ENEMY OF THE SUN - Escaping The Grips Of Despair Page 2
by Martin Popoff

Asked about production touchstones that might be seen as characteristics of his, Waldemar begins by saying, "First of all, I see producing not just as a job. This is I think a very important point, because many producers, they don't care which band they would take to produce, because it's a job. And this is why I don't have my own studio. I'm not in or near a studio, I'm working in one. Because when you have your own studio, sometimes you have to take bands that even when you're not happy with the stuff, you are part of a system, and you have to produce for each studio. And I don't have this, so I have the freedom to go into the studio with a band where I really enjoyed the music, and I enjoy them as people. When this part is not there, I think it would be very, very hard, and it would be hard for me and for the band. Overall I think, I wouldn't be able to really help the band, when I don't like the music. In this case, all together, we work like one family. Everybody works very hard on the music, and from the beginning, I'm in there already with the songwriting, because this is important. I think what I always do... I'm a very musical producer. I start very, very early. Usually I like to start producing a band right with the first song. So when the band is in the process of songwriting, I'm already working with them, and already trying to give advice or maybe I'm working on the songwriting with the band too. You get the best possible musical results. And when you've done all this, and then you go into the studio really based on the necessary things, because everybody knows their parts. So you go into the studio and you just record, and you go through the songs, and they are already pretty good. But the main point is that the songwriting is already done. There is no fighting in the studio about, 'Hey, I want to play this longer or shorter.' Those fights are always before (laughs)."

Looking back at the many classic underground productions you've done, what is one of the most elaborate or expensive or interesting sessions you can recall?

"It wouldn't be fair to any other production to just point one or two out, to say I enjoyed this one mostly. But I think when you work with bands like Lacuna Coil for ten years, you are feel like you are part of this family, and they are very professional. The same like my friends from Samael - we call each other family. There is this connection. It's not just business-wise, but it's also a very friendly and private situation, so it's always like a very good moment. Same with Moonspell. But I could name probably all of them (laughs)."

ENEMY OF THE SUN - Escaping The Grips Of Despair Page 3