CHAOSTAR (Eng.)
– Hello, lots of thanks for answering our interview. How is everything going into the CHAOSTAR’s camp right now?
It is my pleasure . We are under the pressure of extreme rehearsals.July is not far wayw and we have to be ready to perform in the Athenian Rockwave festival,where great bands such as dEad Can Dance will perform.We want to give the most out of us.
– I guess some people won’t know yet about CHAOSTAR and what motivated you to form such a project so, would you mind to elaborate a bit on this and share some history of the band?
Chaostar came as an idea to my mind for the first time when I ‘have been in Sweden 15 years back ,recording for the Septicflesh album.I had the deep desire to create music close to the subject I had studied in England and that was Symphonic music. However,having in mind that Stravinsky to me is the person who changed contemporary-classical music, I included extreme and avant-gard elements on Chaostar. It is essential to underline the fact that my aim wasn’t to creat a band which will perform classical music. I wanted a band which would use the classical idioms in order to make experiments.
– You are back with CHAOSTAR after a long hiatus so, how have the last years been for you? Did you leave CHAOSTAR completely aside or were you always getting some ideas?
I was in search of anew singer first of all. So that is already worked as a delay to me. After that there is also the hard work that Septicflesh demanded all those years. It is not easy to make a liveable combination. Moreover , you have to take into consideration that writing music for Chaostar demands not only inspiration ,but a fruitful collaboration with the right people. It is not easy to find musicians who are eager to work a lot on the music and be as experimental as I am. I wanted the right time and I think it came for me. The idea of a very controversial and different album than other times, was not only embraced by the members I chose next to me but also executed quite well. I had all those years ideas, I just kept them in hibernation for quite q long. I will never write music for Chaostar just to fill the gap of the absence. When I compose , I wanted it to be something with a good reason of existence.
– In fact for your new album you’ve got a new line-up. What prompted this? Is this a steady line-up or CHAOSTAR is rather a project with no stable musicians aparte from yourself?
With the new line-up I want exactly to eliminate the word “project” when we refer to the band. Chaostar is a band from now on. That is my intention ,to consider Chaostar as a band like all the other bands in the worlds. Actually the way I work the material for Chaostar is really intensive. That line-up indeed is steady and I wish to stay like this. What prompted that? First of all my demand to have people around me who will be totally synchronised with the way I see music. That is not easy to find and that is why I search so much for that.thosepeople are dedicate dto music totally and we share the exact same opinions on what makes the music interesting or not.
– «Anomima» could be roughly translated as «sin» but with a wider meaning I could say. How and why did you come up with this concept for the album?
I wanted to have a precise inspiration for that album ,that is why we came with a concept. The core of the album has to do with the “rebellious” unit ,that has to walk through fire in order to speak its words out or in order to defend its beliefs and rights. The example I always use is that Jordan Bruno or Galileo Galilei had to confront the Inquisition ,by declaring the obvious truth and for that the one paid the cost with his life,while the other barely escaped.To me those people did their” Anomima”-sin,for those ages. Medea also commits the ultimate crime –sin-Anomima ,by killing her children. However Euripides,manages to shed a veil of doubt on the cruelty of the crime. He allows her to leave the scenery as a real Demigoddess , implying that maybe that Anomima has behind it several interpretations,s uch as the unwritten laws of nature that will shed the punishment no matter what. Jason had been constantly disgracing her and that finds the equilibrium only throught the unthinkable action of murder.Medea did an Anomima,but what makes her famous is that we all have a feeling for sympathy for her. A matter of global justice that has to be imposed even if that is cruel ? I don’t know. Eyripides always fascinates me.
– Anyway it was originally going to be a concept album about «Medea»; why did you change your mind? You have always wanted to write something based on «Medea» so, will you do it finally anytime soon or do you now have different ideas?
Medea is there on “Anomima” ,but not the dominant personality.I changed my mind because I wanted to compose a Medea tragedy in a great magnitude when the 
time is right.
– On this album you’ve used different languages for different songs. Why did you think was fitting? And could you say it has been somehow a challenge?
