Floor Jansen

Floor Jansen
Floor Jansen live with Nightwish in 2013
Background information
Birth name Floor Jansen
Born (1981-02-21) 21 February 1981
Origin Goirle, North Brabant, Netherlands
Genres Neoclassical metal, power metal, progressive metal, symphonic metal, thrash metal, gothic metal (early)
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, vocal coach
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1997–present
Associated acts
Website Official website

Floor Jansen (pronounced [ˈfloːr ˈjɑnsə(n)]; born 21 February 1981) is a Dutch singer, songwriter, and vocal coach. She is currently the lead vocalist of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish.

Jansen first became known as a member of symphonic metal band After Forever, standing as their lead vocalist from 1997, when she joined at age 16, to their disbanding in 2009. When After Forever disbanded, she formed ReVamp and has 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; she subsequently disbanded ReVamp to focus on Nightwish. In 2018, she and Pagan's Mind guitarist Jørn Viggo Lofstad premiered their hard rock duo Northward.

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, 01011001, and The Source, as well as the live album Ayreon Universe – The Best of Ayreon Live. She also sang 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, who also worked with Ayreon.

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. Before becoming a full-time musician, she worked as a singing teacher.[2]

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

Because of the burnout that After Forever bandmate 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; the two would not be able to make the project come to fruition at the time due to their respective busy schedules, but would eventually reunite in 2017 to give birth to the project as Northward.[3] 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.

ReVamp (2009–2016)

On 17 October 2009, Jansen announced via MySpace, that the name of her new band was ReVamp.[4] ReVamp's first album was produced with After Forever keyboardist Joost van den Broek, bass player Jaap Melman (formerly of Dreadlock Pussy)[5] and guitarist Waldemar Sorychta (Grip Inc., Voodoocult, Eyes of Eden and Despair) as songwriters and producers. The final line-up of ReVamp featured 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.[6]

In late 2011, Jansen joined her former bandmate 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.[7]

ReVamp announced its breakup in September 2016, citing Floor Jansen's inability to deliver 100% to both ReVamp and Nightwish.[8]

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 in 2012. She was at her sister's wedding when she received the call to replace Olzon.[9] Her first show with the band was in Seattle in October. When commenting on the experience, she said:[9]

On 9 October 2013, Jansen was announced as Olzon's permanent replacement in the band,[10] following an invitation she received from the band in a hotel bar.[9] In 2015, she and Nightwish released their first album working together, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, followed by a world tour. Out of this tour came the live album Vehicle of Spirit. Jansen released the compilation album Decades with Nightwish on 9 March 2018 and announced another world tour.

Other works

Three albums by the Dutch composer and multi-instrumentalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen's project Ayreon include guest vocals from Jansen: she sang backing vocals on "My House on Mars" from the album Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer, played the character of Forever (referred to as Ω) on seven songs from the album 01011001, and was featured as a character named The Biologist on the album The Source. She is also a member of Lucassen's heavy metal supergroup Star One, and was featured on the studio albums Space Metal and Victims of the Modern Age. She was also featured in the 2018 live album Ayreon Universe – The Best of Ayreon Live.

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.[11] The album, Angels of the Apocalypse, was released on May 16, 2014. She has also been a guest for the metal band Nightmare.

On February 22, 2018, Northward, a hard rock project by Jansen and Pagan's Mind guitarist Jørn Viggo Lofstad, was unveiled. The two created the project in 2007, writing an entire album worth of music in 2008 but being unable to record previously due to their busy schedules; they ultimately reunited in 2017 to finally record the album, which is expected to be released on October 19, 2018 under their signed label Nuclear Blast.[12] The album will feature a duet between Jansen and her sister Irene.[13]

Personal life

As a child, she wanted to be a biologist; coincidentally, she played the character "The Biologist" in the Ayreon album The Source.[14]

On 18 September 2016, it was announced, that Jansen and her husband Hannes Van Dahl, drummer of Sabaton, were expecting their first child.[15][16] On March 15, 2017, Jansen announced via Instagram that she gave birth to a baby girl, Freja.[17]

Jansen is a vegetarian.[18]

Singing style

A versatile vocalist, Jansen can sing from ethereal, classical and operatic singing, to powerful belting, and aggressive, raspy vocals like screaming and death growls.[19][20][21] She is a soprano.[22][23][24][25]

Jansen started studying music at the Dutch Rock Academy in 1999, entering the Conservatorium Tilburg three years later. She studied musical theatre and a year of opera.[19][20] Later, she started teaching performing in her own course called Wanna be a Star?!

