GWYDION

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello! Thank you for accepting our invitation for this interview. Before all i would like you to say how everything begin with Gwydion and why you choose this musical style (Viking Black metal)?

Gwydion: Hello,we aprecciate the chance you give us to talk and to promote a little about our work, thank you to all the The Gates Of metal Team. It’s with lot of pleasure that we accept this interview .Gwydion already have some history in portuguese metal,it’s been already 13 years with lots of changes with the band members, we've been moulding our sound through the past and present times. We were already in lots of complicated moments , with difficultys to find the right members, but with efford and always with dedication, we reach a solid formation, we have Dani in (Keyboards), that is our melodic support – it always was!; Vítor (Rythm Guitar) he as the seccion of the rythm,always was direct and strong and Rúben (Vocals), he grow up a lot in this band - “Ynys Mön” - ,surprise us even more with his vocal knowledges, always well study and well allocated in music. This 3 elements,are the founders of Gwydion, Kaveirinha join the band after,placing one more melodic slope,with those “faggot” solos everyone says that (hahaha), Morg in (bass) complementing all the rythm and finally, Abreu (drums) when he join the band it was like fresh air for the band...he is really inovator,always with new things to implement in the band.Above all Gwydion are all good friends this is the main reason that makes us to work well! The Lyrics, well that part basically it’s Rubem who write them he is our little genious of Viking lyrics we can say that he is the intelectual of the band we are only in the instruments area...and bad (ha ha ha)! About the Viking thematic, it was something that emerge naturally, coming from everything that we hear and like or we make something that make us feel good. The black metal vein was inside the band since the begining also as the melody and/or celtic sounds or pagan one’s...to reach the viking it was only one step...

Hanna Tsepesh: Good answer (ahaha)!Tell me what are you main musical influences?

Dani: Influences are changing from time to time, we begin listening what were made in other years a long time ago, like,Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Megadeth and much more, we adquire new tastes during time according to the period without forgeting what we used to year in the past. More recently i’ve been hearing more Viking Metal, so by this way it’s always an element in our songs.

Kaveirinha : For me is a little of everything, lots of genres since, death , thrash, black and of course, folk and viking metal...we like old school music we grow up with that sound. What attracts me in Viking Metal it’s the possibility that you can join all of this genres in one single style, it’s something that you can explore a lot and for us it’s really enticient.

Hanna Tsepesh: Yes, i agree with you Kaveirinha,i also think the same concerning to Viking Metal.You sign with a publisher (TrollZorn).For those who don’t know, this publisher as great bands like: Elivagar, Menhir, Kivimetsan Druidi , Tarabas between others…Can you tell us how was the sensation of signing with this publisher? How everything developed?

Kaveirinha : I can say that was a surprise, when they told us we didn’t believe, even today it seems unreal. After fighting during 13 years it’s something that surprise us all, this contract it’s something really rewarding. It gives us more strenght to keep on in this battle of beeing musicians “Alternatives” in Portugal and to show outside what we make in Portugal and i hope that more national bands can make it too! All of this process of signing with TrollZorn was very simple, they heard us on myspace and they like the songs, they contact us and it’s was done, amazing...we can say that TrollZorn it’s making one amazing and outstanding job in all promotions of the album,distribution,etc...they are always willing to help, they are wonderfull!

Dani: Yes it was an unexpected sensation we never give up of believing that one day could be possible to give a front step...and by that from nothing the proposal appear and we stay very surprised and pleased. TrollZorn it’s always appair about our ideias and what we do, it’s like we work all together flowing to the same side, aspect that make things easier!

Hanna Tsepesh: That’s what bands really need,becouse lots of publishers don’t move and don’t help the bands. I congratulate you and your excelent album, by the excelent voice of Ruben as well for the rest of the band for the fantastic work (Dani, Morg, Kaveirinha, Vitor e Abreu)in sound level and the use of the instruments. The environment you created in each song it’s simply amazing, along the album i feel like if i was inside a Viking Movie and i invite all the readers to hear your album, personaly i stay well surprised by your talent as well with the “Ynys Mön”.Can you explain to our readers a little about the main theme from your first album?

