In materie de rock si metal Portugalia nu a oferit prea multe trupe valoroase. Exceptand Moonspell si Heavenwood, cu greu mai poti nominaliza o alta trupa lusitana care sa se fi impus pe plan international. Dar iata ca lucrurile tind sa se schimbe, ThanatSchizO fiind un nume care daca va beneficia de o promotie adecvata se va impune categoric ca o trupa de referinta a metalului portughez. Cu ceva vreme in urma v-am prezentat ultima realizare discografica a acestei trupe ( THANATOSCHIZO - TURBULENCE ) si a sosit acum momentul sa aflati mai multe despre ThanatoSchizo prin intermediul unui interviu .

Salut! Nu prea sunt adeptul biografiilor intr-un interviu, dar din moment ce ThanatoSchizO nu este o trupa cunoscuta in Romania, cred ca putem face o exceptie. Asa ca te rog sa faci o scurta descriere a istoriei voastre ca grup.
Guilhermino: Hey! Totul a inceput in 1998 cand ne-am hotarat sa devenim un nume pe scena muzicala portugheza. Am vrut sa cream ceva unic, chiar daca ar fi insemnat sa nu aiba nici o logica pentru ceilalti. Am repetat foarte mult si am inregistrat o caseta demo dupa trei luni.
Inca de la inceput am avut foarte multe aparitii live si in '99 am lansat EP-ul Melégnia . Acest EP a fost o mica bomba pe scena portugheza deoarece la moda pe atunci era black metal-ul melodic, iar noi cantam o combinatie de death'n'roll, doom metal si elemente de avangarda. Pe langa asta, a fost probabil primul produs lansat pe cont propriu de o trupa din Portugalia, iar in acest fel am reusit sa atragem atentia.
EP-ul ne-a adus un contract cu casa de discuri portugheza Misdeed Records, care in 2001 a lansat primul nostru album Schizo Level . Albumul este un mixaj ciudat de metal extrem cu elemente non-metalice si a fost bine primit. A atras si atentia casei de discuri britanice Rage of Achilles, care a lansat InsomniousNightLift in 2003. De data asta ne-am concentrat pe un stil mai calm, mai doom si am lucrat mult cu armonii.
In 2004, odata cu colapsul casei de discuri din Anglia, am ansat Turbulence in Portugalia cu ajutorul Misdeed Records, care lansase si InsomniousNightLift in tara noastra. Am semnat un nou contract, de data asta cu Pandemonium Records din Australia , care a lansat albumul in toata lumea in cateva luni. Tot ei vor re-lansa InsomniousNightLift si in Australia si Noua Zeelanda.

ThanatoSchizO este un nume neobisnuit pentru o trupa, un cuvant care cred ca s-a nascut din combinarea numelui Thanatos (zeul grec al mortii) cu Schizophrenia (o afectiune grava a creierului). Sunt dereglarile mintale si moartea temele principale ale universului vostru muzical? Exista cumva vreo alta semnificatie, ascunsa in spatele acestui nume ciudat?
Eduardo: Nebunia si moartea sunt teme pe care le exploram, printre multe altele, intr-un mod metaforic, prin filtre diferite, din puncte de vedere contrastante, si cel mai important, cu toata libertatea de care suntem in stare. Asta ne face ca instinctiv sa avem o abordare diferita; o abordare in care cosmosul, in fiecare moment, genereaza interpretari personale si modalitati de exprimare. Caderea unei monede in actul de plata a unei cafele poate insemna de exemplu un progres, o evolutie, sau decodificarea unui mister care nu incetaza sa existe. Sa-l lasam sa-si ceara viata... Emotiile provocate in interiorul fiintei umane definesc modul in care ne exprimam. Orice intrebare ajunge pe un teritoriu in care efemerul strapunge conventionalul.
Patrícia: ThanatoSchizO nu e doar un nume. A devenit o parte din viata noastra. Desi semnificatia lui este legata de moarte si schizofrenie (doua stari "ingrozitoare"), el este viata noastra, este un motiv de a fi liberi si veseli. Totusi, daca vrei explicatia pragmatica a acestui nume, ti-o voi spune. La inceput titulatura noastra era simplu - Thanatos, dar curand am realizat ca multe trupe aveau acelasi nume, inclusiv una germana, cunoscuta. Prin urmare, ne-am hotarat (pe vremea aceea eu eram doar un membru temporar, mai mult ca invitat) sa adaugam sufixul schizo, care vine de la cuvantul schizophrenia (cum ai spus si tu). Decizia sa adaugam tocmai acest cuvant a venit din faptul ca ne e greu sa catalogam cumva muzica pe care o facem. Sound-ul nostru este rezultatul atator sentimente contradictorii pe care le poti foarte bine percepe ca pe o dereglare multi-personala in esenta numelui si a muzicii trupei. Muzica ThanatoSchizO este produsul final al exprientelor noastre interioare si in mijlocul diversitatii noastre ca persoane gasim intotdeauna aspectele convergente pentru a crea o lume care sa ne satisfaca pe toti...

