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FRIGHT PIG Barque At The Lune *** REVERSAL OF GRAVITY Scuba Gear ***

Interview with Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings) by Hande BURDG

Roine Stolt is not only the creative force behind the Swedish progressive rock band The Flower Kings, but he is also a major figure in his country's rock music history. He recently released his latest project under the name "Agents of Mercy" with Nad Sylan. The album is titled "The Fading Ghosts of Twilight". We wanted to talk to him about this CD as well as progressive rock in general, and he was very kind to accept our interview request.

HB: First of all, congratulations on the release of your new project "Agents Of Mercy". Could you please give us a brief history on how it started?

RS: In January 2008 I had some time off and was trying to go through all the material I've been writing over the last few years. I tried to put it all into certain categories - and in the end came up with things like: "Acoustic guitar tunes" - "Jazzfusion& Afro" - "70s prog" - "Orchestral" - "Hymns"- "Beatpop" etc. I decided to start working on an acoustic album since it was something I'd never released before and it seemed like a logical step away from the quite dense and bombastic music that was on the latest Flowerkings album (The Sum Of No Evil ). So I started to work on that acoustic thing in the early summer of 2008.

HB: How did you decide to work with Nad Sylvan?

RS: I saw the name Unifaun popping up on a few places on the internet and just reviewed their myspace to hear a few snippets. I instantly liked it and especially the quality of Nad's voice - his timbre reminded me of some of my favourite singers like Steve Winwood, Gary Brooker, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and sometimes even John Lennon or Cat Stevens. So I contacted him and told him I was working on an acoustic album and wanted him to do leadvocals on a few tracks. In the end it turned into a more symphonic rock album where Nad sings leadvocals on 9 tunes and most of the backingvocals.

HB: You have different drummers on this CD, was this intentional? If so why did you want to go with different drummers?

RS: It started with me asking Pat Mastelotto, he's such a great guy and I really enjoyed working with him on the 2007 Flowerkings tour, so I wanted to work with him on an album too. He was a little busy at the time doing things with just anyone - King Crimson got back together and later also with Terry Bozzio and Alan Holdsworth in Japan. I thought I'd contact Jimmy Keegan too, who actually wanted to join TFK a while back when we were looking for a new drummer, but it didn't work out then because of the geographgical complications but I respect him very much as a musician and love his live work with Spocks Beard and I'd heard him on Santana's "Supernatural" CD too. Then last I couldn't resist asking Zoltan to play on a few tracks too because I love his playing and it makes me so sad that I can't hire him to be in TFK because him and Tomas don't get along so well - so this was my own album and I could do what ever I wanted. They did a great job all of them and I think they all understood well what I was looking for in terms of a drum sound - more of a vintage sound, like old 60's or early or mid 70's - a bit boomy and with ringing toms.

HB: Will there be any "Agents of Mercy" gigs this year?

RS: Yes - we'll premiere at the Loreley Festival in Germany on July 10th - I'm really looking forward to that - and then we'll probably do a package tour in late September together with Karmakanic - it's goona be great fun - more like a big family - many singers and players - helping out to reproduce both repetoires. We'd love to come to America too soon.

HB: > You started as a bass player and then switched to guitar. It usually happens the other way around. How did you decide to switch to electric guitar?

RS: Well I started with the acoustic guitar but once our little combo got electric - I was positioned as bass player and was happy with that - and soon realized how I could make a difference in the melodic and harmonic content by playing harmonizing basslines -I learnt that from McCartney. So when I first bought my electric guitar in 1973 I had already been playing guitar alongside bass and was into the whole Allman Brothers and Fleetwood Mac,BB King blues thing.

HB: And I also heard you built your first bass from de-tuned guitar strings. Have you ever tried to build an electric guitar too?

RS: No not really - well I think I started to build a Les Paul but got halfway and then bought my electric instead. My first electric was a HAGSTRÖM, "The Swede" a very good solid body Les Paul type guitar - well crafted and to this day still a fine instrument. I traded that one in for a Gibson ES 335 in 1974 - I loved that Gibson for many years and wish I still had it.

HB: As a musician you have a reputation of bringing new sounds to prog rock. What do you personally think of this genre?

RS: I don't think much about it really - however it seems there is far more bands playing the genre than it was in the 70's. To my ears however there are very few that manage to bring something original to the table - so I can't say I listen much to newer prog rock- I find the 70's bands more original and most often with better lead singers and most important - better melodies. I'm not crazy about all the metal elements in new prog - it sometimes tends to drift towards the 80's hairmetal and I find that cheezy.

HB: There are so many bands that still imitate the sound of the bands like ELP, Genesis, King Crimson or Zappa, but the missing element is that they don't add anything unique or personal to their music. Doesn't it sound like an oxymoron to still call this "prog" when it lacks new sounds?

RS: To me it really doesn't matter what it is called - I would never listen or buy a record just because it is prog - the genre in itself isn't interesting, it's only if a new band comes along and has really good songs or their playing is extremely good that I take interest. Likewise it doesn't bother me or worry me if there are elements that sounds similar to Zappa or Genesis - as long as the bulk of music is original, because every artist pay homage to some of those who came before -even the Beatles did and definitely Genesis, Yes, they all borrowed from other bands. It happens we (TFK) nick a few notes or maybe more like an idea but the bulk of material, I would say 90% is entirely what comes from within, it's ours, but through the voice of this prog rock instrumentation it may sometimes sound like we "copy the old masters".

HB: I remember reading about prog musicians and fans mostly coming from middle class families mostly because they have a better chance to get good education. Would you agree with that? And if so why is it not happening as much as it did back in the 70's? Did we become more poor or more capitalistic?

RS: I really can't say, but I suppose the upper or upper middle-class has a history of bigger record collections and more classical music and possibly more music education - piano lessons and such .

HB: You have a very positive approach toward life and you often try to incorporate this to your music. Do you sometimes find it hard to keep this positive energy going? If so what do you do in those times?

RS: Well in a half crazy world where people insist killing for profit or religion it is not easy to always be in high spirits or ever positive - but I've developed some method of keeping reasonably happy and grateful for the good things in life - and try to share that if at all possible.

HB: What 3 CD's you are currently listening to?

RS: That would be: 1# VANGELIS -"Mythodea" a fantastic album that is one of his few real orchestralworks, so not only synthesizers but a real orchestra and choir and opera sopranos - 2# Coldplay -"Viva La Vida", a nice and melodic album - 3# The Beatles - "Anthology" - disc 3&4. timeless melodies.

HB: Thank you very much Roine for taking the time to answer our questions! We really appreciate it.

THE FLOWER KING's Official Website: FLOWERKINGS.SE.

VISIT TFK ON MYSPACE

AGENTS OF MERCY MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/agentsofmercy.