Infected Brain

Present yourself to the readers

I'm The Vessel from Finland and VVOV is my blackened darksynth project. I'm joined on stage by The Deviant (bass) and The Discordant (guitar).

What’s the story for MARTO ?

Marto is VVOV's third full length album, and 8th release overall. It's an expression of suffering and misanthropy, particularly focusing on existential torment and the suffocating nature of collectivism.

Who composes ?...How does it work in the band ?

All music is composed and produced by myself. I also do the vocals. The band's lineup is complete only on stage, as live performances are hugely important to the project.

Who writes the texts ?..What are they talking about ?..How does inspiration come ?

I write the lyrics as well. Inspiration mainly comes from daily life, philosophical texts and just kind of observing the world around me. The unifying concept of Marto is infertility as a metaphor for stagnation, equating it with death.

Why the name VVOV ?

VVOV is an acronym for Vanitas Vanitatum, et Omnia Vanitas (vanity of vanities, and all is for nothing). Though I started off doing pretty standard horror-inspired darksynth, I always had the idea of first sneaking in some existential agony before blowing the whole thing wide open.

What are your personal musical tastes and your influences ?

My biggest influence is probably the UK band Anaal Nathrakh (industrial black metal/grindcore), along with Finnish acts like Mokoma (thrash metal) and CMX (prog rock). I tend to listen to all kinds of music, ranging from extreme metal to jazz rap.

In studio, what was the atmosphere for your album ?...etc.…

The whole production process was a rather unhappy affair, really. Every track was written and produced in moments of weakness and I do think it shows in the finished product, which I'm quite pleased with. The only catharsis connected to the record is my own, having finished it and communicated what I wanted to communicate.

How does it work for the design of the CD ? and why this title ?

The word "marto" is a Finnish word meaning both "infertile/barren" and "dead/dying". My native language also comes into play on the sort of titular track Infertile Minds, as I felt like writing in one's own language brings a sense of honesty to it - like this is not an act, or something I'm writing to be edgy.

Did you find a label ? If yes, how do you made the research ?

Marto is completely self-released, but I wouldn't be opposed to working with a label in the future.

With Management and booking, how do you work ? And with whom ?

Generally we just shoot emails at what ever venues and events we can think of. Our growing clique, Helsinki Synth City, has been a big help in getting gigs over the past year.

What are your projects ?

I like to keep my other works separate from VVOV, but I'm working on some more chill music on the side. I've also been writing some material for a potential doom metal project.

What do you expect from the future ?

For the band, hopefully more shows and more releases. For our species at large, I'm not so hopeful.

What's your motto ?

"What Diogenes was looking for with his lantern was an indifferent man."

Website to remember

https://vvov.bandcamp.com/

What would you like to say to the readers ?

Thanks for taking an interest. Support whatever you feel like.