ROCKTOTAL from Spain
Questions: Carlos
Answers: Martin and Wojtek
Date: 16 December, 2008


The search for a new vocalist looks hard and very unclear. Have you ever considered calling Daniel to sing again?

Martin: It is hard indeed, and lately we have lost momentum due to lack of motivation, since consequently there is no playing live. And yes, we have considered contacting Daniel. As a matter of fact we have even done so, but he is committed to another project for the time being and by that totally unreachable, so any serious discussion is yet to be held, I guess, before we know anything.

How was the relationship between Daniel and the other members of LOST HORIZON? It seems that you had any problem with him, any kind of ideological confrontation? What can you say about that?

Martin: The relationship between Daniel and me was tensed the last period of time when we played together. I believe it was also tensed between Daniel and Christian in the last state, but there was generally a lot of tension and really bad vibes in the whole band at that time between everybody really, in all possible directions.

Wojtek: The problem wasn’t really on ideological level, it was all more on practical areas, like: laid time, focus, communication, attitude, cooperation, which all lacked. It was the same problem with Fredrik, but a different variant. I am sure after having personal responsibility for Heed and now Lavett (Daniel) they have understood how things works on their own skin, which is very good life experience.

Have you listened to Daniel Heiman’s recordings with HEED or CRYSTAL EYES? Did you like it?

Martin: Yes I have, though it was a while ago. From a musical point of view, it is not the kind of metal I would prefer. And from the point of view of Daniels performance, I have to say that I don’t think he reaches his full vocal potential in any of the mentioned bands (and possibly generally outside Lost Horizon).

LOST HORIZON has a strong philosophy about cosmic conscience and deep positive feelings, to believe in yourself, the force of will... Is it harder to find a great vocalist for the band or a person with that kind of ideals, someone who can fit in the band?

Martin: I think the hardest thing is to find a vocalist with a voice that measures up. Then secondly one that has the will to put the necessary effort into it. When those criteria are met, I think that fitting in the band will be a relatively small issue on the assumption that he won’t be a really hopeless case in question of sharing our views.

Is LOST HORIZON still far from the unique singer you are searching for? Has any "famous" singer sent you any demo?

Martin: We have received demos/interest from a few established singers, but when it has come down to it they have pulled out. So yes, I would say we are quite far from finding “the unique singer” we are looking for.

Wojtek: We have also received a great amount of performances from un-established singers. Some were actually quite good, the most sucked though quite hard, or very hard. As for the last mentioned, I am often wondering what is spinning around in the people’s heads, in this case applying for a position in one of the worlds best metal bands + especially as replacement for one of the best singers around…

Many fans have disliked the idea of buying your next album as a digital download, because they prefer to have something physical and not just a shitty copy made by themselves. Have you thought to do some copies by yourselves and sell the album as a CD, sending it to the fans?

Martin: The form of release the next album would have is still an issue being discussed. I must say I agree with those who prefer “something physical”. I like the idea of the traditional CD with booklet and all; however, the thought of releasing new material as separate songs for buying/downloading online is also an option. But then it would be more like single releases exposing the development and making the band alive, to ourselves and to the fans. It would also serve as motivation for the band a lot.

Although LOST HORIZON has no vocalist yet, you said that the band was working on new material for the next album. Have you ended writing and recording songs or are you still working on it?

Martin: That’s right; we are working with new material. There is enough material for a full length album even though all songs are not completely finished on the writing stadium. We have recorded two songs so far, but obviously without vocals. In this very moment the third track is being recorded. The rest of the songs are more or less fully composed and will be recorded subsequently in the nearest future.

As far as I know, the second album A Flame To The Ground Beneath had not such a good response as the first one. Although I love that album, many people thought that it was less fresh and not so catchy as the first one. What were the differences between both albums?

Martin: Well, in essence, there is ten years time between the two albums since the material for the first one had been written over a long period of time and the second only during a year. So you could say that there had been ten years of personal and musical development between them. Regarding the response they got I think that from a total perspective they both got great reviews in general, but some were more in favor of the first and some of the second. It’s actually very 50-50. As you say, there was a lot of freshness over the first album, probably because it was written during a time when we were quite young and had a very youthful approach to life. The second album I think is much more mature, and it is also a significant step towards a typical Lost Horizon sound (musically, lyrically, composition wise).

How do you do to connect with the purest feelings of people? I think this is the final frontier to conquer the Heavy Metal fan, something that it's not easy to reach but LOST HORIZON has done it with many songs.

Martin: I think it is all about what feelings we put into the music when it is being written. Our music is very emotional to us, and it is important for us that it really is pure, as you say, and pure both regarding thoughts and the music itself.

Wojtek: There exist universal laws, or to make it more local – natural laws – which are common and shared for all the people on similar basis. At least generally. This means that things are easily being naturally sensored and processed within every normally functioning human being. Now, if what you do, or create, is consciously done/made honest, pure, profound, essential, with great values, but also clever, structured, catchy, interesting, embracing things people long for etc, it has a strait motorway into others’ inner. I think that the most important element is the pure uncompromised thought inside, as well as self-exposure that emanates and which people feel, need and can relate to. Once again, it’s natural. Some things are though more profound and can be perceived only by few.

When you are listening to the LOST HORIZON efforts today, do you feel the same that you felt right after you recorded those albums?

Martin: No, right after the recording we were sick and tired of it all and quite ready to kill each other! :) But the feeling after a few weeks, and particularly around the time of release, was great, and I can still get that feeling when I listen to it today. I just miss playing it all live!

Wojtek: I can’t say it’s the same feeling, because many things are related and connected to specific time (some are timeless), but I love both LH albums independently. And when it comes to the question if one is satisfied with the result from time perspective etc, I can say that only some small things I consider could have been done better, otherwise everything is like we wanted it to be.

