Sshhhh...Silence!!!!The true protagonists are speaking. Great things shall be revealed

1.HOW WAS THE WHOLE CIRRHA NIVA IDEA CREATED? TURN BACK TO DAY ZERO TILL NOW AND BRIEF US. WHO ARE CIRRHA NIVA?

• Rob: Cirrha Niva’s history started in 1989 with Peter and myself and some other guys, we formed a band called Requiem. We recorded our first 4-track demo “After the darkness” in April 1992, which was never sold commercially and was just for our friends and us. In February 1993 Requiem was renamed into Cirrha Niva. Later we recorded our first demo suitably titled “Alighieri’s roots”. Dante Alighieri inspired the band name.
• The same year a change in line-up and musical direction (into a more progressive direction) occurred. We only re-recorded a few older songs in this line-up
• A year later in 1995 the line-up had changed again and Liselotte, our ‘bazzcraziness’ came in, she added terrific bass playing, female vocals and fresh thoughts to the band. Since March 1996 we started to perform regularly live and participated in many festivals. In November 1996 we recorded our debut-CD  “The Mirror World Dimension”. After this release we started performing live more and more.
• In November 1997 this let into the final line-up change. From then on new vocalist Arnold Kloek joins Cirrha Niva. Since January 1998 Tommy White fills in the drum kit and with Wilbert v/d Broek we added keyboards to the definitive line-up.
• So, Cirrha Niva is;
• · Wilbert van den Broek - keyboards
• · Tommy White  - drums
• · Arnold Kloek   - vocals
• · Liselotte Hegt  - bass guitar & vocals
• · Peter Vennema  - guitar
• · Rob Willemse  - guitar
• In this present form we’ve recorded a demo called “No More Psychosis”, and after playing with Skyclad & Lacuna Coil we recorded “Enter The Future Exit”. We did this to satisfy the demand for Cirrha Niva songs composed and performed in its new and improved line-up. Lots of good reviews and a small tour with Planet X followed. And then, two years ago we had the crazy idea of making this concept called “Liaison de la Morte”.

• Rob: Not quite right I’m afraid. It’s nothing Celtic. Peter came up with the band name after reading “La Divina Commedia” written by Dante Alighieri. And so our name ‘Cirrha Niva’ is derived from Cirrha & Nisa, the mountain tops of the Parnassus: symbol of divine wisdom, poetic inspiration and human knowledge.

• Rob: The bandname, Peter, Liselotte and myself are the similarities on every cd. But you could even say that our music has some similarities. Of course it’s founding base has always been metal and we never took the easiest way but despite that, people who are familiar with all our work all say that a thing called ‘Cirrha Niva style’ exists and that it reflects in every song.  Quite a compliment if I may say so. As a band you grow, so there are also differences, which doesn’t imply that the earlier records are of poor quality, in contrary. Given the means and skills we had available that time we are still very proud of what we achieved on every cd. We even put some old songs back in our setlist. The biggest difference between a few years ago and now is that we tend do everything more professional nowadays.

• Rob: On this album we, for our first time, combined metal, prog rock, neo-classic, even some jazz, folk and soundscape themes. It took us almost two years to compose Liaison de la Morte and given the fact that we normally compose 2 or 3 individual songs a year, it’s not bad. At first we didn’t even have the intension to record it at the time we did. We booked some time in the studio to record a mini-cd, we even announced it in several magazines. Nightwish should be on it as well. And there you have it: preparations to enter the studio at the same time we were working on Liaison de la Morte. We suddenly had different thoughts about the mini-cd and after a while we cancelled the whole thing. You can imagine the time we’ve lost. We immediately booked the studio for the summer to record an album that at that time wasn’t even finished: Liaison de la Morte. Every day and every chord closer to the end gave us new ideas we simply couldn’t refuse; to name a few: the choir, the narrator, the CD-rom part, a 16-page color booklet including a slipcase and maybe most of all: a special live show.
• When we came up with the idea to work with a choir we gave it a thought who would fit in our team. Peter and I thought it would be cool and nostalgic too to ask the old Cirrha Niva singer Daan Cuppen. He is a guy who loves drama and has a very low voice. Our manager Inge Steenhorst popped in the discussion and told us she has a colleague at work that sings in a church choir. We heard some recordings of Angela and we definitely wanted her on our CD, because she has a nice low voice. But we definitely wanted to have a soprano as well. Angela introduced us to one of her choir members and luckily she was enthusiastic as well to work with us. When we had this choir together we worked on the particular vocal lines, but during the process we thought it would be really cool if we could also add an aggressive, strong sounding male choir to present the change in atmosphere. In just one crazy moment Liselotte thought it would be fantastic to have Pain Of Salvation as the male choir. We all love their great vocal arrangements and the charismatic voice of Daniel in particular. Since she’s deeply connected with one of the band members it was easy to ask. Luckily the guys had time and were very willing to jump in the project. Daniel got inspired by our music and wrote a great choir harmony. We are very proud on that. J

