Ytsejam.com - Interview Jonas Reingold / Zeche Carl / April, 26th. 05 / Essen / Germany

Interview: Jonas Reingold
By Rita Bayer

Some weeks ago, I had the pleasure to talk with Jonas Reingold in Essen ( The Tangent concert ) while he enjoyed his meal. We talked about The Tangent Tour so far, the Circus Brimstone Tour, the upcoming The Flower Kings US-Tour, his solo projects “King Koma”, “Karmakanic” and many more….

Rita: You are touring for the first time with the new Tangent band line-up. How did the first shows go and who is doing Roine´s parts now?

Jonas: The first two shows were in Sarlat and yesterday, where did we play yesterday…? It was in Holland and it was quite good. I think the first gig was a very good show. It was not technical correct, but it was a nice vibe and everybody played spiritually good. Krister is doing great, he is a very good guitar player, you know.

R: yes, I saw him with Karmakanic.

Jonas: He is a great musician, I have been friends since 89, I think.

R: Did you get any feedback from the audience to the new band line-up?

Jonas: Yeah, I think it was positive, because there are…you know Roine Stolt is Roine Stolt and you know, Zoltan is Zoltan, so some people will missed them, but Jaime Salazar has been around in a progressive scene a long tine, you know, he did some very important recordings for The Flower Kings . The “Stardust we are” album, the “Flower Power”. So a lot of people want to see him. It has been quite around him lately.

R How do you feel about these changes?

Jonas: It doesn’t matter for me personally, you know, I meet....- You know, Zoltan lives in Malmö and I’m meeting him every week. We are friends and we hang out together, play in different bands, he is still in Karmakanic. So playing with The Flower Kings, for me it is not a big change, because I know everybody, I know Marcus and I know Krister… so for me it´s…

R It´s okay?

Jonas: Yeah, it doesn’t matter really.

R: You went in the beginning of the week to France, I guess for rehearsals. Was it the first time you were playing together?

Jonas: Yeah, it was.

R: and it went well?

Jonas: Yeah, I think so. You gonna hear it tonight…

Jonas, Andy Tillison, Theo Travis

R: I hope so. I´m really looking forward to the show tonight. - You will finish your tour with a gig in the US.

Jonas: yeah!

R Isn’t it stress physically as well as for the budget to go overseas for only one show?

Jonas: No it´s not, because, you know, I think the flight over is 8h and normally its like going from Hamburg to München by car. 8h is 8h. As a musician you have to prepare to travel 8h, it’s nothing, you know.

R:.. but for one show..

Jonas: as I said, 8h is nothing. Just starting 8 o´ clock in the morning, at 4 o´ clock you are there and playing the gig. I remember once we had two shows in Australia. I had to travel for 40h… that was shit!

R: Can we talk about the instrumental tour “Circus Brimstone”?

Jonas: Sure.

R: How was the response to this special tour program and to the new Flower Kings drummer Marcus?

Jonas: I think, the response was great. We played material that we couldn’t play in the big line-up with the flower kings. The hardcore fans appreciate the way we choose the songs, because those songs will never be played in a flower kings environment.
It’s just good for the hardcore fans to hear instrumentals, because we have three good singers, Roine, Daniel and Hasse in The Flower Kings, so we have to play vocal based tracks. But we have written a lot of instrumental songs during the years and this was a chance for the people to hear them.

R: What was the best and the worst moment of this tour?

Jonas: I don’t know… properly the worst was that my back started to hurt 50% into the tour. I have slipping disc, so it´s shit. I’m starting to get old! (laughs) That was the worst thing, I think.

R: I heard that several shows had been recorded - are there recent plans for a live bootleg?

Jonas: Yeah. They will properly be out in May.

R: Do you think you will tour with such a program again?

Jonas: Yeah, I think so. We gonna to play in the States in May with the same line-up. We have plans to go to Japan as well in December, so I think you will see it in the future also. It is a nice compliment to The Flower Kings. The Flower Kings is such a big production now, with all those screens and you know like this. It is good to go back to the roots by a couple of songs. And that’s it!

R Speaking of your recent project King Koma: recordings finished? Release date?

Jonas: We did not finish the recordings yet. Because …. my schedule has been so busy. The Tangent now and Flower Kings in November and Circus Brimstone.
So I had no time to focus on writing material, but it is still in the plan, we have a couple songs already. We will keep doing this during this year.

. R: What is the meaning of King Koma?

Jonas: King Koma is a funny name… (laughs)

R: Is it a project title?

Jonas: Yeah, we have not decided 100% what it is like. I think, King Koma sounds nice.

R: What in your opinion separates this project from your other work?

Jonas: Basically it is a trio album, you know. That’s the difference. There are no vocals, its only instrumental stuff. It is a different genre I would say.

