A TALE OF MODERN DARKNESS

MOONLYGHT

THOUGH THE GUYS GAVE ME A PROLOGUE TO WRITE FOR THIS INTERVIEW (SEE QUESTION 18). I LIKED SO MUCH THE INTERVIEW SO I SAT DOWN AND WROTE THIS ONE INSTEAD. IAM VERY HAPPY WHEN I AM TALKING WITH TALENTED AND "WISE" BANDS, BECAUSE MAKES ME PROUD FOR THE MUSIC I LISTEN. AFTER ALL WE HAVE QUALITY. AND AS CAPS SAIS :"We don't think you can measure talent by the number of albums you've sold."

1.GIVE US A SHORT BAND BIO. WHO ARE MOONLYGHT AND WHAT DID THEY WANT TO ACHIEVE WHEN THEY FIRSTLY FORMED THE BAND? WHICH ARE THE FINE MOMENTS YOU WANT TO REMEMEBR AND WHICH MOMENTS WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ERASED FROM YOUR MEMORY?

Roby: Moonlyght was first formed in 1996 but wasn't that serious back then. Only one demo called "Midwinter Melodies" was recorded at that time with a different line-up. The band got many line-up changes between '98 and 2001 and I could easily erase that period from my mind. Moonlyght is really more focused now in 2002 and without these line-up changes, we would never have that spirit now!

2.WHY DID YOU NAME THE BAND MOONLYGHT? WHAT DID YOU WANT TO SAY? HOW ESSENTIAL DO YOU THINK IS FOR A BANDS FUTUTRE THE "CORRECT" CHOICE OF A BAND NAME? AMONG WHICH OTHER ANMES HAVE YOU SELECTED THIS?

Roby: I wouldn't say I have thought about that name for years... That's more the name that came to me! Sure, it sounded good but what's more grim and cold that the light of the moon reflecting through a forest? It gave me inspiration for lyrics and music and I started enjoying the whole concept behind the name Moonlyght. I think it's very important that the name you choose means something important for you. For me, Moonlyght means the eternal guide to my soul.

3.HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC? WHICH BANDS DO YOU LIKE AND WHICH DO YOU DISLIKE?

Caps:I would simply describe it in a few words as intense-extreme music with soul. Our music is strictly based on feelings, to us there is absolutely no limits as for as creativity goes. To play a well defined type of music(heavy metal) never really was an issue, i mean our next album could sound acid jazz or trip hop! Anyway we hate to be categorized. We'll just go were the music will take us. We like all bands that play honest music and that never try to act like somebody they are not. We admire bands that never compromise to quench their thirst for glory.

4.IS THERE A BAND YOU LOOK UP TO? IS THERE AN ALBUM YOU'D LIKE TO BE YOURS?

Caps:Their is many but one among the most important(in the metal scene) is Opeth because they are always pushing back the bondarys of what people call «Metal music». They never seem to care if their fans are gonna like it or not. They just play what they feel like playing There is so many i don't think we could ever agree on just one. Personnaly i would have to go with «The dark side of the moon». Why? Just listen to it and you will understand the feeling of this album is so intense!

Roby: I could not compare Moonlyght with other bands. Each band is so different.

5.TELL US SOME THINGS ABOUT THE BAND RELEASES. COMPARE THEM. ARE YOU IN THE PLACE TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE WITNESSED EVOLUTION IN THE BAND?

Caps:Their isn't much to say about our previous releases, because before our new record: «Progressive Darkness» we only had an old demo from 1996 and to be honest with you it as very few things in common with what we do now. In fact it sounded more like hard rock. As far as the evolution goes, I think that if there wasn't any we'd already split the band. Of course we have matured a lot as musician and as human beings, but we are still a very young band considering that our lineup changed constently over the last five years or so. If we can only stick with the same guys for a while I think we are gonna bring this band much further.

6.ARE YOU STILL SATISFIED WITH YOUR LATEST RELEASE OR IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO BE CHANGED?

