A Question

Flameous

New Metal Member
Jun 22, 2005
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Well first I`d like to say hi to everyone here. I just recently came up with this forum and when I saw Katatonia in the list, I had no other option but register immedietly :Spin:

Anyway, I actually wanted to ask what are Evidence`s lyrics all about? I have been reading them for hours and I still don`t get them. There have to be someone clever enough among us that you could just tell me what the heck is that "test" in the lyrics.
 
You'll quickly find that there are many differing opinions about this, depending on who you talk to. There are also many threads about this (as you can probably imagine, being such a contentious issue).

For my part, I think it's part of the general narrative in 'Viva Emptiness' about love, crime, betrayal and punishment. How you interpret that is personal I suppose, but to me 'Evidence' is about a guy in jail waiting to get out, conversing with his lover.

Jonas says the album has nothing to do with jail etc, but I don't think many of us believe him! :p
 
I try not to guess what Jonas means with his lyrics.....I think he leaves them to our interpretation on purpose........I know that I personally relate with many of Katatonias lyrics....whether I relate with them the way Jonas did when he wrote them is a whole other story........I say make of them what you will.......


oh....and welcome to the Katatonia forum..... ;)
 
...for me it's not about someone being in "jail" in a physical way... more about a prisoner of his own and of his past ...

But this is one of the things I really like about Katatonia lyrics: You can interprete them yourself and may indentificate them with something you know, feel or experienced...
 
wether or not VE has a theme/concept or whatever, its clear that he's lost someone in the sleeper. perhaps he's hoping to see that person in an afterlife. to me it seems like 'the test' is a way of him finding out if he loves her as much that he'd kill himself. If he is killings himself, its probably under water as you can't kill yourself by just holding your breath, hence the 'I hold my breath and check the time - One thirty i collapse'.
 
Jonas has clearly stated that there is no concept for VE or any other Katatonia releases.....we really shouldnt try to debate this one.....it has been done so many times.........hmmm.....last year there was an incredible thread about this very issue.....it was started by Varg....... it would be cool to find it.......
 
Sorry i want to ask if the song at the best of "Brave Yestar Days" Black Erotica is unreleased song , just like Wait Outside at the Black Sessions.?
 
So the band photos in front of prison bars is just a coincidence, or a continuation of the metaphor? Omerta is a word for keeping silent about Mafia activity in Italian culture (and the cut off at the end is his death because he broke the Omerta?), then we have Criminals, Evidence etc.

God, it's one hell of a metaphor if we're not supposed to interpret it as being about crime and prison. Maybe that's why it's such a great album! :cool:
 
there's a great interview with jonas about VE analyzing step by step different songs -talking also about evidence and the "test" and blabla... -
i would post it but it's in italian so beside ether and someone else perhaps i think no one here would understand :D
if someone is interested i can translate it so maybe this idea about concept album would be abandoned... :rolleyes:
 
°scarlet° said:
there's a great interview with jonas about VE analyzing step by step different songs -talking also about evidence and the "test" and blabla... -
i would post it but it's in italian so beside ether and someone else perhaps i think no one here would understand :D
if someone is interested i can translate it so maybe this idea about concept album would be abandoned... :rolleyes:

Wow, that sounds really cool...would translating it be difficult and time consuming? If not I for one would love to read it but don't bust your balls over it unless you really feel charitable :)...
 
the Everdarkgreen said:
Wow, that sounds really cool...would translating it be difficult and time consuming? If not I for one would love to read it but don't bust your balls over it unless you really feel charitable :)...

you can just use a translateing web site. it does it for you
 
heh :D

To realize this interview é been a small enterprise, since the Katatonia found themselves in the fine means of their European tour, with a lot of susseguenti difficulty to reach them by phone. The French dates inexplicably were canceled, an after lçaltra, and so alone the courteous intercession of the Peaceville allowed to be able to converse me with lçottimo vocalist Jonas Renkse. Being a large fan of the band, I awaited this comparison for some time, and I should claim to be remained it pleasantly surprised: Jonas é of an impressive courtesy, disarming, although the charisma that itself evince from its manner of reasoning the questions that I had manner of them. A humble artist but already mitizzato, a reasonable and deep personality to the meantime: I had to more taken again lçimpressione of to converse with an expensive friend, a person with that share moods and passions, like if we knowed ourselves for some time. And yet us not ever we are met first. Power and mystery of the music. And wonderful dellçarte of the Katatonia. Here of I continue the punctual report of our chat..

