OLIVER PALOTAI
Official website: www.kamelot.com
Official Facebook: www.facebook.com/OliverPalotaiOfficial
Thanks for the help with organization interview to Olly Hahn.
*Interview was done in May 2014
"Usually I can keep 90- 100% of my results."
Besides being a musician I produce bands, I orchestrate and I mix music. At any point of time I have 5 or 6 projects in the pipeline. Right now I finished the production of a young female fronted band called Diacrone, which are about to be signed. After I will focus more on the new Kamelot record. Also I am working on soundtracks, so symphonic arrangements, and some Jazz stuff.
I am a pretty conservative worker. I get up early, and work straight through the day in my studio. Usually I can keep 90- 100% of my results. People often think I would need some kind of inspiration. But no - I can rely of the fact that I am usually full of musical ideas, probably enough for the rest of my life. I hope, haha.
"If you want to become someone, don´t try to be someone."
Like I said: Music stands for itself. I don´t need inspiration from movies, books, real events in my life etc. That is a typical cliché about artists, coming from the romantic period, where they invented the "genius", or a person inspired by some higher spirit.
I am a big fan of the Baroque Era, with Johann Sebastian Bach as the outstanding composer of his time. Back then musicians were seen somewhere between scientists and craftsmen. I like that. Also, I am coming from a region of Germany called Swabia. We are famous - well, or infamous - in Germany as being very sober and straightforward. We are also the region of inventors: The car was invented here, for example; Albert Einstein comes from here. Hans Holbein, or Leopold Mozart. A proverb here is: "If you want to become someone, don´t try to be someone." Meaning just do your thing, every day, work hard, and don´t waste your time with useless thoughts."
"... there are many downsides to touring."
To be honest, I am not too fond of touring. I like seeing my band mates again - we usually live far apart - and having a good time together. Also the actual playing is usually fun, meeting fans and seeing some parts of the world. But there are many downsides to touring. Mostly it is waiting, waiting, waiting. Sitting in tour buses, airplanes, ferries, airports etc. Many backstage areas are also crappy; especially in certain countries the promoters are not investing any additional cent into the comfort of the artists. Often it is dirty, dark and uncomfortable. My personal "problem", though, is also the fact that I am not a big party person. I don´t drink alcohol too often, and I need some privacy. That makes it of course harder to be on tour.
"My own peep show."
My very first song was at the age of 9, for the kids of our neighborhood. We wanted to be rock stars back then. The lyrics were mainly dirty. The first one was called: "My own peep show." The title of the second one was so dirty I can´t tell you here, haha.
"Those are the moments you live for as a live musician."
Sometimes it is very energetic (to be on stage). Then the energy flow between us and the crowd is perfect. Those are the moments you live for as a live musician. Sometimes, though, that good feeling is taken away by technical problems, bad stage sound etc. Then a concert can become a struggle and you´re glad when it is over.
"Double check and double check again if you´re good enough."
The difficult part about the music business is that the cake is not big enough for average talents. I am not talking about one- hit- bands who write one good song, out of sheer luck, and then they are gone again. I am talking about making a lifelong living of music. In 90% of the jobs out there mediocrity rules. And I don´t mean that condescending. People go to school, after they choose some kind of study, they start working after three, four years of learning, and live of a job which they don´t like too much, they don´t work too hard, but
they can afford a good live standard with. In music that is not possible. You have to be very good, very talented, and hardworking. Then - maybe - you can live or partially live of music. My first advice is: Double check and double check again if you´re good enough. Also, if you´re happy staying in your little room to practice a life long - if it is not about the lifestyle of a musician, not about touring, performing, interviews, fans etc. - but really about music, then maybe this job is for you. There are so many frustrated musicians out there around 40, 50, who didn´t make it, and - additionally - have very little money.
"Anything else is not so important."
I am actually a horrible daydreamer. But luckily I have a pretty ambitious, realistic side as well. So have most successful musicians. If you have your head in the clouds you usually don´t get anywhere.
The main goals in my life I have all fulfilled, but still I am waking up every day and I look forward to the upcoming hours,to make more music. I am a happy person when I have an instrument in my hand, and some way to write down my music. Anything else is not so important.
"Any reviewer is also just a person ..."
I really don´t care any more. Any reviewer is also just a person, just a music fan, with a subjective taste. In the past it struck me worse, but I assume that was because I had doubts myself about some of my music. Today, when I fulfilled my vision, my standards, negative review doesn´t reach me any more.
Life credo.
"Stay a student until you die."
"Then we have maybe reached some kind of utopia."
I don´t know if music is so powerful. It can reach people, can stir emotions, but it doesn´t win wars or brings peace. A better world? I think the problem we have is that we are still the same old cave men inside. We live in a world with space travel and the internet, but still we kill over the illusion who has the right god and who not. Humanity is great and pathetic at the same time. I think in a couple of decades we have reached the point where computers do everything; and I mean everything. They will do all the jobs, all the thinking, and they might create better art than we were ever able to. Then we have maybe reached some kind of utopia. We can do or not do whatever we want. What I personally fear is the way there, the huge changes in society it brings with it.
Last words.
"I know some of my words sound maybe very uninspiring, dry, and free of illusions. I mentioned that I don´t like the image some people have of musicians, composers, people in the business, all this aloof and wishful thinking. Of course all good music is in the end about emotion, coming from the heart. But the way there is hard work, straight and analytical thinking, and practicing, practicing, practicing. The average time to become really good in music is about 15, 20 years, and then you just start to develop something great. But I wouldn´t have wanted it different and I would go the same way again."