She used to play the guitar, piano and flute and has completed several years of music studies.[26][27]

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

With Northward

Studio albums

With ReVamp

With Star One

Studio albums

Live albums

Guest appearances

References

  1. ↑ Nuclear Blast Records (3 April 2007). "After Forever – Interview w/ Floor Jansen + Joost van den Broek (Part 1)". YouTube. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  2. ↑ "Nightwish: Floor Jansen, Tuomas Holopainen and Marco Hietala on making the cut as a musician". The Cut. 31 December 2015. Archived from the original on 8 January 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "Biography". Floor Jansen. 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "Name of my new band!". blogs.myspace.com. 17 October 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  5. ↑ "Former After Forever Singer's Revamp: First Full Length Song Posted Online". Blabbermouth.net. 21 April 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "Van Canto post". Facebook.com. 12 August 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  7. ↑ "Official website". ReVamp Music. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Facebook announcement – No More Revamp".
  9. 1 2 3 Everley, Dave (8 December 2015). "How Nightwish became a modern metal phenomenon". Metal Hammer. Team Rock. Archived from the original on 28 December 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "Press release // October 9th, 2013". Nightwish.com. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  11. ↑ "Floor Jansen is the main vocalist on Avalon II, the album and European tour planned for May 2014". Avalon Opera.com. 9 December 2013. Archived from the original on 9 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  12. ↑ "NORTHWARD Feat. NIGHTWISH Singer And PAGAN'S MIND Guitarist: 'While Love Died' Video Released". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 2018-08-24. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  13. ↑ "Floor Jansen and Jørn Viggo Lofstad's hard rock project signs to Nuclear Blast and announces first album!". 22 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  14. ↑ "Ayreon – The Day That The World Breaks Down – The Source (2017)". 26 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  15. ↑ "Nightwish Singer Floor Jansen Is Four Months Pregnant". 18 September 2016.
  16. ↑ "Nightwish singer Floor Jansen is four months pregnant". 17 September 2016.
  17. ↑ Jansen, Floor. "Floor Jansen on Instagram: "In perfect health our daughter Freja was born on the 15th of March. We are very happy parents! Thank you for your kind support coming in…"". Instagram. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  18. ↑ Michea, Martin (December 4, 2016). "Interviews : "This is who we are. This is what a Nightwish show is like." – An Interview With Floor Jansen (Nightwish)". Metalobsession. Retrieved December 4, 2016. I don’t really have a favourite dish or anything, but I’m a vegetarian.
  19. 1 2 "Interview – Floor Jansen of ReVamp & Nightwish". Cryptic Rock. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  20. 1 2 Ashmedai (18 August 2013). "Pulling A Wild Card: An Interview With ReVamp". Metal Blast!. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. ↑ May, Ant (15 March 2015). "Nightwish – Endless forms most beautiful – Preview". PlanetMosh. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "After Forever – Invisible Circles". Metalreviews. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  23. ↑ Franco, Nicholas. "Revamp – Wildcard (Album review)". Crypticrock. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  24. ↑ "NIGHTWISH Launches 'Evolution Series' Jewelry Collection". Blabbermouth. August 22, 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  25. ↑ von Brucken Fock, Menno (February 12, 2015). "Interview with Tuomas Holopainen and Floor Jansen". Dprp. Retrieved 10 August 2017. We both know Floor has a mighty soprano
  26. ↑ "After Forever". Musical Discoveries. 13 June 2004. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  27. ↑ "Review of Decipher – The Album". Musical Discoveries. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  28. ↑ Countermove (2014-12-08), THE POWER OF LOVE | DUTCH METAL FOR SERIOUS REQUEST 2014, retrieved 2018-03-29
  29. ↑ "Guest Musicians". New Ayreon Album. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  30. ↑ theholographicalena (2017-12-14), TARJA - Feliz Navidad (Barbuda Relief and Recovery Charity Version), retrieved 2018-03-29
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