SERGIO MAZUL
&
MIZUHO LIN
&
MIZUHO LIN
Left to Right: J. Augusto, Sol Perez, Sergio Mazul, Juliano Ribeiro, Mizuho Lin, Thor Sikora
METAL PULP AND PAPER: Thank you for taking some time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for Metal Pulp And Paper. What’s been going on lately for you?
SERGIO MAZUL: It’s a pleasure for us! Well, a lot of things happened since the last year. Our deal with David Ellefson’s Megadeth on EMP Label Group to release our album Lunar Manifesto worldwide and all the millions of views on our videos on Youtube, are on the top of the chain! But the ideas for a new album and plans to tour in Europe are on our present work as first subjects to be solved.
MIZUHO LIN: This year we’re taking some time off to think about our next album that will be released in 2018. We already have some songs and we’re composing all the time. We decided to record some extra songs to be part of our bonus tracks for some countries. Also, like Sergio said, we’re planning a tour since the last year, but these things demand a lot of planning and time. So we’re deciding what’s the best step for the band for now.
MPAP: For someone just now finding out about Semblant, what do you feel they should need to know about your band, and what can they expect from hearing your music for the first time?
SERGIO: Wow! Nice question. Be prepared to listen a band with female and male vocals, dark atmospheres and lot of influences in Metal mixed in our own personality. We started the band 10 years ago to build our own song, so forget everything you know about dark music with female singing and aggressive male vocals: our purpose is evolute in each album we release, in our own essence!
MIZUHO: Actually I think people should listen not just our music but all the bands without any expectations. Not to think “oh that’s gothic metal and I don’t like it” or “oh that’s death metal and I don’t like it” or even “oh I don’t like female vocal”. You can surprise yourself listening to a new song/band every time. Semblant changed a lot since the beginning, each album is unique, so you guys should give a chance for new stuffs.
MPAP: Semblant started out in 2006, and going over your music catalog, how would you say you’ve grown since your demo Behold The Real Semblant (2006) to Lunar Manifesto (2014)?
SERGIO: If you listen to this first EP and listen Lunar Manifesto afterwards, you can note how we became superior musicians. The first songs are awesome, we kept their essence, but our compositions, lyrics, melodies, live performances or studio know-how, today, are million light years away to a superior condition. Our experience with the music business is higher too.
MPAP: In between those releases, a full-length Last Night Of Mortality (2010) and an EP Behind The Mask (2011) also came out. What do you feel stands out about from each one?
SERGIO: We still love the both, but they represent two different ages of our band: “Last Night…” is the full album of our first line up, with our first female singer sharing the vocals with me; not only her, but also the guitar player, bassist and drummer are other people. Just me and Guto (keyboards) are still present from this times. But Behind The Mask represents a reborn: first songs with Mizuho singing, as her first band and first record since she began to sing. And have songs with all maturity and capacity until that times. We’re still playing that songs. Of course we plan resurrect some songs with the present line up from our very first record, but it’s a plan for the future.
MIZUHO: I’m gonna talk only about Behind The Mask because I was not in the band when Last Night Of Mortality was recorded. But well..Behind The Mask was my first recording album although it’s an EP with only 4 tracks. It was my first time at the studios so it is very special to me. Also, the track "11:11 The Door Is Open" was listened for the first time right before I record it. Sergio sang my melodies and showed me the lyrics and I learned at the same time and recorded right after that. So it was funny hahah but all things worked. But I think since Behind The Mask, Semblant went through a lot of changes, since line-up ‘til music style. We go through a natural evolution process, and I don’t think we should stop with it, you know?
MPAP: During the songwriting process, as the song begins to take shape and lyrics mold into form, how is it decided who sings which part?
SERGIO: We let the inspiration flow. We speak a lot with each other having ideas and trying them at the same moment. We have a great connection; not only the voices, but also the whole band.
