MIKE ANDERSSON,
vocalist/composer of CLOUDSCAPE

Interview - July 2007,
Sweden - Russia

- It was announced on the Official Cloudscape site that Cloudscape will enter the studio in September to record 3rd album. Great news! And my first question about. The Cloudscape's CDs was called by many critics as 'powerful, melodic and well played progressive power metal'. What we can wait from your next work?

Well, hmm, basically I think you will hear a genuine Cloudscape album but, it will include more of everything based on our 2 previous albums so to speak. There will be a few songs that undoubtly are the heaviest and hardest we’ve ever done and also the complete opposite with songs that are more atmospheric and on the softer side in a progressive way. A few songs will be more in the typical “Cloudscape-ish” way that you?ve learned to know by listening to our 2 previous albums. The bottom line is, you will get a Cloudscape album that represents more of us and I am positive it will be our most dynamic and varied album this far. We are really happy with the new songs and we really hope that it will get the same fantastic feedback as the 2 previous albums minimum;). We really want to reach out to the world of metal so, we’ll cross our fingers that our new album will bring satisfaction and more to it:)

- In 2005 the debut of Cloudscape has managed to reach number 6 in the category "The best metal/Prog album" on the www.melodicrock.com site. What do you think about the Band's development?

Yeah, that was cool and honourable. :) Our main goal and ambition is to write good songs no matter if they’re progressive or not. I think we have developed a lot in composing stronger melodies and arrangements since our self titled debut. When we composed the songs for the debut album and “Crimson Skies” we had no certain goals or guidelines but, this time we have focused more on the variation among the songs, tempos, progressiveness, hard or atmospheric....well, it’s hard to explain but, we have really dug in deep in to our new songs to create a nice atmosphere among the songs.

- Cloudscape has have many live shows on the different fests before, as ProgPower Europe, ProgPower UK, Sweden Rock Festival, Gothenburg Metal Festival, Helsingborg Festival etc. You will have some gigs for this year also, Norway Metal Heart Festival among them. How many gigs you have for every year? What the Band receives from the live show?

It saddens me to say that we haven’t been able to do as much live shows as we wanted and hoped for several reasons but, we are working on it and we really want to visit more countries all over Europe and also the U.S and Japan. Before 2007 we basically did 3 – 4 shows per year but, the demands have grown a little bit stronger in 2007 so, I think we have 6 gigs ahead of us and 2 already performed. Things are looking brighter but, there are still more to hope for so, when it comes to different metal festivals around the world all we can hope for is that our fans requests us to festivals and stuff..... The demands grow stronger everyday so, we really hope that we will get even more live opportunities in 2008.

- You have worked and continue to work with many famous musicians, such as Torben Enevoldsen (special guest on the debut album of "Cloudscape"), Christian Rivels, Magnus Karlsson... Looks as you're very friendly person. Do you like to work with many musicians? What do you think about the practice of invitation for the common work in studios?

Hahahahaha, well, I hope I’m a friendly person ;) ...at least I try to be. ;) I really like working with other musicians as well besides my friends in Cloudscape. It’s always like a journey learning to know new musicians and share skills and stuff....very stimulating and funny. I love being in the recording studio no matter if it’s Cloudscape or other projects/bands.

- How many projects do you have for now? Cloudscape, Silent Memorial, Planet Alliance...

Well, you named them all and I think that’s enough of bands. ;) Cloudscape is my absolute main band....there’s where I belong... my little child... my no#1. ;) Planet Alliance is a “project band” and is intended to be so, since I have the ability of composing songs in a different way in Planet Alliance I really like that band. I have learned to know almost all musicians that played on the first album and some of us still have quite much contacts on a friendly basis.

Silent Memorial is more like a “real” band but, we have no intentions of performing live since I must prior Cloudscape to that. Of course if there will an opportunity of performing live with Silent Memorial we’ll do it but, I get more and more busy with Cloudscape as the days passes by. The second Silent memorial album (Retrospective) will be released very soon I hope. It was mixed, mastered and finished a few months ago so, currently the management of Silent memorial is in contact with different record labels around Europe to release the album. These 3 bands are the bands I’m “active” in but, of course I’ve appeared as guest on a few other albums as well with other artists and bands.

- We can read on the Cloudscape's official page that you and Carl-Johan Grimmark (Narnia, Rob Rock) recently started to work on a 2nd Planet Alliance album. Could you tell more about this Band?

Not much actually because, we haven’t decided what musicians we want to invite to the project since we want to have a few other musicians on the second album compared to the first album. Me and Carl-Johan will most likely be the main composers on the album but, if we will invite more composers is still to be decided. I have been in contact with a few very well known musicians and all of them have shown interest in participating on the album but, it’s far too early to say more than I’ve already said. We just started to compose songs so, we must be finished with that before we go any further...

- But let’s back to the Cloudscape’s ‘child number one’. :) It’s similar to whom? I understand, each "child", especially on the musical space, is unique, but... Can you see any succession? I think, this ‘child’ really non-typical. ;) It looks very gentle and lyrical for the Swedish metal scene, I think… ;) Maybe for you?.. Confide to me, are you romantic guy? :)

Hahahaha, yes, I’m a quite romantic guy, hahahahahaha.
When a band releases a new album they normally say it will be their best album to date. But, I don’t wanna say that in the same way because, everyone experiences music differently and everyone won’t like the new album as much as the previous ones....that’s inevitable. Some people think our first album is our best album and some prefer “Crimson Skies”. I am very proud of both albums but, if I shall share my personal opinion about our forthcoming album I can say that it will be my favorite one. I think the songs are stronger, more varied and interesting to listen to. As I said earlier we have dug really deep into our new songs and they are very thought out so, when listening to the pre-production I feel very, very pleased. But, then again, it’s not a guarantee that everyone will share my enthusiasm....I hope so thou. ;) Our fans can expect a genuine Cloudscape album but, with harder sides that makes you wanna headbang and softer, atmospheric sides and this album will also include a few really progressive, longer songs. I think we established ourselves as a band stylewise quite much with “Crimson Skies” so, the new album will follow that pattern but with more of everything without repeating ourselves. ;) More metal but, with more variations...
A few songs have quite a strong ethnic feel...

- Could you tell me about relations with the ‘Nightmare Records’? I ask you about this label, because I’ve got the first information about the Cloudscape from the Nightmare Records’ sites and… I have a trust to the taste of this company always… The Cloudscape’s case was one more affirmation of my personal opinion. ;)

Our relations to ‘Nightmare Records’ are very good and we’re are really happy with their promotion work for “Crimson Skies” in the U.S. Many U.S fans has e-mailed us or left comments in our websites and praises our music. They have done a fantastic job and we are really grateful for it. If it weren’t for ‘Nightmare Records’ I believe the U.S fans would’ve missed us out. We released our debut in the U.S as well but, that label didn’t do the right thing with the album and it was kept in the shadows without any promotion at all so, it’s overwhelming to see all U.S fans that have found out about Cloudscape thanks to ‘Nightmare Records’...

- Do you have any labels for the next CD already?

We have no Japanese label yet but, as soon as the album is recorded and finished we (our management) will start to look into it. The European release will once again be handled by German label “Metal Heaven”. I don’t know how the U.S deal will look like yet since our manager is dealing with these things but, as far as I’m concerned I think it will be ‘Nightmare Records’ that will release our third album in the U.S territory.

- And do you have any ideas about a CD-cover? Will be continued your partnership with Mattias Noren?

Absolutely. He actually working on it right now and I have seen the first draft of the front cover. He has once again done a marvelous job and a fitting album cover to our new songs. We have decided what the album shall be entitled but, we will not announce it just yet... ;)

- Well, I wish a little bit patience to all fans. :) Wanna wish a successful recording to Cloudscape. And many thanks that you have found a time for answering! :) Good luck! :)

Thanx a lot and You’re welcome. :) It was great doing this interview. We will do our best in the studio to try creating a really good heavy metal album so, keep your eyes open and thanks a million for Your support. :)

Yours sincerely: Mike Andersson