Pain
Good Party Music

07.06.2011

A calm and benevolent, though somewhat tired voice, reserved gruffish laughter – I am speaking to Peter Tagtgren, mainman of cult Swedish death metallers Hypocrisy and sole creator of no less brilliant industrial metallers Pain, an excellent producer, a true hitmaster and simply a crowd favorite. Shortly before his latest visit to Russia, timed to the release of Pain’s latest CD “You Only Live Twice”, Peter gave me 30 minutes of his precious time, and even though he had been doing interviews for already a few hours before, he was willing to give answers to all my questions.

Your Russian fans will be the first ones to hear your new songs live, right? So why are we so lucky?

I don’t know… We love Russia! I think we did the same thing last time as well – we started with Russia. I’m not sure, but I think so. Russia has always treated us really great. And when we did this first long tour in Russia, all the way to Irkutsk, it was a really nice tour for us, we were able to go inside of the country, not only on the west side like St. Petersburg and Moscow. It was really great and I don’t know too many metal bands from Europe that have seen as many cities as we in Russia.

So what is it that makes you want to explore our country so much?

Oh, I really like it! To me it’s really great to go there. I mean, Moscow and St. Petersburg aren’t too much different from the Scandinavian big cities, but the more you come in, the more it becomes… a little bit more “Russia”, I think. The first time I was in Moscow I was like, “Oh, it doesn’t differ too much from Stockholm”, the same in St. Petersburg – it doesn’t look too much different from Helsinki or something like that. But then when we started to tour other cities or towns – then you see that it’s a different culture. The same thing is when you go to… I don’t know… let’s say America – and you can see how the things look like there and in South America too. It’s cool to be able to see all this, it’s great to be to different places that you haven’t been before.

I wonder if the title of your new album “You Only Live Twice” means that the album tells a story about someone who during his whole life had no chance to fulfill his wishes, but now he changes his life completely and kind of “takes revenge”…

Hmmm… Well, I’d answer “no”, because the title itself is about envy and about people being maybe disappointed about their whole life, how it grew up to be and they are looking for a kind of second chance. So mainly that’s what it’s all about.

What made you think about this issue so much that you decided to dedicate an entire album to it?

I don’t know. It’s only one song and the album title that I thought would sound pretty good. But I think it’s an everyday issue for everybody. And the whole album is not a fiction story or anything like that, it’s just about real life, it’s not a walk in the park - sometimes it hurts to live, you know. But it’s not necessary for all the songs on the album to have something to do with the title of the album. When a band puts the title on the album it doesn’t mean that the whole album is about that. In general the whole album is about life in the dark look. So of course all the songs have a reference to the title as well.

It feels like your single “Dirty Woman” doesn’t sound like a typical Pain song and your fans were rather surprised to hear it. Many of them said that it sounds like AC/DC. Did you kind of “shock” your fans on purpose?

Yeah. (laughs) Yeah. I mean, why start up with something that people will expect? It’s good to have some arguments going out there on the web, to wake people up and let them know that Pain is back. And the second single that’s coming soon is gonna be very typical Pain for sure. But we didn’t want to start up that way, that’s boring I think. I’m a kind of person who doesn’t want to do things over and over again, I’d rather take a couple of steps forward as well and develop Pain sound or style – whatever, you know. It’s a constant search for better all the time for me. The first album sounded in one way, the second one sounded in a different way and so on, and I think it’s just the evolution as a person for me, as a creator or whatever you wanna call it, an artist… As I live I try to move forward.

I see… But do you agree that the song sounds like AC/DC?

Nah, it’s just the vocals. At first I put the regular Pain vocals on it and it didn’t sound good, so I had to change it. I tried so many different styles of singing and then… You know, it took me a couple of weeks to find the right vocal style for this song and it’s the same thing with the whole album - a lot of songs have different kind of parts so I had to change my vocals to fit in to the music parts. It’s always a kind of big journey. I have no clue what I’m doing until it feels right and I know it sounds right. So that was the only vocal style that felt right for that song, but it doesn’t mean I’m singing like that on the whole album.

You said that with this song you wanted to “wake people up”. But when you do something unexpected you have a chance to be strongly criticized. Don’t you get angry or frustrated when you get some negative responses on what you did?

No. Because some people are very narrow-minded and normal people are not. And Pain doesn’t have a frame that it has to stay inside. The Pain albums and all the songs on these albums can be so different from each other, it doesn’t matter. I think the whole thing is just… Well, the “feeling” of the album is always gonna be the same – it’s good party music, I think.

Pain is your solo project and most of the time you work in your studio alone. Don’t you feel sometimes that you need somebody’s help, some fresh point of view, some unexpected ideas, for example? Or do you completely rely on your own taste and abilities?

