Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?
Hi there 😊 The name “RISTRIDI” is derived from a character from the youth novel “Geheimen van het Welde Would” from the dutch writer Tonke Dragt. I needed a nickname for my YouTube Channel, which I created in 2007. The character was called “Ristridin” and I just removed the letter “n”. It has no special meaning, it’s just been a book that I read at that time. Now, it’s my common nick on the internet. I started with uploading cover videos in 2009 and since then, the channel had a slow but steady increase of subscribers, with now more than 20k subs. Then, in 2017, after having been a member of various local Metal bands, I started writing my own music and released it in 2018 under the name “OMEGA POINT”. These two albums were the result of a hard time for me. For the first time in my life, I had problems with my mental health. Music was my vent in that case. About a year ago, I decided to the project to my YouTube monicker to make the music easier to be found. The lineup for the new EP “Dark Solstice” consists of Mortos on the drums, Von Yanesh on Bass and Frankior on Vocals with various other guest musicians on some tracks. Mortos and Von Yanesh were my former bandmates in the Dark Metal Band “Agathodaimon”. And Frankior is actually the new vocalist of “Agathodaimon”. Due to me leaving the Rhine Main Area, I needed to find new musicians for taking the project to the next step – playing live. RISTRIDI now consists of Jonathan Rittirsch, who already sang in OMEGA POINT, on vocals, Daniel Brenner, a fellow student during my Sound Studies, on guitar and Felix Indra on drums.
Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?
Well, the original line-up as heard on the EP was mainly from the Rhine Main Area. The new lineup now consists of people I know to be good musicians. How did we get together? Well, I asked around my contacts and eventually these friends wanted to join me in making this a “real” band.
Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?
Oh, I love so many bands. My favourite for a long time was Megadeth with Marty Friedman, as you can see on my YouTube-Channel with mostly Megadeth covers (laughs). There is for example also Coroner, Wintersun, Death, Vektor and Symphony X, just to name a few.
Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?
Oh, at the age of 11 (2006), I for the first time heard Metallica and saw Kirk Hammett play the guitar. I was so hooked, and I wanted to know how to play like that. That’s when I got my first guitar as a present and started practicing. From 2012 onwards, I was almost always part of a band. First with Blackened Death Metal Band “Sektor”, then with “Agathodaimon”. When I left “Agathodaimon”, I started to think about what to do next – so I decided to transform my “Solo Project” into a full-fledged band.
What songs or albums are on your current playlist?
Right now, I love listening to Ghost, old Rhapsody, Tribulation and Kamelot and Borknagar. Just a few songs from each band, but they do write some catchy stuff! I also recently discovered the band Set Your Sails at the Summer Breeze Festival. I love them!
Do you sing in the shower?
Haha, no. I don’t like my voice, hence I don’t sing in the shower.
Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?
In September, we’re going to release the new EP and have a live concert accompanying it. And then, we will be on the lookout for concerts – hopefully, we’re gonna play some gigs and festivals in 2024!
Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?
Yes, this friday on 25th of August, we’re gonna release the third single from the EP, called “Perihelion”. Then, on September 22nd, the full EP will be released.
If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?
The Royal Albert Hall would be great! But with our current following, it wouldn’t nearly be filled, hence we have to grow some more to play in such an awesome venue!
Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?
Oh, there are many favourite albums. For Megadeth for example, it’s Rust In Peace, for Coroner it’s Mental Vortex, and the list goes on. There’s awesome music in every genre, so I could go on and on, haha.
Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?
Lol, I do love some of the cheesy stuff. I’d say I actually like the song “Atemlos” by German Pop Singer “Helene Fischer”. I guess that’s a guilty pleasure.
If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?
The Big Four, accompanied by some Tech Thrash Legends like Vektor and Coroner.
Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?
Sorry, I don’t remember it that clearly, haha. But it could have been the single “Can’t Break Me Down” by Exilia. Also, I once bought the Jay Z/Linkin Park collaboration during that time. Don’t remember though what I bought earlier. I still have both CDs, yes.
As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?
Thank you, everybody, for your continuous support! I hope you’ll like the new release.
Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!
https://instagram.com/ristridi
This interview is the property of The Metal Asylum