You mentioned, some notes came to you during the bicycle rides.
Did you write it down immediately, or did you have to remember it till
you return home?
If it is words I can write it down but if it’s music I have to keep it
in my head until I come home. I have a basic setup with different
instruments I’m normally using in my recording studio. When I hear an
haunting melody playing in my head I make a simple recording of it so I
don’t forget it. When I open this song later and still feel that it’s a
good melody I can start to develop the original idea.
What is your bigger inspiration, countryside itself, or the way you spending time there?
The beauty of nature is an important inspiration to me in my song
writing. And the best way to find inspiration is to be a part of it. My
favourite way of doing this is to take a bicycle ride through the
peaceful open landscape around my home town Uppsala. The lyrics to the
song “Like A Serpentine” describes this feeling.
All the albums since recreating band had computer graphic
cover-artworks. Until now. New album artwork remaining paintings… What
made you to change approach? BTW – I think it’s suite the music much
more 😉
This time I wanted a cover with a child looking into a mystic forest
reflecting the lyrics in the title track. The artwork is made by Thomas
Ewerhard and I think he made a great cover that is also showing the
positive vibes you can find in the lyrics.
New cover artwork remains a bit „Notes from the past” cover…
all the climate and colors of course. Was the similarity intended?
No, but there are definitely some similarities.
The label published two lyric-videos promoting the new album.
Why did you choose „Children Of The Sounds” and „What’s Behind The
Fields” for promoting the album?
“Children Of The Sounds” is the title track so it felt natural to use
it. It’s also a good starting point for people that haven’t heard Kaipa
before. “What’s Behind The Fields” was a suggestion from our record
company Inside Out and it was also released as a single a month before
the album was released
The
shortest track „The Shadowy Sunlight” should be natural choice for the
single, but I think it isn’t quite representative to the album. But I
love the way it grows from acoustic folk into electric prog track.
This is another song inspired from one of my long bicycle rides, this
time it didn’t end like I expected. It describes what’s happening when
there’s an unexpected change in the weather. When the clear blue sky
suddenly becomes dark and heavy rain with thunder starts and there’s a
very heavy wind blowing.
Do you have any favourite moments at the album yourself?
This is a new album so still all songs are my favourites.
In few past years vinyls became much more popular. It’s great,
but your albums has total time beyond the capacity of the LP. New album
is published as 2LPs. Did you consider to make an album and close it in
45 minutes?
No, I never I never decide in advance what I shall write. I just let the
inspiration guide me on an unpredictable and exiting journey. This time
the result was five long songs and it feels good. I always try to find
one of those great and unforgettable melodies hiding somewhere in my
subconscious as a starting point. I often use that as a vocal melody and
the main theme of a composition. Instead of composing a lot of totally
different parts and mix them into a long song I use to do several
variations of the main theme. Sometimes I change the time signature,
sometimes I write a new instrumental melody, using the same chords, with
some fragments of the main theme included and sometimes I just change
the bass notes in the chords to produce another feeling. I think this
gives you a familiar feeling when you listen to the music even if you
don’t necessarily realize it’s coming from the same source. I’m working
with writing and arranging side by side recording it into a demo where
I’m playing and singing everything. That’s my normal way of working so I
can get an overview of the songs. I have worked with the other members
for so many years now so I can feel their presence and feel the changes
in the music they’re going to perform to create the final result.
Last year KAIPA DE CAPO – project with your ex-bandmates
published album „Darskapens Monotoni”. What do you think about the idea
of creating such project. Did you listen to the album?
I think it’s great that my old friends and band mates from the original
Kaipa 1974 are playing together again. When they started they only
played the old Kaipa songs from the 70’s. But last year they decided to
record an album with new material. I advised them to find a new name of
the band so they could have their own identity but they refused to
listen to me. I don’t like that they are using the name Kaipa just
because it leads to so many misunderstandings
and confusion.
Do you listen to the progressive music yourself? Could you point any modern bands in the genre you’re into?
Probably I don’t have time or interest to listen to all new music. For
me everything I haven’t heard is new, no matter what year it was
recorded.
I’ve asked you before in our previous interview few years ago… but maybe some thigs changed…
Did you think about any live appearance by KAIPA? I know it’s difficult,
but you know – Ayreon did, and they are also bunch of people with full
schedules.
Kaipa is purely a studio band, that was my idea when “Notes from the
past” was recorded and I haven’t change my thoughts concerning that
during the years.
Maybe one show with recording of live album? Any chances?
Sorry, no.
Questions: Marek Toma / Piotr Spyra
