“Jupiter is the most powerful, beautiful and entrancing planet in our solar system” – interview with Mission Jupiter

Mission Jupiter is an alternative-dream rock band which was formed in 2015. The debut album of the belarusian band is out since the middle of May. Please, take a seat and get to know this amazing band!

MyTouche Blog: Let’s start with a really “boring” topic: tell me about the story behind the band’s name!

Artyom Gulyakevich (bass): The band’s name forming is really interesting. We started to work on the material in 2014, by that time we hadn’t today’s musicians in Mission Jupiter. The band was a bit different and without the exact name. We played quite melodic and atmospheric stuff so the idea was to come up with something cosmic, atmospheric and memorable. Suddenly, our previous drummer said: “ let’s name the band Mission Jupiter!” And, honestly speaking, we loved the idea from the beginning because this name was very, hmmmm, how to say…, well, it was totally precise. Then we crystallized this for several months and decided that we came up with a new name very quickly, “we have to wait a bit”- I thought.

Vladimir Shvakel (guitarist): You know, sometimes the best ideas come on a sudden. We didn’t take this fact into consideration and in vain. We tried to think of a better name. It lasted for half a year, can you imagine this?! We even performed in front of the audience with a strange name, we chose it right before entering the stage. After the show we got together and thought that Mission Jupiter is not bad. It reflects the music we play, as well, people can easily transliterate it using different languages. Again, it proves that the best ideas come spontaneously!

Eugene Zuev (drums): You know, the time is running and now we have our own explanation of Mission Jupiter.

Well, Jupiter is the most powerful, beautiful and entrancing planet in our solar system! And we, as a band, would like to get closer to these epithets.

All members of the band are great lovers of cosmic subjects and our music reflects this passion. Our mission is our music! The main vector of the band is to make beautiful and conceptual work for everyone who appreciates melodic and beautiful music.

MyTouche Blog: Anyway, how did you guys meet each other and how has the band formed?

Shevtsova Nastya (vocals): As always, all good things happen by accident. I studied at University with Vladimir on the same faculty. We got acquainted participating in different university music contests. I sang and he played the guitar. Vladimir already knew Artyom because they had laid the foundation of the band. After that Vladimir invited me to sing the songs he already had. The guys, obviously, liked my voice because they proposed me to join the band after audition.

It was quite surprising for me cause I used to sing more jazz stuff. But the mixture of punchy and rocky music with female soothing voice was very attractive for them.

Artyom proposed us to listen to his friend. I mean, he said Eugene is a great drummer and gifted sound engineer and his good friend. We listened to Eugene, I remember that day, he entered the room, played some bits and we were absolutely sure that this is the right guy for us.

He was very shy but extremely passionate about the music we create.

It’s interesting but I studied with Artyom and Eugene at the same school in Minsk. I remember that very fuzzily because we didn’t know each other at school, just intersected. So we started to work on our first demos. Everything was very promising, we worked a lot, had fun, communicated all the time and etc. And then a pleasant moment for Mission Jupiter occurred…

Dmitri Soldatenko (saxophone): Yep! The guys found me. Vladimir called me and proposed to participate in recording process. They were recording the song called “Joy of Life”. We have it on ARCHITECTURE album. The guys wanted to add saxophone in the song. I just played something that was sort of improvisation, they liked it and proposed me to play with the band as a permanent member. We tried to avoid a standard sound of this instrument. I mean, it speaks like the guitar and not like jazz instrument. Well, I really love this idea of using sax solos instead of the guitar only.

MyTouche Blog: Which things are inspiring you the most?

Vladimir Shvakel (guitar): I can answer as I feel it. I mean this is quite general question but anyway, it’s really pleasant to remind my feelings and emotions when writing and working on the songs. People around, my personal experience, relationships, life itself – all these things can inspire me to move ahead, write songs and express emotions. Sometimes when being on my own at home, interesting ideas can appear in my head. In fact, when I hear a melody in my mind, I try to record it by means of the guitar and dictaphone. Honestly speaking, some potentially good melodies / songs were blown off because I forgot to record them.

Dmitri Soldatenko (saxophone): I understand Vladimir very much. I play sax a lot almost everyday teaching people at private music school and often improvise before a lesson. I can remember that some melodies played by me were really nice but I can’t reproduce them now because I forgot them.

