Tymon Kruidenier, the hybrid

Nick: Hi Tymon. Since I got a confirmation for making this interview, I had on my mind an introduction which says “What do Chuck Schuldiner and Allan Holdsworth have in common? Of course, it’s Tymon Kruidenier.” Would you say that’s true? Personally, it seems to me that you are heavily influenced by these two great guitarists.

Tymon: I never think about it that way but if I stop for a second and consider the influence both musicians had on me I guess you are right! Especially the Chuck influence seems such a long time ago for me personally, but I guess it’s still in there somewhere. It’s essentially how I started playing the guitar, playing along with Death songs. Allan Holdsworth has been my favorite guitar player ever since I heard him so he’s still a very current influence for me.

Nick: How was the recent European tour with Cynic? I saw some photos people have uploaded to Facebook, and it looks like you had a blast. Europe and especially Serbia loves seeing you guys here, as you’ve played here twice in the last 3 years. I asked Paul, so I’ll ask you too, what are your memories of playing in Belgrade?

Tymon: We love playing out in Europe, each country has its own unique qualities that are fun to experience when performing there. I’ve only played in Belgrade once with Cynic but that was a blast! It was a very small and intimate club with very passionate people coming to see us.

Nick: Would you tell us about your musical beginnings and what it was like joining Cynic? How is it playing with one of the most influential bands in the genre?

Tymon: It literally was a dream come true for me. Even though I barely listened to any metal anymore back in 2007 when I was asked to join the band, I still considered Focus to be

one of my favorite albums and a true timeless piece of art. Playing in the band is very different from how you would think it would be though. You have to let the dream scenario go because that’s not a very realistic place to work from. We’re all good friends now, respect each other as musicians and are a productive working band. I can’t complain!! Sometimes when playing live I’m being reminded about the influence Cynic had on the prog scene and I feel how it was to be a fan of this band. I’m grateful for the opportunity and for how open the fans were to accepting me in the band.

Nick: Let’s focus on Exivious. You formed it together with the fellow Cynic member Robin Zielhorst and the Textures duo, Michel Nienhuis and Stef Broks. Would you mind telling us about Exivious’ beginnings? How did it go?

Tymon: Exivious has always been my main project ever since I started playing the guitar. It changed so much since the beginning. We went through numerous line up changes and a ton of demo material. Though what I consider Exivious these days is the 2005 reincarnation of the band, the band everyone knows these days. When I started to feel comfortable with the music I wrote and I felt it was time to record and release something I started my search for the right musicians.I found Stef through his band Textures and he brought Michel and Robin in. It all went very fast actually. I remember it took about a year to gel together as a band, to start understanding each other musically but also find the collective sound we were looking for with Exivious.

Nick: I guess that Exivious is exactly a good indicator of the statement from the beginning of this interview, as I can clearly notice the Schuldiner/Holdsworth traces. It’s evident that you are jazz fusion/metal freaks, so maybe you could tell us about the influences and the bands that have been inspired your work with Exivious?

Tymon: We have so many influences it wouldn’t make sense to list them here! We’re obviously into a lot of fusion like Allan Holdsworth and Tribal Tech and we all share the love for metal. But we also love a lot of other styles of music like jazz, ambient, pop, electronic, psychedelic, classical, pretty much everything! I think all those different influences have had a huge impact on our sense of harmony and melody, something you don’t hear right away in our music but are definitely there.

Nick: Are there plans for a new Exivious album at some point in the future? Have you been thinking about it?

Tymon: Not right now, we decided to break up because we just couldn’t find the time anymore to sustain the band, and it doesn’t help that Robin and I live in LA now either. Robin and I are totally focused on Cynic right now and both Michel and Stef have their commitments as well. But who knows… in a distant future…

Nick: How does Exivious stand when it comes to playing live? I think it would be good you are live support for Cynic, since two of you already play with Cynic and the other guys could easily join. What do you think?

Tymon: That seems ideal when you first think about it but unfortunately it’s hard to make that work from a practical point of view. Dividing your attention between two bands that both need your full attention is not a very wise thing to do in my opinion. We also heard some bad stories from guys doing the double duty thing so we decided it’s better to not even try it.

Nick: You’ve succeeded to make a hybrid of progressive metal and fusion jazz. Do you have an interest in discovering other-new music? What are your all-time favorite albums/bands?

Tymon: Definitely. This will be evident on a new Cynic album and even more so on a new Exivious album if that will ever see the light of day. I have so many favorite albums I wouldn’t know where to start honestly!

Nick: What comes next after the upcoming Cynic US tour?

Tymon: Writing a new CYNIC album!

Nick: What kind of gear/equipment do you use in studio/live?

