The band expertly extends its philosophy of having a good time playing its music to the interview situation. What began as something fairly structured soon became something fairly chaotic- and all the more enjoyable and revealing for it! My only regret is that I couldn't be there to ask the questions and am indebted to Tim Jones of Stone Premonitions for trying to keep order- I would have loved to have shared in the good humour that permeated the 'session'.
As I type this interview I am listening to Krom Lek's new CD 'A Breath of Fresh Air' and at this present moment to another take of the wonderful 'Top O' The Tor', the penultimate track of the band's highly recommended 'Psychedelic Dot Krom' CD.
Question: Which band plays an instrument made from a piece of plumbing wastepipe? Whether or not you want to know the answer please read on!
First of all, why the name Kromlek?
Well Bazz actually found the name in a dictionary and it's the name for two uprights capped by capstones in standing stones which contain burial mounds believed to be connected with ancient sun worship. 'Krom' means 'curve' and 'lek' means 'stone. Basically it sounded good, we're all into stone circles and we're all old, made of stone and standing in a circle!
The first CD has a lot of great ideas and is one I return to and enjoy more with every listen but it's obviously a starting point for the fuller realisation of 'Psychedelic Dot Krom', an altogether more substantial piece of work. Going back to that first recording how did the band get together and what were the backgrounds of the musicians?
About 10 years ago- we used to be called Tardis. The line up started with Dave Musgrove and it settled down to Dave, Bazz (Shaun Barrie, the bass player), Duane on guitar and John (Musgrove) on drums. People came and left. We were all together as mates jamming away. We started practising and released a demo tape with 3 songs on it. 'Psychedelic Dot Krom' is dedicated to one time band member Graham Kirk who died in tragic circumstances. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time basically. Everyone was from different parts of the region but everybody got together. Like one huge collective of people just out of school with the same attitudes, a gathering of interests with the mushrooms and guitars down the wood. It wasn't like you're the guitarist and you're the singer. John was a good keyboard player so we thought someone else can take over the guitar this week. We did a gig on New Year's Eve where everybody played guitar and drums.
(The first Krom Lek CD 'Inspirational Floatation Compilation' has a line-up of Dave Musgove (guitar, keys, vox), Michael Tonks (flutes, sax, vox), Shaun Barrie (bass, bogeridoo, percussion, keys, vox), John Musgrove (drums, percussion, keys), with guest appearances from Wiggy (acoustic guitar, vox, percussion), Tim Jones (guitar, vox, dials and switches), Terri~B on vocals and Steve Ellis on keyboards). 'Psychedelic Dot Krom' has the same basic line-up with the addition of Dave McGuigan on guitar, percussion, vox, marimba and pots & pans with only Steve as the guest. (Tim was involved in the engineering and Terri~B in the mastering and graphics, part of the 'family' of course!). 'A Breath of Fresh Air' is back to the first line-up with Wiggy, Tim and Steve as guests. While the retrospective collection 'Collective Conscious' has the same basic line-up as appeared on 'Inspirational' with no guests. Clear?! The covers are all very eye catching and feature graphic design by Terri~B who also runs a design, print and laminating service and sells hand painted glassware.
It is evident throughout Krom Lek's music so far that there is a high standard of musicianship and a good understanding between individual members of the band. It sounds as if you also had a lot of fun making these recordings?
It's like knowing your family, we all know each other that well, it's like a conversation. That's what a good band is: you've got that click. Every time we get together it's like a party. We have a free and open attitude. We don't take it seriously and certainly have never made no fucking money, man! Through that way of playing the jams develop into songs. Then you put it into form. The bad stuff seems to get washed out, There's never a structured idea, it's all free form to begin with. There's no lead guitarist, it's just the band. One Dave is more fluid and jazzy in style while the other Dave plays in more of a rock style. Every time we play a song we're searching for something else. You just join in on the 'feel'. You've got the tape recorders running. Sometimes we forget songs and you hear it with new ears- it's organic really. Sometimes we do structured songs. Someone will bring a riff, we'll put it together and it will totally change when we play together. There are no egos involved in the band, we're all equals and the music speaks for itself.
Let's look in more detail at 'Psychedelic dot Krom' (Great title!) The first track 'Long Meg' has all the hallmarks of great psychedelic/ space rock sounding like classic Steve Hillage/ Gong in the guitar/ keys work and Hawkwind in the vocal with Michael's flute softening the edges nicely. I agree with the radio presenter at the end of 'Long Meg' when he describes it as 'wunderbar' by the way! What are the band's main influences?
We're influenced by each other really. It's a privilege being in such a great band. The kind of stuff we like listening to ranges from Hawkwind to Gong to free jazz, Miles Davis, soul music, funk, Steve Hillage, everything in fact!
It always amazes me how little some bands actually listen to other people's music. They often say they're so busy producing music themselves they don't have the time. I don't know what the case is with Krom Lek but could you give our readers some indication of your listening preferences?
The band went round the table and Sly and the Family Stone, the Stax in-house band, blues and Steve Hillage's 'Green' album were all mentioned. (This question was also answered in 4) of course!)
Getting back to the 'Psychedelic Dot Krom' album 'Top O' The Tor' and 'Summer Sun' are particular favourites of mine as well. The references to Stonehenge and countercultural values as Ed Macan would call them take us back to a different time when free festivals ruled. You obviously consider the values of the late sixties and early seventies still valid today. Without getting into too heavy a political argument what are your thoughts on the way society and music have gone over the ensuing decades?