Nu cu mult timp in urma ati lansat cel de-al treilea album, Turbulence. As vrea in primul rand sa va felicit pentru aceasta mica opera de arta, este un formidabil album avant-garde, foarte complex, bine structurat si bine interpretat. Consider Turbulence o gura de aer proaspat intr-o scena suprasaturata de trupe care incearca sa se copieze una pe cealalta, la nesfarsit. Care a fost feedback-ul pe care l-ati primit pana acum?
Eduardo: Este foarte placut sa avem un asemenea feedback de la tine, din moment ce abia ai facut cunostinta cu trupa si cu muzica facuta de noi. Surprinzator? Poate ca da, poate ca nu. Albumul a fost lansat in Portugalia la inceputul verii trecute, iar reactiile au fost extrem de constructive. Au fost reactii destul de bune, iar recunoasterea de la cei care intr-adevar conteaza pentru o trupa a fost remarcabila. Trupa a luat fiinta acum 7 ani si imi pot aminti foarte bine ca nu aveam atat de multi prieteni inca de la inceput. Presa ne-a oferit de asemenea note bune, ceea ce a dovedit ca meritam laudele. Cei carora nu le place munca noastra nu merita efortul de a ne intrista din cauza lor... decat daca incearca sa o distruga! (rade). Ne iubim tara (cu toate lucrurile ei bune si rele), dar cum suntem mereu ambitiosi, marturisim ca suntem nerabdatori sa auzim si niste reactii internationale. Daca luam in considerare critica ta, am inceput chiar foarte bine!

Cum nu am avut ocazia sa va ascult albumele precedente, v-as ruga sa imi spuneti care sunt principalele diferente dintre Turbulence si acestea?
Guilhermino: Hmm... Schizo Level este un mix ciudat intre stiluri aparent opuse: black metal brutal cu trompete si saxofon, de exemplu. Mai mult, poti gasi si elemente electronice si chiar niste clisee doom. E foarte ciudat! Apoi InsomniousNightLift este un pas inspre maturitate, concentrat mai mult pe partea doom si pe valoarea partii vocale. Noul album este un rezultat al evolutiei noastre: combina parti death metal in forta/groovy cu niste parti "curate", candide si incantatoare, la care am folosit si voci feminine si masculine, dar toate acestea cu mult dinamism, cu o selectie de acorduri epice si, foarte important, cu o productie solida.
Eduardo: In ce priveste aspectul tematic, este si mult mai coeziv, in parte datorita echilibrului mai matur si mai rezonabil (care ma multumeste foarte mult), in parte datorita combinarii in prealabil a tuturor particularitatilor din interpretare (care ma seduce de fiecare data cand ascult albumul). Maturizarea evidenta, in special ca persoane, ne-a permis atat sa facem un pas mai mare pe drumul nostru, cat si sa ne sporim mandria fata de munca noastra.