Tymon: Paul and I use Steinberger guitars going through a Fractal Audio Axe-FX for amp modeling and effects. Pretty much the simplest setup you can have in the world of guitar. In

the studio we also use some old amps, a variety of stomp boxes and other random effects we can find.

Nick: As far as I know, you give guitar lessons in the LA area. How is the feel when you know that you taught someone and helped shape someone’s guitar skills? Have you tried to do online lessons?

Tymon: I like it though I prefer to push my students to find things out on their own. I’ve always been a big supporter of learning things on your own, probably because that’s the way I learned to play guitar. Online lessons is something I’ve been into for a couple of months now. I teach through Skype and it actually works pretty well for most of my students.

Nick: Do you have any particular hobby besides being involved in music or a regular job?

Tymon: I obviously love music but also art, nature, and life in general. Secretly I’m also quite the geek, I love fooling around with new technology and computers. I’m very happy to say my regular job is being a musician!

Nick: I’m out of questions, so if you have something to add, feel fee to do it.

Tymon: Please come see us on our upcoming US tour, it’s Cynic’s first US headline tour ever!!

Nick: Thanks for your time, Tymon. See you.

Tymon: You’re welcome! Thanks for the interview!

Days Before Tomorrow – The Sky is Falling

Nice album from this US band.

Days Before Tomorrow, is a band from the USA that is willing to share their music, so thanks to Scott Kahn, who kindly introduced me to their music, specifically to their first full- length album called “The Sky is Falling” released in 2009. They had already recorded in 2006 a self-titled demo which I haven’t listened yet. But with this first studio album, they have succeeded, at least with me.

This album is composed by 14 songs which make a total time of 61 minutes. A concept album whose music clearly follows the Neo Progressive path, you will notice it since the very first minutes. The first song, “Lighters” has a very nice sound, the keyboards effects are very nice, kind of special, the guitars are splendid, and the vocals are pretty good. The sound is gentle, in moments it could be repetitive, but good anyway. “Wrong” has something curious, because it reminded me to U2 thanks to the guitars and the first vocal scream. The sound is very light and listenable, the vocals are pretty nice and the instruments in general sound always good, I like a lot that soft “far” keyboard, and the acoustic guitar. However, this is actually not my favorite song here, it is predictable.

“Last Song” begins with acoustic guitar introducing the song, later drums, bass and electric guitars appear along with the vocals. Actually I would like to point out that the vocal work is great here, reaching high notes and reflecting the music’s mood. This is a very nice song. “Can’t Go Back” has some kind of neo-prog / hard-rock feeling, you will notice in the chorus, due to the vocals and electric guitars. The tune is very catchy, which does not mean it is bad.

There are three parts of “Wasted Years”, two of them go together here, while the third will be found almost at the end of this record. The first one is “Confrontation”, starts with a nice piano that seconds later will be joined by soft vocals, and the mood shares some kind of melancholy. The song is actually like a ballad, there are nice keyboard orchestrations while the leading piano is playing. After a short stop, the second part called “Sleepwalking” begins with acoustic guitar and nice keyboard tunes, in moments it reminds me to some Ayreon passages. After a minute and a half the song makes a change, the guitars play a main role here, both acoustic and electric, the latter making some nice and always well placed solos.

“In the Air” Is a short but nice acoustic interlude that opens the door to “The Sky is Falling” which starts heavier but later turns catchier. There is a hard rock feeling I get in this song, though the neo-progressive sound prevails. Before minute three there is a nice intermission where the things calm down, there is only the keyboard sound, but later will be joined by acoustic guitars and drums, and to these, add the bass and electric guitar solos that appear seconds later. The instrumental passage of this song is very good. The next song “Can’t Do Anything” starts with the same heavier sound due to the guitar notes. But later it slows down a little bit when vocal appears, however that lasted only some seconds because the hard guitars appear again and will be here during all the song. If you ask me, I would say that this song has some hints of 80s glam rock bands, but I don’t really think they have that intention. Anyway, there is a very nice instrumental passage where keyboards and piano appear, and to be honest, the whole song is pretty good, enjoyable.

“Survival” starts with nice guitars and a soft sound, but later the song becomes more adventurous until the vocals appear, then a structure is being built up and the atmosphere created helps a lot to appreciate this piece. Once the song attacks you, you will not escape. “Your Kate” has again that predominant good guitar sound, which is accompanied by a soft keyboard sound as background and drums. Later vocals and bass appear in a slower phase, but later the song rises again and becomes powerful, very nice.

“You’re not the one” reminds me immediately to Porcupine Tree, more specific to Blackest Eyes, I don’t know if they are one of the band’s influences but here it sounds clear due to the guitars. Later the song changes actually, the backing vocals are pretty good and the leading ones are great, there is a soft moments where acoustic Spanish like guitar appears. The song is not a line but a circle, because it rounds and rounds, reaching the same point that appeared a minute ago, yeah It is repetitive, but that’s it’s grace, I like it.

