http://www.progarchives.com Interviews - Progarchives.com max@progarchives.com (Maxime Roy) Thu, 21 Aug 2025 19:23:51 EST http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=134611&FID=47Tue, 11 Mar 2025 09:30:38 ESThttp://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=134611&FID=47 http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=134125&FID=47Sun, 29 Dec 2024 09:14:17 ESThttp://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=134125&FID=47 http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=133968&FID=47Fri, 29 Nov 2024 00:30:56 ESThttp://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=133968&FID=47 http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=133925&FID=47Thu, 21 Nov 2024 07:55:48 ESThttp://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=133925&FID=47 http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=133850&FID=47Mon, 11 Nov 2024 19:11:02 ESThttp://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=133850&FID=47 http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=131304&FID=47Wed, 19 Jul 2023 15:29:22 ESThttp://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=131304&FID=47 http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=131226&FID=47Sun, 9 Jul 2023 08:35:35 ESThttp://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=131226&FID=47 � GR: When did Tempano officially form and what was the original line-up? What changes were made to the original line-up throughout Tempano's different prog periods? PD: Tempano was born around 1977 in a Caracas neighborhood. Two bands used to rehearse on Saturdays in two houses that were located very close to each other, so all members were friends and went to hear other rehearsals. It occurred that one member of my band Diedra (drummer Alberto Bellorin) left for the USA to go to college and Franco Morales (guitar player for Magia) went to France to do a telecommunications master. At that point, the remaining members from both bands formed the first generation of Tempano. The original name was Tempano de Papel (something like a Paper Iceberg), but eventually we decided to have a simpler name, and so we ended up with Tempano. The first line-up consisted of two guitars, bass and drums. No keyboards, no vocals. Shortly thereafter, we added a keyboard player (Jose Gonzalez "Pirulo") and a singer (Jose Benmaman). After that, "Pirulo" decided to go to Berklee College of Music and Jose Benmaman and bassist Leo Arias left the band. Cesar della Noce came, Pedro took over the vocals and Miguel Angel changed from guitar to bass, giving shape to the line-up which recorded Atabal Yemal. GR: Atabal Yemal is rightfully considered a prog classic. It forged a unique sound that is still fresh and surprisingly appealing to contemporary audiences. Which composition elements do you think contributed to its longevity?  PD: We were inspired by the bands we admired at that time (Happy The Man, Genesis, Crimson, experimental music and fusion). The original line-up (with no keyboards) was inspired by Wishbone Ash. But the style was changing, eventually to something more elaborate, and we were free to experiment which made us different from the rest of the bands in Venezuela. It was fun to take risks making our music! When Cesare joined the band, he brought his passion for classical music into the mix. GR: Tempano as a band appears to a broader audience to have a split personality, as after Atabal Yemal and until the original line-up's reformation in 1998 you followed a largely popular music orientation. It is like the band was frozen in time and suddenly revived after a long period. What were the main reasons that the prog side of Tempano remained dormant for so long and what drove you to return to your prog roots in 1998?  PD: After I left the band in 1981, the prog movement worldwide had to adapt to survive. I adopted a more pop-rock oriented prog style (with the third Aditus record " Fuera de la Ley"), while the remaining members of Tempano took the same direction. We never imagined that Atabal Yemal would remain in the heart and mind of prog lovers around the world. For me, the reunion in 1998 was a natural step to continue the body of work that began in 1978. The first reunion rehearsal was like a miracle. It was then that we realized that we could never abandon our love for progressive music and keep enjoying doing that. GR: In the meantime, you (Pedro Castillo) also made a huge commercial success with the pop side of Aditus who followed a similar path, while transforming from a prog/fusion band to a pop idol. How come you didn't opt for following this trail with Tempano who demonstrably also followed a more popular trajectory for quite some time? PD: I would have loved to stay in Tempano but I was fired in 1981. The reason my friends evoked: I was too commercial! And it made sense because I discovered that I could sing, my contribution to the new material for the Atabal Yemal follow-up was charged with lyrics, whereas the rest of the band wanted to keep doing mostly instrumental music. That changed once I joined Aditus, and, funny enough, Tempano followed a similar path later on, becoming one of the most successful AOR bands of its time in Venezuela. It was the trend of those times. GR: Pedro, you are an accomplished prog musician whose enthusiasm for the genre shows very vividly in your live shows. How would you compare between this more eclectic facet of your musicianship with the requirements of performing as a popular music artist in front of larger and broader audiences that are not as musically involved? How does it feel having been a pop idol, but also an underground prog musician, in different waves throughout your career?   