R: Is it meant as an one-album project or do you see it similar to Karmakanic as a real band project with follow up releases and tour plans?

Jonas: Yeah properly, you’ll never know, you have to wait and see what happens. If we do a good record and the record works well, then we might do another one. It depends on the schedule and the economy.

R:.. and you will release it on the same way as Karmakanic?

Jonas: I don’t know yet.

R: Via InsideOut possibly?

Jonas: I don’t know. I have to wait and see. Normally we work like that: we are doing the product first. When the cd is ready done, then we take contact to the record label. I think it is better to focus on the music first and then who will release it. Maybe it’s the “Regain Records” or "InsideOut".

R: What is Zoltan doing?

Jonas: He plays a lot of jazz projects. Jazz music in Kopenhagen, Denmark and Sweden. He got a „Grammy“ in Denmark. It was a jazz production with a “sax campaign”.

R: What about the sound of King Koma?

Jonas: As I said, it is a trio concept: bass, guitar and drums. So I would label it as a power trio, playing fusion like hardcore stuff. A rocky feeling with big touches of jazz.

R: In between all your recordings, rehearsals and tours… I hope you had time for working on the new Karmakanic album.

Jonas: It’s just my schedule to it. Next time I’m free, it´s in August, I will compose something.

R: and who will be involved?

Jonas: I think the same line-up as the previous.

R: Do you think you will go on tour with Karmakanic three again?

Jonas: Yeah hopefully!!!!

R: A question about the Karmakanic-tour in 2004: you planned to go on tour with the Flying Food Circus… then you decided different. Why?

Jonas: It was mainly because of economic reasons, because it is too expensive to have two bands. It was too little guarantee money, so we had to make this decision.

R: You will tour through America with The Flower Kings soon.

Jonas: Yeah!

R: Are there any plans for live-recordings, because you will possibly play another program than in Europe?

Jonas: I don’t know. I don’t think we are gonna record it like super professional recording, but maybe a bootleg.

R: There will be one day with two shows in America, The Flower Kings Day. You are going to play one time the Circus Brimstone program and the other time The Flower Kings program?

Jonas: Yeah, we will.

R: Whose idea was it?

Jonas: Well, we’re normally doing like that. We have that fan conventions in Europe and sometimes in the United States, so we are playing for a small number of people like 50 or 70 people, who pay high ticket prices and have the chance to see the band in a different situation and to ask the band questions, get signs and take pictures at the open-asking sessions.

R: Are there important differences regarding to the venues and to the feedback of the audience when you are playing overseas?

Jonas: Yeah, I think so. Some venues are better. They have a more established prog scene. I remember a club in Detroit. We were the first progressive band they ever had, so it is better to play on well-known venues n the scene you’re working in.

R: I think you won’t have time for sight seeings, right?

Jonas: Well, I don’t know really. I think we will have four days off in Florida, so we will have a little bit of vacation.

R: How do you like touring through America?

Jonas: I have not seen every state. I tour on the Eastside and the Westside and a little bit in the inside. Your can see it like a circle, being on this side, being on that side, but we actually have not played in the inside of America.
But I think, I like America, because it is an amazing country to be a musician in; to be honest, it is where the popular music started in the last century. It is nice to play where the roots are.

R: What is your favourite food there?

Jonas: I don’t know. They have everything there. I don’t think there is any typical American food. When you work in NYC, you can find Thai-restaurants, Vietnamese- restaurants, Greek- restaurants, Swedish- restaurants, and German- restaurants… so you can find everything. But I like barbeque and chicken wings and that kind of stuff.

R: Do you have any countries on your mind you’d like to tour through, you haven’t done to date?

Jonas: Yeah, Japan! I have never been to Japan.

R: You did the bass lines on Tomas´ “I am” and the new Kaipa album “Mindrevolutions”. A few words to both productions, please.

Jonas: Tomas did a really good album. He has very nice melodies. It is a very commercial nice CD, that will appeal to a lot of people. I think it is his most mature album so far.
Well, and Kaipa also has a good album. It’s a typical Kaipa album with a typical Kaipa sound. There is really … music in it like a fundament and Roine plays good guitar, sings great songs, the drummer is also great, so I’m pleased with it.

R: You want to produce Splinter´s debut album, for all those who do not know who they are, could you introduce them to us, please?

Jonas: Splinter is a young band from Holland, very talented guys, they need some guiding, but they are still young. I think they will develop to the next generation of new prog, because they are good songwriters, who focus on the song, not on the playing, so I will do my best to make a great debut CD for them.

R: How did the contact to Splinter come about?

Jonas: First time I met them when they played for Karmakanic as support act.

R: You didn’t know them before?

Jonas: No. They were quite good, I think. I gave them some advice and then they played support for Circus Brimstone.
We talked together and decided, that they should come to Sweden to record their CD in July.

