Interview Gibraltar Webzine, scheduled to appear in the March issue, but never published, Spring 1998 Conducted by Michael S. Taylor Walk with me, for I shall go no further now Dance for me, my sould shall end its futile ride Dressed in gold I rise with my face to the sun Anekdoten exploded onto the progressive rock scene in the early '90s. Together with Änglagård and Landberk, this triumvirate of bands helped to establish Sweden as a hot bed of progressive activity. Sadly, Änglagård met their demise prematurely but Anekdoten and Landberk continue to release music of the highest caliber. Landberk will be covered in a forth-coming issue of Gibraltar Webzine. For now, let's delve into the history of Anekdoten. The confluence in Borlänge, Sweden, that led to the formation of Anekdoten began as two different tributaries. The first involved Nicklas Berg and Peter Nordins. Together, the guitarist and drummer played in a heavy metal band in the early 1980s. By 1990, they would be part of the Manson Family Band, showing influences of Cream and Jimi Hendrix. During this time, Berg and Nordins developed an interest in progressive rock, and became particularly involved with the music of King Crimson. The other tributary involved bassist Jan Erik Liljeström as a member of a band called Kajuku. Also in the band were Per Wiberg (deathOrgan) and Stefan Dimle (Landberk). Kajuku had composed several progressive-styled songs and also played many King Crimson cover songs, including "Starless," "21st Century Schizoid Man" and "Moonchild." When Dimle had to leave Kajuku for military service, the band dissolved and Liljeström joined another band influenced by Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. With such common influences, the joining of Liljeström with Berg and Nordins seemed destiny. Liljiström reflects, "It was inevitable that we would run into each other in Borlänge, as we had two big interests in common: playing music that was influenced by the '60s and '70s, and listening to music from the '60s and '70s. Nicklas and I got together at a party in February 1990 and we found out that we both really wanted to try to cover some King Crimson songs and in May 1990 rehearsals began with Peter." Thus was born King Edward. The new band adopted the name King Edward, a brand of potatoes in Sweden (see the Kerrs Pink article in the January 1998 issue of GibWeb). The self-taught trio garned a reputation as a King Crimson cover band, although they played other songs as well. In fact, "Sad Rain" (a bonus track on the Japanese issue of Anekdoten's first album) and parts of "Karelia" and "The Old Man & The Sea" date back to King Edward days. But Liljeström says he considered King Edward a project, not a band. The trio didn't get serious as a band until Anna Sofi Dahlberg joined them. Jan Erik recalls the events that led to the formation of Anekdoten: "Ever since we started out playing Crimso-covers we felt restricted by the trio format. At a couple of rehearsals in the beginning of 1991, Michael Thorne, who was the keyboard player in Catweazle, had been playing keyboards with us, but he soon moved from the area and we found ourselves looking for a fourth member again. We briefly knew Anna Sofi, as we had many common friends. I talked with Nicklas about whether or not we should ask Anna Sofi if she would like to join the band, but we hesitated as we were afraid that bringing in a female member might make the music less aggressive. A stupid assumption of course, and one that has been proven completely wrong since. As it turned out, Anna Sofi was at the one and only gig Peter, Nicklas and I did as a trio in May 1991, under the name King Edward. At a rockfestival in the summer of 1991 she approached Nicklas and asked if she could join the group. Rehearsals began in August 1991 and things gelled immediately." With the addition of classically trained Anna Sofi, the band wanted to change musical direction toward original compositions and a more individual style. A change in band name was warranted. Nicklas Berg suggested Anekdoten, which they all liked, but the band wanted to consider an English name to help attract an international audience, not to mention that all their lyrics were written in English. The band, however, could not find any English title that adequately portrayed the band's character. The band remained undecided until just before their debut CD was released but they finally settled upon Anekdoten. They recorded demonstration material and gigged heavily around Borlänge, sometimes alone and sometimes with Änglagård, Landberk and Dirty Old Men. They shopped around their demo tape and received many letters of interest. After hearing Änglagård's first release, however, Anekdoten decided to release their CD privately and record it at Studio Largen, the same studio used by Änglagård. "There was a strong sense that something was emerging in the beginning of the '90s," says Liljeström, "and we were fortunate to burst into the scene at the right moment. Landberk had paved the way and Änglagård had released Hybris and done their very succesful gig at the Progfest in Los Angeles in 1993. At that time Sweden was the right place to come from if you were going to