PD: I have the privilege of enjoying the best of both worlds, bringing prog elements to my pop songs, but also learn to adapt musically and emotionally to every situation. In the end, I feel comfortable living in both worlds. This may be confusing to some fans but I truly love both worlds  GR: Share with us some of the most memorable moments from your early period live shows. How do live audiences compare between the 70s, your later, more pop-oriented followership and your post-Childhood End's performances? Where do you feel more like being at home? PD: My day-to-day work is doing pop shows which I enjoy a lot. However, when I have the chance to play with Tempano it's like a "special gala" filled with enthusiasm, and the audience is so different. I believe that our prog audience owns a particular musicianship that we share with them and the experience is very rewarding. GR: Can you describe for us some of your most memorable live moments? Did you ever share the stage/jam with other artists?  PD: I've been a special guest in many well-known international artists' live-shows like Fito Paez, Roxette, XTC. With Tempano there were a couple of special moments in the past. One of them with Roger Waters, in the closing day of the Caracas Pop Rock festival, we were on stage, surrounded by "hard cases" labeled Pink Floyd!  We were nervous, this was the last day of the festival and we knew people were excited to hear Roger. The organizers wanted us to be the band before Roger, at the end of our set the crowd was so excited and warm..And another unforgettable moment was opening for Yes. When I was about to start my soundcheck with the band, a tech guy from Yes started yelling at me, asking to get off the stage because "nobody open for Yes". We tried to explain to him that country regulations in Venezuela require that in every international artist performance, a local artist must open the show. We ended up speaking with Jon Anderson at his hotel lobby across the street from the theater, who said in his angelical tone that he'd be glad to have us opening the show. The day after, for the second show, when I was doing my soundcheck, the same tech guy that was screaming the day before asked very politely if I could stop my soundcheck for a while for Steve Howe to do his check because he was stuck in local traffic and arrived late at the theater. I said "my pleasure, on the condition that I stay here watching." GR: What were your main influences at the time you recorded Atabal Yemal? How did these influences change in later albums, such as Agony and Ecstasy and Nowhere NowHere?  PD: When we recorded Atabal Yemal, our influences were a mix of Wishbone Ash, Genesis, La Maquina de Hacer Pajaros, Gentle Giant, but also because of Cesare who listened mostly to classical music, Beethoven and Wagner. That was the music we were into in that moment. Atabal was created in the late 70's. Childhood's End was recorded around 2000 but the music was part of many unreleased songs we had for a forthcoming album before Cesar left the band. I think that music maintains the original spirit of our youth, while adding the individual experience of each member through many years. GR: Atabal Yemal is mostly an instrumental album. What do you think about the ability of music per se and the musical properties of vocals (what Barthes has called the 'grain of the voice') to evoke and instill feelings and synaesthetic imagery as against the semantic properties of lyrics? Was the decision to exclude vocals an attempt at reaching out to your evoked audience through the unadulterated by vococentric properties power of music? If so, can you describe in the context of some of the songs that are contained in Atabal how the instrumentation and the compositional pathways reflect the nomenclature of the song titles?  PD: It's interesting that Tempano started as a quartet with no keyboards and no vocals. Soon after our first rehearsals we felt the need for classic keys and synths as well as some vocal and hired our first keyboard player (Jose Gonzalez "Pirulo" and Jose Benmaman). Once they quit the band, I took over the vocal duties, but lyrics were not our main thing. In fact, Atabal Yemal is around 80% instrumental but we had vocals in three tunes, I believe inspired by Renaissance and Camel. Around that time I discovered that I could sing and those were my first shots! GR: Atabal Yemal is currently re-released by PQR-Disques plusquer]]>��http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=130300&FID=47Tue, 3 Jan 2023 06:16:28 ESThttp://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=130300&FID=47 �Jos Hustings (JH)Twan van der Heijden (TVDH)Cees Michielsen (CM)Bert Vermijs (BV)  GR: Can you give us a biographical account of how the band first started, and lead