Welcome to the Prognaut.com! Thank you for taking the time to do another interview.
When last we chatted you had just finished Guilt Machine. This interview will focus mostly on the Star One projects. If its ok with you, can we cover both albums?
Instead of a typical music interview I thought Id let you be Siskel/Ebert, (famous US movie reviewers), and not only discuss your music for each song, but also tell us what inspired you about each story/movie enough to want to write music for each. What inspired you about the story/movie and what are your favorite highlights from that story/movie? Also include your favorite riffs or parts of the music which coincided with different parts of the storylines. If you cover a franchise movie, like Star Wars for example, which particular episode did you like best? Which was your favorite part or drew the most inspiration for the song you wrote?
Since Victims of the Modern Age is the newer release lets start with that one and work back.
Down the Rabbit Hole + Digital Rain
Movie/story title The Matrix
Favorite part of the film/story Neo who slowly realizes the truth about the Matrix and himself.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - I tried to capture the fast pace of the movie and the sophisticated technology and special effects.
Earth That Was
Movie/story title Firefly
Favorite part of the film/story The hilarious one-liners of captain Mal :-) A great mix between sci-fi and western.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - Offering some light/hope in the darkness of space.
Victims of the Modern Age
Movie/story title A Clockwork Orange
Favorite part of the film/story The incredible acting of Malcolm McDowell.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - A weird and disturbing movie/track.
Human See, Human Do
Movie/story title Planet of the Apes
Favorite part of the film/story The first time the apes hear Charlton Heston speak.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - The 'inhuman' hunt for astronaut Taylor and the discriminatory way they treat him.
24 Hours
Movie/story title Escape from New York
Favorite part of the film/story Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) roaming around in the dark prison of Manhattan.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - The threat of the dangerous city combined with the action.
Cassandra Complex
Movie/story title Twelve Monkeys
Favorite part of the film/story Bruce Willis trying to convince Madeleine Stowe that he's not insane and that he came from the future to save mankind.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - The interaction between Bruce/Russell and Madeleine/Floor.
Its Alive, Shes Alive, Were Alive
Movie/story title Children of Men
Favorite part of the film/story Michael Cain's hippie character: pull ma fingah! And his sad and heroic end
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - What happens when no new children are born on Earth and humanity slowly dies out?
It All Ends Here
Movie/story title Blade Runner
Favorite part of the film/story Rutger Hauer as the replicant who searched for the secret of longevity and realizes he can't survive.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - What do you do if you only have a 4 year life-span?
Star One (Space Metal Album)
High Moon
Movie/story title Outland
Favorite part of the film/story Like Firefly, a combination of western and sci-fi, two of my favorite genres.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - High Moon is a wordplay on the western High Noon. Moon stands for Jupiter's moon Io and 'High' stands for the drug they are taking.
Songs of the Ocean
Movie/story title Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home
Favorite part of the film/story The outstanding Spock and Kirk who are trying to look inconspicuous in today's world.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - The technology of man has advanced, and so has their arrogance. In the end humans will turn out to be one of the least successful species that lived on the Earth.
Master of Darkness
Movie/story title Star Wars
Favorite part of the film/story The ego-maniac Harrison Ford who decides to help the rebels after all.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - The constant struggle between good and evil.
The Eye of Ra
Movie/story title Stargate
Favorite part of the film/story James Spader who effortlessly translates the hieroglyphs.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - The Egyptian melodies.
Sandrider
Movie/story title Dune
Favorite part of the film/story The great ancient/modern look of the movie.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - The struggle of Paul Artreides who tries to fulfill the prophecy of the Kwisatz Haderach.
Perfect Survivor
Movie/story title Alien
Favorite part of the film/story The threat of the alien without actually seeing him clearly until the end. And of course the scene where Sigourney Weaver steps out of the space suit J
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - The claustrophobic feeling aboard the spaceship Nostromo.
Intergalactic Space Crusaders
Movie/story title Blake's 7
Favorite part of the film/story The chemistry between Avon and Blake.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - The egoistic loner versus the righteous idealist.
Starchild
Movie/story title 2001: A Space Odyssey
Favorite part of the film/story The computer Hal slowly breaking up.
Way in which your music adds to the power of the story/movie - The scientific realism and the great special effects for that time.
Prognaut - Is there a possibility you will take this album live on the road?
Arjen - No definite plans, but it is an option. But it would be very difficult, time-consuming and expensive to get these 10 musicians who all have their own bands and projects together for rehearsals and a tour.
Prognaut.com - What are you plans for the future? (The quiet album
ha,ha.)
Arjen - I will now do the solo album that I've been promising myself for the last 10 years. It will indeed not be a metal album. I keep changing my mind about the musical direction it will go in though!
Prognaut.com - Thank you as always for your time and effort in completing this interview. I think this interview will give your fans a special look inside the creative mind of Arjen Lucassen. I hope you had fun with this.
Arjen - You're welcome, Mark!
Interviewed by Prof on November 8th, 2010