The third part of Wasted Years appears here, it is called “The Silence is Deafening”. It follows the same rhythm and structure of its predecessors so it completes that tierce. It has some nice changes in both, the music and the mood. It has reminiscences of the other two parts, the instruments are always well played, with a clean and strong sound. Nice piano, drums and bass, emotional and great vocals, and an extraordinary guitar work overall. The album ends with “Lighters (reprise)” which is only the last minute that completes The Sky is Falling.

This is a very good album, an extraordinary debut (forget the demo) of this promising US band whose talent is evident here. I listened to this album several times before writing this review, because I wanted to be fair and write it properly. Now, I can say I enjoy it, I like the songs, but in moments I really feel it repetitive and boring in instants. However I consider it a strong example of a modern neo prog album.

Enjoy it!

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Simone Cecchini

Dan: Hello Simone, and the rest of Il Bacio Della Medusa if you’re answering too. Thank you for agreeing to this interview! I’m very excited to speak with one of my favorite recent Italian Prog bands. Would you guys mind introducing yourselves?

Simone: So a greeting to all and thank you for this interview Nikola (note from editor: It was Dan who has prepared questions for Simone) which I apologize  for having responded so late to this interview… That being said I present to you my Art progressive Band “IL BACIO DELLA MEDUSA” so … Simone C. (Voice), Federico (bass), 30 years, Simone B. (Guitar), 35, Daniele (violin), 26 years old, , while Eva (flute and sax), 26 years old, and Diego (drums, organ and mellotron), 28 years old.

Dan: Where did you guys come up with the name “Il Bacio Della Medusa”? I believe this translates to something like “The Kiss of Medusa” or “Medusa’s Kiss” in English. Would you mind explaining the origins of this name? I find it interesting, it’s like a blend of ugliness and beauty. Though, I don’t hear much ugliness in BDM’s music!

Simone: The band’s name, which in English would translate to “The Kiss of Medusa” was chosen thanks to our great passion for art, especially for Michelangelo Merisi called Caravaggio, one of the most powerful and expressive artists of Italian History of Art.
The name is inspired by a painting depicting a shield with the severed head of the Gorgon Medusa, defeated by the hero Perseus: Medusa was condemned to eternal loneliness, pain and melancholy, bread which artists and musicians feed metaphorically …
Our love for Art and Music has led us to think, and what is born is The Kiss of Medusa!

Dan: What do you guys have to say about the recording process for the first album? It’s actually kind of strange for an RPI album, in that there’s a lot of focus on heavy guitar work. It’s almost hard rock or metal, but with lots of RPI elements.

Simone: Our first album was born from ‘need to create a live repertoire in which rock elements could meet the Italian tradition of songwriters. At first we never thought of creating a progressive rock album but then we realized that we’ve done it. I like to call our first work “IL Bacio Della Medusa” as a prototype of progressive rock.

Dan: Can you explain some of the lyrics to we who do not speak Italian?

Simone: The first song is requiem for those condemned to death, and tells a set of feelings that the offender lives before death until he have his post mortem dream in which has the vision of a better afterlife.

The second song “Oriente Occidente” talks about the parallels between East West, are images, other visions.

The third one translated “The skinning Marsyas” tells of legend comes from Greek mythology. The satyr Marsyas with his flute challenge Apollo in a musical contest. the divinity wins with his lyre and kills the satyr rub him alive.

Il Vino, tells of Dionysian fury after drunk while Cantico del Poeta errante (song of the wandering poet) is the story of a wandering poet, and his journey to discover himself.

At the end De Luxuria et de Ludo et de taberna is a poetry of Cecco Angiolieri a medieval poet who comes from Siena. The poetry is really Rebel for the period in which he lived and wrote … and we liked to music it.

Dan: The second album is much lighter in terms of music, more like a “traditional” RPI album, but still with BDM’s own unique touches. Can you guys tell something about the recording process of this album?

Simone: To record our second album “Discesa Agli Inferi di Un Giovane Amante” was harder than the first one. No longer a question of creating a live repertoire but a progressive rock Album. We spent a year composing and eight months to record it. Night and Day. Without thinking anything else. the result was what you heard.

Dan: Same question as with the first album in regards to the lyrics of this one. Also, I read somewhere that this is a concept album. Do tell?

Simone: Regarding the second album is more difficult to speak about texts. Summing up we can say that the descent of a young lover is spiritual journey into inner hell of the man. The purpose of this trip is to know himself.

Dan: Can you tell us something about the artwork of your albums? Who makes it, what do they symbolize? You guys seem to be going for a traditional RPI album art style, in the vein of Le Orme, Quella Vecchia Locanda, etc.