us through its major milestones up until its dissolution?KRACQ: Twan and Cees searched for a keyboard player and met Bert. They formed King's Ransom. Around the same time Jos (aka Carmine Queen) was up to something new and placed an advertisement in OOR that he was looking for musicians. Bert came to visit and the rehearsal was love at first sight. After a few more than successful rehearsals and reassuringly well received live gigs, we decided to go for an album that was going to be published by the foundation Jos was involved with (Pop Promotion Foundation). We concentrated fully on the album and when it was released we set the sails for Britain because we had the feeling that we were more than a Dutch Band and we proved right. We had a very good review in the Sounds magazine and from there the album was soon sold out in England and the United States. Because Cees decided to move to England we did a final concert and after that the band broke up.  GR: What does the band name stand for, and how did you come up with the album's name? KRACQ: The band's name came from the first letters of the bands that we were in before: King's Ransom and Carmine Queen. I don't recall how we came up with the title for the album. GR: Which route did you follow mostly in the composition process? Music first and then lyrics or vice versa? JH: Compositions usually follow the process of having this idea in my head about wanting to write about some event or idea, grab the guitar or piano and start playing while the words gradually come forward. As soon as the composition is finished I finalize the lyrics.BV: Music ideas are the most important, so these are written first.  GR: Your lyrics appear to touch various topics, from interpersonal matters, emotions, up to social criticism. Yet, they are couched in quite poetic terms throughout. Are they intended as an emotive enhancement of your music? Are lyrics important for prog rock? JH: In my opinion lyrics are only necessary as an extra means to convey an idea. Sometimes music alone is sufficient. I like a combination of words and music to flesh out ideas. And I simply like the poetic side of lyrics, it suggests so much more than the bare words would. I don't see myself as a poet, though. I'm not that good with words. GR: In which bands did Kracq's members play prior to the brand's formation? With which genres did you engage prior to forming Kracq? JH: I played in several bands, high school bands mainly, like Psychedelic Reaction, Artificial Renascence and Φοινιξ. The music ranged from Byrds-like songs to early Pink Floyd-like songs and alternative pop. Because of my ever growing hunger to discover new musical areas I formed the 'band' Carmine Queen as a way of having others perform my musical projects. The name Carmine Queen was chosen with a hint to King Crimson, not because of the music, but because King Crimson hosted so many musicians and was led by the one and only Robert Fripp. As Carmine Queen, I wrote a lot of instrumental, sometimes experimental music and a lot of material that still hasn't been published or performed.TVDH:  I played in a classic-rock cover band where I learned to play the bass guitar. I played with that band about 70 gigs (1973-1975). After that mostly did jam sessions with a lot of musicians. I met Cees during those sessions and soon after that Bert!CM: School bands mainlyBV: 1974- Dionys: improvisation1974- K.U.T.:  prog rock1976- Na'migi: symfonic/prog rock1977- King's Ransom: symfonic/improvisation  GR: What music genres and artists were on top of your music charts in the early to mid 70s? JH: Early Pink Floyd, King Crimson, The Byrds, The Move, Soft Machine, Henry Cow, Caravan, Hatfield & the North, Silver Apples, Van der Graaf Generator, Richard Strauss, Ligeti, Pierre Henry.TVDH: Symphonic and experimental rock like Yes, King Crimson and Frank ZappaBert: King Crimson, ELP, Yes, Soft Macine, Gentle Giant, Ravel, Bartol, Bach   GR: Kracq's sound is quite unique, accommodating various genres under its umbrella, from classical, to avantgarde, to electronics. Who is responsible for bringing what into your sound? JH: That is hard to say, I really want to believe that the sound was made by all of us. Of course Bert and I both had our classical music influences. But apart from that. GR: Did you approach any major labels prior to releasing your album as a private pressing? If yes, what was the response? JH: No we never did.  GR: Tell us a few words about the fantastic cover of your album. Is there a specific meaning behind it? Perhaps an indirect reference to surveillance society? Or a visual statement that your album is an introspective, self-reflexive journey? JH: . GR: Some people have drawn parallels between Supersister and Kracq, although claiming that Supersister had a uniform sound throughout their releases would be a massive error, given the versatility of their compositions. Did you ever look up to Supersister for inspiration or even success, given their relative standing in the Dutch prog establishment? Were you personally acquainted with them at that time? JH: We never had any awareness of Supersister, and therefore we had no personal contact. You might say that we were a very autistic band J GR: Which other bands from Holland and abroad were you affiliated and/or performed with live?  