It's a big question! We all grew up Top o' the Tor and used to go down to Glastonbury with our friends. The Police Bill changed it a lot. The one in the early '90's- was it the Criminal Justice Act? The one banning sound systems on public land. The recent Glastonbury Festival was organised madness. When we first started going there was a good feeling with an open atmosphere. People go now specifically to rip you off. It's turned into private enterprise and this has spoiled it. You can go and have a good time but the attitude has changed. You've got to expect hassle. There's no such thing as freedom really- it's a thought!
The Ozric Tentacles are another obvious reference point for your music especially their tendency to dabble in reggae. Indeed the reggae/ ska feel of 'Evolution' reminded me of Madness. You pull this off well I think!
The Ozrics are a brilliant band. We all grew up with ska and the 2 Tone label. The Ozrics are contemporaries of ours but probably haven't even heard of us! We've all been into the same music from an early age: The Specials, rock steady, ska and skank. We saw the Ozrics live and bought their tapes at the concerts.
In my review of your first CD I lamented the fact that the band's excellent musical ideas were crying out for 'the odd blast of frenzied guitar or keyboards'. I'm glad to say you took me at my word (Although it was obviously nothing to do with anything I said) and tracks like 'Long Meg', 'Outer Aura' and 'Summer Sun' benefit from this approach. It sounds to me as if the band is gaining in confidence with Dave (I'm not sure which Dave was responsible for which break - perhaps you could enlighten me?) branching out on guitar, a solid rhythm section and some great 'fills' by Michael on flute, sax etc.
When my guitar breaks I get it fixed said Bazz, an indication that the whole is much, much more than the sum of the parts!
Another obvious element of Krom Lek's music we haven't discussed so far is the use of 'ethnic' instrumentation (not a term I like myself- I'll think of another) You know what I mean- the quieter, reflective passages on the album work very well I think with didgeridoo (you called it bogeridoo on track 3 of the first CD or is this a different instrument) and percussion.
The bogideroo is made from plumbing waste pipe actually. "I had to cut it 3 times before I found the 'c'!" revealed Bazz.
It must be really difficult to play?
Yeh, it makes you dizzy. I didn't have a didgeridoo and the bogeridoo doesn't have deep, warm solid natural sound because it's just plastic. I don't know if aborigines can play ¼ inch waste pipe! Other trade secrets Krom Lek revealed were the use of chip pans, beer bottles full of water (Pots & pans can be heard on 'Pandora's Pots' from 'Psychedelic Dot Krom' and more bogeridoo at the beginning of 'Stop Starting' from 'A Breath of Fresh Air').
What of future plans for Krom Lek - I believe you are recording a new album as we speak. Can we expect the same mix that was so successful on 'Psychedelic Dot Krom'? Also do you play live?
Our 'new' album's material was recorded quite a while ago - a back catalogue release in fact. It's entitled 'Collective Conscious' and is old material that's never been heard, remastered. A live album is a possibility. (I presume 'A Breath of Fresh Air' is the new album.)
Live work has died off. We haven't played live for the last 2 or 3 years. Everyone's really busy. Live performances for us are when we're recording although the style is different when we play live. We've played around the north-east and had a good time, a good laugh. Each gig ends up being an all day bash. We make sure we get there for opening time! We've done a lot of gigs all over the place in our time.
Kozmik Ken of the Freak Emporium described your music as "highly groovy psyched up space weirdness. This is one of the more original and talented groups playing tripped up psych today." I suppose if there was an audience who had heard and appreciated your music you would be up for gigs?
Oh yeh, a wider audience would be nice! Mind you people have more access now. We used to be a local band. Now people across the globe are getting into it. Krom Lek has been around for ages and I don't think it's ever going to change.
I also wanted to ask you about the Stone Premonitions label in general. On visiting their web site I see Terri~B has a CD out and The Rabbit's Hat (whom I've heard) It seems like one big happy family?
Yes, it is. Krom Lek are an integral part. We were there at the beginning. Stone Premonitions goes back to 1993. Our thanks go to Tim and Terri without whom there wouldn't be a Stone Premonitions.
Through the Aural Innovations site Stone Premonitions is involved with the Alchemical Radio show, a brilliant outlet for space rock/ psychedelic music. There's also a local radio show in England - Freedom Overflow. How are these shows put together - they are very well put together and I just wish I could find the time to listen to them more often!
Thank you for the kind words Phil! We actually put the radio shows together in the Stone Premonitions studio and master them to CDR. We then send them to the different networks for airplay. We are very lucky to have support through Ian Marquis at www.supanovaradio.co.uk, Jerry Kranitz at www.aural-innovations.com, and Garry Lee at Freedom Overflow 90.9 FM in the south of England. They all currently take the shows and it's really our way of giving something back to all of the wonderful bands we receive music from in the ever expanding international underground music scene. They do take quite a while to put together which is why we only do them on a monthly basis. We hope that your readers can listen in and feel free to submit material. We would like to think that we will be in a position to produce them for some while yet. The shows are presented by Terri~B and The Reverend Rabbit.
This might sound strange considering I've never played the instrument but if I were in Krom Lek I think I'd like to be the bass player. I am always lamenting the fact that in some recordings the bass guitar can hardly be heard nowadays. I love Shaun Barrie's bass playing throughout - you can hear it and he's not afraid to put in the odd riff or two! Anyway, thanks for the music so far and for taking the time out from recording to answer these questions.
The band agreed that Bazz is a brilliant bass player - 'one of the best' and he just said it's what he's always wanted to play.
The fun seemed to continue long after the interview had ended. But that's Krom Lek for you: any excuse to party! It's reassuring to know the pioneering spirit of bands of the late 60's and early 70's is still alive - in the north east of England at least!
(Questions posed and article written by Phil Jackson; questions asked by Tim Jones. Contact: phil7jackson@madasafish.com