DAYS BETWEEN STATIONS

Days Between Stations is the creative partnership between guitarist Sepand Samzadeh and keyboardist Oscar Fuentes. The duo came together in Los Angeles in November 2003, and named the band after the 1985 novel by Steve Erickson. The band’s sound – Samzadeh calls it “art-rock,” Fuentes labels it “post-prog” – reflects their varied influences, as well as a shared disregard for stylistic boundaries... more

BILLY SHERWOOD

We are much honored this month to have Billy Sherwood (CIRCA:, former YES) as our interview guest. He just released his new CD titled "At The Speed Of Life". Currently, beside his solo projects he is one of the members of the band CIRCA:, formed by ex-YES members Tony Kaye and Alan White, along with Jimmy Haun. They released their first solo album in 2007, followed in 2008 by a live DVD. They are currently in the studio working on their second solo CD...more

Kate BUSH / Never For Ever

1980‘s “Never For Ever” is Kate’s 3rd album. The album was co-produced by Jon Kelly & Kate herself. One of the most interesting things about this album is that it is the first record by a British female artist to top the UK album charts. (Wikipedia). Kate’s progressive approach to music reaches its peak with Never For Ever. She tastefully blends different genres including folk, oriental, rock, classical and jazz. Unlike her first two albums which she wrote on piano, this one was written on synths... more

Interview with Olivier TEJEDOR of NeBeLNeST by Hande BURDG

Olivier TEJEDOR, keyboardist of the French prog band NeBeLNeST, is our interview guest this month. NeBeLNeST are one of the most adventurous and energetic young bands to emerge on the international post-rock / avant-progressive scene in recent years. This young French band is noted for its dark symphonic rock, influenced by King Crimson, Shylock, Pink Floyd and Univers Zero / Present, laced with psychedelia and improvisation, and played with a riveting level of energy and intensity derived from the hardcore and noise scenes.

NeBeLNeST was formed in May 1997. The band's first album, the self-titled NeBeLNeST, came out in 1999 on Laser's Edge. In 1999, NeBeLNeST performed at two progressive music festivals, Festival Off (Corbigny, France) and ProgDay (Chapel Hill, USA); toured the U.S. (Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore); and played in Paris and at Belgium's Spirit of 66. NeBeLNeST's 2nd album, NoVa eXPReSS, was released by Cuneiform in 2002. ZePTO, NeBeLNeST's 3rd CD and 2nd release on Cuneiform, grew out of the band's work with both guitarists. Compiled over a period of several years, ZePTO encompasses and bridges the work of two different lineups. It features longtime NeBeLNeST members Anselmi (drums) and the Tejedor brothers, Grégory (bass) and Olivier (keyboards); the band's first and second guitarists, Malderez and Carmona; and contributions by guest artist Vincent Boukefa on clarinet. The band is currently working on their fourth album which will include their new guitarist Matthieu Sassier.

TPF: You are currently working on a new album with your new line-up. When are you hoping to release it?

OT: We don't know when it will be released. We are currently in the composition process. Nothing has been recorded yet. We would like to enter the recording studio at the end of the year or early next year.

TPF: Many people describe your style as a blend of early King Crimson and Pink Floyd, Shylock and Univers Zero... But if you wanted to describe it what would you say?

OT: I don't know what to say about that. We make instrumental rock music.

TPF: You have experience playing both in Europe and in the USA. What are the reactions you receive from both audiences, are there any differences in musical approaches?

OT: Reactions received for the shows we have made in 2006/2007 were far better in USA or even in Austria and Germany. I think that generally French people who like this kind of music intellectualise too much. In our music there is a part that is clearly “avant stuff” and another part of more classical “prog style”. Usually in France, we are considered too much "avant something” or too much in the “classical prog style”. Our music need open minds.

TPF: You really push the envelope with your sound, which can be described as intense, spacey but yet so adventurous and earthy. How much of it is improvised? For example there is a big difference between your debut album and the second one, as many would agree.

OT: I would say that it's because of the composition process. We are used to jam a lot to build our music. Then we sculpt into the jam during long rehearsal sessions. At the end, there is no more improvisation/jam in our music. It remains a feeling of free playing but there is no more improvisation.