Then Jonas, like you you go it? It how your European tour is going?
Now I am well, but I was sick nellçultima week; for luck I am in road of recovery and I feel myself better. For how much it pertains the tour, until this all moment is going to wonder.

I had way to read on the forum of your situated web (www.katatonia.com) some answers aside of the public, and I should say that most of you are are enthusiastic. Even if, to how much it seems, not some technical drawbacks they are been lacking..
Beh, really é cosiç, but normal é to confront itself with some things that even if do not spin for the just verse: does part of the game, and there is not problems in this sense.

The French dates inexorably were canceled: é a sin because me I got ready to leave to be able assistant to your performance from the living person..
I do not know what it is happening, they put us to the running one of the dates canceled when we were on the tour bus and we moved towards the destinations designated: to how much seems, the shows were not confirmed from the managers. Our agent called the clubs and their declined lçofferta allçultimo instant. Since to today, we played alone to Perpignan.

And like past é? I have lost something?
No, completely! (It laughs) Not é been a big concert: the place was determined bizarre, and do not cçera not even much people.

Then because not to come to Paris, like past lçanno (to the Locomotives, editor's note) : really the most immense field of subscription, for how much sticks the metal or the gothic, é lçIle Says Frances..
I keep unçottimo I remember of that Parisian date: we were well, a large atmosphere. We want to return us, even if this autumn if there will be lçopportunità of an available date.

We pass to "Alive Emptiness" : the mine first impression allçascolto é been that of a determined more aggressive platter.. The depressed phase of "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" seems to be by now to the shoulders, it is perceived a sort of determined, powerful reaction with respect to the past. It does é changed?
I think that to the base of everything it our will is us of to realize always something again in every album. We were very satisfied some result obtained with "LFDGD", é an excellent disk, and therefore we left from that type of songwriting in order to seek to do still better. Itself é a sort of challenge been about, to experience to improve us componendo, to the same time, something of different. I am dellçavviso that our fans deserve to listen to something of unpublished (like we, besides), since otherwise our proposal risk to become tedious..

Really, I agree sullçevidenza that talks about a "reaction", species to the comparison of what we carved in priority, and considers that this ours "turning" é in a some deliberate manner: in a lot awaited themselves a platter à the Paradises Lost, softer, rich of electric effects and like stuff, or at least this é lçimpressione that we had. A poç like if the new work of the Katatonia have to be by force of circumstances more commercial and melodic.. And é exactly what we wanted to avoid, an inclined disk to the compromise: would not have been honest towards who follows us, but also verse we same. We have so chosen for resonant unçulteriore evolution, simply preserving the typical ambientazioni "katatoniche" of our sound.

Of 15 track recorded in study, alone 13 appear on the final release. You think to include the two songs being lacking in a next individual?
I have not idea of what will happen, depends all from the Peaceville: if their want to give the printings an extracted dallçalbum, we will include certainly the two unpublished tracks. To the moment I do not know what to say you, but I am optimist to the resolution.

Beh, should publish an individual, I would choose without some hesitation on the splendid one "Evidence"!
I think that you have reason, it is discussed in fund of an obvious choice seen that é the piece that is collecting the greater approval from the fans.

Like ve the glances in house Peaceville? I had way to note than are doing a bulky promotional effort for the Katatonia: you are of it aware? Siç, we are very satisfied of their work and of the their present support. True EÇ than really are giving to do for those, and the difference with respect to the last é what tangible. It considers however that we is not a band allçesordio, likely our disks do part of the bestsellers of the catalog Peaceville, and so suppose that is in the their interest to invest on the Katatonia the most possible.

