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From left to right: Federico
de Costa – drums, vocals & percussion, Filip Norman
– guitars, vocals and ethnic string instruments, Robin Kvist –
lead vocals and flute and Patrik Persson – bass, moog.
Photo by Bengt Allebrink allebrink@home.se
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| Biography
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| Discography |
| 1998 Kalejdoskopiska
Aktiviteter
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The band released their first album 'Kalejdoskopiska Aktiviteter'
in 1998.
The album concist of progressive/psychedelic jamming with a blend of seventies hard rock, heavy and spacey enough!
TrackList:
01. Vansinnet [7:34]
02. Ta Farväl [5:56]
03. Än Lyser Månen (Nadir 1) [6:15]
04. Månvarv (Nadir 2) [4:53]
05. En Måne Som Ler (Nadir 3) [1:36]
06. Aldrig Tillbaks [6:20]
07. Herr Qophs villfarelser [9:372]
08. Förförande Rädsla [13:55]
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- What do you think about your debut album?
'Well, now a couple of years later I can hear some things that
might could be done better.
At the same time the distance makes me listen to it from a different angle. I
can appreciate it more objectively, more naturally.
I like Kalejdoskopiska a lot. I still very much
relate the album to how my life was during that time.'
- Favourite Song(and why)?
'"Förförande rädsla", because it's how QOPH
was born. It was one of the first things Federico, Patrik
and I jammed on, and the song Robin heard us play when he
first entered our rehearsal room in 1996, and the first studio recording we
ever did.'
- Any anecdotes /special memories from the recording
sessions?
'Total chaos, which was wonderful!
We were recording 24 hours a day, playing, partying... it was just crazy...
Very fun and psychotic!
We filmed parts of it! I remember we did some takes of "Herr Qophs villfarelser
" in a huge garage. We turned the lights off, drinking and improvising for a
couple of hours. It was a great session, superb natural reverb sounding -
psychedelic. For some reason we re-recorded the song later on, in another
studio. We shouldn't have done that.'
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| 2004 Pyrola
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The band released their second album 'Pyrola' in
May 2004.
Producer Per Wikström (Nicolai Dunger, Backdraft, David
Fiuczynski’s KIF etc.) has put focus on capturing the energy and power of the
band, which has rendered Qoph a well known reputation as a
sensational live act over the years.
TrackList:
01. Woodrose [5:19]
02. Half of Everything [6:31]
03. Korea [10:01]
04. Travel Candy [5:40]
05. Stand My Ground [6:26]
06. Moonstripper [4:42]
07. Fractions [14:03]
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- In general what do you think about the album?
'I'm very satisfied; it's varied and dynamic, but more of a genuine
rock album than Kalejdoskopiska Aktiviteter was.
We managed to put much of our live sound on tape this time, many thanks to Per
Wikström who produced the album.'
- Favourite Song(and why)?
'Maybe Woodrose, Korea & Stand my ground.
But I really don't have any particular favourites on the album. I like it as a
whole.'
- Any anecdotes /special memories from the recording
sessions?
'The recording of Dennis Bergs (Abramis Brama) “Electronic
Bite Alarm”.
The whole idea was quite ironic from the start. But Nicklas Barker
(Anekdoten) who was there to play some mellotrons at the time was paralyzed by
the sound, instantly asking where to get one.'
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QOPH Live
2004 Vinterviken, Stockholm, Sweden
Photo by Bengt Allebrink allebrink@home.se |
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| QOPH Links
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QOPH's Official Site
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Filip
Norman interview Nov 2004
by Claes Hassel
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| General
Questions:
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| How did
you get into the music business?
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'Music has been of great importance to me since I was a child spending the days
listening to my mum's Beach Boys and Beatles records.
Like most Swedes I attended the municipal school of music for some years when I
was around 9/10 years old. The teacher was more interested in philosophy than
guitar teaching though, so I ended up discussing the dilemmas of life an hour a
very week for 5 years.
I didn't learn much about music during that period.
It was when I realised it was possible to play the same tunes on my guitar that
I could hear on my Kiss and Sweet albums I
really begun practising.
After that moment I played at least a couple of hours everyday.
Sixteen years old I started to play with different garage bands.
In 1991 I met Federico on a train from Copenhagen and we have
played together in various bands ever since. '
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| Who has
been your main influences?
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'My influences
ranges from Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Deep
Purple, Jimi Hendrix and Beatles
to Fleetwood Mac, King Crimson, Gong,
May Blitz, Captain Beyond, Hard Stuff
etc.
Plenty, but usually late 60's, early 70's bands.
Guitarists that have influenced me the most are Peter Green,
Jimmy Page, Hendrix, Eric Bell,
Ace and Robert Fripp.' |
| List five
albums of the bands/artists that you like the most and why!
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'My favourite albums differ over time,
but Abbey Road by the Beatles is
definitely the number one album of my collection. Four albums I listen to a lot
at the moment are:
Quatermass - Quatermass (1970)
This is a somewhat theatrical and progressive rock trio. Good stuff! John
Gustafson (vocals, bass), Pete Robinson (keyboards) and Mick Underwood (drums).
Quicksilver Messenger Service - Quicksilver Messenger Service
(1969)
Federico got me into this very recently. Great early US psych.
Tea & symphony - An asylum for the musically insane (1969)
This is a really strange and dark, but fantastic album, my number one at the
moment. I still haven't decided if they are retarded or geniuses... Whatever
they are, they created an album that doesn't sound like anything else!
Barndomslandet - Barndomslandet DemoCDR (2004)
Friends of Qoph, who play some kind of "Ginger Baker/Fläsket Brinner" reggae
rock sung in Swedish. I heard them at Tanto, in Stockholm, a couple of weeks
ago. It was really great, 8-10 people on stage literally jamming the hell out
of everyone that evening.' |
| What time
was/is the most interesting for the rock music, in your opinion and why - 60s,
70s, 80s, 90s or 00s?