Cantati o combinatie intriganta de death metal cu un miriad de elemente etnice si electronice si cu unele accente progresive; pe scurt, un gen foarte greu de clasificat. Cum v-ati cataloga muzica? Ce stil canta ThanatoSchizO ? Pun pariu ca va enerveaza clasificarile, dar nu credeti ca ar fi un haos total daca nu am avea asemenea categorii?
Guilhermino: Sigur, uram etichetele dar... ok, o sa incerc. Ce parere ai despre... doom/death progresiv? Bineinteles ca ar fi foarte ciudat daca trupele nu ar fi catalogate intr-un fel. Suntem constienti de complexitatea sound-ului nostru, dar credem ca tocmai acest lucru este interesant pentru cei care ne asculta. Nu suntem usor de digerat, ia ceva timp sa intelegi ce urmarim si asta ne place (rade).

Este Turbulence un album conceptual? Paulo Adelino (bateristul grupului - n.red) spunea ca " Cele sapte teme prezente pe Turbulence arata modul in care vedem lucrurile in prezent." Cred ca fiecare piesa de pe acest album reprezinta o tema, dar ne-ati putea spune care anume sunt aceste sapte teme?
Paulo: Turbulence este modul in care vedem acum lucrurile, modul in care gandim. Acesta nu este niciodata la fel si sufera intotdeauna modificari datorita unor conditii specifice si a unor situatii care variaza atat de rapid incat nici nu mai percepem schimbarile. In final, trebuie sa le infrunti si sa traiesti fiecare zi cu intensitate, amintindu-ti mereu trecutul si luptand cu prezentul pentru a castiga ceva in viitor. Trebuie sa fii mai atent la semne, la detalii si sa incerci sa interpretezi importanta unor situatii.

Artwork-ul si coperta par a sugera anarhie, distrugere si dezordine. Este aceasta transpunerea vizuala a ideilor voastre muzicale?
Patrícia: Muzica noastra reflecta ce este in mintea oamenilor si cred ca omoenirea trece printr-o perioada mai degraba deranjanta si plina de conflicte. Nebunia, halucinatiile si deziluziile au detronat securitatea. Este greu sa gasesti pace in distrugerea, anarhia si dezordinea in care traim. ThanatoSchizO incearca sa transpuna aceste lucruri in sound si cuvinte. Prin urmare, sunt de acord cu afirmatia ta ca scopul nostru este sa facem oamenii sa vada lumea in timp ce asculta Turbulence . Este mai degraba un album conceptual (ca si celelalte) dar are niste viziuni mai apocaliptice asupra lumii, umanitatii si a omenilor.

Unii ar putea spune ca exista unele similaritati intre muzica voastra si sound-ul creat de trupe ca Opeth sau Ram-Zet. Sunteti de acord? Exista vreo trupa care v-a influentat decisiv in procesul creativ?
Guilhermino: Fiecare dintre noi are influente muzicale diferite si diverse. Cred ca experienta noastra de viata este cea mai importanta influenta in ceea ce priveste procesul de compunere. Opeth si Ram-Zet sunt trupe excelente si originale, deci asemanarea cu ei o luam drept un compliment. Nu cred ca este vreo trupa care ne-a influentat in mod decisiv procesul creativ. Cred ca totul vine din varietatea gusturilor muzicale pe care fiecare dintre noi le apreciaza.

Cum merge procesul creativ in trupa voastra? Cine compune muzica si cine se ocupa de aspectul liric? Pe un album ca Turbulence , cat de mult este improvizatie si inspiratie si cat de mult este munca asidua?
Patrícia: Nu avem un plan dupa care ne compunem muzica si cu siguranta nu folosim nici o reteta. Tot ce facem este improvizatie si totul vine in mod spontan. Procesul incepe cand Eduardo sau Guilhermino vin cu un riff in sala de repetitii. Apoi Paulo gaseste tempo-ul care se potriveste starii lui de moment si chitarilor. Ceilalti simt sound-ul care se creeaza si incearca sa potriveasca pe el propriile idei si gusturi. Rezultatul este ceea ce se aude pe albume si ne satisface pe toti in aceeasi masura. Totul necesita munca grea deoarece improvizatia poate avea multe goluri care trebuie umplute, imbunatatite. Repetam foarte mult pentru a putea ajunge la un rezultat final, cel pe care il poti asculta in propriul CD player.
Versurile nu au nici o legatura cu crearea muzicii, deoarece Eduardo si cu mine le scriem inainte ca partea instrumentala sa fie compusa sau chiar inainte sa ne gandim la ea, la cum va suna. Si scriem fara sa stim ce a scris celalalt. Este amuzant pentru ca nu ne decidem niciodata dinainte care va fi conceptul albumului si totusi reusim sa scriem pe aceeasi tema. Este uimitor!
In concluzie, pot spune ca muzica noastra este in mare parte rezultatul improvizatiei si a inspiratiei, dar sigur ca necesita o gramada de munca dupa aceea.