Yeah, it’s not easy to do a Pain album, because it’s like four people’s job in one. At first you have to write the songs, than you have to perform the songs and than you also have to produce them, to mix the album. For me it takes a lot of time, but… I mean it’s a huge challenge for me to make a Pain album, but there’s also the beauty of it in the end when it’s done, because it was fucking hell while doing it.

Doesn’t it get boring sometimes to spend 24 hours in your studio alone?

No, I see it more as a therapy. I’m not really a person that can go “bla-bla-bla-bla-bla” all day long, I’d rather… I’m a thinker. I think a lot. And I enjoy being by myself and letting the world turn around me.

In one of your interviews you said that sometimes it’s a bit of a problem for you to write lyrics, because that’s the last thing you do when you compose songs and you often have not enough time to think them over carefully. So how was it with this new album lyric-wise?

No, there’s always time to think them over before you release the album, of course. But I’m a music writer more than a lyric writer, so I usually get stuck with a blank paper and just stare at the wall for a while until I start getting to what I should sing about, because when you’re done with the music and you have to put on the vocals, you’re sitting there like, “Okay, what the fuck should I sing about?” Like, “What’s important for me and what’s important for other people and how can I do this?” And that’s a challenge.

In one of your interviews you said that your lyrics for Pain are more personal than for Hypocrisy. Is it still the same?

Yeah, I think so. And these lyrics are very easy for other people to relate to. I’m not singing about that I think I’m a god or anything, I’m just singing about things that I feel and things that come in my way and make me think about them, but I think in the end any other person is thinking about them as well. I’m not unique in thinking that way, I feel the same about things as pretty much everybody else. That’s why Pain lyrics are easy for everybody to rely to.

And when you’re writing lyrics for Hypocrisy you’re inventing some characters to tell some fiction story from their point of view, right?

Yes, it can be anything from a horror story to a religious story, from fantasy story to a science fiction story. It’s just about what kind of ideas I come up with at the moment.

Your new single “Dirty Woman” is available for free downloading. Do you think that sooner or later we will get all the music from the Internet only?

Yeah, maybe. But downloading won’t do anything to the rock show, it will always remain the same. I mean, you can’t fight the future, you’ve gotta go with the future and that’s how it’s gonna be and no one can change that, so you just have to come up with new ideas. As for me, I’m never worried about these things. I won’t say, “You shouldn’t download my music”. But I’m sure that people wouldn’t like to see a live show on the net. They’d rather be there in the crowd and go crazy instead. And it’ll always be the same. And people are also buying shirts and stuff to support us in other ways.

So you think that the most important part of a musician’s job is to perform live, right?

But at first you have to write good songs. (laughs) Well, of course everybody wants to sell albums and record companies are gonna go bankrupt if nobody’s buying the albums. And it’s gonna be harder for bands to record their albums, to have good quality coming out, so that’s the negative thing as well.

They call you “the king of ringtones”, do you know that?

Yes, I heard about it, but I think it’s a Russian thing.

Okay, what song do you have as a ringtone?

I have no clue… I think it’s like an old telephone signal. But of course they have a lot of ringtones with “Shut Your Mouth” here in Sweden and everywhere, I guess.

But are you happy with this title?

I never thought about it, they can call me whatever they want, I don’t mind. I know what’s important for me and if people see me as a ringtone maker, I don’t care. It means that I write good melodies and that’s cool.

Well, I think your melodies are so catchy and that’s the reason…

Yes, I guess… I hope! (laughs)

You said that you wanted your new album cover to have something from “Nightmare before Christmas” and “Alice in Wonderland” at the same time…

Yeah, well, not the same, but something that goes in the same kind of this weird dark way.

So does it mean that you’re quite into some “dark” fairytales, you know, Tim Burton style?

Not so much into… But I like how it looks. And fantasy is a really good way to get away from reality sometimes, to relax your brain from everyday stress and bullshit.

And do you read some fantasy books then?

No, to be honest I really don’t. I never have… how you call it… well, the “nerves” to sit down and read a book, because my head is spinning 120 kilometers per hour all day long, so I can’t sit still, that’s impossible.

Oh my! Well, but talking about fantasies, you have a lot to do with aliens. Why?

Back in the past, when I was a kid growing up with science fiction stories and movies it was just a cool thing. And then I started writing about it, in the 1990-s or something. And I do believe that there are some other creatures living somewhere in the outer space, the universe is endless and there must be some other life forms. I’m not saying that they are coming to see us every week, that doesn’t make sense, but there should be someone either more intelligent than we or the opposite on the state of becoming intelligent. There are so many suns out there in the universe and where a sun is there can be life more or less like here.

You said that you don’t believe in God or destiny, so is there something you believe in, some supernatural power?