A lot passionate they associate the proposal of the Katatonia to a mood ontologicamente dark and depressed. For how much it pertains me, I have often cautious opposite lçaspetto: I perceive perfectly the dark side present in your music, but to the meantime I can testify lçevidenza of bursting unçenergia that goes to transfigure itself in a sort of catharsis.. In other limits, allçascolto of your disks understood me often of to reflect me in your art for then it a feedback however positive.
I understand what you want to say.. In a certain sense, it think to resemble you. You faroç an example, to explain: if an evening I find me to a party, I have not desire to listen to by force of circumstances cheerful music or amusing, I prefer rather hear what I am usual to make endorser in the cd player when is at home, and in the greater part of the cases cautious trattasi of stuff from the most like "depressiva".. And the motive simple é: the so-called music "sad", does not depress me completely! To the opposite one, it gives me of the excellent vibrations. I give back myself account that this puoç to seem weird to the greater part of the people, but.. You see, é a something of different from the usual one, an inner sort of purification, that the negatività allows to expel yourself than é inside of you and to hear you better immediately after..

Totally dçaccordo. Already than there we are.. I know that you are a fascinated of Jeff Buckley, Red House Painters, Black Heart Procession.. And I learned that it pleases you also David Sylvian!
Certainty, I confirm in full! "Secrets Of Beehieve" é a shining album, a true and actual one "classic". I had way to listen to it recently, I had not idea that a such masterpiece is been about.. Lçho gained in a shop of disks, almost for case, and I am remained struck down, above all for how much results in anticipation on the times: é been given to the printings in 1987, but plays present to tuttçoggi. A true and actual one "evergreen"!

You had way to listen to the new Will Oldham? It does you think of it?
I believe that it is a good disk, myself é pleased more of the precedent (" Ease Down The Road", editor's note) that not granché had me impressed. I am dellçavviso that "Master And Everyone" sounds a lot plus intimista, é surely the type of music that I prefer.

Even if it has a poç changed its way to sing? For certainties verses I preferred "THE See TO Darkness" ...
I understand cioç that you want to say, but I confirm you that the new disk of Oldham me é really pleased.

We pass now to the lyrics of "Alive Emptiness". Me specially it hit that of "Criminals" : it is discussed of a story really happened?
No, not é a real episode, at least for how much pertains me.. At any rate, I think that it reflect fully what é my relation with lçesterno and the people that surrounds myself: I am an extremely nervous person, I perceive constantly lçesigenza of to look at me the shoulders. You have present the fear of a something that yourself from a moment could happen allçaltro? EÇ a song that reflects fundamental my fears. I wanted it a story to tell in a piece, instead of to assemble a text with some sentence to casaccio: I think that is succeeded me enough well, and it is discussed of a something again in relation to what I had way to write previously. EÇ in deep cioç that I wanted, change the structure of my text for this disk: today my lyrics I am except for personal, more abstract, I write however in more gotten into focus manner, a story force to recount myself instead of to comply in further lamentazioni from "heart smashed" ...

I had lçimpressione that some songs are join between them, to varied levels: think about "Evidence", "Criminals", to the same one "Omerta".. To the test of the facts, it is discussed of a concept album?
No, not the é, but think to be found myself in a special mood when I wrote the texts of "Alive Emptiness", also because I edited the lyric an after lçaltra, practically all together, therefore cçé a sort of "fil rouge" that the league between them. At any rate, lçidea was that of to realize different stories, such to live of an actual life. In priority I wrote the texts in the most disparate moments, seeking then of to assemble coherently what had come of it outside. For this album I wanted really to concentrate myself, to give the utmost in my writing, to arrive the heart of the things.