Mi s-a parut foarte ciudat ca o trupa atat de inovatoare si interesanta precum ThanatoSchizO este aproape necunoscuta in lume. Pe de alta parte, aveti un public consacrat in teritoriul lusitanian si am observat ca sunteti apreciati si de media portugheza. Este dorinta voastra sa cantati numai pentru publicul portughez sau motivul este o promovare defectuoasa?
Guilhermino: Am inceput din underground-ul scenei portugheze. Asa cum am spus si mai sus, la inceput majoritatea oamenilor nu intelegeau ce vroiam sa facem, vorbind din punct de vedere muzical. De-a lungul anilor, fanii s-au inmultit, datorita aparitiei albumelor noastre, a concertelor live si a internetului - care este o cale buna de a duce vorba mai departe si de a promova o formatie. Azi cred ca avem un numar destul de mare de fani convinsi, care ne sustin pentru muzica pe care o facem si pentru atitudinea anti-cliseistica.
Faptul ca nu suntem (inca - sper) cunoscuti si in alte tari mi se pare destul de ciudat. Vreau sa spun ca Rage of Achilles este o casa de discuri excelenta si a avut un portofoliu foarte bun, insa au inceput sa dispara la sfarsitul lui 2003, deci consider ca InsomniousNightLift nu a beneficiat de atentia pe care ar fi meritat-o. Cred ca noul contract cu Pandemonium Records va rezolva si acest aspect.
Nu vrem sa cantam de-a pururea in Portugalia. Ne-ar placea sa cantam si in alte tari. De fapt, chiar studiem niste propuneri in acest sens. Intrebarile asupra carora meditam sunt conditiile care trebuie sa existe. O trupa de 6 persoane are nevoie de anumite conditii si o scena potrivita pentru a putea oferi concerte speciale.

Ce imi puteti spune despre contractul cu Misdeed Records? Sunteti multumiti de colaborare?
Guilhermino: Cum am mai spus, Misdeed este casa noastra de discuri numai pentru spatiul portughez. Si da, suntem foarte multumiti de relatia pe care o avem. Au lucrat cu noi din 2001 si nu avem decat lucruri bune de spus despre ei. Vedem in oamenii aceia niste prieteni adevarati - dupa cum s-au dovedit a fi de-a lungul anilor.

Preferati sa lucrati in studio sau sa fiti pe scena? Credeti ca veti ajunge sa cantati si in Romania intr-o zi?
Patrícia: Personal prefer experienta de pe scena pentru ca este mai satisfacatoare. Primesti feedback-ul muncii depuse chiar atunci pe moment si in plus, simti cum publicul se bucura de ceea ce faci. Munca in studio este mai obositoare si ia foarte mult timp pentru ca niciodata nu faci lucrurile cum trebuie din prima. Uneori trebuie sa canti aceeasi parte la nesfarsit pana cand devine perfecta (sau aproape perfecta), iar asta e cel mai rau lucru. Uneori te simti furios si disperat ca nu iti iese. Cel mai bun aspect din studio este cand asculti rezultatul final, cand mixajul s-a terminat si poti percepe mai bine ce ai creat. Acela este momentul in care vrei sa te intorci si sa refaci unele parti de la inceput. Trebuie sa marturisesc ca acum sunt nerabdatoare sa inregistram din nou, pentru ca vreau sa creez muzica noua si ma simt capabila de ceva mai bun. Am aceasta dorinta: sa imi imbunatatesc mereu munca. Incetarea randamentului inseamna moarte!
Guilhermino: Romania ar fi o tara interesanta in care sa cantam... Sa speram ca oamenii vor gasi albumul la fel de interesant ca si tine si ca isi vor arata interesul ca ThanatoSchizO sa cante acolo...

