Informations
Author: Mourning
Line-Up
Tuomas Saukkonen - Guitars, Drums, Bass, Keys, Dark vocals
Mikko Heikkila - Clean vocals
Janica Lonn - Female vocals
Hi Tuomas, welcome on Aristocrazia Webzine. May we have a short presentation of your band?Black Sun Aeon is my solo band that was born in 2008. It is massive and majestic doom / dark metal. I really wanted to create music that flows over you like black lava. Even had to custom made guitars for this project to be able to get low enough tuning and really big sound. BSA is more as my musical voice than any other of my bands.
You have two project Dawn Of Solace, Before The Dawn and plays in other bands as Sinamore and The Final Harvest.Why the choice to give life to Black Sun Aeon?
Just needed to get BSA music out. Very hard to explain :). I have many bands already and I am busy with them but BSA was crowing inside me and ones it got big enough I just had to let her out :).
I have listened the two albums "Darkness Walks Beside Me" and the new "Routa". This last is a great step forward as songwriting and atmosphere. Are you fully satisfied of the result?
I truly am. A lot of work was done to achieve the goal but I am very happy with the result. "Darkness Walks Beside Me" was my best album so far so the bar was set pretty high with "Routa". Daddy is proud of his baby :)
In the two cds that make up "Routa" there are many interesting ideas and a few deja vu. There are bands also have influenced you throughout your career or where he was inspired deliberately?
I listen to all kinds of music but try to avoid sounding like some other bands. I improvise all the lead guitar melodies, bass lines and keyboards in the studio and usually write only the main riffs and arrange drums before entering the studio. The current mood in the studio is the biggest inspiration in melodies and moods of the songs.
What is your musical background?
I started with guitar when I was nine years old. Drums came along when I was sixteen, piano eighteen and bass around twenty. I have learned all instruments by myself and still don´t have a clue about music theory or notes. I just go by ear :). I have always been more into writing music than playing songs of others. That is why I know only few songs from other bands.
My favorite tracks are: "Dead Sun Aeon" and "Wanderer", the first have a sweetish clean female vocals, the second lyrics written by Ville Sorvali. How did you choose your collaborators for the album (Mikko Heikkilä/Janica vocals and Sami Lopakka (Sentenced) / Ville Sorvali (Moonsorrow) lyrics of "Core Of Winter" / “Wanderer”)?
Good friends who I also respect very highly as a musicians and writers. Was an honour to be able to work with all of them. For a long time I have been wanting to work with another lyric writer and new BSA album was the ideal option for that.
As has been accepted "Routa" by critics and fans?
So far the feedback from media and fans has been overwhelming. Nice to notice that all the hard work was not for nothing :)
You are a musician and arranger, how do you write a song?
I eather start to work the guitar and do the riffs or begin with drums and rhythms. Guitar and drums are my main composing tools. When I play guitar I hear the drums in my head and other way around. When I have the basic structure of the song done I am usually ready to go to the studio already. I do all the guitar melodies, keys and bass lines during the recordings. I really like to work that way. Keeps the music fresh!
How are important the lyrics and what they express?
They are very important but I never write lyrics before studio. I need to hear the song with all instruments and then I write all lyrics in few days usually during the vocal recordings. At the moment working on with some finnish lyrics for recordings tomorrow. Again a new project in my hands :). All my lyrics express my own thoughts and feelings from different points of views.
Finland is one of most important land for Gothic Doom (and not only). What do you think about your national metal scene?
I dare to say that Finland is the nr. one metal country if you look at the size of population (five millions) and how many awesome bands we have (Insomnium, Ghost Brigade, Nightwish, Amorphis, Swallow The Sun, Finntroll, Children Of Bodom, Him, Apocalyptica, Ensiferum, Wintersun etc etc etc etc etc.).
And about the metal scene in general?
I have very little time now days to check up the international metal scene. I keep very close track of what is happening with Finnish bands but for the rest I simply don´t have the time. Been a long time since I last time discovered a really good band outside of Finland. Well Airbourne is just awesome :)
The experienced live for the music of Black Sun Aeon think it is very important, who will accompany you in these experiences? Who are the other members also complete the band on stage?
I have Mikko Heikkilä in first guitar and clean vocals and Mynni Luukkainen (feat. on debut album) on second guitar and growling and I play drums and do the main growlings. Bass and keyboards comes from background tapes. guys stand on the sides of the stage and I am back in the middle. No front man, no leader, no speeches. Just the music. That is my vision how we perform live with BSA.
Can you tell us the best things that happened you on-stage? Do you have a live performance you would like to repeat?
Best thing is when time stops still and you feel like you are inside the music. A part of the music. Or when you feel like a very strong connection with the audience. Those are very good moments. Past gigs are past gigs and what is done is done but I really wait each upcoming show :)
You recently played in Italy, how was your evening?
It was really good. Suprisingly big crowd even though it was our first gig in Italy. I played in Italy also with BTD while we were touring in europe with Amorphis and I really like to play in Italy. Hope to be able to come back soon!
Thanks for the time you spent with us, the last message for our readers is up to you:
Support you local underground scene...goddamned! :)
