Roman, member of the Dutch Gothic band The Dreamside, produced bands such as Silke Bischof/18Summers, Pyogenesis, Shock Therapy, Asrai and many more.

MM - Where does the name ‘The Bloodline’ originate from and what does it represent? Can you remember any of the other names that were considered at the time?
The name “The Bloodline” represents the connection between life and death, the red line from birth to death and beyond. There were no other names considered.

MM - How would you describe your style of music to someone who isn’t familiar with the band and who do you see your target audience as being?
First of all our music is very diverse, almost too diverse to give it one name. To describe it as Doom Metal with Gothic influences comes probably the closest. A lovely description we once read in a review was, that “Where Lost souls Dwell” is a very ‘colourful’ album since it contains all possible shades of black. We feel that it can’t be described any better. 

We do not target any particular audience. Everyone who is open to our music and likes The Bloodlines diversity is more then welcome.

MM - Have any of the band members performed in any other bands prior to The Bloodline?
We played in various bands before we started with The Bloodline. Roman played in Pyogenesis and performed in studios and live with bands such as Shock Therapy, Silke Bischof and others. Kemi performed  and worked in the studio with many projects such as  Blue field, Silke Bishof, Angels and Agony. We have other bands next to The Bloodline.

First of all The Dreamside, an Alternative/Gothic band that we also run together. Furthermore we are active in Satyrian as writers and singers/performers. We both work in different fields of the music world.

MM - What bands did you grow up with and how have they helped to inspire the style of music you perform now?
Kemi: Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks, The Cult, Depeche Mode, This Mortal Coil, Siouxie, The Cure, Paradise Lost’s “Lost Paradise”, The Fields of the Nephilim, The Godfathers, Cocteau Twins, The Sisters of Mercy, the Mission…

Roman: I grew up with a variety of bands and my youth was under the spell of Venom, Motörhead, Fields of The Nephilim, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode and 90^th Death Metal.

When it comes down to inspiration for “Where lost souls Dwell” there are musicians and bands as well as sounds capes, several art and music styles that influenced us. Some are  Trend Raznor, The Fields of the Nephilim, My dying Bride, Paradise Lost, Dead Can Dance, This Mortal Coil, Amorphis, Entombed and Rammstein. We were also inspired by soundtracks from artists such as Hans Zimmer and John Carpenter. 

MM - Your new album ‘Where Lost Souls Dwell’ is a truly haunting album, would you like to tell us a little bit about each of the songs on it and any stories behind them?
Basically all songs tell little stories about live, despair, hope and the end. Most songs have still a true core that is based on experiences and characters that played a role in our lives.

Kemi and I do not start up with a story that we want to tell when writing the lyrics for a song. Therefore we also appreciate that there is enough space left for own interpretations. Words that have a certain meaning for one person might not have the same for another and even your own interpretation might change through the years. You can see this on many examples, such as listening to music, reading books or watching a good movie. Wow, I’ll try my best to explain what a couple of songs actually mean to me.

The album starts with “At the waters of Lethe” and tells the story about soul mates meeting each other when passing over to the land of the dead.  Although this is a story its words have a very deep meaning for me.  I believe that at the end of ones life, time and distance does not matter and true friendship, love and spiritual connections are what remain.

“The final journey” describes a person who is alive but dead from the inside on a travel to the treasures of what life might offer.

The words for “Opium Hearts” have been initially written in remembrance of a friend of mine who committed suicide when being on a trip.  The lyrics tell about a vision he once had, that was either shocking to me.  The connection to “Final Journey” might be that he was also already dead long before his body finally passed over.

Free yourself from what holds you back to be who and what you are, is the story behind “Cut the cords”.

In “Remember” we sing about sacrificing yourself when giving hope to someone who lives in despair.

Do you have a favourite track off the new album?  If so what is it about this particular track that makes it stand out for you personally?
Kemi: To me “Ocean of flames” is the ultimate song on the album. It’s a sum up of the whole and truly overwhelming.

Roman: I love “I think we simply fall” the most. The sphere of this song is truly dark and ass kicking.

MM - How does the song writing process work within The Bloodline?  Is it mainly one individual, or more of a team effort?
It is certainly a team effort. Kemi and I did everything our self and worked very closely during the entire production process. When playing instruments and singing we recorded and produced each other. The creation of “Where Lost Souls Dwell” was probably the most intense recordings we ever did and both of us are so much full of ideas and inspiration.

MM - How long did it take for this new album to be created from the initial conception to the finished product?
Usually we have ideas all the time and to tell when the initial process of creating the concept began is hard to say. Nevertheless the entire process from having the concept up to working on the mix was very intense and quick. We worked very had through days and nights. All in all it took 6 months from writing the first tune until the final mix.

MM - The band are currently signed to Rebel Monster Records for the release of your new album.  How well do you think you fit in with the label and its fellow bands?  What was it about Rebel Monster Records that made their offer the most attractive deal on the table?
It was very important to us that we have total artistic freedom, which is quite unique nowadays.  We are very well aware of the selective audience we reach with our music, as The Bloodline is all but mainstream music. Therefore we really appreciate the coverage of RMR’s distribution network.

MM - What response have the band received so far from the music press and all your fans out there?
Reactions are divided in both extremes and reviews are either ecstatic or terminal, however most reactions are very positive.  Personally we feel that this is a good sign and both extremes get you off the average and make an album something to talk about. The creation flow of this album was a natural thing and the music had to be written this way.  We did not know what reactions to expect because “Where lost souls dwell” is a gothic and metal hermaphrodite and stretches the edges of both styles.  

MM - What is the most memorable concert you have performed at and what made it different from all the others?
We never performed live with the Bloodline.  Roman and I played many shows in several bands and we certainly will enter the stage with The Bloodline at some point.  It is difficult to create the album atmosphere on stage and it does not remain with getting plugged in and play a show. To do The Bloodline live takes a lot of effort and preparation, and we set high targets to ourselves. We are working on it.

MM - Would you like to tell all the readers what your website address is so they can all check it out.
Check out www.thebloodline.org

MM - Tell us one thing about yourself that not many people know.
A couple of years ago Roman and I wrote music for a science fiction short movie which was a pretty cool experience. The premiere was in a huge cinema at a film festival and to consume your creation under these circumstances was truly special. Certainly something that was also inspiring.

MM - Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to all the readers out there?
Hope to see you live one day and also check out www.dreamside.nl.

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