In Tschechien gibt es nicht nur fantastisches Bier, leckeres Essen oder wunderschöne Schneelandschaften, sondern auch tolle Musik. Diese Woche wollen wir euch Lakeside X aus Prag vorstellen. Sie sind aktuell als Vorband von diversen Bands quer durch Europa auf Tour und werkeln nebenher auch an ihrem kommenden Album. Frontmann Janne hat sich unseren Fragen gestellt.
And now, can you tell, who is behind Lakeside X?
Lakeside X are Janne Marvannen (vocals), Robert Broj (keyboards), Igor Dvorsky (drums) and Jakub Zachoval (guitar).We are based in Prague, three of us are Czech (Igor, the drummer, is Slovak). Our last album was born in close cooperation with producer Daniel Myer, who helped us to shape our new songs into a modern and gritty sound.
If you had to put your music into a drawer and print a label on it, what would it say?
Drawer label could probably be “Melancholic Synthpop /rock for the modern soul.”
Forget about genres for a second – Lakeside X`s music sounds like …?
We do belong to the realm where Scandinavian-style synth melancholy meets Central European emotional realism. Our sound carries the DNA of Depeche Mode and Björk’s electronic introspection, but instead of nostalgia, it’s charged with cinematic tension and lyrical vulnerability. It’s music that feels equally at home in a dim Berlin club as it does in your headphones during a 3 a.m. walk through a rainy city. In times, you may also feel an influence of British alternative rock, like Placebo.
Which sort of mood produces the best songs?
Our best songs are born in that strange twilight between longing and clarity — the kind of mood where you’re emotionally raw but still lucid enough to translate the feeling into sound. The strongest material seems to come from moments of introspection, disconnection, or fragile hope — when the world feels slightly out of reach, yet worth holding into.
There’s a melancholy that never sinks into despair, a search for connection that threads through the melodies and lyrics. I try to write through emotions – to transform loneliness, loss, and longing into something bright and spacious. You can probably get that feeling when listening to songs like „Rising“, „Time has come“, „Fascination“ or „Out of this world.“
Which person, artist or incident inspired you, when you first started making music?
When I first started making music, it wasn’t one single artist — it was that moment of realizing that sound could hold emotion more truthfully than words ever could. But if I had to name someone, it would be David Bowie for showing that you can reinvent yourself without losing your essence, and Depeche Mode for proving that electronic music can be deeply human — fragile, sensual, spiritual.
No alcohol is no solution either. What booze combination will definitely dissolve all your troubles and issues?
I certainly don’t believe that alcohol could dissolve any troubles or issues. It may probably cover them for a while but they will come back stronger. Few beers here and there of course won’t do any harm. After all, the Czechs are the probably best beer drinkers in the world.
The Fairy-Godmother pops up in front of you and grants you a wish. What do you wish for?
I would probably ask her to bring peace, more modesty, and reflection to people’s minds. The world could then be a better place. And when it comes to music, I would probably wish for our music to reach all the people who might like it. And for us to be able to play in places where we haven’t played yet. For example, at San Siro in Milan.
What is the most embarrassing/surprising record in your CD-shelf?
I would say that no one would expect me to have a CD of Judas Priest Painkiller. I love this band.
What’s next? Tour? Studio? Vacation? Something completely different?
At this point we are on our most extensive tour to date, having over thirty gigs from September to December. Most of the concerts we play as guests of Empathy Test, the briliant British synth-pop act. We do also support Christian Eigner (the Depeche Mode drummer) and De/Vision (Redux). We’re really happy we can show ourselves again in Germany, but also introduce ourselves in Hungary, Poland, Austria and even Ireland and the United Kingdom. Concurrently we have started to work on our next album that shall follow our 2022 release Love Disappears. We work again with Daniel Myer and we hope the first single will see the light of day already this year.
Tourdaten:
13.12. Lodz (Klub Scenografia), PL ***
*** with Christian Eigner
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