I believe in myself. And I think other people should believe in themselves. I don’t think that religion should tell you how to live your life. I think you’re strong enough to take care of yourself and do what you should do instead of living in a fairytale. You can’t believe in stories that no one can prove are right.

So it feels like you have quite a positive thinking if you believe that one can do with his or her life what he or she wants…

Yeah… Well, of course everybody has a different kind of environment and for some people life is harder than for other people, but as long as you have ideas and creativity, you should just follow your heart.

I know that you’re quite interested in acting and have already taken part in a movie. Are you planning to become not only a musician but also an actor one day?

Nothing is planned right now, but I wouldn’t mind trying that. I’ve been in the movie “Exit” with Mads Mikkelsen playing the main part and it was really fascinating. And I really like doing videos and I like acting in front of camera. It’s something that I wouldn’t mind doing more.

And what is it you like about acting? Is it the opportunity to become someone else for some time?

Yeah, it’s pretty fascinating how you create a certain feeling in a picture from something that’s really just a fantasy. Same with music, you know, when you create something from nothing. And you get a certain drive when you’re listening to an album and stuff, and the same thing when you’re watching a movie.

And talking about your music videos, do you come up with some ideas for them?

Yeah, a little bit. For the last video “Dirty Woman” I came up with the idea that they should crash the drums and put the drummer in the focus instead of always showing the singer.

Well, tonight we’re mostly discussing Pain, but how is it going with Hypocrisy?

Well, we’re having a break now. We’re just trying to get motivated to write new stuff in the future. We’re just gonna take it very easy, we’ll see if it takes one year till the next album comes out or two or five. We’ll see. Basically we just don’t wanna release crap music. We’re gonna do the best we can do before we release our next album. We worked twenty years so hard to get up to the level where we are, so we’re not gonna throw out any fast written albums.

They call you a workaholic, because you seem to compose and record music 24 hours a day. Do you have any other things you like doing except making music?

Making babies. (pause) Well, I like to cook a lot.

Oh, really? Are you a good cook?

They say so, I don’t know.

And what is it that you cook?

All kind of stuff. I like making food that takes maybe two or three hours to make, it’s relaxing.

Wow! And are there any times in your life when you can’t even think about music, when you get too tired of it?

Yeah, there are some times when you’re thinking of jumping on the plane and going to some desert or island and staying away for kind of 20 years from the whole thing. I really enjoy writing music, but I don’t like the business and all this stresses me out.

Talking about going to some desert, are you keen on traveling?

Yes, I like traveling a lot, I really like going to different countries and seeing different people and meeting fans. I really like it.

But I mean not because of your job and your tours, but just personally…

Well, I can go for a week and then I start getting irritated and then I need to come home.

So you’re not the one who can relax somewhere on the beach?

No, if I wanna relax somewhere sometime I maximum go away for a week if I have time. Either than that if I have a day off or something I’d rather get down to the studio and write music.

You produced a lot of bands. Do you think that a good producer can do some kind of magic and make a band sound much better than it actually sounds? Or does it still depend on a band themselves if they can play good music or not?

I think yes, till it comes to performing. There’re always things that can help you become better with your sound today, but at the end of the day you have to present your songs live and if you’re really crap live, anybody can see that it was artificially made in the studio.

Do you still enjoy producer’s work?

Yeah, it’s great. I like it. It’s nice to go on tour, but actually when you’re done, you wanna go back home and get into the studio and produce bands.

But don’t these bands take too much of your energy and don’t you feel like you’d better put this energy into your own music?

Well, I’ve been doing that for the last three or four or five years and now I’m concentrating on my own stuff and there’re only two or three bands I’m producing. When there’re only two or three bands I know what’s going on and the technology of recording and so on.

What would you do and what would you be if you had a chance to “live twice”, I mean to live for the second time? Would you like to change something?

Yes, I wouldn’t get married twice. And then I wouldn’t have to be divorced twice. But well, I think sometimes it’s good to make mistakes to learn.

So maybe you’d better be married only once then…

Or maybe not at all.

Don’t you believe in marriage?

No. People change when they get married, you know.

So you believe in great love neither, right?

I don’t know. I’m not a romantic kind of guy, you know. It’s just headache.

So you prefer to stay alone?

No, not alone, just unmarried.

And have a lot of affairs…

Millions! (laughs)

Okay, if your marriages are the things you regret of, than what are the things you’re really proud of?

My music career. I’ve been able to do it for so long and it feels really great. And I have a son as well, and I’m really proud of him.

Pain on the Internet: http://www.painworldwide.com/  

Special thanks to Alexei Kuzovlev (The Motley Concerts) for arranging this interview

Interview by Ksenia Artamonova
Photos by Helle, Denis Goria
May 19, 2011
© HeadBanger.ru