Ce planuri aveti pentru acest an?
Guilhermino: Sa sustinem cat mai multe concerte de promovare pentru Turbulence , speram sa primim un feedback bun pentru album in presa internationala, sa dam mai multe interviuri si sa ne pregatim cu calm pentru inregistrarea si lansarea celui de-al patrulea album.

Iti multumesc foarte mult pentru acest interviu si in final te voi lasa pe tine sa adresezi ultimele cuvinte cititorilor nostri.
Guilhermino: Multumesc pentru cuvintele frumoase la adresa ThanatoSchizO , pentru interes si simpatie. Sper ca cei care citesc acest interviu sa devina interesati sa ne asculte. Puteti incepe prin a vizita site-ul nostru complet: www.thanatoschizo.com .

Dragos P.

English translation:
ThanatoSchizO is a name that with the right promotion will definitely stand up as a top band of the Portuguese metal. A while ago, we had been presented with this band's last discographic achievement (THANATOSCHIZO - TURBULENCE) and now it's time to find out more about ThanatoSchizO through the next interview.

Hello! I am not a big fan of putting a biography into an interview, but since ThanatoSchizO is not a known band in Romania I think we could make an exception. So, please make a brief description of your history as a band.
Guilhermino: Hey! Well, it all started in 1998 when we decided to make a statement in the Portuguese music scene. We wanted to create something unique, even tough it wouldn't make any sense to anyone else. We rehearsed a lot and recorded a demo tape after 3 months.
Since the beginning we played a lot of live gigs and in ‘99 we released the Melégnia EP. The EP was a little bomb in the Portuguese scene since the trend in those days was melodic black metal and the band played a hybrid mix of death'n'roll, doom metal and avant-garde elements. Besides, it was probably the first self-financed released by a band in Portugal, so it was a kind of mark in Portugal.
The EP led us to a contract with the Portuguese label Misdeed Records that released our first album Schizo Level (2001). The album represents a very strange mix of extreme metal with non-metal elements and was really well received. It also called the attention of the British label Rage of Achilles, which released InsomniousNightLift in 2003. This time, we focused ourselves on a calmer, doomish style and worked a lot in harmonies.
In 2004, with the collapse of the UK label, we pre-released Turbulence in Portugal through Misdeed Records (that had also pre-released InsomniousNightLift in our country) and signed a new record deal with Australia's Pandemonium Records, which will release the album worldwide in a few months. The label will re-release InsomniousNightLift in Australia and New-Zealand too.

ThanatoSchizO is a very unusual name for a band, a word that I think it was born by mixing the name of the Greek God of Death (Thanatos) and the Schizophrenia (the devastating brain disorder). Are disorder and death the main themes in your musical universe? Is there any other hidden significance behind this weird name?
Eduardo: The madness and the stigma of death are the explored themes, among many others, in a metaphorical way, by different filters, in contrasting points of view and, above all, with all the possible freedom… It is that that induces us, instinctively, to make a different approach; an approach in which the whole cosmos, in every single moment, originates a very personal interpretation and way of expression. The fall of a coin in the payment act of a coffee, for instance, can effectively mean a development or a decoding of some code that insists to exist. Let it claim life… The different emotion games that they provoke in the human being define the way we express ourselves. Any question is conducted to a ground where the ephemeral penetrates the conventional.
Patrícia: ThanatoSchizO is not simply a name. It has become part of our lives. Although its significance is related to death and schizophrenia (two “awful” states), it is our life, a reason to be free and joyful. However, if you want the pragmatic explanation for this name, I'll give it to you. In the beginning, our moniker was simply Thanatos, but we soon realised that many bands shared the same name, including a famous Dutch one. Therefore, we decided (at the time I was merely a guest member) to add the suffix schizo, which comes from the word schizophrenia (as you said). The decision to add this specific word is due to the fact that we find very hard to catalogue the kind of music we make. Our sound is the result of so many contrasting feelings that you can very easily perceive a multi personality disorder in the core of the band's name and music. ThanatoSchizO's music is the final product of our inner experiences and, in the middle of our diversity, we always find the converging aspects to create a world that can satisfy all of us…