Other artists in UAP's repertoire (e.g. Sustain)? JH: We never performed with any other band except during a presentation of the U.A.P. artists. This was one of the reasons we asked Sam Samshuijzen and Richard Davis to contribute to our album. GR: Although you only played a handful of live shows, can you describe the atmosphere in terms of audience, participation, duration and how it felt after each show? JH: The audience was definitely enthusiastic, there was an atmosphere of relaxation and utmost acceptance of even our improvisations. It was always a wonderful experience with heartwarming reactions. GR: Why did you disband after a successful first album release (at least for a newcomer underground band)? Weren't you approached by major labels? Didn't you aspire to a career as performing and recording artists? JH: Cees' moving to England was the only reason we disbanded. I think we couldn't find a proper replacement for Cees. It is very much so that the chemistry of the 4 of us was intense. Couldn't be revived with other musicians. If Cees hadn't left we would have proceeded, there was already new material waiting.We were never approached by a major label other than distributing the album (Recommended Records was one of them).  GR: Have you been keeping touch with contemporary prog? Any bands that stand out according to your taste? How about new crossover genres, such as prog/symphonic metal? Bands like Carach Angren? JH: I still listen to prog music. King Crimson is still one of my favorites. I like to listen to Centipede, Keith Tippett, Fred Frith and other former members of Henry Cow. Death/black metal has never been my cup of tea, but I must say Carach Angren makes me smile. They are funny. GR: Tell us a few words about your side project Persephony, also on UAP. Although occasionally it is tagged as 'folk', the band appears to be closer to a theatrical performance, an act that might be encountered in East Village (NY). How would you position Persephony, and what was the artistic vision behind them? JH: Persephony was not so much my project. I contributed, musically also, but mainly in making the project possible. Dolph (LP) was a friend with whom I started Polumnia, a virtual publisher of music, literature and art. Though we had a different approach on how to dwell on life and its meaning(lessness) we both welcomed humor as a necessary part of our creative attempts and that's what made us friends. We are still in touch, as he's living in Tokyo at the moment we don't see each other as frequently as we did while he lived in Paris.I think the description in Andersen's Scented Gardens of the Mind is very appropriate.I would like to position Persephony as 'phony per se'. But of course Dolph could disagree. After all it's his project. And I liked very much being a very small part of it. GR: By the mid 70s, the earlier experimentation had given place to less free-form genres such as punk. Would you say that by the time Kracq appeared, interest in experimental and prog music had waned in favor of other genres? JH: One of our friends in those days, and yet a fan of our music, played a kind of punk. I think it was a refreshing way to make music. I think the audience for progressive music was always very small and limited. When I first heard the Piper at the Gates of Dawn there was only one friend I could share it with. Same goes for the early Mothers of Invention. Most of the people around me were still in their Beatles/Rolling Stones period. To my knowledge punk did not push experimental music away. It was just harder to find, because new bands emerged every day and the scene grew accordingly.Twan definitely thinks a Yes! GR: The 70s prog and psychedelic Dutch underground was characterized by the lack of a characteristic, dominant sound (as may be said, for example, for Spanish Flamenco rock or Italian neoclassical progressive). Where do you think this versatility is attributed to? JH: Probably the Dutch culture didn't let itself be converted to pop culture as easily. Given the taste for tearjerkers and so on. The rich musical history of Spain and Italy is so different that it's almost inevitable that groups like Carmen or Premiata Forneria Marconi emerged. But to be honest, I really have no idea. I never felt any kinship with Dutch culture. GR: Over the past 10 years, there has been a massive global upsurge and interest in prog rock, while newer generations become ever more appreciative of the sound that was developed in the 70s, in all its magnificent versatility. To what cultural and technological factors would you attribute this trend (e.g. free availability of and access to previously considered obscure acts whose music was available within a closed circle; the current effervescence in cross-genre musical experimentation, etc.)? This rekindling of interest has also resulted in many bands reuniting and even releasing new material. Would this be something you might be keen on pursuing, even as a once-off live reunion?   