Who writes the keyboard melodies? I think Attila Pubik does an incredible work with it, and the kind of sound of the keyboard is an identity sign of LOST HORIZON stile.

Martin: Wojtek writes the keyboard melodies. And I agree that it is an identity sign of our stile, in fact I am glad you make that observation! Attila’s task is not called “Soul healing Euphoria Generating” for nothing. The keyboard part is a very important one to our music.

Christian Nyquist had a problem with his shoulder or something like that on that tour and he was replaced by a friend of the band in some dates, including Spain. However, he went on the stage and talked to fans. It seems he is an important part of the band. Other musicians wouldn't have done it, so Christian is absolutely involved in the band's spirit of union. How did he feel with the situation of not being able to play?

Martin: We had a cataclysmic car/bus crash one week before the Spanish tour. We could probably all have been killed, yet all but two walked away with only bruises. Christian fractured his shoulder and our technician lost a toe. Christian obviously couldn’t play, but staying home was not an option for him so after doing what he could to help Mats learn all our songs in less that a week (!), he came along as moral support. It is true what you say about Christian being involved with our “spirit of union”, he is one of the three founders (Wojtek and me being the other two), an important part of the band and a great guy to be around. Beside all that he is also an excellent drummer.

There is a video recording from The Gates Of Metal fest in Sweden, 2003. Despite of not being an official release, it's quite good. Have you seen it? Do these unofficial live recordings disgust the band?

Martin: I have seen it and I think it’s quite terrible. It really wasn’t one of our better gigs! But otherwise, we don’t have a problem with unofficial recordings, as long as we feel good about the performance.

Some years ago you visited Spain, doing some promotion for the second album, and you said that HAMMERFALL was a “like a circus”. Did you have any problem with them?

Martin: I don’t recall saying that, but I can imagine it being said by us. The meaning of such a comment must certainly point to the “metal circus” they put on, with their graphics, themes, lyrics, band mascot and all. They do all this with a smile, as opposed to us who take on a more thoughtful approach. They do their thing very well though, and no, we do not have any problem with them.

What's going on with LUCIFERION? Is there any recording planned?

Wojtek: No no, LUCIFERION is over. I have material that was intended for the third album, but if/when I will release it will be under a new band name. I have already recorded some test parts for “soil analysis“ and have tweaked in a new sound, which will be very very sandy, cracked, with downtuned guitars (very bold stings, not 7 though), energic, warm, living. If I had time and money from a company/sponsor I could actually do it next year, but for now I am carrying only about Lost Horizon. The material for this third album was written between 97-98. It’s really before its time years wise. Even today it will be innovative on some areas and definitely complicated :) I will have to practise quite a lot to be able to play it.

Is there a future for LOST HORIZON as a real band (recording albums and doing gigs) without a record company behind to support you?

Martin: When and if we do become a “real band” again, I am quite sure we could do well without a record label. We would focus on getting a good booking agent/manager instead; the labels are not the one’s that take care of the gigs anyway. Then again, having the support of a label makes some things more comfortable, but it does not replace a good agent or manager. That is imperative to playing live and getting good gigs. There are labels that are interested in us, so I think it is definitely possible that we could sign again if we would consider that feasible and point full.

Once Wojtek said that NIGHTWISH wasn't a cool band because the opera voice on it (although it was a great part of their identity) was not Metal at all. Do you see yourself as an open minded musician or more as a classical Heavy Metal defender at all costs?

Wojtek: Lol, no no, man please, I am not a metal defender at all, at least not in the way You could insinuate. Maybe if some fag criticizes it, making fool of it in my presence, glorifying some other shit as valuable, then I would probably defend Metal, otherwise, the only I have to do with metal is actually Lost Horizon, or other bands I run. I am overall music interested person and care about all valuable music. As for NIGHTWISH I remember I said that, and I did because I just can’t stand all that kind of awkward female howling in metal bands around. And it has nothing at all to do with any man chauvinism. This also goes for the looks and body language, which most often are just embarrassing, combined with metal. However there are some great female singers in metal music. To return to NIGHTWISH, I don’t criticize the music itself, because I don’t know it at all. I guess though it wouldn’t be anything for me, as I don’t like this kind of overproduced, pompous creations. I can clearly hear though it’s cleverly and professionally done.

Do you earn money just as professional musicians or do you have other jobs?

Martin: With LH we do not earn enough to pay the bills in a continuous mode, only sporadically. There are two in the band, playing in other projects, who can though be considered “earning money” for the bills. We have other jobs, which is good and bad. Bad because it takes a lot of time and energy and leaves less of that for music, and good because it does pay the bills. I’m not complaining about my job though, I work with web development and graphics production and I like it. I just wish there were more than 24 hours in a day…

What new bands have surprised you recently?

Martin: In all honesty, I must say that I haven’t been listening to any new bands lately. I have been listening to an old bands new album though; Slipknots “All Hope Is Gone”, and I must say that I was surprised that they were not as angry as they used to be, and that the music was more mature and at the same time classical thrashy with all those Slayer-like riffs.

Wojtek: Same, Slipknot’s new album. Great stuff.

Nothing else, thanks for all and please, continue working and fighting for Metal!

Martin: Thank you Carlos for your questions! We will continue working and I do hope to see you on another Spain tour in a not too extremely distant future, as we remember the last Spain tour as a really great part of our career.

Wojtek: Thanx Carlos. Great to warm up the Lost Horizon themes again. Yeah, Spain tour owned. Great time. Await the new album; it will be truly euphoric and mighty experience. You will see ;)

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