Yes it has been great challenge ,but Chaostar is the band that those experiments will find their birthplace I guess. We all believe that the meaning and the final metamorphosis of a song is closely related to the languaged is singed to. Androniki also believes that ,because being a classical singer she comes across different languages in the arias .In afew words we find excating singing in different languages,it brings us also closer to different cultures and civilisations.
– I’ve read it took you a long time to compose this album so, how did the whole process go and when did «Anomima» started to get form?
It took about 2 years but as far as I am concerned it was worth.We work with the instinct as a band. All the band have the desire to contribute in any way and that is beautifull. I listen to diefferent opinions and many times a lot of crazy ones,but believe me that gives an extreme amalgama of Chaostar.We are never satisfied enough and that tyakes time… We want to do again and again something.Bare in mind that for Androniki writing lyrics in greek and then spending time with professors to translate them is really had task. Also the instruments are used in areally experimental way and that takes more and more time. Fotis was searching for diefferent sounds and rythms .Diamandopoulos who plays the tradiutional instruments is a whole “band” on its own. The traditional instrument is a living creature, the way you hold it changes the sound so as you understand we had to spend many time on the studio.
– Your new singer, Androniki Skoula, has been responsible for most lyrics on the album so, what could you say has she brought to your new release? Has she find the right words to transport your music?
Androniki overcame herself in order to write the lyrics. It was the first time who attempted to do that, she tried to abide by certain rules I have settled to the ambience of Chaostar and she did that also by bringing us a meaning. For example I had the music for “Sorrow Descending”-which refers to the tragedy of Antigone- almost done ,but I need it the words to describe Antigone’s decision to die, so she proposed to describe her descending to death as a “sorrow descending” because she dies, but “my soul ascends” because she dies so as not to betray her feelings ,her heart and her soul. I consider that a brilliant idea.
– On this album you have also had two special guest artists, as MOONSPELL’s Fernando Ribeiro and MORBID ANGEL’s David Vincent. How did these cooperations arise and why did you choose them? And what have they brought to the songs they are featured in?
Huge co-operations. I am glad that I have those great names to this album. Fernando has been a friend for years and I know very well the capacity he has to seduce the audience. For the first vowel ,you can tell it is Fernando and the gothic ambience he shed is absolutely wonderful. Wonderful person ,friend for years and talented ,it has been great working with him.Fernando does something impressive on ‘Dilate the Time” . Although the song has a rather fast tempo he is the one who give sthe unearthly and dark atmosphere. It is like he hold his own rhythm.Now David Vincent I guess for most of us ,has been a poster on the walls when we were teenagers. What can we say exactly about David? That he is a legend? That he changed metal ? That he is worshiped as a God. Everything is true and It came as a wonderful surprise to me ,when he came in the dressing rroms before to years looking for the “ conservatory guy”. He axpressed his admiration for the symphonic 
parts on Septicflesh and I can tell you that is probably the greatest compliment someone has ever done to me.Since that day, we kept touch ,we became friends exchanging opinionover music and soundtracks and I grasped the chance to ask him the participation. I need someone to narrate in the introduction of the wackiest song “Medea” and he did it more than perfect. His voice gives me chills.
– You have recorded and mixed the album at your own studios, Devasoundz, and you have also taken production and recording duties. What are the pros and cons of this? As I guess it may be a double-edged sword, as you may have had more time to perfect anything and no one like yourself knows how CHAOSTAR is supposed to sound but, on the other hand, I imagine sometimes it can be a really hard work, and also mean more pressure, not to say I guess it won’t be really easy to be not too picky with your own material.
Yes it is a double –edged sword ,but let be honest ,I had plenty of time to spend into my own studio. There s nothing greater than this, because I can work on the material as many times as I want. Fotis took care of the recordings and he portrayed for one more time his ability to adjust in different positions. He is really good in sound engineering and Devasoundz are proud to have him as a member.
– All this about «Anomima» being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?
Unpredictable, imposing,liberating
– And finally, what are your near-future plans? Is CHAOSTAR a side project or a steady band?
Chaostar is a band as I have already told. I can write music for Chaostar even if I become 90 years old.For the moment we go on with the rehearsals and our future plans consist of good performances in Athens on the 9th of July in the “Rockwave Festival, in Romania in Rasnov castle on the 13th of July in “ghost gathering” and in Belgium on the 18th of October for the “Metal femal Voices Fest”