MIZUHO: Well...I think is natural to decide it. Every time that we listen an instrumental for the first time, we have the ideas coming out so fast of which part should sing Sergio or which part should be me. Like Sergio said, we have a great connection of ideas.
MPAP: Taking a step back from today, if you ever had a chance for a “do-over” in your music career so far, is there anything you’d like to do differently after maybe learning the wrong way or the hard way?
SERGIO: Of course! First thing: American visas. 2 of us is finding some difficulties to get their visas. We could did it years ago, because we have tons of opportunities to do it now. Second thing: choose carefully the concerts and places to do presentations. We passed through some terrible difficulties with some venues and festivals.
MIZUHO: I’m gonna disagree with Sergio a little bit. If you don’t go through hard way, you’ll never learn. And that is an important thing to grow like a person and increase our abilities as an artist and at business. Yes, we could have done or prepared many things before. But I believe that when is the right time to happen, it will.
MPAP: If you could be a part of any music event of the past what would you want it to be? Maybe witness Elvis Presley playing “Jailhouse Rock” live for the first time, or hang out at the Woodstock festival back in 1969, or watch Pantera’s Dimebag Darrel coming up with the guitar riff for the song 'Walk' before anyone else hears it?
SERGIO: Woodstock and the classic editions of Monsters of Rock, would be awesome. Share the stage with monsters like Dio, Dimebag Darrel, Metallica with Cliff Burton or Slayer with Jeff Hanneman and Dave Lombardo, would be awesome. Well, I love Slayer with Gary Holt and Paul Bostaph too, it still could be killer! Hahahah.
MIZUHO: Hmm yes, Sergio said about Slayer with Lombardo and Hanneman and I must say that I would love to watch these monsters live on stage together. I used to listen a lot this band when I was a teenager. Unfortunately that will never happen again. The first time that I could watch their show was in 2013 and it was so sad and emotional to watch them of stage without Hanneman.
MPAP: If you could dabble in another genre of music for a weekend just for fun, what would it be and why?
SERGIO: I love Rock’n Roll, Hard Rock, all genres and subgenres of Metal or even Gothic Rock as a collector and admirer. Movie soundtracks most part of the time have no vocals or have Rock songs…well, maybe some Opera or 90s euro dance! Hahaha, 90s euro dance was a funny period. Times where pop was acceptable and full of personality, catchy songs and clubs with lots of people dancing together, hahah. I could sing some Double You, just for fun!
MIZUHO: Oh man, can I say pop music hahah? I have my pop side too, everyone that follows me on Facebook and Instagram knows about it.
MPAP: What is the longest you’ve been out on the road for a tour cycle so far? When does it get lonely or the madness starts to boil after a certain point?
SERGIO: 3 concerts in a row. Limited experience with tours yet. We probably will find some good challenge when we announce our first full tour!
MIZUHO: We all have our side jobs besides the band. I own a bubble tea shop, Sergio owns a rock bar and etc. So we can’t be out for a long time ‘til we have all forwarded in here. But we’re planning carefully for our first full tour.
MPAP: Is there anything you do to get by when you start to miss your family and friends, or even significant others?
SERGIO: In my opinion, miss people we love is always a positive feeling. Make everything incredible when we arrive back home.
MIZUHO: Oh well...my man lived in another city for about 4 years! So I think I know something about miss people I love. But Sergio described well, that makes everything even more incredible when we meet again.
MPAP: What has been your biggest challenge so far as a band?
SERGIO: Play Metal in a country like Brazil, where media just promote terrible culture and music. Brazilian funk (for sure, not the funk you know), “sertanejo universitário” (a kind of pop country music for college boys and girls) and a pile of other awful popular stuff makes Rock and Metal have the less possible space to be promoted. Every Metal band in Brazil is formed by warriors! We really struggle hard to keep making our music, as a lot of friends of us.
MPAP: Describe the time when you first realized that making music was something you absolutely had to do?
