KING EIDER
PRESENT YOURSELVES OUR READERS...
We are Derk Evert Waalkens and Hans Gerritse. Together we act like a duck that is making music.
WHO ARE KING EIDER AS BAND MEMBERS?
King Eider is not a band. It’s a project.
Derk Evert Waalkens: Ensoniq, Emu and Roland Synthesizers and samplers little background singing, drums, programming & production.
Hans Gerritse: Gibson Les Paul, Accoustic Guitar, Rickenbacker Bass background singing.
On the Somateria Spectabilis album a couple of friends helped us:
Dik Pomp: Pearl and Tama Drums, Paiste cymbals. Rinie Huigen and Eric Holdtman: Their own voice.
WHEN DID YOU HAVE FOUNDED THE BAND?
We started in 1996. In an advertisement Hans was looking for a keyboard player for a new band.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE VERY FIRST BEGINNING OF BAND...
I remember a couple of rehearsals on a farm in Brabant. We’ve played some Camel, Genesis, Saga and Marillion songs. There was an enthusiastic crowd of three persons… Wow! Later we played and record a couple of ideas we did both brought in to find out if it is worth the time to spend.
WHAT'S ABOUT YOUR PREVIOUS RECORDING-EFFORTS?
King Eider recorded some ideas and songs. Some of them made it to the album but most weren’t suitable or good enough. We also rerecorded half of “the Snow goose” album just for fun! It must be on a tape somewhere…
WHAT'S ABOUT YOUR FOLLOWING?
It was great to make Somateria spectabilis. The diversity of the songs that fit together in this concept album was a very special process. We are not professional musicians, but have regular jobs. So we probably don’t have the time to make an album like this again very soon. Maybe if we get rich enough from this one we can stop working and make another….
THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTS IN YOUR HISTORY?
The friendship and fun to play the music we like.
HOW TO INTRODUCE YOUR ALBUM?
From the musea site:
Somateria Spectabilis" is an interesting concept-album mixing instrumental sequences and songs, inspired by the famous arctic duck. The music is clearly in a CAMEL's vein with an obvious GENESIS reference for good measure. Some heavier sequences may also evoke the early MARILLION opuses. Bombastic floating keyboards sounds, intense guitar lines, refined melodies and atmospheres: there's a really beautiful music to be listened to, well composed and well played. To be discovered!
THE SOUND IS A MIX OF MARILLION AND GENESIS...
No. It’s a mix of Derk-Evert and Hans. If you never heard of Marillion or Genesis, you would probably say it’s a mix between Camel and Pink Floyd. It’s such prog-nonsens to always compare music to other music. This way we can never be progressive, if you know what I mean. We both listened a lot to progressive rock since our childhood. As a musician it’s an interesting genre to play, but it’s just a way to ‘colour’ a song. If the song sucks, it won’t help you to give it a progressive sound.
IN WAY CAN WE DEFINE YOUR BAND AS PROGRESSIVE?
Oh not progressive. Regressive is in fact a better term I think. Our goal was a mix in sound between “the Snow Goose” and “Wind and Wuthering”. 30 years ago these albums where progressive.
WHAT'S ABOUT THE PRODUCTION OF ALBUM?
First we worked out some ideas we both brought in. “The news” and “In detain” (in those days it called: ´t.a.w.o.l.’) where two of them that ended up on the album. I have a studio, so we could spend a lot of time on production and rearranging. In between the first recordings and the final mix we cut pieces out and glue some new in, use other sounds and re-recording guitar parts. When we decide to bring it out as an album we replaced the drum samples for a real drummer of flesh and blood. We also asked some friends to who really can sing to do the lead vocals.
ANY PARTICULAR CONCEPT CONCERNING THE ALBUM?
When we came up with the melody of track 2, Hans pointed at the King Eider picture in his Lars Jonsson’s bird book. We talked about bird migration. From this point we tried to rearrange the songs that were almost ready into the concept. There are some repeating themes on the album that make it a concept too I guess. The verse of the title track is the same as the “exxon valdez” theme, but of course you already figured that out!
WHAT'S THE MOOD OF IT?
The instrumental parts are like a film score. For instance, the start of the final guitar solo on track 2 is the bird taking of from the surface. In Atlantis ’69 you can feel the man on the raft’s fear, hope and finally the acceptation of his destiny.
THE MOST SALIENT ASPECTS OF YOUR NEW ALBUM?
The fact that we are not a band. Dik and Rinie play on the same album but they never actually met each other.
WHAT'S ABOUT THE FEEDBACK?
So far the reactions are very positive. Site’s and magazines, interviews and reviews, but also comments from fans.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR SOUND?
Nothing special. Or did you mean with the songs? A sound is just a sound. It’s the music and the songs that have to stand the test of time.
TOURING PLANS?
We have no touring plans with king Eider, as we are not a band.
YOUR LIFE'S PHILOSOPHY?
Mark Hollins of Talk Talk sang on “the Colour of spring”-album: “Life is what you make it”.
THE FUTURE OF THE BAND?
When we find the time, maybe make another album an try to get a band together and do the duck thing live.
ANY LAST REMARKS?
Booo, tjiko, tjiko, kwak…..
http://www.kingeider.nl
Emanuele Gentile
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