Roine Stolt
Interviewed by Ian Oakley November 1999
To anyone
that has not heard The Flower Kings how would you describe your
music?
Our music is a mix of pop and rock music in general fused with
jazz, classical, folk, ambient, and electronic... I guess it all
started with The Beatles then via Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Procol
Harum, Vanilla Fudge, The Doors, Zappa and The Mothers Of
Invention, Focus, and King Crimson... As I played what was
commonly known as progressive rock in the 70's it was natural for
me to just pick up where I stopped around 1979. Anyone who likes
a good melody can appreciate what we do.
To me, The Flower Kings music rests, mainly, somewhere
between 'Classic' progressive rock and jazz-rock. Very few bands
have ever merged the prog angle with jazz and improvisation (
perhaps because very few are capable ). What do you think of
those that have - Gong, U.K, Zappa, and Phish for example?
Zappa is my main man ...UK are cool, Gong OK, Phish I haven't
heard yet ... but Coliseum, Exception, Made In Sweden, Hanson
& Karlsson, Crimson, Dixie Dregs and a few others mixed with
jazz...
It has been interesting to see an increasing
improvisational element emerging in the Flower King albums and
especially on stage. Do you see this as a way of generating new
ideas?
Glad you like the jazzy or improvisational thing as most people
in UK seem to have a big problem with this and prefer the typical
UK neo prog bands like Pendragon, Arena, Jadis etc. Some people
in UK are in fact annoyed about the huge hype around The Flower
Kings as they feel they do not understand our 'introvert self
indulgent fusion nodding' at concerts ......!!??
Have you ever considered doing a straight 'jazz-rock'
album or just performing a whole set with solid improvisation?
Sure, I will do an improvised album soon .... maybe not as Flower
Kings with all these members... I find it more interesting to
listen to myself. It takes me to places never seen. I'd like to
find a person to do this project with that fits this free spirit
mind....
You dedicate your solo album 'Hydrophonia' to a number of
people in the jazz and rock world that have obviously influenced
you. Another large inspiration in your music is classical music
and a name that I always expect to see you mention as an
influence is Robert John Godfrey and The Enid - Some of the more
classical of your arrangements remind me so much of this bands
work. Have you ever heard or been influenced by RJG's work?
I own one of their Vinyl's, I bought on recommendation from a
friend, however sorry to say there's just one song I really like
.... but it's a beautiful melody.
Do you have a favourite classical composer?
Too many to mention really.... However if I should - try...Debussy,
Puccini, Bach, Bizet, Verdi, Beethoven, Carl Oorf, and Stravinsky...
Apart from the Flower Kings and possibly Spocks Beard
there seems to be very few truly fresh ideas in 90s 'prog' rock
music. What are your thoughts on this subject? Is it really so
difficult to break new ground in this style of music?
I don't think so, it's just a matter of set your mind free and
compose / record whatever enters your mind. I guess that was the
key to great recordings by Zappa, Beatles, Crimson, Yes, ELP.
The Flower Kings released two double CDs in just over a
year. Each CD has 70mins if this were the 70s that would be an
album almost every other month. Where do you find the inspiration
to produce so much quality music over such a short period?
Don't know really ... I just hear music ... Get these ideas I
wanna try ... It's fantastic to be creative and able to build all
these tiny universes within. If I cut away all other things that
comes with the package, being a record label, bandleader etc ...
I guess I could easily come up with 4 double albums a year..!!!
That's my tempo of writing.
How do you write?
I sometimes improvise and sometimes just realise on the keyboard
what's initially in my head. I use music software; Emagic Logic
or Digital Performer to get the sequences down, both systems can
record audio tracks in perfect sync with the midi music onto the
hard disc.
The other musicians that make up The Flower Kings are all
extremely talented. How did you bring the band together?
They all came on recommendations from musician friends. They play
with the band because they are all extremely talented ... on the
other hand it helps a lot that they are nice people, so we get
along very well.
The other band members seem to be increasingly having
more of a writing input and the band seems to be working more as
a single unit rather than 'Roine Stolt and his backing band'. Is
this the direction you are pushing the band?
Yes I've been trying that for a while, but to be perfectly honest
it's still mostly me winding up doing all the endless hours
putting loose ends together... Finishing the monster. Tomas and I
seem to be a good team... In the end the only thing that matters
is the quality of the material, regardless of who wrote it. I'm
the Captain still, no doubt.