Not so long ago you have released your third album, Turbulence . Let me first congratulate you for this opus, it is a formidable avant-garde album, very complex, well structured and performed. I found Turbulence to be a very refreshing piece of work in a scene oversaturated by bands trying to copy each other, over and over again… Tell me, how was the feedback ?
Eduardo: It's extremely gratifying to have that feedback from you, since you've only acknowledged the band and its work now. Surprising? Maybe yes, maybe no. The album was released in Portugal at the beginning of last year's summer and the reactions were very constructive. They were pretty good and the recognition from those that really matter to a band was truly remarkable. The band was created 7 years ago and I can clearly remember that we didn't have so many friends in the very beginning! The press has also given good marks and prove that we are worth the praise. The ones that don't approve our work, don't deserve our discontent… only if they try to destroy it! (laughs) We love our country (with all its pros and cons), but as we were always very ambitious, we confess we are anxious to hear some international reactions. Well, taking into consideration your critique, we had a really good start!

Since I haven't got the chance to listen to your previous albums, please tell me which are the main differences between Turbulence and these albums?
Guilhermino: Hum... Schizo Level is a weird mix of apparently opposing styles: raw black metal with trumpet and sax, for instance. Moreover, you can find there some electronic elements and even some doom clichés. It's very strange! Then, InsomniousNightLift is the footstep towards maturity, more focused on our “doomish” part and the vocal's work value. The new album is the result of our evolution: it mixes strong/groovy death metal parts with some candid and delightful “clean” parts using male and female voices, but all with a powerful dynamism, a epic chords section and, very important, a solid production.
Eduardo: In the thematic aspect, it is also much more cohesive, either for the more reasonable and mature balance (which pleases me a lot) or the posterior exposition and combination of all the interpretation's particularities (which powerfully seduce me in each hearing). The obvious maturation, mainly as persons, allowed us a greater step on our path and an enlarged pride.
You play an intriguing combination of death metal with a myriad of ethnic and electronic elements and a progressive touch, a genre very hard to classify. How could we label your music? What style does ThanatSchizO play? I bet you hate to be classified, but don't you think it would be a complete chaos if we wouldn't have these categories?
Guilhermino: Sure, I hate labels but… ok, I'll try: what about… Progressive doom/death? Of course it would be very strange if one did not use categories to catalogue all the bands. We are aware of the complexity of our sound but we believe that that element is what people find interesting about us. We are not easy to swallow; it takes some time to get our point and we love it (laughs).

Is Turbulence a conceptual album? Paulo Adelino said that “ The seven themes laid in Turbulence show our present way of seeing things.” I think every song from this record represents a theme, but could you explain which are these seven themes?
Paulo: Turbulence is our present way to see things in what concerns our state of mind. This is never the same and is constantly suffering changings, due to some specific conditions and situations which vary so rapidly that we don't even notice the changes. In the end, one has to deal with them and live each day intensively, always remembering the past and fighting in the present to win something in the future. You have to pay more attention to the signs, to the details and try to interpret the importance of some situations.

The artwork and the cover seem to suggest anarchy, destruction and disorder. Is this the visual translation of your musical ideas?
Patricia: Our music reflects what is inside people's mind and I think that humankind is living a rather disturbing and afflicting period. Madness, hallucination and disillusion have taken security off its place. It's hard to find peace within the destruction, the anarchy and the disorder we live in. ThanatoSchizO tries to translate this into sound and words. Therefore, I agree with your statement taking into consideration that our aim is to make people actually see the world while they listen to Turbulence . It is a rather conceptual album (as the others were) but it has a more apocalyptic feeling towards the world, life, humanity and humankind.

Some could say that there are similarities between your music and the sound created by bands like Opeth or Ram-Zet. Do you agree? Is there a band that has decisively influenced you in your creative process?
Guilhermino: We all have very different and diverse musical influences. I believe our life experience is the most important influence in what the composition is concerned. Opeth and Ram-Zet are excellent/original bands, so we take that as a compliment. I don't think there's a band that really influences our creative process. I guess it grows from the complex variety of musical tastes each element appreciates and that is what leads us to create our music.

