Giftsvamp

Instrument: keyboards
Born: 14 May 1983
With Svartby: since 2004

1. When and how you began to play music? Who or what made you to like metal? First album you bought and first metal gig you visited?
In middle school I visited a class of classic guitar for a year, then I got pi... got tired of it. Then I attended music school with all the classic musical education - and learnt to play piano with notes in front of me. In high school I just learnt to play acoustic guitar, electric guitar and bass by myself. The greatest progress I did as a bassist. And then we founded Svartby and I started playing keyboards. As for heavy music - well, it's the sound of distortion. When suddenly it didn't irritate me, but it was like - oh, my! How I listened to anything without distorted guitars BEFORE? Everything began with "The Greatest Hits" tape of The Offspring, then I bought Smash, Ixnay and Americana albums. At the same time I liked In Flames, Tiamat and Therion - well, my first metal albums were Whoracle, Wild Honey and Vovin respectively. In childhood I liked the songs of Beatles - Come Together and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, because they had some sound like dj-dj-dj )))

2. Bands you play/played with (except Svartby)?
My first more or less serious project was called "Nit Elite", a band of my college chaps. We played sympho-punk, I was a lead vocalist and played bass. Also wrote music and lyrics. There were cool songs, but the band came to an end when our drummer committed suicide. We recorded a tribute album of 17 songs for his memory and it was over. My first serious metal band was brutal death band Nordlicht, where we got acquainted with Lindwurm, and then we left it and formed Svartby. Also played session keyboards in folk-metal band Dwarven Dance (not very long).

3. What instrument do you have now? Why this choice? What is your most desired instrument?
I use Korg X50 - that's a cool board for the stage. It's light as a feather and sounds good. I'm not much of an experiment-guy, it's convenient to play and navigate, and it sounds good. What else? Would like to buy two or three same Korg X50s more :))

4. Can you play any other instruments?
I learnt to play electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, a bit drums. I can't play all of that now already, but now I know how the guys do it and it helps to compose songs without touching the strings or sticks :)

5. Favorite music
From pop-music to black metal and brutal death. You can meet E-Type, Tsjuder, The Offspring, Black Bomb A, Equilibrium, Blackguard... - just ANYTHING in my playlist. I appreciate real drive in music, and good and beuatiful arrangements. Hate most r'n'b and emo music - it's just a bubble gum, they don't have any healthy emotions and soul.

6. Musicians you admire with
i don't like fast keyboardists - guys, you're not on the race, you're doing music! Solo for solo is a full shit. So guys like Bodom's keyboardists must go and play anywhere aside my ears. I like Dimmu Borgir's keyboard work on Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia, Rene Berthiaume from Equilibrium does great keyboards, and Tyr from Illnath. From non-metal keyboardists - Danny Elfman and Joe Hisaishi (soundtrack from "Spirited Away" - that's omg omg omg the best ever.).

7. Which band would you like to share a stage with?
Well just any band :) The only thing that matters - is that they were the great guys to deal with and their music was interesting.

8. Favorite food and beverage
All the vegetables, raw, baked, fried (potatoes - yes!), any meat by all means, and MUSHROOOMS! Fastfood is also a food for the gods :) Drinks are beer, cognac, whiskey, tea! All sweet things, buns and cakes go to hell along with the fish. Well, fish is good in small-small rolls in sushi bars - that's all.

9. Hobbies and passions
RTS and RPG video games, cartoons, nature, smoking, discovering new places and exploring them.

10. Which country would you like to visit? Do you have a country of your dreams?
All the Europe - several times. Would like to visit US and Japan. My country of dreams - is my homeland.

11. Life philosophy
Life is fun!! All the "biiig problems" - are not problems, but tasks to solve.