SERGIO: Lots of moments. When people from remote places on Earth send messages for us, buying our stuff or listening our music, when the fans sing our songs with us on live concerts or screams our band’s name loud, when we did the opening act for our idols in music like Moonspell, Nightwish and others, when my idol Charles Rytkonen from the Swedish band Morgana Lefay recorded some voices for our first album, when Tom from Evergrey invited Mizuho for some stuff, everyday we find new reasons to make music!
MIZUHO: Well…I think I always knew that! Since my childhood I performed alone in my bedroom in front of a mirror hahah. And I did music college. So yes, I realized since a long long time ago.
MPAP: What so far has been the best piece of advice you’ve been given in regards to the music industry and getting started as a band that may be helpful to others just starting out tomorrow?
SERGIO: Never record and album or release some stuff with professional intentions, in bad conditions. Always wait for the better moment, or keep recording home stuff and rehearsing while you can’t invest with professionalism in your dream. If you treat your dreams like poor stuff, they will become nightmares. Treat them like dreams: with the best and biggest dedication you can. It will take some time, like AC/DC says: “It’s a long way to the top, if you wanna Rock’n Roll. So keep the patience and focus aligned with your dreams in mind. The distance between you and your dreams, is your own will to materialize dreams in front of you.
MPAP: All good things must come to an end. What’s the headline for the rest of 2017, what’s next for Semblant? What can your fans expect?
SERGIO: Amazing concerts, our first tour out of South America and very good news for a new album!
MPAP: Before we go, are there any last words you’d like to say to everyone reading this?
SERGIO: Just gratitude. Thank’s for your attention, keep watching our videos on YouTube and search for our physical stuff! We just can keep the engines working, if you guys keep helping us buying our stuff and sharing our work on your social medias! Thank’s for everything!
MIZUHO: Thank you for everything! You’re the best and we love you all! Keep waiting for us, ‘cause we’re doing all that we can to tour around the world and to know each one of you that support us!
MPAP: Thank you from Metal Pulp And Paper. We really appreciate it.
SERGIO: Thank’s to you and your crowd reading this interview!
SERGIO MAZUL: It’s a pleasure for us! Well, a lot of things happened since the last year. Our deal with David Ellefson’s Megadeth on EMP Label Group to release our album Lunar Manifesto worldwide and all the millions of views on our videos on Youtube, are on the top of the chain! But the ideas for a new album and plans to tour in Europe are on our present work as first subjects to be solved.
MIZUHO LIN: This year we’re taking some time off to think about our next album that will be released in 2018. We already have some songs and we’re composing all the time. We decided to record some extra songs to be part of our bonus tracks for some countries. Also, like Sergio said, we’re planning a tour since the last year, but these things demand a lot of planning and time. So we’re deciding what’s the best step for the band for now.
MPAP: For someone just now finding out about Semblant, what do you feel they should need to know about your band, and what can they expect from hearing your music for the first time?
SERGIO: Wow! Nice question. Be prepared to listen a band with female and male vocals, dark atmospheres and lot of influences in Metal mixed in our own personality. We started the band 10 years ago to build our own song, so forget everything you know about dark music with female singing and aggressive male vocals: our purpose is evolute in each album we release, in our own essence!
MIZUHO: Actually I think people should listen not just our music but all the bands without any expectations. Not to think “oh that’s gothic metal and I don’t like it” or “oh that’s death metal and I don’t like it” or even “oh I don’t like female vocal”. You can surprise yourself listening to a new song/band every time. Semblant changed a lot since the beginning, each album is unique, so you guys should give a chance for new stuffs.
MPAP: Semblant started out in 2006, and going over your music catalog, how would you say you’ve grown since your demo Behold The Real Semblant (2006) to Lunar Manifesto (2014)?
