Interview
(Progressive Newsletter Nr.47 01/04)
excerpts from an interview with Jonas Christophs (Guitar)
The idea was born four years ago when we where asked by Bernt Daniel - a swedish writer, painter, artist - to make music for 16 of his artworks and lyrics. We started to compose and record but the project failed, we thought it over and started all over again and ended up doing it for all in all four years and it became a splendid album.
Were you specifically on search for a vocalist or did it happen more or less by accident that Christof Jeppson did join the band?
We´ve known Christof Jeppson for some time and when some of the "Vol.4" material was recorded we asked Christof if he could swing by to the studio. It turned out great and we decided that Christof where going to be on of the 4 vocalistes on the album.
How big was the influence of Mats Perrson as producer, engineer, editior and musician?
Mats Persson had a large inpact on the sound of course. He´s an old friend of ours and we´ve worked with him before, through the 80´s until this very day. His musical background is quite diffrent from ours and he hasn´t really been producing this kind of music, but as a topclass musician that he is, it went fine.
Not only the voice of Christof Jeppson, but also the arrangements of „MIND Vol.4“ have a lot in common with the work of Peter Gabriel. Do you also see some similarities?
Not really actually, we´ve always worked with the most updated and topclass equipment, technique and studios just like Mr.Gabriel and other bands that want to develop. So if our listernes find similarities its no suprise.
Why did you decide to shelve the material of the musical, lyrical and visual project "Screenplay"?
In the end of "Screenplay" we felt that we wanted to go in two different directions and when you´ve reached that point you have nothing further to talk about, so the "Screenplay" project was over.
After the totally improvised character of „Vol.3“, „Vol.4“ comes as mainly song-orientated and with melodic approach. Was this extreme change intended?
No, not really, this is the 4th album in the "MIND" concept so it's a natural step, this was how we wanted to approach the material and so we did.
How was MIND Vol.3 generally received, being the most extreme Isildurs Bane album so far?
We´ve heard only good things so far, I think our fans knows us by know, there will always be something new both for us and for the fans for every new album. It's our wish to always develop and to seek new ways, "MIND".
Is there something like a masterplan behind all „MIND“ albums and are there already plans for „MIND Vol.5“?
We´re planing "MIND Vol.5". As the talking goes we´ll be making a DVD, it's going to be made in true Isildurs Bane spirit.
ou've done musically almost everything from playing with an orchestra to improvised music. Is there still something like a dream you'd like to do?
Make peace in this crazy world almost sliped my tounge...As a musican and composer you always think that your best songs is ahead of you, so yes, there are still dreams of an exiting future.
There were rumours about an appearance of Isildurs Bane together with the Umea orchestra playing next year in Würzburg. Is this true or just a rumour?
The idea came from a great fellow called Charly Heidenreich, who also is the man behind "Art Rock Festival / Freakshow" in Würzburg, so it's more then a rumor, it's not impossible.
Kristian Selm © Progressive Newsletter 2004