A curiosity: how you know I am Italian and.. "Omerta" did me immediately to think the mafia. It is not discussed surely of a love song, I imagine!
Beh, really the title é come outside after the drawing up of the text: pleases me a lot read books on the phenomenon mafia member, or to look at some film on the subject. "Omerta" recounts actual of what we call the "code of the silence", and when reread the text for the first time have given back account that was deducing of that you breed of subject: é a simple story, nothing of pretentious, a person that seeks to escape to unçaltra since has finished a misdeed. He will be however reached, tracked from the one that hung it is a sort of "brother", but that clearly not the é completely..

or what motive the piece é cut things suddenly nellçepilogo?
It is discussed of an effect sought, since I wanted to reflect in tal manner what é the end of the story: the person pursued and alpha traced, comes in fact killed. You know, a bag of people itself é complained to the resolution, since wanted that the chorus returned at the end of the song.. For me it is discussed of an artistic choice, from the point of view of the lyric the song should finish in that I push demanded. And besides, for how much it pertain myself, the texts am something of mattering: could not have added a line of more, above all considering that lçepilogo of the piece é a metaphor of the death.

"Burn The Remembrance" : it is discussed of a story finite dçamore badly?
Siç, you picked in the mark: image of to to be obsessed from a memory, and of to want that this svanisca entirely, since the pain burns yourself still inside - EÇ precisely lçidea to the base of that song.

Considering all the sufferings annas (who not a time in the life experienced them at least?), you think that is worth really the trouble to believe allçamore, to the feelings?
I do not believe that lçamore you represent a something from which escape, alone because are afraid to be injured it. It is discussed of attractive unçemozione, and é in fund this the reason for that to the times puoç suffer us in that manner. So, not to have fear, and continuous to have trust in the feelings.

"Evidence" : you can explain me in thing consists the "test" of whom songs in the final chorus (that me frank moved)?
Also this é a text that you can personalize to your pleasure: é the story of two persons that strong are bound and that find themselves in a dangerous situation, of "not return" : alone one of them puoç to come it outside. The "test" é an abstract concept, puoç represent any thing, a test, a sacrifice.

Another piece that é hit me "Complicity" : of thing discusses really? Image a shape of control that a mysterious religious organization, a sect for example, puoç put in action on your life: to a certain point becomes more pressing, é a washing of the brain that it is carried out for means of threats, psychological terrorism. Never I was involved personally in this type of vicissitudes, but é a subject that myself always charmed: specially I am attracted from these crazy stories and troubling. I read also several books to the resolution.

Seen that we are in subject of literature, you had some way to read book interesting in the last weeks?
Beh, nellçultimo month I was in tour, therefore.. Little time to dedicate the books! An author that I am however appreciating specially é Paul Auster: I find his works really interesting, magnetic.

We return to talk about music: thing you tell me some compilation of individuals and rare outtakes "Capable Yester Days", that é been scheduled for some time but ever given to the printings?
How much you I am confused, this é a matter that pertains the ours old house discografica (the Avantgarde, editor's note) and, to how much seems, also the Middle Century.. The disk é announced in exit from months, but I have not idea of the problems that have verified in the meanwhile.

Unçultima ask and then I leave to go you: who é Jonas Renkse in the life of all of the days?
A normal person. I want to I hold occupied myself, of to dedicate me to the things that I love, species in the difficult moments. All this allows to preserve me the morale and to go ahead.
 
what did you use to translate it?web translators are always funny:D

thanx "scarlet" for the link, very interesting and nice interview! ( ma sei italiana/o???di dove sei?)


nice to read that he mentioned Paul Auster...Well I 've already made a thread about that last year, but I keep on feeling that his book "City of glass" is much in the vein of viva emptiness. especially those enigmatic creepy and obsessing situations...well maybe it's just a pure coincidence....even the title city of glass...

It took a while for me to get into viva lyrics, maybe because they were so abstract and essenial and a little bit disturbing/morbid...
But now I appreciate them much more, they just needed some time and to be read through.
 
hmmm...thats really hard to read. Sounds pretty funny acutally!

"For how much it pertains the tour, until this all moment is going to wonder." :D
 
Hehe, I got that from freetranslation.com, from what I've found it has the largest amount of languages and is the easiest to use, but also never seems to produce results (often even one word translations) that...make any sense :p.

It's pretty funny though because I remember in my last year at school in my French class most of the group used that site when we had to write an essay about ourselves in French, suffice to say the teacher quickly found out heh heh.

"if an evening I find me to a party, I have not desire to listen to by force of circumstances cheerful music or amusing." :D