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KLEIN - For play our music live it’s important when people are standing and when there is this connection between us and the people in front of us Aanbevolen

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KLEIN - For play our music live  it’s important when people are standing and when there is this connection between us and the people in front of us

Jérôme Klein trained in piano and drums at the Conservatory of Luxembourg. Then he went to the jazz department of the Brussels Conservatoire where he graduated with a degree in piano, drums and vibraphone. From classical to pop rock and free improvisation, the artist practices his art on various stages. After the release of a first EP a few years ago, KLEIN, led by Jérôme Klein, released a stunning first album at the end of December entitled 'Sonder', an adventurous, colorful record. You can read the review of this EP here , we also had a nice conversation with Jérôme and sounded out plans for the future.

You trained in piano and drums at the Conservatory of Luxembourg. Then you went to the jazz department of the Brussels Conservatory where you graduated with a degree in piano, drums and vibraphone. How did everything else work out for you because you did classical as well as pop and jazz I think? Tell us a bit more about yourself
When you start playing music, you often begin with classic music. I indeed was trained in Luxembourg, because I was born there and lived in Luxembourg. I learn to know jazz and improvisation music quite late, when I was 17 or 18 years old. Back in the time there was also pop and rock music. But the training was always classic indeed, specially piano.  That was the first instrument, I also did classical percussion. Then I discover jazz and went to Brussels to study jazz. There I did jazz drums , vibraphone and jazz piano. It started to get a little bit too much doing the three instruments. So , after three years I did the master in drums.  That’s how I get in Belgium, I lived in Brussels for ten years. I learn to know the scene back then.

There is indeed a big jazz scene in Brussels, not only there, but I been going to some jazz concerts in the neighborhood of AB
The music scene in Belgium is glowing, the styles of music are very diverse.  Not only in Brussels, but I lived there and there is that mix of Wallonia and Flemish in one city.

What were the highs and lows until now?
The highs are always when we can play for a crowd of people, touring around the world. When we released the first EP in 2018/2019 we been everywhere in the world, it was an amazing time. Three  times in India , went to Korea, want to Canada. I mean we were going on tour like everywhere, also in Europe. So , that was the highs. The Lows? That’s the time we living in now I think that’s not only for us. In 2020, when we were on the highest, it stopped because of this corona thing. That was the low moment. And that is the high and low at the same moment actually. Meeting people where the highs, three times in India was something very special. Good and bad at the same time, because it is another country and another culture.

India looks like something interesting?
. We know very little about it here in the West, what is it like to perform there, do you think you would like to live there?
Here we only see pictures or what’s on TV. But you have to be there, to see it. It’s a whole different world. We were touring there, and were glad to be back home. It was a little bit to much, in good and bad way, but we gone back there. But living there? No, it’s too much, really too much. Living here is a lot more slow done than there, it’s really going to fast there, no I would not like living there. Too much people, too much going on and to hard living there I think.

Who are your main influences?
That’s a difficult question to answer, it goes in so much directions. There are so many music styles and bands I listen to. It’s very divers. For this album it’s a mix between jazz and also pop influences. And also electronic music. When I listen to electronic music this influence are artists like those American producer  SON LUX and that English guy  SOHN I also like jazz from the  traditional  to modern jazz. Improvisation on music I like the most. Because I was doing vocals on this EP I also discover singer-songwriters.

At the end of December you released a stunning first album called 'Sonder', an adventurous, colorful record.  How was the general response?
The band is now existing for three or four years, it was a long waiting for the fans. But people did not know what to expect. We got very good reactions actually. In Belgium, France and Luxembourg. But actually also in German. And that was very surprising. Soo we hope to go more there to play live, in Germany. And Belgium of course. And France, our label Cristal Records is a French label. So they can help us to play there, I’m also half French. In Luxembourg we really in the middle between France, Belgium and Germany. It’s nice to be in the middle of it.

