied with that. But it's a cool album anyway...but it's a different thing. Personally... artistically I like our first album the best, because we had loads of time to develop the music there, because that was the first thing we worked together for about five years before. So, you can...you know cycle things around in your mind and try to, you know, be better every day. This is the reason for the break that we wanna  really like to concentrate on the music. This is our fourth album and it's an important one.

15.) Q: How long is this break for?

V: I' m not sure actually. Our plan basically at the moment with this break is that...Migé and Linde they went to Nepal to have their holidays- you know- . Everybody is taking it easy, because everybody in the band was really frustrated after the tour, because we like continuously worked for about three years. Not having like a couple of days off every now and then, but really doing that tour-album-tour-album thing, so after "Razorblade Romance" so...what was the question...?

15.) Q: Did the stress in the past harm the band atmosphere?

V: The stress in them...well, we're never stressed out as a band, you know ...completely. There's people in the band who are continuosely feeling good. For example Gas. He is a happy personality. He is the one to keep us alive, you know, in many ways, because he's rather big . So if we would be stressed out because of starvation he would be a good sort of like a prey for us. He is a multitalented person in that sense...

Q: What changes have you made in your personal life that you are the most proud of?

V: mmmhhh....ähmmm...Well, I haven't changed so much in the past couple of years. I don't know I haven't made any conscious- you know- changes . Well, maybe I'm trying to take it a bit more relaxed- you know- nowadays. Not working my ass of - you know- meeting my friends and playing pool and playing chess... I don't have to be write music all the time or stresssing me about that. So, that's basically one of the changes....probably.

Q: What have you learned from the last HIM record?

V: That you should...the big lesson we learned making "Deep Shadows & Brilliant Highlights" was that we learned that we are not supposed to be hookers for the industry. And we are not supposed to be having a sort of family mentality with the record company people. There is a couple of personalities which we worked closely with ...who have been there from ...äh since the beginning ...then there was loads of like...too many cooks. Telling their own opinions. Opinions are like assholes. Everybody's got one except Noman (?!??!). That's why they are so big .

18.)Q: What would be the result if you decide the songwriting process for the next album right now?

V: If I had...??? I'm constantly - you know- constantly at the moment I'm working on new stuff, so ...there's a couple of songs I wrote last year, but most of it... I'm working on most of it now. I don't know- you know- it's gotta be a bit different. Lyrically & musically, but it's still gonna be the same. Those same three chords - you know- trying to rip off "Wicked Game" over and over again. You know, that's our mission.

19.) Q: How long is Ville Valo able to relax from songwriting?

V: I just lost a girlfriend and I bought myself a guitar which is

like the substitute for the particular person. I basically sleep with the guitar ....and there is couple of holes in there...as well, so...whatever...so, basically it's impossible to take a break there. No, every... like a couple of hours everyday. So, basically- you know- I wake up start playing guitar, search for some funny sexsites from the internet and then I go and play some pool and drink a couple of beers and then I start all over again. That's what I do.

20.) Q: So is it that like for example breaking up with the girlfriend will that affect your music - the way you write songs?

V: Oh, it's hard to say. Everyday life affects the whole thing, you know. In everybodies' lifes, whatever they're doing of course it affects the mood and stuff like that. Now it's getting pretty dark here in Finland. Well, it's been dark for a while so probably it's going to be a very doomish and very gloomy and very gothic...the record which I'm going to do. I don't know, you know...let's see. But Migé and Linde they still don't want to wear any black clothes, so that's a problem for a gothic imagery. And Linde and Gas are too fat to be Goths. Overfat Vampyres...that's what I call them.

21.) Q: How would your best friend describe you?

V: All my best friends basically call me a cunt. That's probably the best way to describe it. I'm egocentrical and alcoholic...and a very boring personality with no sense of humour at all.

22.) Q: And would you like to say something for all the fans?

V: Hello people...äh...ich liebe dich...tschüss!

OK! Interview with the band before a gig in Salzburg:

Let's start with your childhood....
Ville: I was a completely normal child, now I'm just a bit more relaxed. I was a hell raiser then.

Who was your idol when you were a kid?
Ville: Gene Simmons from kiss

Ok, what did you want to become when you were a kid?
Ville: Gene Simmons from kiss

Great, my editor will be very pleased with these short and "creative" answers...you would like to be stuck in an elevator with?
Ville: Gene Simmons from kiss

Stop it with the guy from kiss already!
Ville: Ok, ok (lol)
Mige, do you have a phobia? Ville stop showing me your tongue

I can see you!
Ville: ok.
Mige: yeah, I'm afraid of ghosts. Actually, constantly I see them around me.
Ville: I'm afraid of heights.
Lily: and I'm not afraid of anything tra la la la lalaaaaaaa....

Ville, describe your first kiss...
Ville: I'm supposed to remember it?!? I've been kissing all my life so I've completely forgot how my first one was like.

I can see that you're not very romantic; do you often fall in love?
Ville: no. I've never been truly, madly in love. I think I'm too young for it.

What kind of a student were you in school?
Ville: I wasn't very good, but not bad either. I hated gym class. I generally hate all sports.

How would you seduce a girl you like?
Ville: I'd write her a poem. As for the approach, I don't have a scheme. I always improvise.
Lily: I'd buy her flowers.
Mige: whatta wuss! I bet you'd buy a cheap, half dried up red rose. I, for instance, would wait for her to approach me.

And what if she doesn't?
Ville: he'd wait for somebody else (lol). He's a very passive type of guy. He's wild only on stage.

How does a person have to be to attract your attention?
Mige: exceptionally funny and tolerant.
Lily: I like decent people, esp. girls.
Ville: I like when a person has a certain dose of madness and art spirit.

And how can you tell that at first sight, Ville?
That person has to have a special shine in her eyes, and I can see that shine right away.

We already know that you were drunk when you got your tattoo, but how did you decide for such big pattern?
Ville: by that principle: when you do something, do it all the way!

Guys, how do you spend your free time?
Everyone: SLEEP!
Ville: actually, I bathe when I don't sleep.
Mige: and I, besides sleeping, think.

Wow, how very "interesting". Do you remember any embarrassing moments in your life?
Ville: oh, there have been many of them. Once, I took off my pants and showed my ass to someone. As a matter of fact, I think it happened to all of us.

Ville, what does your room look like?
Ville: like any other room, with a bunch of unnecessary stuff. I've got a million things I don't need. In the middle of the room is a big bed, and in the corner a few old guitars from the sixties.

What do you sleep in?
Ville: Usually in my underwear.

What kind of boxer shorts do you wear?
Ville: how do you know that they're boxer shorts?

It's not a thong, is it?
Ville: Naaah, I wear black boxer shorts.

How do you deal with the fans?
Ville: I always use the back door (lol)

What is the worst thing for you in this business?
Ville: I don't complain. I like it all. The travelling, meeting new people and cultures, the fans...everything.
Mige: I hate the business. When people talk about money instead of music.

What is the most embarrassing question someone has ever asked you?

Ville: one reporter asked me if I enjoy necrophilia. The only person he embarrassed is himself, and journalism.