• Liselotte: We had some fun moments during the recordings of the videoclip actually. We filmed on three locations in Den Bosch (hometown of the band) in Holland. We recorded in a small theatre (the present scenes), a huge old gothic church (the wedding and dancing scenes) and on the countryside (flashback scenes). You can imagine it was major funny to step in our cars totally dressed up for example. Lots of passengers were looking at us as if we were some aliens. Even one girl screamed loud because Arnold gave her an evil look! We also had some scary moments I can tell you. It started in the theatre. The electronic cable system turned out to be very old. Because the ice machine and our light equipment were a bit too strong, we got some nasty `explosions' and smelly stuff there.  We were also using a smoke machine and candles to create a spooky atmosphere. After a while the fire alarm started to howl and we couldn't turn it off. Panic, panic, panic!!! Eventually we kept on filming with the alarm in the background for at least one hour. Our outdoor filming in the fields was very hilarious. I had to run through the fields with this huge bride cape and wig on my head. That damn thing was so heavy it glided of my head all the time while I was running. I couldn't stop laughing because of that. Yes, making this film was an amazing experience. Lots of hard work, acting for the first time, almost no sleep, but we had lots of laughs and we made it.
• I can't really remember we had weird moments during the recordingsessions of the album. We were very much isolated in the studio, which was located in the very north of Holland, in a tiny little town. That was a weird experience for us. Just one local bar and one mini supermarket. That was the whole entertainment we got during the recordingsessions. Well, during our premier show there were some technical problems and that wasn't very funny. Imagine a packed club filled with a very curious audience, witnessing every move you make. J

• Liselotte: The biggest names we have supported are Skyclad, Lacuna Coil, Soilwork, Naglfar, Darkane, Planet X and Within Temptation. The shows with Skyclad and Lacuna Coil were incredibly great. The guys of Skyclad were extremely nice, but we spent most of the time with the Lacuna Coil fellows. We had major fun with them and it felt we knew each other for years. The weirdest combination was Cirrha Niva with the package Soilwork, Darkane and Naglfar. These guys play brutal (black) metal, while we are a progressive metal band. The audience was septic in the beginning but gladly after 2 songs we convinced them. We didn't have that much contact with the guys, especially Naglfar were hiding in their dressing room like little rockstars, being moody and wanted to be as far away from this nutty Dutch band. Well with the bands I just mentioned there were no really demands at all. The only experience with real rockstar behaviour was Derek Sherinian of Planet X. His bandmates Tony McAlpine and Virtual Donati were more down to earth right away, but Derek thought he was the star who could get all the chicks around. NOT! We had quite some laughs about it. We got very small space on stage and were not allowed to touch anything. But after two shows the guys found out we were nice fellows after all.

• Rob: No double meanings although some parts are written in synonyms and imagery. And it’s a concept all right. Here is a synopsis of the story: An old man longs for the peace and reunion that death will bring him. On October 31st (at midnight, the hour of ghosts), when the borderline between the two worlds is at its thinnest, he yields to his desires with hoping to embrace his deceased wife. While dying, he sees a parade of dying people walking towards the underworld. The man finds himself in a limbo; between earthly life and death. Here he meets his deceased wife, who in spite of her seductions has malevolent ulterior motives for her former lover. The only one who triumphs is the Lord of the Underworld, a cynic and sarcastic person who rules the ignorant living and dying people. The Gate to Death is his property and no one is to escape!

• Rob: Well, that’s easy. Liselotte is the deceased woman. Arnold is the old man and the Ruler. When we play this song live we perform it as a non-stop rockshow complete with décor, costumes, sminck, choreography, lightshow, audiovisual backdropping, fire and more, the characters are played by Liselotte and Arnold. If however, you mean which of the band members fit the characters in real life? Then the answer would be none.

• Liselotte: Of course it would be a milestone if our concept would be filmed as a movie. I can picture it as an old black and white movie from the 30’s. Like a real cult movie. Hm, I don't have particular favorite film directors. I'm a huge fan of Devil Doll and this guy, Mr. Doctor, is directing movies lately. I really would ask him to do the job. I bet he can add some real mystery stuff to it.

• Liselotte: To me always the feeling, the emotion, the intention, the mood and the atmosphere are the most important elements of a song. Of course there are many ways to accomplish that as a musician, but most of the time I don't think it by playing an overdone complex guitar riff or overdone technical solospots. I guess everything that is overdone takes away the feeling.

• Liselotte: I'm very much into music of female artists like Kate Bush, Dalbello and Siouxi and the Banshees. I wouldn't mind to play music in this style as well for instance. I also play with my father pop music and music from the 60’s just for fun. I definitely think everybody should be a bit more open-minded, because there is great music out there, besides heavy metal. All the bandmembers of Cirrha Niva do listen to various music and we try to be very open minded when we are composing songs. Our motto is: when the idea is good, no matter if it’s not true metal, what the heck we use it.

• Rob: I would play in a coverband.
• Liselotte: I would try it anyway.

• Liselotte: Honestly I'm not interested in politics. Of course I have my opinion: political games, war, terrorism, violence, murder, rape, abuse of woman and children, pollution, kidnapping, betrayal, and I can continue with this huge list, it's all sick behavior of mankind. Why can't we just mind our own business and enjoy life and take more care for nature and animals? That would make life so much easier and without stress.

• Liselotte: I have heard about this incident. It's just sick.

• Liselotte: An exciting and adventurous feeling. It would show a three-dimensional landscape; the more you look at in different ways, the more you discover. You can't stop looking at it.

• Liselotte: Haha……. the most irritating question? People keep asking what our band name means J. Hm the question that hasn't anybody done so far????? I think you just asked the question……J

• Liselotte: Hello to everybody out there in Greece. Thank you so much for your interest in Cirrha Niva. We wish you a happy life.
• website: www.cirrhaniva.nl