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'Mid 60s to mid 70s, definitely!
Because popular music where into such an experimental and creative phase at the
time. Nothing was really wrong musically, and everything could be mixed - folk
music with rock, blues with classical music.
Different genres influenced each other in a way that is rare today. I also like
the 90s. The whole grunge, Seattle, thing was fresh to me. It came as a relief
after growing up in a superficial and dead perfectionist 80's. '
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| Your
dream band(living or dead ;), who would they be, vocal/bass/drums/keyboard/lead
guitar/rythm guitar/producer? |
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I have no idea.
Generally I think the chemistry of the band is of greatest importance. Three or
four talented musicians together may sound terrible if the chemistry isn't
there.
But, if the chemistry were there, I would definitely like to hear:
Paul Hammond (Atomic Rooster, Hard Stuff) drums,
John Entwistle (The Who) bass,
Steve Howe (Yes) rhythm guitar,
Jimi Hendrix lead guitar,
Maria Johansson (Maria Johanssons enmansorkester!) keyboards
and vocals, play together.
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| Of the
songs that you have composed, which of them are your favourites?
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'We mostly write
our songs collectively, which is wonderful and very creative.
It makes our songs develop in unexpected directions.
"Aldrig Tillbaks" and "Månvarv" on Kalejdoskopiska
Aktiviteter are the only songs I have written on my own in QOPH.
I like "Förförande Rädsla" a lot. I don't know if I could pick a
favourite Pyrola song. Maybe "Woodrose", "Stand my
ground" or "Korea"...'
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| What kind
of equipment/gear are you using on the road and in the studio?
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'I usually play
my Gibson Les Paul 1979, occasionally a Fender
Stratocaster, and some times an Epiphone semi
acoustic, which I plug in to a Marshall JCM 900. Pedals I use
frequently are a Cry Baby Wah-wah, a Rotovibe
and a digital Boss Delay.'
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| What
are you doing in your spare time outside of music?
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'I read a lot, write some and meet my
friends as often as possible. I'm very interested in literature and philosophy,
which I have studied for some years.'
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| If you
don't have been in the music business what have you been doing then?
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'I think I had
been writing on some sick stuff or perhaps been a painter. Something either
creative or destructive... I guess everyone is looking for something that means
something for him or her.
It could be anything from collecting stamps to produce porn movies.'
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| What are
you currently up to?
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'Writing songs
for our next album. Studying journalism. Preparing for the dark winter season.'
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| Plans for
the future?
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'Hopefully to
spend a lot more of my time on music, to travel for a while (hopefully) and to
write. We are rehearsing some new ideas for our next album at the moment.'
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| Artist/album
related questions:
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The
Beginning
Your first band, name and when did it begun??
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'Federico and I
started a band, Hazy Herbage, when we were around 17. We had a
great time together, playing and drinking at friend's parties, and sometimes
clubs as well.
We mixed our own material with covers of what we currently were listening to.
It could be anything from Sir Lord Baltimore and Thin
Lizzy to Otis Redding.
I also wrote some music together with a friend, Fredrik, at
the time.
Federico, Fredrik and I soon started jamming
together with a bassist.
The music was some kind of heavy, instrumental, weird stuff.
A couple of years later Qoph developed out of that thing. ' |
| QOPH:
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| The
Beginning of QOPH |
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- How did you get together?
'I met Federico on a train from Copenhagen in 1991.
We had a couple of beer together. I remember the meeting as extremely
surrealistic.
A month later, when he called me up asking if I would like to join his band
(which really wasn't a band yet), I could hardly recall we had even met on that
train.
A couple of years later when we were about to form what is now QOPH
I watched Robin perform with his band in a big park in
Stockholm. It was fantastic!
Afterwards (during a party) I told him we would like him in our band.
A week later I met Patrik at the local Post Office. I knew he
was a bassist, so I just asked him to drop by the rehearsal room some day if he
liked.
Both Patrik and Robin showed up. Jimmy,
who I played together with in another band, also joined the crew.
A year later we were recording Kalejdoskopiska Aktiviteter.
Fredrik is now living in northern Sweden, releasing an album
with his project Moon, very soon. It's good stuff!'
- Describe the sort of music, influences!
'Eclectic, psychedelic, heavy rock, progressive acid blues...
I don't really know how to accurately define QOPH's music.
QOPH has been compared to over 100 bands in reviews so far.
We have both similar different musical influences in the band, and we always
co-write the songs. That's perhaps the reason why our songs have such a wide
range musically.'
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| The
Concerts with QOPH:
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- First Concert, where/when?
'Our first live performance was held at legendary KAOS, a claustrophobic cellar
in Old Town, Stockholm, rigorously controlled by a despotic Sikh. We hadn't
finished the lyrics for all songs, so we played an instrumental first part of
the show and a second part with Robin behind the microphone. It was a really
fun evening - very spontaneous and beautiful.'
- Which song do you like performing live most and why?
'We all have our favourites - and always quarrel about what to play! Some songs
are harder to perform live than others, but I guess we have played all of or
songs live at least one time. Personally I like to play the songs that have
improvisational sections, like "Korea", "Travel Candy", "Förförande Rädsla"
etc'
- Any anecdotes/special memories from your first Concert
with QOPH?
'We played at a huge festival in Denmark some years ago. It was planned to be a
great happening, sponsored by Pepsi and a big Danish rock magazine. The catch
was that the only way to get there, the railroad, was blocked during the
festival days. So we played an improvised 30-min blues, "I can't see no people,
wherever I look", in front 10 people.'
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| Many
Thanks to Filip Norman, QOPH for this
interview!
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