Interview
(Progressive Newsletter Nr.45 08/03)
excerpts from an interview with Carl Westholm (Keyboards)
I leave Niclas background to him self but anyway: started with my first band 15 years old, leadsinger of that band was Niclas actually, after that I played with lots of different groups and as a freelancer, I've been working on Hotels playing Cabarets for tourists, I played on some swedish Heavy metalrecords like Abstract Algebra, Candlemass and now also KRUX. I was initially a classical pianist, had a good technique as a teenager - only then though...! studied jazzmusic for two years but always end up with playing "too long songs" and always "too progressive" for others! Actually never got any good at playing other peoples music!
Compared to your debut you've changed the production and music into a more darker, sombre atmosphere. Additionally the progressive rock roots are more obvious, the pop elements are very subtle. What were the reasons for this change?
No reason at all, it just ended up that way. The reason me and Niclas started carptree was not having to compromise at all, the songs just ended up the way they did, we never had any plans about "what style to play" or anything.
You also worked with a lot of guest musicians on "Superhero". Do you want to create a less-programmed, warmer sound or what were the reasons for this decision?
By the time I recorded our first album I was completely bored with the normal drumming, I was looking for something else I think and I much enjoyed the process with recording without drums. There are loops and drum machines on "Superhero" as well, but at the time that album was recorded I wanted to experiment with a drummer again, and after that Ulf played some really good basses originally recorded with a moog - but he is a guitarist! - , there were no actual decision, it just ended up this way. I do not want to reherse the songs with a band before recording bacause I think that would create a more traditional or "retro" sound even if you didnīt want it! Doing it the other way around, the songs can evolve to something completely different and gives the production a wider diversity. Works for us right now anyway!
How do you compose your songs? Do you work together as a team or does everyone come up with almost finished ideas?
The songs starts with me or Niclas bringing some short piece of music of any kind, then we think about it sometimes for quite long and sometimes just for some minutes - Superhero was a "15 minutes song" to write after Niclas for the first time sang the verse for me while we worked almost six months before "Fathers house" was done - then I myself starts to arrange it on my own letting Niclas hear it once in a while and get me his opinions, when we both are pleased I let some other musicians in like Ulf and the others in No future orchestra and of course they bring in some of their own as well. Niclas have trust in me and do not have to comment everything - like most singers seem to do all the time - so when he eventually does I normally just do as he tells me. For me this is the perfect combination of being both working on my own and as a team, but it would probably not work with so many other people but Niclas. Short you could say: we compose together but I arrange and produce and Niclas do the lyrics.
On "Malfunction" you used a german narrator in the background. Why did you especially choose german?
Canīt really tell... I felt to obvious when it was english and swedish couldnīt work so, why not german? The song is about space and a bit science ficton and doesnīt german sound good in space?
Do you have already an idea for the musical direction of next album? Will you continue to play with different styles or is "Superhero" the music you were looking for?
I donīt think we are looking for something, the diverstity in it self is maybe our sound. I like the sound on "Superhero" so probably it will be much like that I plan to have Jejo Perkovic on the drums at least, but donīt forget: I still love old drum machines!
Kristian Selm © Progressive Newsletter 2003