SORROW STORIES Q&A
Sorrow Stories is Tina Forlorn, who creates alternative, dark, electronic, acoustic & soundtrack music. Tina speaks to us about exciting upcoming plans - including her music being used in a feature film; how music is a vital emotional release and discovering the creative opportunities in collaborations.
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What first sparked your interest in electronic music and soundtracks?
I actually come from more of a guitar background and for many years, it was just myself and an acoustic on many raw demos. This is still something I love and do today but my interest for electronic music and synthesizers has pretty much always been there too. Starting with synth artists like Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Eurythmics and Electronic earlier on. Then industrial music like NIN, Stabbing Westward or Mortiis. Up to some Trance and House especially from the late 90’s/early 2000’s and EBM artists like Assemblage 23. I have always preferred the darker side of music but ultimately, I can appreciate anything that says something to me lyrically and makes me feel musically. Which is also what I hope I achieve for others with Sorrow Stories.
As for Soundtracks; next to music, movies were a special thing to me growing up. I spent most of my younger years on my own either listening to songs or watching films and I think one of the greatest contributing factors to film or tv is when the music is very fitting to the story and scenes. Whether that is songs with vocals or the instrumental score. As a young girl, I especially loved hearing Soundtracks such as The Terminator, which I am a fan of. You could say it was the first influence to maybe that darker ambient but yet almost industrial type style of synth I both sometimes do myself and have grown to love since. I also think of ‘Aliens’ or ‘The Crow’ or ‘Sucker Punch’ or ‘The Watchmen’ as all good examples of great music with film, but there are many.
You've got something new coming up, can you tell us anything about it yet?
Yes. I can! I am about to release Part 1 of an EP for a new track called ‘I Tried’ and it will feature artists Aesthetische, 13th Angel, Psy’Aviah and Aiboforcen from labels Alfamatrix and COP International.
Fabricio Viscardi from Aesthetische will be behind mastering for this release and there will be some videos. The pre-order is available now via my bandcamp and it will be out on Aug 5th
https://sorrowstories.bandcamp.com/album/i-tried-ep-part-1
There will also be some exciting artists for Part 2 and another new something to follow on from that.
What do you most enjoy about creating music?
For me, music is just something I must do. Because of passion, absolutely but also for the sake of sanity. I’ve experienced a lot of dark times throughout my life and music has always been my constant go to for escape and to help release a lot of those things. It is important to me as an artist to always be sincere.
I especially enjoy writing lyrics and a lot of the time, these are emotional but also, they have metaphorical and storytelling aspects to them. Although, the words are rarely planned. They are just on-going thoughts or sometimes ideas I am having at the time.
I also love creating melodies and on the musical side of things, these usually are the first thing that I do. I always play and create as much as I can myself. Whether that’s the drum programming or synths, bass or guitar. Not that I believe there should be any rules or that there is a right way to make music but that way just feels more organic to me and what I enjoy doing most.
Who do you think is the most exciting music artist around right now?
I think that some of the most exciting artists around right now are within the independent scene. Artists like Kiffie and Pulse Lab but there are many to choose from.
Scandroid is an artist I recently discovered. I don’t necessarily love every song but I think he is really good and he does everything himself, which I always respect.
Was there anything that you’ve been obsessively listening to while working on new material?
I wouldn’t say obsessively but recently, I have been listening to a lot of The Birthday Massacre. I knew one or two of their songs before but I consider myself relatively new as a proper fan and really love what they are doing. Funny enough, I checked them out more because someone told me I reminded them of especially the vocalist. This was a huge compliment that of course, I disagree with. Maybe if I was Canadian and in a band! - but I certainly can relate to their lyrical content and dark sounds and imagery, which is probably where the similarities were made. Whether these have subconsciously influenced anything I have worked on, I am not sure. I don’t intend to sound like any other artist but at the same time, if at some point, you hear a variety of the music I have loved throughout my life within my own then I don’t necessarily consider that a bad thing.
What film or series would you dream of having your music featured on?
I would like to try out more different types of themes and styles to fit the scenes of a film but overall, I think what I typically do for ‘Soundtrack’ could be most fitting to horror or sci-fi. Both franchises, I also happen to be a big fan of. Movies such as ‘Aliens’ or ‘The Thing’ or ‘The Matrix’ to ‘Psycho’, ‘Evil Dead’ or ‘Texas Chainsaw’. Talking of:
I can’t say much at the moment but I have actually just been invited by a director to have my music included as part of an upcoming feature film, which I think should be very fitting to the intended content.
I also love superheroes/comics. Of course, some of the bigger franchises such as ‘Superman’ and ‘Batman’ appeal but also more obscure or darker stories would be interesting to help bring to life. I am thinking here of something like ‘The Maxx’. Which is kind of a dark story about trauma & the world we live inside our heads vs outside. There was an MTV animation back in the 90’s of it that was short lived and the comics get a little crazy in places but I hope one day it is brought to life on screen, but only if they do it well.
I am looking forward to doing the planned sequel to ‘Tamesis Trilogy 1’ with Director Dennis Da Silva. The first soundtrack was based on the movie which was set in an alternate reality where the protagonist, ‘Sammy’ - a gay Spanish seahorse collective who as ‘Guardian of the Waters’ time travels in a submarine on a mission to warn humans about waste, plastic pollution and the preservation of the creatures that inhabit the river and surrounding areas.
https://sorrowstories.bandcamp.com/album/tamesis-trilogy-1-soundtrack
It won the Jean Luc Goddard award for Best Experimental Short 2020 and was shown around festivals worldwide. Including the Totally Thames Festival 2019 and it received a live music screening at the Cinema Museum as part of Exploding Cinema programme.
I created several of the songs, did production and mastering and organised the artwork and promotion for the soundtrack. I also went through various audio recordings from the movie to edit and produce to sync in with the release.
Do you enjoy collaborating with other artists? If so, who would you dream of working with?
I had always done everything myself as ‘Sorrow Stories’ and for a long time, having always been a bit of a loner, I was often asked but was actually quite resistant to working with others but in more recent years, I have gladly tried out some different things.
In a way, my first attempt started with some remix artists, including Assemblage 23, when I put together a LTD ED 6CD Box set
https://sorrowstories.bandcamp.com/album/the-past-always-repeats-again-the-remixes
This is also where I started a working friendship with my artist ‘Death By Laser’ who continues to work with me on covers, banners and posters etc today.
Over the last few years, I have done some collaborations. Including with Alfa Matrix artists, Aesthetische for 2021’s ‘Overflow’ EP and Psy’Aviah on their ‘Bittersweet’ album which came out in April this year.
https://alfamatrix.bandcamp.com/album/overflow-ep
https://alfamatrix.bandcamp.com/album/bittersweet-bonus-version
There is more to come with Yves (Psy’Aviah) and also another artist coming up that I can’t announce just yet but I am looking forward to.
I thoroughly enjoyed the collaborations and so I wouldn’t be opposed to doing some again. I don’t have anyone particular in mind but I think I could contribute something interesting with anyone whose music inspires me. I am quite versatile with styles so it is interesting to me when I get the opportunity to do something I like that can also be a bit different to what I do. Sorrow Stories will always be my primary music but if the time and connection to work with another artist is right then why not?
What’s coming up for you next?
I have more releases with other artists coming up, including with Psy’Aviah, as mentioned before. Meanwhile, I am gradually working on new Electronic and Acoustic songs, along with the soundtrack for ‘Tamesis Trilogy 2’
However, first I have new EP’s out soon with plans for more songs later this year.
You can check out all of my available and upcoming music here
https://sorrowstories.bandcamp.com