In addition to your own virtuoso contribution, you are also surrounded by top musicians, how and where did you find each other, so how did this cooperation come about?
We know each other very , very, very long actually. Charles Stoltz i know from high school back then. Pol Belardi I did about the most projects together with. Since 20 years. And Niels Engel , who play drums, I have meet 15 years ago. So yes we have much experience true a lot other projects together. Next to that, they kind of know my taste in music. So they can really relate to that. The perfectly where to push it or bring it up, to bring it to a higher level.. And also Pol Belardi, who play vibraphone is also a multi-instrumentalist. He plays bass, piano and drums. Sometimes we mix together, and play a different instrument. It’s like a family working with this guys is wonderful.

That explains a lot to me. It’s something I just hear and feel that you guys really perfect touch and complement
It’s nice to see that you really hear that. We next to play music together, also very good  we friends that’s important. We love together, share together there is that chemistry on stage… and glad you hear that on the record to .

Personally, I was especially impressed by that surprising and colorful, I compare it to a Picasso painting where you keep discovering something new when you look at it. The unexpected turns are what make it so fascinating. Do you agree with this statement and was that a conscious choice?
There is a lot different information in this album. And also its music that is always involving. Because of this improvisation, you not get everything on the first listening. When we play concerts that is important to, because there is always that improvisation. We never stay on the same path, that’s the way we really like doing it. And when you listen to the album, you find that there to. Small things actually.

There is also a rather dark and melancholic side to 'Sonder' - is that a conscious choice? Are you melancholy?
I feel comfortably in that melancholy and dark side, not really sad. It’s a bit like the Belgium weather, grey and raining, but for some reason I feel quite comfortable in that situation. That’s what that dark side is coming from. But it’s not something bad or to sad.

There is also a personal story behind some songs. Some songs are  about fake, about how people pretend, especially on social media, that their lives are great. Can you tell more about it? It's very topical, actually.
It’s not only about social media, but it’s the fact that people need to fake that they are be somebody important or something like that. Everywhere on TV, advertising, and social media there is nothing real anymore. There are no idea’s anymore , they just doing it because they think they need doing it.. it’s all to Fake this days, social media is a example of that. that confusing me a lot. Corona made this things worse. I need the real stuff, there are too much people pretending.. that’s sad. And that’s why the text also going about the times we living in with this corona stuff.

An advantage of these coronation times for a journalist? if you are without questions, you can always ask (haha); how did you survive these times? and was it or was it not an extra source of inspiration?
It was a source of inspiration because we had a lot of time. We wanted to get this album out in 2020 actually. It came out one year later. We did a lot work before. We could go deeper into it, because we not hat the stress to bring it out fast. We had just one year more time to release it. It of course was hard because we could not doing concerts and things anymore, but at the other hand we had time… and  that helped us a lot to work on this album

At the other hand, some bands quite in this days, it are difficult times. Did you feel that you came out stronger? Didn't the fact that you couldn't perform anymore and had too much time on your hands create doubts?
There was a month where things really stopped. That was a difficult moment, because we not know what to do and where we had to go. As an artist you need to create. And need doing something, that was a really shock for us as musician and artist. But most of time we stay being creative with this project, and therefore I think we continue with what we been doing. Because it not stop or something. In some way this times was good for creating things for many artists. I even think the next years there going to be a lot releases from many artists because they been so creative in this times that they had time for doing that.

Some other part I like about this album. Is the singing part, it not happens much in jazz relegated records.. again a conscious choice? I like your voice btw
The idea was to have a voice in it. In the beginning the idea was to invite other singers, not that I would do it. I never sing before, it’s new for me. At the end we had something like, if we want tour and play it live it’s not easy to aske a singer every time, so we made this decision to do the singing part myself. It’s nice doing it, in jazz you can say a lot with instruments. But with words it’s more explaining and intense when you can sing .and also because this album is a mixture of jazz and pop we thought it would be good to have this singing part in it. It also bring a new color into the music that you can sing it.