Caps:The thing you have to know about this record is that some of the songs on it have been composed for as long as 6 years! Of course there is also some more recent stuff on it, but you can imagine we all feel the urge to start working on some new material. But that doesn't mean we don't like these songs. So basicly yes, we are very satisfied of how the record came out. It sounds really good and our intensity was well captured on it. We're proud of this record, but i'm sure we'll be even more proud of the next one!

Roby: I could say that we have reached our goal with Progressive Darkness. Like Caps, that’s true that some of the songs are older than others for example Fantasy. This is a song that I composed in ’97 but I think that we gave it a fresh new breath with the band now. It sounds really good on Progressive… and is still one of my favorites after these years.

7.WHAT ARE YOUR LYRICS TALKING ABOUT? REAL LIFE OR FANTASY STORIES?

Roby: I can say my lyrics deal with life. Inside each lyric you’ll find something that reach your own joy and pain. I’ve been fascinated by the medieval times for a long time now and I believe a part of my soul is still there. I wrote some lyrics about that feeling I have when thinking about the world untouched by dirty hands of today’s society.

Caps: I'd say both! What's nice about his(Sébastien) lyrics is that they look like cute and simple medieval tales, but when you go further in your analysis you realize they are saying a lot more than you first thaught. You can easily transposed these tales into your every day life and beleave me if you do, you'll probably learn precious lessons.

8.WHAT INSPIRES YOU WHEN YOU WRITE AND WHAT CAN TAKE AWAY THE INSPIRATION FROM YOU?

Roby: What inspire me most is the sad reality of when you loose something in life. It maybe looks a little bit depressive but in that mood I understand a lot things and I make parallels with other things in my reality. Love, Hate, Pain, Joy, dreams, fairy tales… these all end up in your everyday’s life.

9.WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO COMPOSE MUSIC?

Roby: I would change my name to Britney Spears ?

Caps: I'd probably end up in a mental hospital or killing myself!

10.WHAT DO YOU LOVE TO HATE IN MUSIC INDUSTRY?

Caps:All the assholes that make the music industry what it is today. I mean by that the thousand of people that profit from an artist talent(lawyers, bookers, managers, big record label) and that don't even have a single ounce of talent for themselves. These people don't give a shit about the artist or the art of music, all they want is to sell their product and get richer. We(Moonlyght) never looked at music as a business anyway so why the fuck do we need all these jerks for? They're certainly not the ones that are gonna help our music to evoluate. We also cannot stand artist that are n't true to temselves and that start acting like «big shots» just because they've sold a million record. We don't think you can measure talent by the number of albums you've sold.

11.WHICH SONG OF YOURS DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IDEAL TO REPRESENT YOUR WORK?

Caps :The next song we're gonna compose, cause I like to think we get better each time.

Roby: Progressive Darkness. It’s all in all vey complete for a song. It captures the right essence with a really atmospheric side. I like The Autumn’s freezing Harmony for its sweet melancholy too !

12.IF TIME TRAVEL WAS POSSIBLE, WHICH HISTORICAL PERIOD WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT AND WHY? WHAT WOULD YOU MISS THE MOST FROM OUR TIME?

Caps:I'd personnaly go back to 1969. Simply because back then the values of the american society were questionned. At that period, teenagers were refusing to submit to what the older generation was imposing them. Their ideal society was builded on values such as love, sharing, tolerance, communication and unity, all while respecting our precious mother earth. Let's also mention that art and creativity were at a peak level we haven't reached since then. The idea was to live simply for the joy of it with absolutely no stress. It's a bit different now these days. People run all their life through while never taking the time to enjoy themselves. They finally end up wondering: «what was I running after?» but in many case it's too late they have lost their younth and health. «Time is money» they say, but soon or later they all find out money ain't gonna follow them to grave. You can collect all the stuff you want during your life but it ain't gonna help you live longer or happier. So that's where i'd go back to try to change the world again!