For our first album there are 3 tracks that were free improvised directly in the studio. These are pure free improvisations! We had just talked together before playing to have some direction, like a kind of abstract storyboard and then we have improvised the music. There is no improvisation on the other tracks. For the second album "nova express" there is no improvisation tracks except for the beginning of the last track for which we have recorded an overdubbed session of various percussions ( trash can , bicycle , metal sheet , drill). Everything we could find in Bob Drake's barn). It was a real fun! As for the ZePTO album, it returns into a mix of composed things and free tracks but we used the studio as a fully fledged instrument.

TPF: Without a good rhythm section you can't even talk about "prog" as it is deadly important. Your rhythm section is very strong in this sense and in my opinion can be described as a crazy ride in the jungle with Michael's professionalism on intricate time signatures and Gregory's distorted bass (which is actually sometimes a leading element). Who are their personal influences?

OT: We have started when we were teenagers doing hardcore/noise music. I played guitar at that time. Then we became an instrumental band after the singer's departure. I brought analogue synths in the band which gave a "prog" feeling to the music. At this point I had to choose between the keyboards and the guitar. We have kept the drum/bass energy from the roots of the band in that harcore/noise scene. Mike still digs a lot all the grind scene. Greg is more on the Hugh Hopper side type of sound now.

TPF: I don't know if you will agree with this but, with the wide spread of internet (myspace, facebook and the likes) it seems like the interest in progressive music started to increase a little bit. But of course this came with illegal downloads that actually killed the music industry. What are your thoughts on this? What does the future hold for independent musicians?

OT: I think that now with internet, bands have the false sensation to be famous all over the world but in fact very few people are interested in this kind of music. It's a niche. The access to music is far easier than before but there are a lot more bands too! The problem for us is not only the illegal download but also the fact that you have to tour and make concert in front of 20 people and you eventually lose money. It has not change for us with our without the internet.

Sales have decreased a lot in 10 years. That is clear! But we do not have more people at our gigs and it's always very hard for us to find gigs.

In a time when the economic exploitation of concerts is growing because of the Internet (more and more people stop buying new albums of their favourite bands but they go see them live), I don't think it has benefited the independent bands like us.

I can tell you a very funny story about this: We have even been asked by a booking agency in Paris to open for Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. But the booker asked us money for that! We were very surprised and we have refused to play. They answered us that this kind of deal was usual. They even told us that a band has paid 5000 euros just to play before Sepultura in Paris without any return of the funds. Crazy music business!

TPF: You went through 3 guitarists following the release of your second album and recorded your 3rd one with 2 different guitarists. But this seems to not have affected the reviews at all as you received positive feedbacks from all over the world. Now you have a new guitarist, Matthieu Sassier. How did these changes reflect on your sound and what does Sassier bring to the band sound-wise?

OT: It's too soon to say what Matthieu will bring to the band because he has only played stuff composed by the other guitarists. It's really hard to integrate a new player in our music because there is a large part of feeling that each musician has to bring. It's not enough to play the good note at the right place. You have to be in the same mood. And it needs a lot of time! We did some great gigs with Matthieu and the cohesion improved with each gig. Now we start composing new things and Matthieu is involved in the composition indeed. We also have Julien as a real fifth member of the band, who plays sax and guitar. Our old tracks were quickly re-arranged to include the sax and second guitar and we played as a quintet for the first time at the RIO festival in France last year. NeBeLNeST sound will definitively evolve for the next album. We are composing as a quintet now!

TPF: Will you be coming back to USA following the release of your new album?

OT: We hope so! But it's not very easy to organize it. Last year we only played one gig at the Nearfest. Next time we really hope to have a mini tour like the one we had in 1999.

TPF: Are there any other side projects that the bands members are involved with? Like maybe solo projects or appearing on others' albums etc?

OT: I've played on a track on Bob Drake's album: "13 songs and a thing". I've also been invited to play live with him on one track at the Nearfest. Beside that there is no real side project in NeBeLNeST. There is enough work in this band, I can tell you!! I'm building my own studio. It's a lot of works. I think that perhaps side projects may emerge from this studio. A lot of influences are put together in NeBeLNeST. I think it could be worth to explore one specific part of our music with a side project. Like a zoom which shows a part of an object. NeBeLNeST is an object with many sides!

TPF: Thanks a lot Olivier for taking the time to answer our questions. Good luck with the new album and your studio as well!

NeBeLNeST's Official Website: NEBELNEST.COM