Simone: About the artwork of our albums I can tell that Federico, our bass player is the artist who have done it. With our cover, we wanted to create images that represent the lyrics of our songs in order to give listeners a taste of what could be heard in our two lp and certainly the graphical presentation shows a strong attachment to the tradition of Italian prog.

Dan: Speaking of QVL, I read in an interview that you guys are big fans of them, along with PFM and Jethro Tull. These three happen to be some of my favorite bands, along with VDGG and a few more! Can you tell me some of your favorite albums? If I were to pick two from the first three each, I would go with both QVL albums (by nessesity), Thick as a Brick followed by Heavy Horses, and Storia Di Un Minuto followed by Stati Di Immaginazione by PFM (yes, I like the recent albums very much!)

Simone: We like QVL, PFM; JT and VDGG… and I like these bands like the other, I prefer King Crimson, all the discography till RED, and I like Greg Lake. I Like JT and the great personality of Ian Anderson. I Like Genesis of Foxtrot, Nursery Crimes, and Sell in England By the Pound…in which Peter Gabriel is great…What about Banco del Mutuo Soccorso they are great musicians and we could meet them in person and say that we are beautiful people even humanly. Some of my favourite album is the first by Yes, In the wake of Poseidon by King Crimson, Aqualung and thick as a Brick by Jethro, Just a collection…by Srawbs.Days of future passed by the moody blues.I like Gong, Arzachel..etc…

Dan: What other bands do you guys listen to? I hear some Biglietto Per L’Infernale in the first album, as well as a bunch of other things. Bonus points if you introduce something new for me to listen to!

Simone: We listen to a lot a lot of music…We like Orme, Pfm, Banco, Biglietto per l’Inferno, Jumbo, raccomandata ricevuta di ritorno, Trip, Arti e Mestieri, Osanna etc. but I do not listen only progressive, but a lot of genres so I like blues, but also the bossa nova, I have recently rediscovered the pleasures of 70’s glam rock. I really like Bowie, T Rex, Mott the Hoople, and Steve Haley.

Dan: Do you guys go on tour much, and is there a chance I might see you in a Prog festival around NYC at some point in the near future?

We’d love to have more opportunities to play around, unfortunately the opportunities are few. In the past we have participated in various festivals and we had fun. The public has been fantastic with us. Certainly we’d like you saw us in a live in NYC.

Dan: Can you describe the current RPI scene? It seems like there’s a pretty sizeable revival of the genre, in the form of new bands and a large bunch of bands reforming to create new albums such as PFM, Osanna, Le Orme, Latte e Miele, and a lot of others. As members of the scene, why do you guys think that is? Also, how do you feel about some of the work these bands have come forth with in recent years? In general, I am personally enjoying most of the new albums.

Simone: To be honest I do not follow the new prog scene in so scrupulous way. I don’ t think myself only as a progressive singer. I think the current scene is very complex and often many different genres are associated with the name “Progressive”. I Do not know much about the new progressive bands, and even the new work of the historic prog bands. I believe that real progressive rock has concluded many years ago. For this reason we in the last like to call ourself an Art rock band.

Dan: How does the future look for BDM? I hear you guys are planning to release a live DVD soon.

Simone:  Soon will be released on DVD ” BDM Live in Genoa ” which represents the bridge between the old and the new sound BDM, and that will be two tributes song in English, to the delight of fans not Italian!

Dan: Are there any plans for a new album anytime soon? I’m definitely hoping for more original material from you guys!

Simone: We are  working on drafts of the new album, “Deus Lo Vult”, which we believe encapsulates the stylistic maturity group, but our minds will always be in turmoil, and it is difficult to see a culmination of our creativity …!
We believe that the public will feel a great evolution in Il Bacio della Medusa in 2010, both lyrically and in musical compositions of the new work that will close the trilogy.

Dan: Are any of you in BDM working on any side projects at the moment? Have you in the past?

Simone: Yes I am working with “Fufluns- Complesso Embrionale Fossile”  composed by Alfio Costa (Tillion, Prowlers), Guglielmo Mariotti (The Watch) and Mau Di Tollo (Maschera di Cera) a project that will lead to the progressive realization of a concept album that will play on the story of a scarecrows. Then I’m trying to record more professionally my testatemto of a poet who can find on my my space. Diego, Eva and Federico are finalizing the recording of an album with their project “Ornithos”.

Dan: Thank you for agreeing to this interview, is there anything you guys would like to mention that I forgot to ask?

Simone: We would play outside more often and especially from Italy in the past where we had a lot of success. Our biggest dream would be able to land in Japan, South America and the U.S.

Dan: One last question! Does Il Bacio Della Medusa like dogs? If so, and if members of the band have dogs, please tell us about your dogs!

Simone: BDM loves dogs and all animals.Diego, Eva, Federico e Daniele have dogs at Home and expecially Daniele have always his dog Toky with him…

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