release a debut album with progressive rock." Vemod, was released in September of 1993 on Anekdoten's label, Virtalevy. Although their music seethes with the scathing fury of Red storm King Crimson, Anekdoten's music can be explored on several layers. Anekdoten's many different influences are detectable yet the band goes beyond the ordinary to create a vigorous and energetic music. Vemod opens with "Karelia," one of just two instrumental songs. The quiet strains of two mellotrons hint at the dark, quiet lyrics ahead in later songs. The mellotrons soon yield to a raucous melée that typifies most of the instrumental passages. Frippian guitar licks, pronounced and distorted Zuehl-like bass, and sonorous cello lines meld with dueling mellotrons to create a dense wall of sound, relentless in its passion. Through it all, Nordins calmly directs the band with his thoughtful, mature use of the traps. The exceptions to the intensity are the somber "Thoughts in Absence," with its "Starless"-like themes and swirling electric piano, and the aptly titled instrumental, "Longing," featuring Berg quietly playing acoustic guitar along with Dahlberg's aching cello passages. The lyrics are despondent, complimenting the quieter sections, yet the instrumental passages are furious and angry, belying the gentle despair of the words. For another contrast, in "The Old Man & the Sea," we hear Liljeström gently intone: Feeder of my visions, Carrier of my soul, The last hope for the dreamers, Now crashing to the shore, Pinioned and torn In presumption and with my foolish pride I challenged the storm, I challenged the storm Accepting the challenge, Anekdoten musically narrate the old man's battle with the unrelenting sea, describing the clash with thunderous bass, searing guitar and pulsating cello amidst washes of mellotron. This combination of lyrics and instruments typifies much of the album. The final song, "Wheel," is full of dark, gothic imagery. Liljeström's and Dahlberg's voices, processed into a eerie, ghost-like quality, bring to mind haunted castles high on hilltops with lightning flashes all around. Despite the unique sonority added by the cello and the gothic aura that permeated the album, some listeners felt that Vemod was bound too tightly to Anekdoten's King Crimson roots. As restless as their music, Anekdoten would evolve their sound during the next year, further developing a style very much their own. Anekdoten immediately began touring in 1994, visiting several countries, including parts of Scandinavia, Europe and North America. One of the stops included ProgFest '94 in Los Angeles, California, where I was lucky enough to witness the powerful intensity of the live Anekdoten experience. Selections from their second-day performance are captured on Musea's 2CD set called ProgFest '94. Playing most of the songs from Vemod, plus a cover of Holst's "Mars" and King Crimson's "Starless," Anekdoten delivered a high-octane dose of intensity until the very end. To this day, I need only close my eyes to think of this set. I picture lanky Nicklas Berg, his hand racing up and down the fretboard; I envision Jan Erik Liljestrom beating out aggressive fuzz notes from his Rickenbacker; I remember Peter Nordin pounding furiously at his kit drums; in contrast, Anna Sofi Dahlberg calmly sat at the mellotron, belying the gothic strains emanating forth; I picture this band awash, appropriately enough, in floods of red light. An Anekdoten concert is forever emblazoned into the memories of the viewer. After a break from touring, Anekdoten returned to Studio Largen during July to November 1995 to record their second album. Whereas Anekdoten recorded the bass, drums and guitar live in the studio for Vemod, they approached the recording of the new songs differently, overdubbing the bass and the guitars. The cello, keyboards, percussion and vocals were later recorded in their rehearsal studio in Borlänge. Although a very successful recording, Jan Erik says they probably won't make future recordings in this way. "On Nucleus almost all of the bass and guitars have been overdubbed," explains Liljeström, "but we think that we will go back to recording the drums, bass and guitar live in the studio for our next release. It is more interesting to go for feel and interaction between the musicians than for endless overdubs and technical perfection." Nucleus was released in December of 1995 to high praise from all corners of the prog world. With it's infrared eyeball on the cover, Nucleus yields insight into the changes of Anekdoten's sound since Vemod. The title track combines all that is classic Anekdoten. Nicklas Berg assails the ear with harrowing guitar leads. The bass cones of the stereo speakers nearly self-destruct from Jan Erik Liljeström's heavily overdriven bass and Peter Nordin's thundering drums. Anna Sofi Dahlberg permeates the air with the heady fragrance of mellotron. The band lays back for the gothicism of the first verse, then leaps forward aggressively for the second verse. The listener is drawn in like a helpless moth to the flame. Yet, Nucleus has much more to present to the careful listener. In an interview with i/e magazine, Jan Erik explained how he felt that Nucleus was