Formed in 1993 as a classical tribute to Metallica, Finnish band Apocalyptica are adept at combining the song cellos with the grunt of heavy metal. Given the challenges posed by an instrument with an ‘unpredictable, dynamic sound’, and often recording and mixing in different locations, the band have struck a partnership with Genelec.
The members of Apocalyptica – Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, Perttu Kivilaakso and Mikko Sirén – have much in common with Genelec, not least their nationality and desire to push boundaries with hard work and innovative ideas. The band have adopted The Ones 8341 three-way coaxial monitors for uncoloured, consistent monitoring, no matter where they work.
‘This is pioneering; it hasn’t been done before,’ explains Lötjönen. ‘The sound of a cello is very dynamic, whereas many electric instruments are far simpler to capture in terms of EQ and forming an audio image. In contrast, the sound of a cello is everywhere, there’s a lot of bass, a lot of high frequencies, many different colours. If you have low quality monitoring, you can’t hear all of those colours.’
‘I’ve never had a speaker with such high definition, it’s just so natural,’ adds Toppinen. ‘You don’t hear left and right, you hear precisely where the sound is located in the stereo image. Also, we work in different rooms that sound completely different. I have my own studio where I work and then the guys often listen somewhere else. So, for us it’s a big benefit to be able to calibrate each of those spaces using Genelec’s GLM software, and to achieve a consistent, reliably neutral sound. I can really trust what I hear. You can catch details that were not audible before.’
‘We need a trustworthy sonic reference,’ agrees Lötjönen. ‘With GLM, the results are consistent for everyone.’
On the similarities between Apocalyptica and Genelec, Toppinen points to Finland itself as powerfully influential: ‘Here we are living in the woods, in the middle of nature. We need to create new ways of living, surrounded by nature. That’s something we share with Genelec. I see a bright future for our relationship because the basis of our cooperation is heartfelt. We want to create something together.’
‘What we do is kind of unique,’ Lötjönen agrees. ‘But you must trust yourself and your vision and follow your own path. The same is true of Genelec. It’s the Finnish mentality.’ The relationship between Genelec and the band will become even closer on April 11th when Apocalyptica – currently in the studio recording a new album – will have full access to Genelec’s Instagram feed for a social media takeover.
