ALMAH
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 22nd October 2011.
Brazilian metallers Almah released their excellent new album "Motion" recently. It deserves more than a mere review so an interview was the obvious next step.
Bassist Felipe answers questions.
Hi Felipe, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. Hope you are well?
Felipe: We’re doing fine, thanks!
It’s three years since the last Almah album. It must be a good feeling to finally be releasing another one?!
Felipe: Indeed! A lot has happened in our lives since then, and I think these changes reflect in the music as well. It’s been three years since the last record, “Fragile Equality”, and so, I guess this was the right time for another one!
How long did new album “Motion” take to write and record? Was the process fun, hard work or a mixture of both?
Felipe: For me personally, it was really fast; possibly faster than anything that I’ve done before. We started exchanging some ideas in early April, via email, kind of trying to find a musical direction. Then, when we felt like we had enough material, we all gathered at my house for a little over a week, to arrange the songs and write the missing parts. That’s when the music really takes shape, and we were able to realize what this album would be all about. The whole process was surprisingly easy and natural! In the recording studio, (Norcal Studios), it took us little over a month to have everything done and ready for Jochem to mix and master. Absolutely perfect!
How does the new album compare in terms of sound and quality to the first two releases?
Felipe: To me, it is a clear step further on. Not only are Edu and I more experienced as producers but, the people we worked with really helped achieve what we had in mind this time. The folks at Norcal Studios are always improving both, in the human and technical aspects, and having Jochem Jacobs mixing the album was the final ingredient to finding the new Almah sound.
Where do you look for your lyrical and musical inspirations?
Felipe: We were pretty tired of being bound to a ‘concept’, at least in the most common sense when it comes to heavy metal. Every album nowadays seems to have a ‘concept’. Instead, we freed ourselves to write about anything we wanted, be it personal experiences, ideas or facts that we experience in our everyday lives, right? We didn’t have a concept, but a common line of thought, which is to always look and move forward; hence the album title!
How do you go about writing songs? Talk us through the construction of a typical track...
Felipe: There isn’t really a hard and fast rule to it. In many cases, Edu brings the basic parts; verse, bridge and chorus, programmed into the computer. Sometimes, the arrangement is pretty close to the final version; other times we change it completely. We then proceed to complete the song itself; with an intro, instrumental parts and the general arrangement. Other times, we’ve just grabbed an acoustic guitar, and started singing over a harmony; next thing you know, we have a song? We may even create something from scratch, inspired only by a riff or musical idea. I can’t really give you a definite example...
Do you do anything special or unusual during the recording process to get your sound?
Felipe: No, but we’re always trying different approaches to the recording process. Different pre-amps, mic positions, compressors and what-not. Mainly, we just try to have as much good equipment as we can. When you have that, it’s just a matter of letting the ears be the judge then. We don’t have any pre-conceived ideas when it comes to finding the sound.
What are your favourite moments on the album?
Felipe: For me, the song “Daydream Lucidity” is a good example of Almah’s ability to mix different kinds of parts into the same song, in a way that’s not boring or overdone. It’s my favourite for now; but I like all the songs so much, that it could change any minute.
What are the current Almah touring plans?
Felipe: We have quite a few shows scheduled in Brazil already, and they should last until the end of the year. But we’re now in the process of finding a good package, with bands that we admire and that we think fit our style, to tour Europe and Japan! Edu has being talking a lot about the need to do this and it’s very much the aim of the whole band for the next year or so!
What’s an Almah show actually like?
Felipe: It’s full of energy! There are lots of different dynamics, with heavier songs, ballads, more technical stuff and so on. It’s awesome to be onstage with these guys.
What have been the highlights of your musical life so far?
Felipe: I think I have to admit that the biggest highlight will probably be the Rock In Rio Festival, which actually takes place next weekend. It’s one of the biggest musical events in the whole world, and I’ll be there with Angra, which makes me really proud! We’ve done big festivals with Almah, in Sao Paulo, and they’re tremendous, but Rock In Rio is something very special!
Any question you love being asked that I’ve missed? If so, what’s the answer?
Felipe: Yes, there’s one thing to mention... There’s an interesting story to the cover of the “Motion” album. The picture was taken by Edu, with his iPhone, in Paris, earlier this year during the Angra European tour. He then used one app. to give it that “moving” effect. We really loved the result and thought that it would fit the music perfectly, so I re-created the effect on Photoshop, added a few more elements, and finished the rest of the artwork myself, as well as the member’s pictures. It’s a homemade album in many aspects!
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
Felipe: In a couple of hours, I’m hoping I’ll be on court playing tennis, and I’ll take the rest of the day off, ‘cause this is the busiest week of the year! Besides the preparation for Rock In Rio, we also have, in Sao Paulo actually, a music fair going on from tomorrow, and I have lots of business there!! I arrived back from Europe and Japan only yesterday, so I’m still a bit jet-lagged!!
Anything else you would like to mention?
Felipe: Thanks for the interview Jon, and hope to catch up with the U.K. Almah fans, on tour, soon!
Thanks again to Felipe for his time. You can check out the Rock Realms review of Almah's latest album "Motion" by clicking here.
Label: AFM Records
Artist's website(s): Almah | MySpace | Facebook