a much more demanding album than Vemod. The extra time involved in the studio allowed Anekdoten to weave a rich tapestry of music at the level of composition and arrangement, at the level of musicianship and at the level of production. "Book of Hours" is the longest song on Nucleus and perfectly highlights the new dimensions of Anekdoten's sound. "Book of Hours" begins with quivering droplets of guitar splashing into a gently flowing river of mellotron. As the river flows around small stones of drums, the bass notes the passage of time. Small eddies of words swirl in the water as the current builds in a rush toward its inevitable flow into the turbulent sea. The music swirls in a psychedelic miasma of sounds that finally breaks into alternating wavelets of calmness and large, sonic-powered breakers. Through the layer of drums, bass and guitar emerge several layers of melltrons, vocals and additional keyboards in arrangements not yet heard in any of Anekdoten's studio recordings. In contrast to the slow build of "Book of Hours," "This Far From the Sky" erupts with a flourish of cymbals into an searing pyroclastic wave. Yet, when the band is this far from the sky, they find room to explore many different areas, from vaguely oriental tonalities to massive attacks of distortion. Anekdoten travel restlessly from mountain top to valley floor, charting ever new territory for the band. "Here" strikes chords of great melancholy, the depths of which were never approached on Vemod, and plumbs dark recesses with sorrowful violin. Nucleus is a distinctive Anekdoten album; it is heavier, more aggressive, darker and sadder than their debut. Anekdoten's Nucleus lays bare the heart of the band. From April to November of 1996, Anekdoten played dates in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Italy and Belgium. In late 1997, they would play several dates in Japan. Did the band notice any differences among the audiences of different countries? "There is a big difference between how the audiences react in different parts of the world," allows Liljeström. "The Quebec audience, for example, showed their appreciation in a very spontaneous way and is by far the most enthusiastic crowd we've ever played for, while the crowd in Japan was very observant but quiet during the songs. I think that the latter can be good when you are recording the gig, because we were focused as we noticed that the audience was closely following what we were doing on stage." What about their ProgFest '94 show? Jan Erik explains the significance of that event: "The first Progfests in Los Angeles might be difficult to equal in terms of importance (buzz on the Internet, turnup of people associated with the labels, magazines and so on). The festival gathered many people associated with the underground prog-network, and as the festivals have become more common they do not mobilize the prog community in the same way any longer. Although we have played for larger audiences than the one in Los Angeles, I think that our appearance at Progfest '94 has been the most important for us to date. We played the Stockholm Progressive Festival last year, but this was a dissapointment in terms of audience turn out. The band line-up for the festival seemed as strong as Progfest '94, for example, and the event had been well promoted, but there doesn't seem to be a big interest for progressive rock in Sweden today." Anekdoten didn't want to release a live album on Virtalevy after only two studio releases. Anekdoten did decide to release an EP of live material, targeted toward their Japanese audience. Released on their Japanese label, Arcangelo, in September 1997, Live EP is a four song disc from a set recorded in Borlänge, Sweden in 1996. Arcangelo, however, wanted something more and approached the band about recording their October 1997 Tokyo gigs for release. Arcangelo released the 2CD set called Official Bootleg: Live in Japan in January 1998. Both discs are wonderfully packaged in thick cardboard cases. The EP contains little information but the 2CD set contains many live concert photos plus the lyrics for two of the previously unreleased songs. When asked why Anekdoten released two live discs so close together Liljeström explained, "It might be seen as overkill to release two live CDs within less than half a year but I think that both releases work surprisingly well. When we listened through the tapes from the Tokyo shows we came to the conclusion that it would be better to include as much of the songs as possible instead of editing it down to one CD. In this way, the album stands as a fair document of the gigs." Jan Erik expounded upon another important facet of the live discs: "Another reason for the 2CD set is that we could include all the songs that we played from our debut Vemod. As members of the band we perhaps react more strongly then the average listener, but through time it has become increasingly difficult for us to enjoy Vemod, and we are happy to present updated versions of the songs from that album." Live EP contains three songs that also appear on Official Bootleg yet the differences between them are hardly sublime. What a difference a year makes. For example, "Karelia" on Official