Golden rule for musicians – record your improvisation. Often you can find brilliant musical ideas while listening to your spontaneous improvisation at home once again.

Eugene Zuev (drums): For me personally inspiration takes place when I work hard. I mean, I mostly involved in songs arrangements and when I see the results of my work I can literally “touch my inspiration”! That’s unbelievable feeling.

MyTouche Blog: Do you work together when you create new songs, or do you do it individually, pieces by pieces?

Shevtsova Nastya (vocals): Well, at this stage Vladimir writes most of the songs with the lyrics. He composes the body / skeleton of the song with the main vocal melodies and then we “brush” the song together pieces by pieces. However, there are some wonderful instrumental compositions on the album which were written by Eugene. The band owes a lot to this person, without his skills and him we are nothing!

Artyom Gulyakevich (bass): Probably we’ll start jamming more in future in order to create something new for us! Right now we have great material in reserve so we’ll work on it in future. But I have to say when preparing the album we changed the structure for several songs. That was justified step. We are proud of what happened, for instance, in the end with “The Call” song! Truly epic composition!

MyTouche Blog: Your style is described as alternative-dream rock. What does that mean exactly?

Eugene Zuev (drums): You know Afrodite, this genre is, to some extent, invented by our band. We spent a lot of hours thinking about our musical style. Hmmm… Our style is the mixture of alternative music, alternative rock and space / atmospheric rock music. In general we play alternative music but, to be more precise, alternative-dream rock.

While listening to our band you can relax, dream about something, but at the same time you can easily “shake your head”.

We are versatile and unusual, because we mix genres saving the proper song conception.

Vladimir Shvakel (guitar): As well, Mission Jupiter combines hard guitars with very melodic, soft and jazz vocals by Nastya! A lot of bands which play metal music have very aggressive female vocalists. That’s not bad thing, but quite usual. I mean “if you’re metal, sing like metal, be true and aggressive”! For us the most important thing is to be versatile and interesting for our listeners. We don’t tie ourselves to a particular music genre.

MyTouche Blog: What is the main topic of your debut album?

Dmitri Soldatenko (saxophone): The title of the album is “Architecture”! This name is a core of our work. All musical components (bricks) were pulled together by each member of the band.

“We hope everyone will feel comfortable in our musical building”.

“Architecture” is the result of those efforts which were spent for doing something monumental. We tried our best in order to make a record which would unite various music styles, different moods and musical ideas. The main task after that was to compose one whole picture of the album with the same atmospheric mood. As for me, this album is about battle for “our place under the sun”. Architecture is a harmonious and very melodic album and we can compare it with well-built building.

Eugene Zuev (drums): I agree with Dmitri! This album is about mature and interesting music with life-asserting lyrics.

We were sort of builders of the album. That is why it is called “Architecture”!

By the way, when Carlo Bellotti, our label manager from Epictronic, first listened to this album he was absolutely blown away! Then we realized that everything we did was not in vain. The only condition for our listeners is to be a music lover, cause everything we do is not about “hype” it’s all about beautiful music and satisfied audience.

Shevtsova Nastya (vocals): Totally agree with the rest of the band! Just remember the day when Eugene proposed the name of the album! We were discussing it for several weeks, then Eugene came and declared: ARCHITECTURE. He just hit the bull’s-eye!

Vladimir Shvakel (guitar): I’m personally happy that people of different ages like the album. Moreover, we got a lot of feedback and positive reviews from people after 30-35. That’s so cool!

Artyom Gulyakevich (bass): To my mind, Architecture album is about self-realization, searching for the source of truth and inspiration; it’s about joy of life as well, we have this song on the album. Well, “Architecture” album sounds in the minor however it’s not about depression and etc. I would define the key lines of the album. They are so different but very clear for every person.

Even when it seems the end
Staring at your face
Take it easy, trust your feelings
Calm down, look around, oversee
The beauty of reality
It shines our hearts /Joy of Life/

Will you be loved?
When the sun hides behind the horizon
You may be surprised
Never finding the truth
This is your life
And it’s passing you by. /Will You Be Loved/