How does the creative process work in your band? Who is writing the music and who is handling the lyrical aspect? Tell me, on an album like Turbulence, how much is improvisation and inspiration and how much is hard work?
Patrícia: We don't use a blueprint to create our music and we surely don't follow any kind of recipe. All that we do is improvisation and it all comes spontaneously out of our heads. The process begins when Eduardo or Guilhermino take a riff into the rehearsal room. Then, Paulo makes the beat that better fits his mood and the guitars. The others feel the sound that is being created and try to fit their own ideas and tastes. The result is what you can hear and it certainly satisfies all of us. It requires hard work since improvisation can have many gaps and has to be improved. We rehearse a lot so we can reach the final result, the one that you can listen to in your CD player.
The lyrics have no connection with the sound's creation, because Eduardo and I write them before the instrumental part is created or even thought of. And we write without even knowing what the other is writing about. It's kind of amusing, because we never decide what will the concept of the album be and, even so, we manage to write under the same theme. It's amazing!
Therefore, I can state that our music is largely a result from improvisation and inspiration, but it sure requires a lot of hard work afterwards.

I found it very strange that such an innovative and interesting band as ThanatoSchizO is almost unknown worldwide. On the other hand, you have a strong fan base on the Lusitanian territory, and it seems to me that you are well appreciated by the media too. Maybe it is your desire to play only for the Portuguese public, or the reason is a poor promotion?
Guilhermino: We started from the real bottom in the Portuguese scene. As I've told you before, in the beginning most of the people didn't understand our point, musically speaking. Through the years, our fan base grew a lot, because of our releases, our live gigs and the internet – which is a very good way to spread the word and to promote a band. Nowadays, I guess we do have a very strong base of people that support us, because of our music and because of our anti-cliché attitude.
The fact that we're (still – I hope) not that known worldwide is strange to our eyes: I mean, Rage of Achilles was an excellent record company and it had a very good catalogue but they started to fade away in the end of 2003, so I guess InsomniousNightLift didn't had the attention it deserved. I believe this new contract with Pandemonium Records will solve that question.
We don't want to play in Portugal forever. We would like to play in other countries. In fact, we are kind of studying some proposals about that. The question are the conditions that must exist, because as a 6 piece band we need a good P.A., backline and stage to make our gigs special.

What can you tell me about the deal with Misdeed Records? Are you satisfied with this collaboration?
Guilhermino: As I've told you before, Misdeed is only our label for the Portuguese territory. And yes, we're very happy with our relationship. They have worked with us since 2001 and I can only say good things about them. We see the people of the label as true friends – that's what they have proved through the years.

Do you prefer working in the studio or the live experience? Do you think you could play someday in Romania, too?
Patrícia: Personally, I prefer the live experience because it is more rewarding. You get the feedback of your work right away and you feel the public rejoicing what you're doing. The studio work is much more tiring and wasting, because you never get things right at the first try. Sometimes you have to play/sing the same line over and over again till it is perfect (or almost) and that is the worst part. Sometimes you feel angry, mad and desperate. The best part in the studio is when you listen to the final result, when the mixing is done and you can better perceive what you have been doing. That is the moment when you want to go back and do some parts all over again. I must confess that now I'm eager to record again, because I want to create new music and I feel more capable of doing something better. I have this inner wish: to improve my work over and over again. Cease to flow is dying!Guilhermino: Romania would be an interesting country to play… Let's hope people find the album as interesting as you did and show interest in having ThanatoSchizO playing there…

Which are your plans for this year?
Guilhermino: Play some more gigs to promote Turbulence , hoping to receive a good feedback of the album in the international press, give some more interviews and calmly prepare our fourth album for a 2005 recording/release.

Thank you very much for this interview, and in the end I let you have the final words for our readers.
Guilhermino: Thank you for your kind words towards ThanatoSchizO, for your interest and sympathy. I hope that the people who are reading this interview find some interest in listening to ThanatoSchizO. You can start by checking our very complete website: www.thanatoschizo.com . Holding the fire… to end the