Bootleg contains an extended mellotron introduction. The balance or mix of the instruments in the song has also changed. The resonance of Dahlberg's cello is much more pronounced, highlighting the importance of her instrument to Anekdoten's sound. "The Flow," also from Vemod, was given a similar facelift. Beginning with a two-minute improvisational introduction, the more recent version of "The Flow" has a slightly slower, more purposeful pace and Liljeström toys with the delivery of the lyrics. A bigger change, however, is the instrumental bridge near the end of the song, which became darker, moodier and less urgent. Official Bootleg contains all but one of the seven songs from Vemod but only four songs from Nucleus, even though they played all of the songs from the more recent studio album. The songs from Vemod are presented in a style more reflective of Anekdoten's current direction. The songs from Anekdoten's debut are instantly recognizable yet distinctly different from the original studio recordings, providing a fresh revisit rather than mere repetition and rehash. Like a fine wine, Anekdoten are refining with age. Berg's jazzy playing seems to have gained elegance for "Thoughts in Absence" and the middle section of "Where Solitude Remains." Yet, they aren't mellowing; Anekdoten's raging storm is successfully captured on "The Old Man & The Sea," "Harvest," "Nucleus" and the intriquing new song called "Tabatah." Improvisation has always been an important part of Anekdoten's concerts, as well as part of their compositional process. The two are often intertwined. "Groundbound," from Official Bootleg, is slated for their next studio album but the arrangement was worked out before a live audience. "We try to incorporate new songs in the live set every once in a while," says Liljeström. "It is a good way to get new songs worked out and improved. 'Groundbound' is a song that we had been playing in different arrangements for quite a while. We really wanted to have the song featured on our setlist in Japan and then at last we found a good balance in the song. The live album was recorded on two nights and there is a considerable difference in terms of quality of performance between the first and second day. By playing the song live and listening to the recording afterwards it turned out much better the second day. Actually, it turned out to be one of my favorites on the album. As for 'A Way Of Life' (Live EP) and 'Road To Nowhere' and 'Rubankh, Part 2' (Official Bootleg) these songs were never intended as studio tracks. We think that it adds another dimension if some parts of the live set have some improvised elements." Following appropriately after "The Flow," "A Way of Life" is an ambient piece with drifting washes of synth and mellotron. Guitarist Berg improvises an extended fuzz solo that shimmers through a wah-wah pedal. "A Road to Nowhere" is paved with a grooving bass line. Peter Nordins paints the stripes with drums riffs and fills; Dahlberg's mellotron is the lush scenery of the countryside. Berg begins his drive with sustained notes that finally shifts into a quasi-blues jam as he hits the open road. From its original three minute length, Anekdoten stretch "Rubankh" out to nearly 13 minutes, the longest improvisation of either live set. Layer upon layer is added slowly to the basic bass riff. The pace quickens and the volume grows slowly in a crescendo to the climax. Jan Erik expounds on Anekdoten's improvisations: "Our songs tend to come out of improvisations more now than in the past and I think that this shines through in many of the new songs. We improvise a lot in the rehearsal studio, but we have come to the conclusion that we do not have quite the musical skills that are required to step into completely uncharted territory on stage in the way that the 73-74 King Crimson did. The first time that we improvised on stage was at our summer tour of Europe in 1994. Since 1994 the improvisations have tended to be replaced by semi-improvisations. To only play well-rehearsed songs for two hours gets a little samey, so we will probably continue to add improvised or semi-improvised pieces to our set list at future performances as well. We have a tendency to come up with ragas rather than songs at this point, so there is more in a similar style to choose from. We try to keep as much as possible of our songs in the repertoire, so that we have can vary the setlist quite a lot from one gig to another." Anekdoten does not have any current tour plans. The band members are focusing their energy on their next studio release, projected for later this year. Says Jan Erik, "We are in the process of writing new material. We have many ideas, more than for our two previous albums, but we need to get a few more songs finished before we go into the studio. The album will hopefully be recorded this summer and released this fall." What does Liljeström forecast for the future of Anekdoten? He replies, "We moved from Borlänge to Stockholm one and a half years ago and it now looks as if we have settled here. We still get along very well on a personal level, so the future looks bright. For me personally, Anekdoten is more important now than it has ever been before."