SERGIO: If you listen to this first EP and listen Lunar Manifesto afterwards, you can note how we became superior musicians. The first songs are awesome, we kept their essence, but our compositions, lyrics, melodies, live performances or studio know-how, today, are million light years away to a superior condition. Our experience with the music business is higher too.
MPAP: In between those releases, a full-length Last Night Of Mortality (2010) and an EP Behind The Mask (2011) also came out. What do you feel stands out about from each one?
SERGIO: We still love the both, but they represent two different ages of our band: “Last Night…” is the full album of our first line up, with our first female singer sharing the vocals with me; not only her, but also the guitar player, bassist and drummer are other people. Just me and Guto (keyboards) are still present from this times. But Behind The Mask represents a reborn: first songs with Mizuho singing, as her first band and first record since she began to sing. And have songs with all maturity and capacity until that times. We’re still playing that songs. Of course we plan resurrect some songs with the present line up from our very first record, but it’s a plan for the future.
MIZUHO: I’m gonna talk only about Behind The Mask because I was not in the band when Last Night Of Mortality was recorded. But well..Behind The Mask was my first recording album although it’s an EP with only 4 tracks. It was my first time at the studios so it is very special to me. Also, the track "11:11 The Door Is Open" was listened for the first time right before I record it. Sergio sang my melodies and showed me the lyrics and I learned at the same time and recorded right after that. So it was funny hahah but all things worked. But I think since Behind The Mask, Semblant went through a lot of changes, since line-up ‘til music style. We go through a natural evolution process, and I don’t think we should stop with it, you know?
MPAP: During the songwriting process, as the song begins to take shape and lyrics mold into form, how is it decided who sings which part?
SERGIO: We let the inspiration flow. We speak a lot with each other having ideas and trying them at the same moment. We have a great connection; not only the voices, but also the whole band.
MIZUHO: Well...I think is natural to decide it. Every time that we listen an instrumental for the first time, we have the ideas coming out so fast of which part should sing Sergio or which part should be me. Like Sergio said, we have a great connection of ideas.
MPAP: Taking a step back from today, if you ever had a chance for a “do-over” in your music career so far, is there anything you’d like to do differently after maybe learning the wrong way or the hard way?
SERGIO: Of course! First thing: American visas. 2 of us is finding some difficulties to get their visas. We could did it years ago, because we have tons of opportunities to do it now. Second thing: choose carefully the concerts and places to do presentations. We passed through some terrible difficulties with some venues and festivals.
MIZUHO: I’m gonna disagree with Sergio a little bit. If you don’t go through hard way, you’ll never learn. And that is an important thing to grow like a person and increase our abilities as an artist and at business. Yes, we could have done or prepared many things before. But I believe that when is the right time to happen, it will.
MPAP: If you could be a part of any music event of the past what would you want it to be? Maybe witness Elvis Presley playing “Jailhouse Rock” live for the first time, or hang out at the Woodstock festival back in 1969, or watch Pantera’s Dimebag Darrel coming up with the guitar riff for the song 'Walk' before anyone else hears it?
SERGIO: Woodstock and the classic editions of Monsters of Rock, would be awesome. Share the stage with monsters like Dio, Dimebag Darrel, Metallica with Cliff Burton or Slayer with Jeff Hanneman and Dave Lombardo, would be awesome. Well, I love Slayer with Gary Holt and Paul Bostaph too, it still could be killer! Hahahah.
MIZUHO: Hmm yes, Sergio said about Slayer with Lombardo and Hanneman and I must say that I would love to watch these monsters live on stage together. I used to listen a lot this band when I was a teenager. Unfortunately that will never happen again. The first time that I could watch their show was in 2013 and it was so sad and emotional to watch them of stage without Hanneman.
MPAP: If you could dabble in another genre of music for a weekend just for fun, what would it be and why?