Like we said. Performances are still sparse, but still, where can we see you live soon and what are the further tour plans?
The time to create this record was pretty bad because we could not play it live. But we not  wanted to wait another year to release it. We had a tour plan we should have play in Denmark. There are some concerts planned. We play in Luxembourg, we also have a booker in Belgium, we play some shows with this Belgium duo Glass museum. We play in Italy, in April. Soo it’s coming, but right now for December and January it was all canceled . the album is still fresh and new, so I hope from April on we can go back on tour.

I have doing some concerts with masks on and seating places..
For some concerts, like jazz , is nice doing that. But we not want do that anymore, for our music it’s more nice when people are standing and when there is this connection between us and the people in front of us. It’s better than nothing, but it’s not the same kind of experience.

And other plans, new music already or inspiration for new projects? what does your future look like?
There’s always plans. There is a new song coming out next month. I also play for other people and other projects. I play with this Belgium band NextApe. A new album coming with Ben Wendel  a great American saxophonist, that is for next year. I also doing something with a nice singer in Luxembourg Claire Parsons. Also a new album coming out there, so there is a lot of projects and plans. For this plan KLEIN we really looking forward to play live, that’s the biggest plan with this band. We actually more a live band, creating things on stage.

I had a interview with a band, and they said they could not create new music as long the circle is not round. Writing songs, release an album and the next step is play the music you released on stage.. you think the same way? Is it impossible to create new songs, before you really play the past release live?
That’s true, if you not play the music live it doesn’t make sense. We really live two year in the middle, before we can close the cirle.

You indeed also play in other bands. How do you find the balance between the two: front man/sideman? And what are the future plans with those other bands?
It’s something really different when you sideman in en a band or be front man of a band. With KLEIN it’s really my songs. I doing everything myself , also looking for bookers and things. As sideman it’s a lot easier. U just need to be there and doing you stuff. It’s just more intense do work on you own project. Sideman is sometimes nice because you can just think about the music. And that’s the biggest different. And about the balance? I begin to say ‘no’ sometimes you know. It’s not good to do too much different stuff.. It’s occurs hard to say no because I want to play live and stuff, but for the creative process I sometimes just need doing that. Better for me, and the project to. If you doing too much, and you can’t do it 100% , it’s better to say ‘no’ sometimes because otherwise it gets too much..

What are you ambitions as musician and with KLEIN (or other projects) and is there something like a ‘end goal’ or something like that?
There is never an end goal. You always have some goals, but when you reach one goal, there is another coming up. You always learning; the goal and ambitions for us is to play as much as possible, to play in nice venue like Ancienne Belgique or something like that. Even its jazz music it’s still poppy, so we can reach that level to play in clubs like that. and making new albums and things, just keep creating and play live more and more is the most important ambition. And also the fact of living out of the music would be nice. At the moment I’m teaching music to. It was a goal to make a living of my music, but that’s more difficult now. Also selling music is not easy this days, and corona not made it better. You sell some LP’s of course but not CD’s and stuff anymore. Because of streaming the artist not get so much at the end , and that make it’s not easy to reach that goal.

The good thing about streaming (and social media) is that people in , let’s say Japan, find you music more easy than it was without that. So why still release albums than, if it’s so difficult to sell cd’s?
It’s true that thanks to that people can recognize you, that’s why you need to play live. There are still people who listen to music, and want the object that’s why we still release, there is still a big crowd on people want buy, that’s why I keep doing it. The younger generation listen to Spotify but still want to buy vinyl, for those people we keep doing it. But play live is maybe more important for a artist than it was before.

Thanks for this nice conversation, I hope to see you on stage very soon

Aanvullende informatie

  • Band Name: KLEIN
  • Datum: 2022-02-10
  • Beoordeling: 8
Gelezen: 808 keer