Interview to Jesper Anastasiadis of Turisas

Interview by Luis Landeo
Hails Jesper, welcome to Arsenal Del Metalero, is a great pleassure meet you, and well for start with this interview tell me are turisas thinking work in a new album? we have to remember last album was released in 2013, and it was your first album with them
Hello Luis, pleased to do the interview! For the first question, let’s just say our current situation is a secret and I think an announcement is coming soon.

By the way how was for you work in the album: "Turisas 2013"? what experiences can you tell me about this recording days for that album?
My work on the album was pretty short but intense. I had just come off a month long vacation, headed straight to the studio, didn’t have time to rehearse the songs and just worked three days nonstop. That was a new experience for me and it was a nice lesson of how to prepare for recording in general. Had some nice blisters on my fingers in the end. Of course, my part was pretty easy compared to how much Mathias and Jussi worked on the album. Later, I recorded some lead and backing vocals too, mainly on Greek Fire and We Ride Together.

A very important thing to stay in a band like Turisas are the tours, tell me how was the first tour with Turisas? and how is play for you in live with a band with a lot energy and fans like Turisas?
My first tour with Turisas was also my first tour outside Finland. And it was almost 8 weeks long. But it was awesome, I think back on it a lot. We did 70000 Tons Of Metal, then continued for five weeks in the States and Canada and then did couple of weeks in South America. It’s crazy to think that I survived it, but everything was so fun and new that I didn’t think about it. Come on, we started off in the Caribbean, how cool is that? All the audiences were amazing and of course, South America took it to the next level. I hope we get back there soon. On our North America part, we had Firewind and Stolen Babies touring with us, and both of them consisted of extremely nice and interesting people. Getting to see all the big cities of the States for the first time and playing every evening was such an amazing experience, I cannot overstate it. What comes to performing with Turisas, I’ve always played with a lot of energy, but playing with them I had to seriously step up my game and had to learn to be even more invested in the show. But it’s a nice challenge to be able to perform consistently while running up and down the stage.

I have curiosity but how many minutes or hours take for the band paint the body with red and black painting and this battle uniforms before to every performance? I bet is something epic do that
Getting the paint done is the easy part, first it took about one hour, now it takes something like 30 minutes. Getting the paint off is always a hassle with different quality of showers available. Sometimes you end up running outside in the winter to get somewhere inside and all there is waiting is a cold, cold shower. Nice. But it’s great that we always have an hour before the show together and get to hang out.

You play the bass guitar but I know you play in a funk band, so how your funk music influences, influyed in the sound of the last album?

Yeah, I’ve played bass since I was 11 years old, and play all kinds of music. My influences basically just make me more of a versatile player. But of course, for example funk could be heard in my playing as a more groove and improvisation based approach. I hate it if a player is stiff and it’s apparent that he/she can’t do anything else than the part before him. Music happens in the moment and if you’re reproducing the exact same thing show after show it gets boring. During the last album, though, I think my playing style only amounted to some improvised bass lines here and there.

The band played in 2013 in southamerica, how was for you play in this part of the continent? and is the band considering return to play in southamerica?
Like I said earlier, South America was an amazing experience. I think all the bands that have toured there would agree. For us it was basically, take a flight, try to sleep, get in the van, soundcheck, show, van, hotel maybe, another flight and again. I was a wreck after that! But the audiences were so intense and we were received so well, that it was all worth it. I would do it again as soon as it’s possible. We don’t have any solid plans, but we’re trying to get back there.

Jesper it was a nice interview hope know about you and turisas soon, but to end this interview do you have a message to turisas fans and Arsenal Del Metalero readers?

Thank you Arsenal Del Metalero, and keep up the good work! For the fans of Turisas, just be yourselves, you’re freaking awesome as you are! Thank you for supporting Battle Metal!

To know more about Turisas:
https://www.facebook.com/turisas