JH: The younger people I meet are not very much into the mainstream music that is being made. Of course Imagine Dragons is an exception (I must say I like that band very much) and lately Boy & Bear are very popular, but they also know they have a crunch for music that 'sounds' older. I really don't know why. Does it give them a sense of depth in the otherwise flat and global desert culture is becoming? The fact that music is so easily accessible these days may contribute to the vast knowledge young people can build up, but I don't see how it could possibly turn them into prog lovers. Bert is not very enthusiastic about a reunion of any kind. If something would come up, though, like an invitation for a special occasion, I still wouldn't believe it impossible.  GR: Your individual musical careers have progressed ever since the Kracq days. Can you give us a timeline with major milestones in terms of recordings, collaborations, live appearances? Highlights and best moments? How about the rest of the band members? Jos Hustings1979 Recording improvisational music under the name of Kracq (Bert, Jos and Charlot Rutten), published on CD-R as Beautiful sun-forever lost?1979-1989: composing pieces for events1986 Spiral Motion Project: a multi-media project for which I wrote all songs, that I recorded in occasional collaboration with Bert and Twan.1989-1994: A period of depression following the sudden collapse of Spiral Motion1994-2003: Home recording of the songs written during the first three bands, published only Renascent Phenomenonas Φοινιξ.2002 Improvisation with Sam Samshuijzen, to be published as part of In the company of Elektra, probably 20222003 A KRACQ reunion (a one-time performance during the wedding anniversary of Bert and his wife Marloes) coinciding with the release of Circumvision on CD2003-2016 writing and rewriting 'classical' pieces2017 Carmine Queen rising from its ashes as a Φοινιξ would. Recreating the former Carmine Queen as a collective, gathering young musicians to perform a compilation of CQ songs, resulting in2020 streaming publication of Compulsive Compilation2021 publication of CD Compulsive CompilationWorking on the next project Remasters (the earliest songs) slowly working our way up to the latest compositions. Twan van der HeijdenScrotum a heavy rockband (no metal). A lot off live-gigs with own compositions. 1980-1984. Gado Gado also own compositions and album named Straight and a few live-gigs. 1984. After several bands as guest f.I. Nederpop Mijn Broer( voorloper VOF de Kunst ) with Nol Havens. Same time. 1994 - 1996 crossover band VIPER (hard-funk free style). Also own compositions. With this band we won a price Pocket Pop and payed f.I. At Appelpop Tiel. 1996 also played  The Silent Scream as a guest in Tivoli Utrecht. 1999 reunion members Scrotum formed the band Junkfood with an EP and several live gigs. After this until the present time The Booze Band. A classic rock coverband with hundreds performances and successful in 2016 in the competition Clash of the Coverbands as a winner The Mezz Breda, 013 Tilburg , Paradiso Amsterdam and no winner but finalist in Klokgebouw Eindhoven. Paradiso and Klokgebouw was live on TV Veronica Countdown Caf]]>� Cees MichielsenOnly a few months after recording the album I moved to England. As far as the musical side of it concerns, I played in a new wave band (Designers), made some studio recordings, toured the south of England. The band was based in Brighton. Highlights were performances in London. After two years I returned to the Netherlands and joined a percussion group, founded by Stefan van Campenhout, called Motel Bokassa. Based in Amsterdam, mainly active in the so-called "alternative circuits" (exhibitions, art galleries and such).I stopped playing in Motel Bokassa when Lilianne and I moved to Maastricht, coincidentally on the same street as Bert and his wife Marloes. That is where my musical career ended. Bert Vermijs1979- RAM: toetsen (zang / gitaar / bas / drums) a la Pink Floyd1980- Stempelkoor: basstem (SATB) socialistische strijdliederen1982- documentaire Fred van Tankeren: toetsen / sl*g.erk (gitaar) filmmuziek1983- Het Vervolg: toetsen / klarinet /zang /sl*g.erk (SATB / drums / altsax / trompet / fluit / viool / cello) theatermuziek1984- Double Exposure: toetsen (zang / bas / gitaar) jazzrock1989- Los Chamacos: toetsen / zang (zang / gitaar / bas / drums / percussie / tenorsax / trompet) Mexicaanse feestband1990- Toneelacademie: toetsen (zang / altsax) theatermuziek1990- Danscompagnie Limburg: toetsen / samples / drumcomputer (zang) balletmuziek1992- Het Mobiel Blaasorkest: klarinet / piano (fluit / hobo / klarinet / zang / altsax / tenorsax / trombone / sl*g.erk) theater-, film-, feest- en concertmuziek1994- Loes Hegger: klarinet / accordeon (zang) franse chansons2000- Toneelschap Beumer en Drost: toetsen / samples / accordeon / gitaar / doedelzak (zang / trompet / sopraansax / tenorsax / bastuba / sl*g.erk) theatermuziek2015- De Toneelmakerij: computer, soundscapes2016- Les JeunesAnn]]>�2020- Nicole: accordeon (zang) jazz standards]]>http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=128848&FID=47Thu, 21 Apr 2022 08:06:02 ESThttp://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=128848&FID=47 ����������������http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=128298&FID=47Mon, 24 Jan 2022 23:50:24 ESThttp://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=128298&FID=47