The CD before last, 'Stardust We Are' is coming to be
considered a modern Prog classic. Do you consider this to be your
best work to date?
I think Stardust is the most consistent to date and it has some
really good songs on it and production is satisfactory to me ...
I think it's a timeless piece of art.
If you were to pick one or two tracks to play to a new
listener, from any of the recordings you have made which would
they be?
Oh ... that's a tricky one ... it really depends on who's the
listener ... I'd make a quick scan and then judge what to play
... Maybe, 'In The Eyes Of The World', or 'The Flower King' but
if I had a patient listener it may as well be 'Stardust We Are'
suite or 'Garden Of Dreams' … all 59 minutes.!!!!...
From logging in on your home site and reading 'Roine
Speaks' over the past few months I have got the impression that
the last album 'Flower Power' you were not entirely happy with;
or am I wrong?
In fact getting used to it ... 'Garden Of Dreams' is a very good
piece of music ... very good. And a few others on disc two ....
So I guess it's still above the average Prog CD ... it's still
Flower Kings!! I know most people love it ... so I'm happy.
I understand that the next thing we can expect from The
Flower Kings is a live album. Can you give us a few more details
about it?
Disc one is recorded in North America 1998 and disc two is
recorded in Japan 1999. I'm very happy with this record, it
showcases that The Flower Kings as a powerful live unit. The
American recordings have a very loud audience it's really cooking
... The Jap shows are as good musically but the audiences are
less noisy ... Maybe a bit stiff in the beginning. All in all I
think this is a great record that includes a lot of improvised
stuff. AND a one off version of the Genesis classic 'The Lamb
Lies Down On Broadway' from Quebec City ... unrehearsed but
cooking ... And surprisingly well sounding! Plus a 18 minutes
version of 'The Judas Kiss'... Loooong keyboard solo from Robert
Engstrand. And a Kaipa song!
And when can we expect the next studio release?
June 2000!
You have been recently recording with Neil Morse, Mike
Portnoy and Pete Trewavas. How did it go? Could we ever expect a
live presentation?
Recording was a pure pleasure ... these guys are so creative and
so into music 24 hours a day ... just like me. There is some real
amazing playing on this CD, at least from Mr.Portnoy and Mr.
Trewavas. We worked very much like in the 70's, NO computers here!
Release is March 8th year 2000. The band name is now "Transatlantic".
Don't know about live ... but we are invited for a few shows
already.
You have just finished a European tour including some
support slots for Spocks Beard. How did the tour go?
The tour was great; the playing standard of Flower Kings was
higher than ever. We did a 45 minutes show where we supported
Spock's. The only drawback was that we were not advertised on a
few of these gigs..!!?? And were treated a bit too much as an
anonymous support act to fit my taste .... We're a band in at
least the same division as Spocks .... The audience feel this ...
we feel It ... Spocks respect us ... but a few others don't get
the picture ... The rest of shows we played 2 hours ... Spain was
great.
You did seem to complement each other well. Could we
expect to see more co-operation between the two groups?
There is a mutual respect between the groups, so I hope so ...
They are a great band and I feel we can only benefit from co-operation.
We already do in "Transatlantic" sort of...
Progressive Rock / Improvised music seems to be generally
poorly supported in countries like the UK ( where only a couple
of hundred people turned out for your last, excellent gig ). But
on the European mainland the scene appears to be relatively
healthy or have I got the wrong impression?
Yeah, The mainland is better ... We can play nowadays for 200-600
people. That's OK for a band without support from a major record
company
Can we expect to see you back in the UK sometime?
Sure hope to play London ... eventually Scotland next year.
Scandinavia appears to be especially vibrant in producing
serious musical talent these days especially in the modern Jazz
field Yourselves / Jan Garbarek etc. Is there any reason for this
or is it that there is just a very healthy scene?
Although I wouldn't say I'm in the 'jazz field'... it's an honour
being mentioned along Jan Garbarek. I believe the typical Nordic
mind means we have an urge to do something that feels
satisfactory rather than feed the pop monster ... and we have a
lot of beautiful soulful Nordic folk music that is so inspiring.
What current bands do you really like and who would you
recommend to fans of FK?
