After releasing their 12th album Paradox Hotel on March 24th Swedish progsters The Flower Kings will be on the road again, playing 13 gigs around Europe, culminating in a DVD shoot at the 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Flower Kings frontman Roine Stolt is familiar with the venue, as Transatlantic's legendary Live In Europe DVD was also shot here.
TOUR DATES
| Date | Venue | Location
|
| 5 April 2006 | PHC | Vilnius, Lithuania |
| 7 April 2006 | Zeppelin Hall | Poznan, Poland |
| 8 April 2006 | Stara Pekaren | Nitra, Slovakia |
| 9 April 2006 | E-KLUB (Népliget) | Budapest, Hungary (NEW VENUE!) |
| 10 April 2006 | Planet Music | Wien, Austria |
| 11 April 2006 | Colossaal | Aschaffenburg, Germany |
| 12 April 2006 | Live Music Club | Milano, Italy |
| 14 April 2006 | Stazione Birra | Rome, Italy |
| 15 April 2006 | C.C.O. | Lyon, France |
| 16 April 2006 | La Locomotive | Paris, France |
| 17 April 2006 | Spirit Of 66 | Verviers, Belgium |
| 18 April 2006 | Zentrum Altenberg | Oberhausen, Germany |
| 19 April 2006 | 013 | Tilburg, The Netherlands (DVD Recording) |
|
Tracklist Disc 1 : Room 111
Check In (Bodin) 1:37
Monsters & Men (Stolt) 21:21
Jealousy (Stolt) 3:22
Hit Me With A Hit (Stolt) 5:32
Pioneers Of Aviation (Stolt) 7:49
Lucy Had A Dream (Bodin/Stolt) 5:28
Bavarian Skies (Bodin/Stolt) 6:34
Selfconsuming Fire (Stolt) 5:49
Mommy Leave The Light On (Stolt) 4:38
End On A High Note (Stolt) 10:43
|
Tracklist Disc 2 : Room 222
Minor Giant Steps (Stolt) 12:12
Touch My Heaven (Bodin) 6:08
The Unorthodox Dancinglesson (Stolt) 5:24
Man Of The World ( Reingold/Stolt/Bodin) 5:55
Life Will Kill You (Fröberg) 7:03
The Way The Waters Are Moving (Bodin/Stolt) 3:12
What If God Is Alone (Reingold/Stolt/Fröberg) 6:58
Paradox Hotel (Stolt/Bodin) 6:29
Blue Planet (Stolt) 9:42
|
Double CD first edition comes in Digipack. The release date is March 24th, 2006.
Musicians:
Roine Stolt: guitars, vocal
Tomas Bodin: keyboards, backing vocal
Hans Fröberg: vocal, guitar
Jonas Reingold: Bass, acoustic guitar, vocal
Marcus Liliequist: drums, percussion, backing vocal
Hasse Bruniusson: Marimba & assorted percussion
|
Since the mid Nineties, Roine Stolt and his Flower Kings, have maintained a prolific output on a regular basis packing as much music as possible onto each disc and sometimes expanding onto a double album. Each year sees at least one Flower Kings release, plus an array of solo albums and side-projects. One has to ask how can one man produce so much music? After 2004's Adam & Eve, comes the new Flower Kings studio album Paradox Hotel, and once again the band have produced another double album packed with prog!
"I guess, it's a combination of burning passion and a clear musical vision", Roine Stolt begins to explain his vast output. "Once I stick to a project, I'll carry it through mercilessly. I'm usually working 14 to 18 hours a day" he tells us, and adds with a smile "I'll probably die young".
Hopefully not, because far beyond the boundaries of prog, Stolt is regarded as am amazingly skilled guitarist, composer and producer who we still expect many more new ideas and compositions to come from. Even more so, since he recently unveiled a different side to his musical persona with the new double solo album Wall Street Voodoo" in 2005. Stolt gave listeners a somewhat more accessible side to his music for those who had previously found his material a little too demanding. Even those who have so far struggled with the band's music will find something immediately accessible about the Flower Kings' music via Paradox Hotel.
The 'trick' is actually quite simple, but as is often the case it's the little things which can sometimes have the greatest effect. With the exception of the vocal harmonies, most of the material was recorded live by Stolt and his band mates at Copenhagen's Medley Studio during a week's residence there. Afterwards, the band edited the songs at their own studio over a two month period. "This album is not as focussed on detail, it has raw edges and isn't based so much on complex themes as is usually the case" says Stolt. "We painted with a thicker brush, so to speak. However, the melody side is still very strong, and the whole thing sounds much more dynamic than we have been in the past". Furthermore, keyboardist Tomas Bodin and bassist Jonas Reingold were more involved in the songwriting process than in the past, and even Hasse Fröberg has composed one song.
Thematically, the record deals with the curiosity of existence, and the Paradox Hotel is a reference to people's life on Earth. "We are only guests here; we can't take much with us. We check in, we use the hotel bar, pay the bill – you get nothing for free – and then leave again sometime", Stolt explains the concept. "We live for a while, without having any real idea of our purpose. Good things as well as bad things apparently happen by coincidence, but they always happen when we least expect them. Nobody has ever seen God, the manager of this 'establishment' but most people suppose he is doing his job somewhere"
The artwork for the new album was created by Andres Valles, an Argentinian friend of the band. The world's duality can once again be found in the music, with tracks such as Minor Giant Steps (complex arrangements in the spirit of Yes or King Crimson), or The Unorthodox Dancing Lesson (a Zappa-esque rhythm monster with its 13/8 timing). Blues rockers such as Pioneers Of Aviation feature a multitude of percussion and enthusiastic solos while other numbers showcase real Wurlitzer piano, flutes and a female choir. One such track, Jealousy is an ironic look at the devil envying the suffering of human beings.
With Paradox Hotel, the "FloKis" as they are affectionately known, will keep their devoted fanbase happy and undoubtedly win over new listeners. Master Stolt needn't be afraid of any sleepless nights, besides he will most likely be brooding over his next project at full moon anyway...
COMPETITION
DPRP in association with InsideOut Music
are offering tremendous prizes in this competition !
FIRST PRIZE
- 2 tickets to a gig of choice (between 11 and 19 april)
- Flower Kings T-shirt
SECOND PRIZE
- Ltd. Edition Digipack of Paradox Hotel 2CD
THIRD PRIZE
- Meet The Flower Kings @ Live Recording 2003 2DVD
FOURTH PRIZE
- Tomas Bodin - I AM CD
COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED - WINNERS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED AND WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY
LINKS
