It is with great pleasure that I add this interview I recently did with Thomas Feiner (ex-frontman of the now dissolved band Anywhen), songwriter extraordinaire from Sweden, whose recording "The Opiates - Revised" ranks as one of the best albums of the year. (Thomas Feiner Official Website)
INTERVIEW WITH THOMAS FEINER
by Marco Machera
1. Hi Thomas. How's the "Opiates" record going so far?
Good I think - it is getting some airplay here and there, and I'm getting some very positive feedback. THe only major obstacle has been that it's slightly stigmatized from not being a new release, so that even in territories where it wasn't released previously, no printed media has found it justified to review it.
2. "The Opiates" was originally released in 2001, but has been re-published recently. For those who don't know, what are the main differences between the two versions?
New artwork by David Sylvian and Chris Bigg. Completely re-mastered. One old song has been removed and two new ones put in instead.
3. How did you get in touch with Samadhisound and David Sylvian?
A strange story. I was sitting on my work computer some five years ago when an e-mail landed in my inbox. Around that time I mostly got spam - so I thought this was just another spammer who curiously had chosen "David Sylvian" as a sender-name. I had listened a lot to "Secrets of the Beehive" and thus knew well who this artist was. As it turned out this was the real David Sylvian explaining how somebody gave the album to him when it was originally released and that he had just heard it quite some time later. So basically he wanted to offer his respect but also put out a standing invitation of release any solo-material I had coming on his newly founded label Samadhisound. A very strange experience for me - very uplifting to say the least.
After that we kept in touch via e-mail.
When my old record label which released the first Opiates went bankrupt I had purchased the master rights back. And over time it became apparent that the old stock had run out - and I was frequently contacted by people who still wanted the album. And finally I approached David to see if he would be interested in releasing the album on his label.
4. Why did the Anywhen band split-up?
The other guys got more and more involved in their various careers and studies. As the project progressed, it became apparent that we all had very different ambitions. I was the person most committed to making this record, and as it became obvious that the band members had grown apart - without conflicts or harsh words - I remained alone on the project most of the time, occasionally assisted by drummer Kalle and bass player
Mikael.
5. How do you usually compose your songs? Do you start giving shape to a track by playing it on piano, or guitar? I'm curious to know because I find the tracks are wonderfully arranged, and the overall mood is very "orchestral", so I'd like to know how your writing process starts.
Depends on the piece. Some songs are piano-based, meaning I sat down starting with piano and vocals, other times it's more of a linear full-scale production - like Yonderhead. I would finish the verse with instruments and everything, then move onto refrain - again with a pretty much complete setup. And so on.
6. Are you working on brand new material at the moment?
Yes, but on a very on and off oriented basis. I had a lot of other things on my mind for the last couple of years, forming a family, securing a steady income and so on. But I'm hoping to be able to put out a solo album sometime next year.
7. Would you like to do live shows supporting your music in the future?
Not sure about this yet - depends on the conditions.
8. What music do you usually listen to when you're at home?
Actually - I started to listen some to hard drum and bass lately. It is kind of abstract. And I can work to it. I find that it doesn't stick so hard in my mind. When I listen to other kinds of music or when I create new pieces, these will play in my head on some kind of endless repeat, which can be quite painful.
9. What kind of musician are you? Do you consider yourself mainly a songwriter/vocalist? Are you self-taught?
I think I prefer to look at myself as some kind of composer, or song-writer. I had some formal training in public music-school when I was a kid, learning to play the trumpet. Other than that - no academic knowledge.
10. What do you want to achieve with your music?
Whatever happens in the end of the receiver is really not my business. I make music because I feel a need to.