RUPESH CARTEL

Rupesh Cartel, Viktor and Daniel, you have known yourselves in Nikoping - Sweden in the far 1996. What joined to you musically?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: We were both into Electronic music at the time and we were both into making music ourselves. In the small town of Nykoping, where we lived back then, there wasn't a lot of people who played or listened to that kind of music. We thought it would be a good idea do start doing something together. So, we started out in Rupesh Carteliel's small apartment - eating pizza, drinking soda and making music. After a couple of weeks we had a demo. We called ourselves Enemy Camp back then.

How Judged objective your music? How you could catalogue it?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: The best term for our music would definitely have to be just Synthpop. Of course, there are elements of other styles in there too. We listen to all kinds of music and that's probably something that's gone into our second album more than on our first one. For instance, there's a new song called 'The Abyss', that has an intro that's really inspired by a song with the Swedish metal band Cult of Luna. However, the sound and the structure of all the songs etc. is probably pretty typical for the synthpop genre.

In wich way you subdivide the artwork inside the Rupesh Cartel?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: Viktor writes all the songs. The production is done by Viktor and Daniel together. Instead of sitting down and just make the songs, we often discuss a lot around how we want the songs to come out in the end, before they're actually finished. So, how all the songs sound when they're finished is often a question of communication between the two of us.

Whith which state of mind you write and compose your music?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: We both love making music and really enjoy it. However, there is of course a lot of melancholy in the lyrics and in the melodies. We both listen mostly to music with that kind of atmosphere so that's probably one of the reasons why Rupesh Cartel sound a bit sad. Moreover, it's probably fair to say that we both are persons who are kind of close to our feelings so a lot of that goes down in our music too. We've been friends for a long time and now each other pretty well. Sometimes when I (Viktor) has written a new song, Daniel can tell straight away what it's about, because he knows exactly what has been going on in my life lately.

From when you have the passion for the Electronic music? Which sensations communicate to you?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: For us, as for most people in this genre, it was Depeche Mode and Kraftwerk who was the introduction. Sounds like a cliché but it's still the case. It's just the sound and the melodies that make it so good. We don't listen to a lot of synth or goth bands nowadays. For most of the time it's bands like Interpol and more guitar based stuff that spins in our stereos.

'Mainland', your first CD introduced a lively and dancing Synthpop. What you have appreciated and what you would corrected in this work? I Find it very exciting..

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: There are a couple of songs in there that are pretty good, in terms of melodies and structure. I (Viktor) think that 'On From Here to Hell' is a pretty decent pop song. Also, I think that some of the lyrics are kind of cool. For instance, the lyrics for 'Any Kind of Love' are pretty nice. However, I think the production and the mixing on the album could've been way better than it is. One of the reasons for that is that we simply didn't have a really good set of equipment at the time. We weren't able to get the push and the fatness in the sound, the way we wanted. That is something that has changed though, and that will show on our upcoming album.

Being able to upgrade your Hardware and Software instrumentations ulterorly, what you would introduce?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: The thing is, when it comes to software and hardware synths, we don't have very big set of equipment. Most of the sounds we use are samples that we've collected throughout the years. We have a pretty big bank of sounds that come from various places such as sample CD's, synths and other bands. We play all those sounds through the EXS24 sampler in Logic Pro 7, that we run on a Mac. Then we process all the sounds in different plugins etc. Of course, we have a couple of synths as well but we use them less and less all the time.

Would you speak us about your new MCD 'Ghost White', Supported also from a beautiful video? Can you describe exactly the essence of this song?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: The song is about realizing that you're an adult, and not a kid anymore, all of a sudden. Expected to act like a grown up but acting like a teenager. It's also about being a little confused and lost in life, and having a hard time to make real contact and communicate with other people.

We are impatient to discover your next Full Lenght ' The Disco and the Waht Not'. Can you give us some interesting detail in advance including the pubblication date..?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: 'Ghost White' is probably the most poppy song on the album. Most of the other songs are a bit darker and a bit harder. 'The Disco and the What Not' is very melodic, and it's still synthpop, but it's not really as poppy as 'Mainland'. The new album have traces of electro house and EBM, and all kinds of styles - that's one of the reasons for the title of the album. The album will be released in April.

We have felt something about another next CD Single 'Hide Like This', that would have realized in April. What you say us in pourpose?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: This single will be released pretty much on the same time as the album. It's another song about feeling like an outsider and feeling isolated. It's a dancy song and we will make a video for this song too.

With which band you would to play in concert?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: Tough question. There are like a thousand bands that we'd love to play with. If we'd have to pick one, however, it would have to be the Swedish band Tiger Lou. We've played with them before and they are dear friends of ours. It's always a pleasure just to hang out with them, and to play with them is really amazing.

In which direction the Synthpop is going?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: If you're wondering about synthpop in general, we are not really the right persons to ask since we don't listen to a lot of synthpop ourselves. Many synthpop bands, especially those that are kind of mainstream, seem to be looking backwards a lot - almost in a somewhat ironic way. It's like some of them wants to use all the clichés of the synth and 80's, and turn it all into a joke or kitsch. For most of the time we prefer bands that are sincere and honest about what they're doing.

Which kind of relationship you have with Megahype records, your actual Label?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: We have a nice relationship with them. It's a good mix between friendship and professionalism. Megahype is a really good label and they get things done. We share the same point of view in most cases, for instance when it comes to artwork on the album cover and stuff like that. They're all really nice people.

Which opinion has had the critic on Rupesh Cartel?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: It's been both really good and not very good. Most of them have been pretty good though. Some have thought that we're repetitive, others have thought that we're going in too many different directions, and then there are those who have said that we're really good. Opinions are like assholes - everybody's got one and everybody thinks that everyone elses stinks. So, we choose to focus on reviews that are good.

In which shape you music will evolve its essence in future?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: You could probably say that we're getting more and more minimalistic. The new album is definitely more minimalistic than our last one anyway. If we start out a song with a nice beat and a nice bass line, we don't feel that we have to put that much on top of it - except for the vocals of course. Also I think we're getting a little harder, and less poppy. The melodies are still there, and the structure of verses and refrains will still be there, but we sound less and less like acts such as Pet Shop Boys or Erasure.

Are you satisfied of your fans? What you would ask the more?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: We have great fans. We get a lot of e-mails and stuff from fans and that's of course very nice and inspiring. So thanks all you guys who support us.

To when a concert in Italy?

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: We'd really love to play in Italy. If a venue asked us to come we'd do it without a doubt. I'm really sorry to say that we don't have anything booked there though.

A Dedication to the Dsides' readers, please..

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: Hey DSIDE readers! Thanks for taking interest in us and best wishes to you all! /Viktor and Daniel of Rupesh Cartel

Rupesh Carte to the next one! Ours compliments!

-|-|-» Rupesh Cartel: Thank you very much!