Miri Milman - System Divide
Interview
By Eetu "Ene" Niskanen
An interview with Miri Milman, leader of the extreme metal band System Divide, talking about the past , the present and the future of her career.
Last year you parted wayswith Distorted after over ten years of work together, was it hard to settle into a new band with completely new band mates and style of music?
The
break up was pretty hard because Distorted was my whole life
for 10 years, something I have built from the ground and it felt very
weird not to do it anymore but I feel really at place and comfortable
with the new mates of SD almost like we knew each other for
years,
We became close friends really fast and recorded the EP
pretty fast, so everything flowed very naturally.. about the music
style it's something I always wanted to do Extreme music.
I
always tried to take Distorted towards the heavier style but I
guess it didn't work out there. It's all new to me right now and I'm
lovin' it!
How would you explain your music on System Divide for the people who has never heard your music?
System
Divide is a very uncommon mix of extreme metal, going from pure
Death Metal to NWOAHM, Black Metal, Symphonic Metal, Doomy-shit like
Katatonia, poppy stuff like Soilwork or Lacuna Coil to
Nu-Metal like Slipknot if you want to call it that, but somehow it
seems to make sense when everything comes together. It's extreme,
it has it's melodic and slower parts and its poppy moments I
would say - it's a bit of everything with a modern sauce.
You released your debut EP with System Divide this year, how much work did it take to get it released?
First Cole wrote some songs and sent it to us and we started having some ideas about the song structure and vocal lines of course, so after 4 months we finished writing the songs and started with the recordings, everyone recorded somewhere else and after that was done we sent the songs to mix with Jacob Hansen which worked his magic with the sound and production. In the meanwhile we were looking for a concept regarding the artwork so we approached Colin Marks and he did a great job. After that everything was way easier!
How is the metal scene in Israel?
The metal scene is bigger than ever! A lot of new listeners, new faces on shows and it seems like there are a lot of new bands as well. The bands are starting to develop their approach towards the significance of merchandise and starting to have shows in a more European kind of style and also from what I see a lot of big bands are finally willing to come and play here so I think things have never been better.
Do you think it's harder to rise there as a metal band than in the big metal countries like Netherlands or Finland?
Of course it is because this music style is still not very common here comparing to the Oriental music or Pop music and unlike the Scandinavian countries that metal is their top musical style so it's very hard for a young band to become successful and break outside the Israeli barriers. Also a lot of labels and music promoters think that Israel is pretty far from everything so flying out a band to have shows must be expensive, most of the time it's not the case, Israel is just 3-4 hours away by plane from Europe, so it's not such a big deal. I hope this matter will change with time because there are a lot of great bands here that are really willing to put a lot of efforts and resources to succeed.
How would you describe your voice as a singer?
Musical
wise I would say my voice is somewhere between the Alto and the
Mezzo-Soprano, I have quite a big range. I can use my very low notes
but also control the higher notes as well. I'm very influenced by the
Oriental style in my country. I don't like the music itself but I
like the vibe and the oriental notes, I often use it in the songs. I
think it adds something very special, something you don't always
hear in Metal music but it really became popular in the last years, I
hear a lot of female singers trying to use this technique,
fortunately not everyone can make it.
What kind of music do you listen to yourself?
I love music in general so I love listening to a lot of things: Metal of course, I grew up listening to rock music as a kid and it got way more extreme over the years... I can listen to a good death metal band and then an hour later listen to a good Portuguese singer, it sounds like it makes no sense but I like the variety to keep the balance. As long as the music has good melodies, played well and sound good I can appreciate it no matter what it is.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
You may find it funny, but I grew up listening to John Bon Jovi, I still love all his songs and he was my biggest influence as a kid. After that and a few years of listening to black metal I started liking bands like The Gathering - Anneke was a big influence to a lot of female singers. As for today my Vocal Idol is Dolce Pontes - I find her amazing in every way and she did teach me a lot with her unique voice and technique.
Can you tell us something about the other members of System Divide?
Hahah
is that suppose to be a tricky question? Well, I do have some things
to say about them J
We
all became really good friends in the last months, It really feels
like we know each other for years. The connection is amazing so far
and it seems like we will work well together.
Mikey
- He's one of the greatest drummers I've heard in the metal scene!
He's a great person, mostly very funny and easy to work with. We have
a great understanding between us because we share the same roots.
Cole
- One of the most talented people I worked with. Everything he
wrote so far is what I always wanted to have in a band. He totally
understands the melodies I'm looking for. He's also very funny and
I'm sure touring with him will be something to remember.
Andrew - No one usually pays attention to the bass player but this dude
has some good qualities and he works really well with Cole.
You can clearly hear the good additional he brings to System
Divide.
As the rest of SD
he's
also pretty funny and very easy to work with.
Sven - Well that's a whole different story, I hate this guy!
Hahaha just kidding... Sven happens to be my husband so what I think
of him is pretty obvious! Sven is also very professional and working
with a pro usually makes things easier.
All I can say is that I can't wait to tour with these guys cause I'm sure it will be a blast and I won't stop laughing for a minute!
Can you tell us something about the songs and the EP you released and what about the lyrical concept?
System
Divide's concept speaks mainly about way of life and society. We
all live life according to a certain routine, a system if you will,
that dictates us every day what we are supposed to do. A lot of
people are unhappy with their lives and instead of being in a
downward spiral of depression and mal contempt, why not break this
system, which is where the divide comes in. We believe in breaking
the pattern, in the fact that you are in control of your own life and
your own future.
Too many people spend their lives whining about
trivial bullshit, that life just passes them by. Everyone is driven
by an urge to be "happy" or to have everything "perfect"
while there is no such thing. Do your own thing and follow your own
path, and be happy with the good things you have in life, focus on
that, instead of what you don't have, and reach as high as you can.
What are the plans for System Divide in the future?
First of all we are planning to record a full length album that will be probably released by the end of this year. We plan to sign a record deal with a label that will properly promote us and our music. We plan to have as much shows and tours as we can. We plan to always bring new stuff and surprise our listeners. We plan to design more different merchandise items for the fans and of course to try to stick together as a band and as friends.
What would you like to say to the fans and the readers?
First,
thank you all out there for taking your time in reading this article,
I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed it!
Keep your eyes
and ears open for more upcoming news about SD, The Collapse
Ep is only the beginning and we plan to bring you a lot more from
where this came from...
for those who still didn't get into the
System, check it out!
I will be more than happy to talk to
the fans and you can reach me either on Facebook or MySpace!
Keep
it extreme,
MIRI!
Links :
System Divide Official MySpace
Follow me on Twitter
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