R: Can you say anything about the new Flower Kings CD?

Jonas: I don’t think we have enough material yet, we have some pieces, but we have not started to record. So I don’t know how it is going to be like.

R: When will you start the recordings? This Year?

Jonas: Yeah, properly autumn, like October.

R: Would you call yourself a workaholic?

Jonas: No! Not really. I work a lot, but I think many normal people work a lot too. They go every Monday to Friday to work and I think I’m working the same amount of hours like normal people do.

R: You have free on weekends?

Jonas: No. I have my own business so I can decide to work or not.

R: What are you doing to keep yourself in a good shape?

Jonas: First, I’m not in good shape. (Laughs) I have periods, where I try to train, jogging, you know, and do stuff like that. But now it has been a half year ago, so it is shit.

Krister Jonsson, Jaime Salazar, Jonas

R: Sweden has a big pool of professional musicians. I don’t think that Swedish people are more talented than others. So, what are the reasons for that?

Jonas: I think, the government. In Sweden, we have a quite good system, so when parents want to put their children on a special school, like a music school, they don’t have to pay a lot of money, because the government supports the teaching and everything. So everybody can be able to play an instrument early in life and this is the fundament for a musical society.
I think, we can see that old spring of this now, Sweden is one of the leading countries, when we look at the export of music is, after the USA and the UK, the number three in the world.
They started those support programs in the 60ies and 70ies, and now people begin to get well educated in music.

R: Do you get this support later on too?

Jonas: It is only when you’re going to school, with 16 years, this is for free. Then you can apply for the first musical schools, like university. You have not to pay money for that either.

R and when you work on your own later, you still get support from the government?

Jonas: No. You can apply for a starting support, but it is only for six month.

R: Musicians have different trademarks. Could you describe the special characteristics of the following musicians, you appreciate most?

Jonas: Yeah.

R: Krister Jonsson

Jonas: Krister is a flying bird; he is very free in his play. He can play every style, he can do from one modus to different other modus, and so he is like a free bird.

R: Roine?

Jonas: Roine is a combination of a very emotional player and an intellectual player. He has both sides. Sometimes he plays very emotional but sometimes he is intellectual also.

R Zoltan?

Jonas: He is a very in the present player, he plays in the moment, no looking forward no looking back, he is in the presence right now.
He is an extremely good drummer; he is there in the moment to catch an idea for playing whatever it feels like.

R Marcus?

Marcus (new Flower Kings Drummer) is the second guy from the left

Jonas: He is a more conservative drummer in that sense; e is like ”okay, in 8h that will happen, I will go there and do this”. He is organized.

R: Jaco Pastorius?

Jonas: God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

R: okay, Tomas?

Jonas: Tomas is a VERY emotional player. He is the most emotional player I know. He really plays what he feels, he is not intellectual, he is not planning, he is just doing it.

R: Andy Tillison?

Jonas: Andy is a typical brick player; he comes from the punk scene, so you can feel this punk-vibe in his music. He is a progressive punk player.

R: Richard Andersson?

Jonas: Well organized, very well organized! Almost like a computer.

R:Göran Edman?

Jonas: Göran is a… how should I describe him? He is a guy who has a lot of emotions inside, but he don’t let out. He is a little bit closed. But it’s good! Different people, different characters.

R: Before I forget it…are there any plans for a new “Time Requiem”- album, you´ve heard anything?

Jonas: No, I have not heard anything.

R l give you a few keywords and you´ll tell me your thoughts, please..

Jonas: Okay.

R: Red bass guitar

Jonas: Oh, that’s me!!!!!!!

R: First LP you purchased?

Jonas: KISS , “Love Gun” 1977

R: Contra-bass. Do you play Contra-bass?

Jonas: Yeah!

R: You played in front of an audience?

Jonas: I played a lot and I recorded some things.

R: Red wine

Jonas: It’s good, depends on the brand.

R: Did you ever drink Canadian red wine?

Jonas: I don’t think it is a good climate for red wine in Canada. You have to go more souths. (Jonas told me a lot more about red wine J )

R: Do you have a wine cellar?

Jonas: No, I only drank wine over the years, so I’m very interested in this.

R: Abba

Jonas: Great music!

R Do you own a five or six string bass guitar?

Jonas: No, it’s no rock’n’roll really.

R: I guess, you just love your red Yamaha bass!

Jonas: Yeah yeah! Well, of course there are good players to play five or six string, but I’m more into four string bass. I use the pedals, if I wanna go deep.

R: Okay, anything you want to add?

Jonas: No…. you‘re happy? (laughs)

R: Yeah, thank you so much! (laughing too)

This interview was originally done for The Flower Kings fanzine * WORLD OF ADVENTURES *.