Rockezine.com interview with The Gathering on Oct 15, 2002

with Frank Boeijen on Oct 15, 2002

You have probably already read the review of ‘Black Light District’, The Gathering’s new mini-CD on our site. I decided to e-mail Frank Boeijen from the band, and ask him about their new sound and their new album.
		Frank, since `How to measure a planet` you have gone more experimental. Why do you think that happened at this moment, and not earlier or later? Frank: The first 2 albums (‘Mandylion’ and ‘Nighttime Birds’) were recorded and produced in the same studio and with the same producers.(Woodhouse studio, producer: Sigi Bemm) For us it somehow did not feel right anymore after we recorded ‘Nighttime Birds’. We felt we could create a more original sound with another producer and other studio. All bands from Century Media were recording at Woodhouse with Sigi, who is an excellent producer but just did not fit anymore to our sound. We got in touch with Attie Bauw, a very talented Dutch producer, who was eager to start working with a more adventurous state of mind.
		During the making of the more experimental albums, how did you all stay on the same line of thought? Did you all `evolve` together, or one by one? Depends on what you mean by `the more experimental albums`. In fact, we were all at the same line of thought with every album. If we were not, we would never have been able to finish all those albums altogether.
		Could you describe the writing process of the songs, and has it changed over the past few years, and albums? Actually: not really. We all make up our tunes alone at home or during travel. Later, at rehearsal, we try to make songs of all the ideas that are being played. Especially in the studio, very good songs are born, because there you can alter them very quickly. It is the other way around as well: Sometimes, in the studio, things which seemed OK at the rehearsals, or at home, sound totally awful.
		In foreign countries, like Mexico and Germany, you are much more `famous` than in Holland. Why do you think that is? Would you like to be more famous ‘at home`? Do you believe so? I am not really aware of that. But I feel the difference when we play in Holland or for example Germany or France. It seems that, in comparison with Dutch audiences, a foreign audience listens much closer to the music during a concert.
		We have a number of really quiet parts in our songs. In Holland you hear chit-chat noise, while outside Holland everybody listens. It is like they lack respect towards the artist who is playing and trying to say something with the music. Concerning the famous thing: I am OK with that, also in Holland. It would be hell if I could not cross the street anymore just because I was famous.
		What will the new album be like? We have heard a preview of it on Black Light District. Will it be the same? The new album will sound different from Black Light District. That is why we released the songs on BLD in the first place: because they would not suit the album. It may have the same dark atmosphere as BLD, but the songs are different in arrangements and sounds. The album turned out to be very modern and groovy, but also very dark and moody. Our working title is "Souvenirs", and that will most likely be the definitive title as well.
		We are still mixing it, and we are trying to master it very soon. We hope to release the new album somewhere in February.
(Gonneke Arts)