I like bands like Prefab Sprout, that 'Jordan Comeback' CD is
GREAT ... The lyrics are so f****ng great! That guy is a genius
... The music is so soft and sweet but never gets boring. It
grows on you constantly ... Try it. I like some of the Kula
Shaker stuff, some of Radiohead. I have started listening to
Dream Theater a lot lately. When Mike asked me about the project,
I only knew Dream Theater as 'a Metal-Prog band with a very good
drummer'. In fact I find a lot of it very, very good ... also the
'Liquid Tension' stuff is really interesting and the truth is he's
one of the best drummers on the planet at the present!!!! ( Along
with Bill Bruford, Vinnie Colaiuta and Terry Bozzio ). Swedish
proggers Landberk's -'Indian Summer' from - 97 is really a good
album.
American singer / pianist Oleta Adams ( from Tears For Fears ) is
one of my musical love affairs ... The music is not that proggy
but she speaks to me ... dig 'Circle Of One' ... And Jackson
Browne ... that guy is REAL!... This is music, so natural, it
speaks to my heart. Guess it goes for James Taylor stuff ...
Bonnie Riatt too. Peter Gabriel is ALWAYS good. Steve Hackett is
mostly excellent. Phil Collins singing muzak is not my cup of tea
but he's a hell of a drummer! Hope he wakes up and realises he
has got enough money to start playing interesting music again. He's
well respected as a drummer, he has a nice voice, does decent pop
but, my heart doesn't stop. Mike and Tony are great players but
don't realise it's time to win back the old fans with some
breathtaking music, odd meters and loads of mellotron and real
pianos and Hammonds!!!... Just joking ... It won't happen ….
The new 'Marillion.com' is quite good ... 'Rich' could be a hit,
if edited right ... And in fact I like Paul McCartney's 'Flaming
Pie'. It is a nice simple piece of music. Elvis Costello has
caught my attention lately with great improvements in singing in
a soulful way. So what could be better that hearing him doing my
old favourite Burt Bacharach songs. Burt is up there along Lennon
and McCartney and Benny Anderssson of ABBA, they are all kings of
modern music!!!!!!
Unfortunately I find a lot of the present prog scene a bit boring
... too poor songwriting and the lead vocals and lyrics are often
boring. Some of new Porcupine Tree is quite good. Latest Suede is
good ... Some of latest Bowie very nice. I haven't heard new Yes
( The Ladder ) yet but most of the Yes stuff is ALWAYS good,
latest 2 live CD's brilliant. That goes for the Jon Anderson solo
stuff also. 'Change We Must' and 'Olias Of Sunhillow' are
excellent on CD. Prince is always good ... B.B King rules ...
Clapton's a breathtaking singer ... Peter Green was a FANTASTIC
blues player AND singer ... No one could ever project the true
blues feeling like Peter ... If he only knew he was still MORE
THAN WORTHY playing the blues. Jim Morrison of the Doors is one
of my top fave singers and a great poet ... You see, I like so
many different things...
Who is your all time favourite guitarist and why?
Well, must be Peter Green of old Fleetwood Mac for the unique
blues feel and then Allan Holdsworth for the totally unique
phrasing and chording. But Pat Metheny, Steve Howe, Robert Fripp,
Jeff Beck, Steve Hackett, Frank Zappa are all great and special.
If you could record with anybody who you would most like
to work with?
Paul McCartney, Jon Anderson, David Bowie, Jackson Browne, Joni
Mitchell, Peter Gabriel ... Unfortunately, Zappa, Miles Davis,
Jim Morrison and Hendrix are dead ... So it won't happen. Still,
I have hopes for the rest...
Finally. The desert island question - If you were put on
a desert island and could only take 5 albums / CDs with you what
would they be?
It's impossible ... it's like 'Sophie's choice' ... But...
1.The Beatles / White Album.... ( Abbey Road is better but this
one lasts longer he, he... ) or maybe the all the Anthology
series.
2.Oleta Adams / Circle Of One ( !!!! )
3.Jackson Browne / Hold Out ( or anything around that period )
4.Yes / Topographic Oceans ( re-mixed and re-mastered by myself!
)
5.Puccini / any of his great Operas. Or a box of all his works.
Copyright Bathtub of Adventures 1999
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