Roby: I would like to go back in the far-west where I could be like Billy the Kid or Lucky Luke! Be the law! I couldn’t say a period in particular as I’m not very cultivated in history! Medieval Times, as I said, had always attracted me maybe because I miss the time of the world being unexploited like today. All was pure as there were no air pollution, no fucking buildings everywhere, no contaminated water… All has become worse in that way.

13.IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE WORLD, YOU'D LIKE TO CHANGE (IF YOU HAD THE ABILITY)?

Caps:I'd banish Capitalism and selfish people who only think about their personal profit. Then ,I was gonna say stop the war and eliminate Hunger, but I think you won't need to if you get rid of the first two problems I mentionned!

Roby: Surely banish rap music everywhere ! ! ! hehehehe

14.IF YOU HAD THE MONEY TO MAKE A PROPER VIDEOCLIP, HOW WOULD YOU IMAGINE IT?

Roby: I don’t even thought about it yet…

15.IF YOUR MUSIC WAS AN EMOTION WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Caps:A mixture of several emotions going from love to hatred and from Despair to joy all interpreted with a touch of eternal melancholy.

Roby: Caps you’re God !

16.MANY METAL MUSICIANS ACCUSE POP STARS FOR THEIR LIFE STYLE, YET WE SEE SUCH BEHAVIOURS IN THE METAL SCENE AS WELL (BANDS PAYING TO MAKE A COVER FOR SUCCESFUL MAGAZINES, HAVING A GOOD REVIEW, METAL LABELS PROMOTING SPECIFIC BANDS AND GENRES EACH EPOCH,ETC).IS IT MAYBE AFTER ALL TRUE THAT THE METAL INDUSTRY DOESN'T DIFFER FROM THE POP? WHICH ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?

Caps:You bet it doesn't differ from the pop industry! Like you say we see more and more bands paying to get good promotion. Can you name me a new metal band that doesn't hope to get a good review? I don't think there is any. I think when the entire metal thing began, the few people that were in it really wished to do things differently and they did. But the more people got to know their music, the more people also began playing it and next thing you knew every kid in your neiborhood was playing metal. I personnaly think it's great that so many people found their kick in this music, but you can't deny the fact that metal isn't the underground scene it was in the beginning. The real «metallers» are nowadays pretty rare. Most of the people playing metal now don't know a thing about what it was meant to be at first. So as metal music becomes more and more mainstream oriented it's no surprise to see the modern «metallers» act like big stars. Our band is no exception, I mean we don't act like stars but while recording our new album, we were very concerned by the quality of the production, the way the cd looks, we also wanted a good distribution deal and a lot of publicity. Our goal is to keep playing our music as long as possible, without selling any records that might be kind of hard. In any kind of music there will always be people acting like jerks but that doesn't mean everyone playing that music thinks the same! So yes we have created a new plague: the «metal star»!! ;)

Roby: It’s true that metal is becoming much bigger now. As I said, you cannot stop evolution. At the beginning of the 90`s, extreme metal was really underground back then and look at it now. We are proud as artists of what we create and we want to spread it to others. That’s it. Brutal pop music is what we are!

17.WHICH IS MAN'S BIGGEST TEMPTATION?

Caps:Envy of course. People cannot stand to see someone succeed, unless they are themself having even more success. «...Who, moving others, are themselves as stone, Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow. They rightly do inherit heaven's graces...»(W.Shakespear)

18.WHAT PROLOGUE AND TITLE WOULD YOU LIKE THIS INTERVIEW TO HAVE?

Caps: Title:Interview with Moonlyght :Here is an interview with 2 members of the Canadian band Moonlyght Caps(drums) and Roby(vocals/rythm guitar). A rather hard to define band but worth listening to. Heres what they had to say:

19.THANK YOU!HAVE I FORGOT TO ASK YOU ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?

Caps: We'd like to thank you for this interview and invite music fan all around the world to come and visit us at www.moonlyght.ca and give us some feedback. Hope to get to visit you some time. Peace!

Roby: Those who try to break nature’s harmony are those who will tremble before eternity. Remember, always be true to yourself. Brutal pop music rules !

NIKOS "William_Kidd" PARASTATIDIS

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws