On 4th November DARK TRANQUILLITY will come back with the eleventh album called «Atoma». Before its release Heavymusic contacted band's vocalist Mikael Stanne, and he told us about «Atoma», the lyrics writing process, the mystery of Arkhangelsk and many other things. Have a read!

                    

                    “Atoma” is a beautiful and mysterious name. Who came up with it? Did others quickly approve this name?

                    

                    It was something that came up during conversations me and Niklas were having about the overall themes of the album. Niklas’s interpretation of the lyrics was that it dealt with the basic nature of humans and how we were are all different yet the same. It is a Greek word meaning undividable but it can also mean together and I thought it suited the lyrics very well.

                    

                    Niklas again did the cover and it looks really nice! I’m not sure what exactly I see here, but it reminds me of the ocean and different water creatures. How is it related to the general idea of the album?

                    

                    As soon as we decided on the name for the album Niklas started working. Being very inspired by the title he came with something that for me indicates the beginning of something new. A life form of some sort but also the nucleus of creation. This could be an idea, a movement, a thought or the first step in overall change.

                    

                    Your music is very emotional and even meditative in some way. If you lived in another country, would it sound different?

                    

                    Hard to answer but of course we are affected and influenced by that which is around us. The music that we grew up on, the emotion that we as Scandinavians share but more than anything this is the kind of music and emotions we discovered when we were in our formative years. So from 14 and onwards we found and cultivated this love for music that was far away from whatever was playing on the radio or rose in the charts and that I think has remained with us. So I think the musical climate at the time of the bands beginning has been incredibly important.

                    

                    Please, describe your lyrics working process. Do you have any habits essential for the right mood?

                    

                    It all starts with the song. I go through a song many, many times in order to find something that hooks me into it and then I start digging through my notes to find an idea or phrase that is a good starting point and then I get to work. Usually I will record my first try at vocal lines, just improvising to the song to get a feel for what could work. And more often than not I will go back and listen to the first stab at a song and actually use lots of those lines. So a lot of it is instinctual. But when it comes to the actual words, that´s a different story. I will work for weeks and months just to get it right in my mind.

                    

                    You have worked with guest female vocalists several times. Are there any female vocalists personally you would like to work with (not necessarily for Dark Tranquillity)?

                    

                    We have and it´s been really interesting. I would love to do more of that and we considered it for this album, I just couldn´t find a place where I felt it was suitable. It´s hard to say who I would love to work with. It all depends on what kind of song it is.

                    6.

                    

                    Which traits of character should your listeners have to understand your music in a better way?

                    

                    I think an open mind will do just fine. I think what is amazing about music is that we all experience it in different ways. Some songs speak to us and some don´t and it all comes down to your own experience and preference. And being too broad just to try and make sure as many as possible can get into is a losing battle. Only a few artists out there can speak to universal standards in a good way and I think that is admirable but for me it´s more inspiring and special when you can have a much more personal relationship with a song or artist’s work.

                    

                    I just have to ask about a song called “Arkhangelsk”. Why did you decide to tell the world about this Russian city?

                    

                    It´s not necessarily about the city as such but since it´s a very unique city from what I´ve read about it it was something that sparked the interest of Niklas to write a song about isolation, doubt and suicidal thoughts. It´s a harrowing song about the darkest places we can go to in our minds.

                    

                    Have you wanted to attend Dark Tranquillity show as a usual fan and have a look at your band from the outside?

                    

                    I would love that and I think I would have a great time. I sometimes stagedive into the crowd and while there crowdsurfing on people’s hands I get to see ourselves from a distance for a while and I really like what I see.

                    

                    If you were a scientist, in which field would you work?

                    

                    Astrophysics. I am really fascinated with the universe and all the unanswered questions we have regarding our place here in the infinite space.

                    

                    They say that one should try everything in life. Is there anything you would never try?

                    

                    Oh many things. I am too of the mind that things should be experienced and I am not afraid to try new and weird things but there are certain drugs for instance that I would never touch just because I know myself too well. But trying new things is something I totally love, new experiences is what life is all about.

                    

                    And what do you think everybody should try?

                    

                    I think facing your fears is an important thing. For me it was a fear of heights that I´ve had all my life. Then I jumped from a 89m crane into the ocean strapped to a wire and parachuted out of a cargo plane 9000m and all of a sudden I didn´t have this fear anymore. So do the thing you are most afraid of.

                    

                    

                    Questions: Maria Meledyakhina

                    Photos: Rikka Finn

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