Floor Jansen

Floor Jansen

Floor Jansen live with Nightwish in 2013
Background information
Birth name Floor Jansen
Born 21 February 1981
Origin Goirle, North Brabant, Netherlands
Genres Symphonic metal, progressive metal, power metal
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, vocal coach
Instruments Vocals, guitar, piano, flute, violin
Years active 1997–present
Labels Nuclear Blast
Associated acts
Website Official Floor Jansen site

Floor Jansen (pronounced [ˈfloːr ˈjɑnsə(n)]; born 21 February 1981 in Goirle) is a Dutch singer-songwriter and vocal coach. She is the current lead vocalist of the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish and also the Dutch progressive metal band ReVamp.

Jansen first became known as a member of symphonic metal band After Forever, standing as their lead vocalist from 1997 to their disbanding in 2009. When After Forever disbanded, she created ReVamp and released two albums with them. In 2012 following the departure of their lead vocalist Anette Olzon, Nightwish brought in Jansen as a touring member until the end of their Imaginaerum World Tour. In 2013, they announced Jansen was now their full-time lead vocalist.

A frequent collaborator of Arjen Anthony Lucassen, she is a member of his progressive metal supergroup Star One, and sang in the Ayreon albums Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer and 01011001. She also sung lead vocals in several songs of the MaYan album Quarterpast and in Avalon's Angels of the Apocalypse. She is the older sister of fellow singer Irene Jansen.

Biography

After Forever (1997–2009)

Jansen was sixteen when she joined Apocalypse (the name of the band After Forever in its early days) in 1997. Three years later the band released its first album, Prison of Desire. Her ability to sing both classical and rock music has made her reasonably popular in the metal scene. She took sole charge of After Forever's lyrics and vocal melodies since the departure of Mark Jansen (no relation) in 2002.[1] Prior to this, up until the Decipher (2001) album, the two would write together.

Jansen with her former band After Forever at the Masters of Rock festival in 2007

Three albums by the Dutch composer and multi-instrumentalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen include guest vocals from Jansen. She sang one song on Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer, made a number of contributions to the Star One project and plays the character Ω in the Ayreon album 01011001. She is the older sister of fellow singer and Ayreon guest vocalist Irene Jansen, who played "Passion" on The Human Equation. She has also been a guest for the metal band Nightmare.

ReVamp (2009–present)

Because of the burnout that After Forever band mate Sander Gommans underwent, the band took a year off starting in January 2008 but ultimately decided to call it quits in February 2009. Jansen posted on her website, that while After Forever was on hold (and since then disbanded), she would use this opportunity to start writing music with Jørn Viggo Lofstad (Pagan's Mind, Jørn Lande) for a new musical project.[2] On 16 June 2009, Jansen announced through her MySpace site, that she had started a new metal band, which has put the project called Sinh with Lofstad on hold.

On 17 October 2009, Jansen announced via MySpace, that the name of her new band was ReVamp.[3] ReVamp's first album was produced with After Forever keyboardist Joost van den Broek, bass player Jaap Melman (formerly of Dreadlock Pussy)[4] and guitarist Waldemar Sorychta (Grip Inc., Voodoocult, Eyes of Eden and Despair) as songwriters and producers. The current line-up of ReVamp features keyboardist Ruben Wijga, bass player Jaap Melman, guitarists Jord Otto and Arjan Rijnen and drummer Matthias Landes.

ReVamp performing live in Oslo in September 2010

In August 2011, Van Canto announced on Facebook, that ReVamp would no longer participate in their Out of the Dark tour, as Jansen suffered a burnout herself.[5]

In late 2011, Jansen joined her former band mate in After Forever Mark Jansen for his band MaYan's Latin American tour, performing in São Paulo. In 2012, Jansen joined Adrenaline Mob on stage in Bochum and Weert. ReVamp's second album, Wild Card, was released in 2013.[6]

Nightwish (2012–present)

After Nightwish's previous lead vocalist Anette Olzon parted ways with the band, Jansen acted as Nightwish's live lead vocalist for the remainder of the Imaginaerum World Tour. On 9 October 2013, Jansen was announced as Olzon's permanent replacement in the band.[7]

On December 9, 2013, she was also announced as the main vocalist, playing the lead role, for the second full-length album of former Stratovarius guitarist Timo Tolkki's metal opera act Avalon.[8]

Style

As a classically trained soprano, she sings in the styles of rock and heavy metal genres such as symphonic, progressive and power metal. She is a versatile vocalist being able to sing from classical and operatic singing to powerful belting to aggressive and raspy vocals such as screaming and death growls.[9][10][11]

Jansen started studying music at the Dutch Rock Academy in 1999 and entered the Conservatorium Tilburg three years later. She studied musical theatre and one year of opera. Later, she started teaching performing in her own course called Wanna be a Star?!.

Jansen used to play the guitar, piano and flute and has completed several years of music studies.[12][13]

Discography

Jansen live with Nightwish in 2013, before being promoted to regular member later that year.

With After Forever

Demos

  • Ephemeral (1999)
  • Wings of Illusion (1999)

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

With Nightwish

Studio albums

Live albums

Singles

  • "Ghost Love Score" (Live) (2013)
  • "Storytime" (Live) (2013)
  • "Élan" (2015)
  • "Shudder Before the Beautiful" (2015)

With ReVamp

With Star One

Studio albums

Live albums

As a guest

References

  1. ↑ Interview with After Forever. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  2. ↑ Floor Jansen biography @ official site
  3. ↑ Name of my new band! blogs.myspace.com. 2009-10-17. Retrieved on 2009-10-17.
  4. ↑ Former After Forever Singer's Revamp: First Full-Length Song Posted Online blabbermouth.net. 2010-04-21. Retrieved on 2010-09-14.
  5. ↑ Van Canto post facebook.com. 2011-08-12. Retrieved on 2011-08-12.
  6. ↑ ReVamp's official website
  7. ↑ Press release // October 9th 2013 nightwish.com. 2013-10-9. Retrieved on 2013-10-9.
  8. ↑ "Floor Jansen is the main vocalist on Avalon II, the album and European tour planned for May 2014". Avalon Opera.com. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  9. ↑ http://crypticrock.com/interview-floor-jansen-of-revamp-nightwish/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ http://www.metalblast.net/interviews/pulling-a-wild-card-an-interview-with-revamp/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ↑ http://planetmosh.com/nightwish-endless-forms-most-beautiful-preview/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ "After Forever at Musical Discoveries", 13 June 2004
  13. ↑ Review of Decipher, Musical Discoveries, 7 July 2012

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Floor Jansen.