SERGIO: I love Rock’n Roll, Hard Rock, all genres and subgenres of Metal or even Gothic Rock as a collector and admirer. Movie soundtracks most part of the time have no vocals or have Rock songs…well, maybe some Opera or 90s euro dance! Hahaha, 90s euro dance was a funny period. Times where pop was acceptable and full of personality, catchy songs and clubs with lots of people dancing together, hahah. I could sing some Double You, just for fun!
MIZUHO: Oh man, can I say pop music hahah? I have my pop side too, everyone that follows me on Facebook and Instagram knows about it.
MPAP: What is the longest you’ve been out on the road for a tour cycle so far? When does it get lonely or the madness starts to boil after a certain point?
SERGIO: 3 concerts in a row. Limited experience with tours yet. We probably will find some good challenge when we announce our first full tour!
MIZUHO: We all have our side jobs besides the band. I own a bubble tea shop, Sergio owns a rock bar and etc. So we can’t be out for a long time ‘til we have all forwarded in here. But we’re planning carefully for our first full tour.
MPAP: Is there anything you do to get by when you start to miss your family and friends, or even significant others?
SERGIO: In my opinion, miss people we love is always a positive feeling. Make everything incredible when we arrive back home.
MIZUHO: Oh well...my man lived in another city for about 4 years! So I think I know something about miss people I love. But Sergio described well, that makes everything even more incredible when we meet again.
MPAP: What has been your biggest challenge so far as a band?
SERGIO: Play Metal in a country like Brazil, where media just promote terrible culture and music. Brazilian funk (for sure, not the funk you know), “sertanejo universitário” (a kind of pop country music for college boys and girls) and a pile of other awful popular stuff makes Rock and Metal have the less possible space to be promoted. Every Metal band in Brazil is formed by warriors! We really struggle hard to keep making our music, as a lot of friends of us.
MPAP: Describe the time when you first realized that making music was something you absolutely had to do?
SERGIO: Lots of moments. When people from remote places on Earth send messages for us, buying our stuff or listening our music, when the fans sing our songs with us on live concerts or screams our band’s name loud, when we did the opening act for our idols in music like Moonspell, Nightwish and others, when my idol Charles Rytkonen from the Swedish band Morgana Lefay recorded some voices for our first album, when Tom from Evergrey invited Mizuho for some stuff, everyday we find new reasons to make music!
MIZUHO: Well…I think I always knew that! Since my childhood I performed alone in my bedroom in front of a mirror hahah. And I did music college. So yes, I realized since a long long time ago.
MPAP: What so far has been the best piece of advice you’ve been given in regards to the music industry and getting started as a band that may be helpful to others just starting out tomorrow?
SERGIO: Never record and album or release some stuff with professional intentions, in bad conditions. Always wait for the better moment, or keep recording home stuff and rehearsing while you can’t invest with professionalism in your dream. If you treat your dreams like poor stuff, they will become nightmares. Treat them like dreams: with the best and biggest dedication you can. It will take some time, like AC/DC says: “It’s a long way to the top, if you wanna Rock’n Roll. So keep the patience and focus aligned with your dreams in mind. The distance between you and your dreams, is your own will to materialize dreams in front of you.
MPAP: All good things must come to an end. What’s the headline for the rest of 2017, what’s next for Semblant? What can your fans expect?
SERGIO: Amazing concerts, our first tour out of South America and very good news for a new album!
MPAP: Before we go, are there any last words you’d like to say to everyone reading this?
SERGIO: Just gratitude. Thank’s for your attention, keep watching our videos on YouTube and search for our physical stuff! We just can keep the engines working, if you guys keep helping us buying our stuff and sharing our work on your social medias! Thank’s for everything!
MIZUHO: Thank you for everything! You’re the best and we love you all! Keep waiting for us, ‘cause we’re doing all that we can to tour around the world and to know each one of you that support us!
MPAP: Thank you from Metal Pulp And Paper. We really appreciate it.
SERGIO: Thank’s to you and your crowd reading this interview!
©metalpulpandpaper