Michael Tenten from the band Ayscobe Interviewed

This is Lee Walker from www.PlanetMosh.com conducting an email interview with Michael Tenten from the band Ayscobe

LW – Hi Michael, for all of those people who are just coming into contact with Ayscobe as a result of this interview, how did the band come into existence ?

Michael  –  Hi there! The Band Ayscobe was formed in 2003 with some friends of mine in Gammertingen, a small village in the south ofGermany. It was just a hobby in the beginning, but after a few years people became interested in the things we did, so I decided to make it more professional. But that was maybe to much for a couple of the other band members. The line up changed, I got a new drummer and guitar player for some live gigs in 2005, but as for Ayscobe the two guys got better things to do. So I started work on the rock opera and searched for professional musicians and the first to mention, it was Ulli Göhring on the Drums, Patrick Mayran on Sax, Nicki Nisch on guitar, Ulrich Tress on Base, Bastian Rustedt on vocals, Joe Vox on vocals, Elke on vocals, Sven Juettner on vocals, Laurianne Russo on vocals and myself. But for the Live show we can`t hold Ulli Göhring, Joe and Elke and Laurianne, they got their own Bands and so we took Simon Schmiss on drums and Sven Hermand on guitar.

LW – What bands/artists have been your influences over the years ?

Michael  – My musical influences are Ritchie Blackmore for his great guitar sound and his many ideas from Deep Purple over Rainbow till Blackmores Night, he wrote great stuff and done great in Savatage, Rush, Dream Theater, Ayreon and Pink Floyd. Floyd is a very high influence for me because I listen a lot to them in my youth, so it became a part in my writing, the idea of doing concept albums and the use of a lot instruments! But I think the question about influence is difficult, because I don’t write a song or musical piece with the target to sound like them or any other! I don’t have a musically style I want hit.

LW – You often describe yourself as being a “Rock Opera” band.  For those people who are not overly familiar with this particular style of music could you explain what it is ?

Michael  – It is a story you tell with music and lyrics and some actors or dancers talking to each other or telling or showing something of the storyline. This kind of writing leaves much place for imagination and ideas while the writing process. You can go other ways than just write a song for an album! You can modulate for each character or change the rhythm, you can stop and catch a whole new theme in one song to get something through you want to tell! It is a pleasure to imagine the figures and the story and write music for it!

LW – How did the bands current line-up come together ?

Michael  – It was a little bit of luck! Veronika Rüdenauer was introduced by Sven Hermand, Lothar Hermand done the technic before he joined (he played base in another Band this time) Sven Juettner was always there since we done the recording, Andre Frey is a teacher in my school, I asked him and he said: “alright!”

LW – I believe you have a new album out later this year.  Can you tell the Planetmosh readers what to expect from it ?

Michael  – I hope we will be ready with the recording till summer and get it out on the market in the end of this year. And I also hope to get some new musicians on it, maybe some violins and what I am very proud of Alexander Bogolishvili and his Saxophone! He is a fantastic musician with a very special sound. We have a great studio this time! So I think it will become a real great album with no compromises.

LW – How do you think this album compares to your earlier releases such as “Beside Yourself”?

Michael  – It will be familiar, the whole story is a second part. Our friend will return to reality and fights with his problems and this time he stays and is ready to win. I don’t want to tell too much, but the whole composition is a little clearer, because there are no dreams no confusion and stuff like that in it, but a little “hate and love story”. It will become a little heavier but also there are more ballads on it.

LW – Besides the pending album release do you have any more plans for this year ? Are there any plans for a tour to promote the album?

Michael  – Yes we want to do a remake of the first album too. Because we got this great studio now. Then we are planning a lot of concerts! We hope to play everywhere around Europe, the first concerts are in Flensburg Roxy in January and Stuttgart February, I hope in the FMZ in Stuttgart again in October, to present the new stuff and I hope France in summer and maybe England, we are looking out everywhere but we started the search just some weeks ago, so it will take a little time until there are concrete plans! Then we will release a tour plan. I hope we can also do a real good live album and maybe a DVD but this is really just a wish.

LW – Are there any messages that you would like to pass on to your fans ?

Michael  – Rock and Metal never dies! Stay as you are, hear what you like and don’t let your mind be formed from a scene! Your brain, your thoughts, your ghost! Thanks to all the music fans supporting Bands like us! Hope to see you on a gig someday!

For more information on Ayscobe please check out the Official Website at http://www.michatenten.de/  or follow the band on Facebook HERE