Dani: Thanks Hanna! So this work was a reflex of a period of our band, since our last demo in 2001 we succesfuly create one kind of environment to transmit to people what we wanted to show , a little of nordic and celtic mythology, through several themes some more bélics or more festives! The sonority was something that came out naturally, we knew what we wanted to do and since than it was hands at work and to leave things to came out without forcing nothing.

Kaveirinha : Thanks... it’s a really good sensation really good to see that our efford in this work is recognized and above all the fact that we can transmit all of this sensations in our music. It’s really rewarding! This album it’s one kind of Gwydion collection, with songs already made with 3 and 4 years old, with recent themes composed as well, basically we join the best ones and “Ynys Mön” emerge.All the remaining thematic developed since there, through some samples in music or even “ Hei Hei´s “, in the middle.It comes naturally during the recording process...and i can say that it was really long!

Hanna Tsepesh: Can you tell us how was the recording process? Did you already have in mind what to do before entering on studio?

Kaveirinha : It was one hard and long process of learning, everything was made from the roots,the recordings in my house or in my garage passing through infinites experiences with several types of equipment and software. We knew what we wanted to do and the kind of final product that we pretend, simply we didn’t knew how to begin after 2 years we found the magical formula (Ha Ha Ha)...lots of hours and one night without sleeping but i think that achieve one result very acceptable only with the few material we had one old PC, a medium soundcard and some comun microphones!

Dani: We can say that was something painfull but with lots of efford we reach the final product! Something that for the next album it will be more simple i hope so otherwise our mental sanity will over and is not to much already hehe.

Hanna Tsepesh: So it was complicated to conquer this final product, and what about supports, studio and publisher?

Dani: There was no supports not single one the only one was in the final part from our publisher, they made the reproduction and distribution we still had the precious help of one of the Trollzorn Gernotshagen that finnish the masterizing of the albumon their studio in Germany.

Kaveirinha : Well supports...Here in Portugal for music there are no supports! On studio we try but we spend lots of money with bad results...we invest on a semi professional card and we began to work! The publisher appear with a propusal already in the masterizing part of the album and it was obvious that we accept it but the contract had one time limit of releasing it was a total caos to finnish in time to give the final touch...but we succsefuly finish it on the last days.

Hanna Tsepesh: Yes indeed it’s something sad here in Portugal, not to support the portuguese bands and with luck some outside publishers believe in our musicians for me this journey it’s far way of one change, one way or another you have the album that you must be proud of also for the efford as well the final product, it’s amazing as i said before. I was searching your myspace and you need help to record the second album can you talk a little better about that? For those who are interested in helping you guys to know that is totally important.

Kaveirinha : Yes it’s true,it’s one more way to bring some more money, for those who want to help even with one cent, everything together with the merchandasing that can sell it will be invested in the next album. But we still have to promote a lot this album and we already are thinking about the next one!

Dani: Yes it’s important,we only ask that to have better conditions for the next album to make something to exceed “Ynys Mön”, but for that and like you know no one in Portugal lives with metal and by that we ask for a support from anyone who want to help us to make one excellent second album!

Hanna Tsepesh: So people,begin to help them! About concerts here in Portugal, can you reveal some places and dates? For those who want to see you live.

Kaveirinha : Well at this moment we have 2 concerts, one in Barreiro March 22 the BARREIRO METAL FEST III and than May 3 Festival Âncora 2008 in Benavente,we have some more,but yet without a confirmation. You can see all the informations in our sites ( http://www.gwydion.org/ or www.myspace.com/gwydionmetal ), that i invite you all to see..making publicity!

Hanna Tsepesh: And you do very well to pass it, and we have lots of pleasure in divulging! THE GATES OF METAL wish you all one amazing career and good luck for your concerts.

Gwydion: One great Haill! For all of The Gates Of Metal team and Odin be with you all! I hope that you enjoy our work...support Portuguese music!

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