Jelmer: At a young age I got the upportunity to play several instruments at a program called Instrument exploring. I quickly chose the guitar haha
CDU: How did you meet theGathering band?
J: I heard that a guy, Hugo, in the neighbourhood was playing in a band, and not much longer a guy, Hans, walkes up to me. He askes me ‘hey I heard that you can play guitar solos?’ .Me; ehr, yes .?. Hans; ‘would you like to play in our band?’ Me again; ‘ehr..yes.?. The best eehhrrr yes.?. in my life hahaha.
CDU: Name your first musical influences for you and the band
J: We where all listening to all different kinds of music and I was the one listening more to thrash kinda metal like Suicidal T , Anthrax, Death Angel Metallica but also hip hop and even reggae. At home I only heard classical music and that really got to my nerves by then. Most of it still does haha.
CDU: What do you think about European extreme music bands like Celtic Frost, Bathory, Pestilence, the triad Paradise Lost, Anathema and My Dying Bride (for name someone)?
J: Bart and Hans where really trying their best to get me to listen to these things haha.
These bands have been a huge influence on the whole doom/metal scene of course. But for me, the band called AXEGRINDER with the album The Rise Of The Serpent Man. I listened to that album a trillion times. What a blast, you know what? let’s put it on while writing this interview Yeah!
CDU: The music of early TG was fastly evolving, between the Always and Mandylion, there are different sounds, since symphonic death / doom metal, grunge, until something nearly to Dead Can Dance. what were they looking for?
J: Thats the beauty of it! Whe where not looking for anything special, just play. And that a lot of people expected a second Always….well sorry haha. You win fans, you also lose them to evolve yourselve.
CDU: 1997, TG's release Nighttime Birds by Century Media, there are a very original band sound, seems Paradise Lost, Anathema and Tiamat on these years. Did they have any relationship with these bands?
J: It aleady started with Mandylion. I think the sound of modern ‘gothic’ metal was born. Big guitars, big drums, big everything haha.
CDU: It seemed that TG was reaching the highest point of his career, why did you leave the band at that time? What happened?
J: I think I got confused a bit with myself, a bit lost. I hardly gave the band new material anymore. And the fact that I bought the new Entombed album and the others bought Radiohead made me think. But I still loved doing the live shows, playing together with them. Never cancelled a rehearsel!
CDU: How was your relationship with music after all that? Did you have a project?
J: By then I allready finished my SAE study and I dove more into the sound industry. Why does my guitar sound like that… And I still think there will be something nice coming from my strings again;)
CDU: As a soundman, what has been the best music show you've seen?
J: Oehw… In al kinds of genres bands and artists have been blowing my mind. For sure the ones you’ve never seen. No expectations. But things like Neurosis, Tool. Also I still get the shivers when Scott Kelly (Neurosis) playing his acoustic tunes for 30 people in the smallest room of the club I worked. Eels playing his ‘non’ rock show (blinkin lights and other revolutions).
And I still, OFCOURSE, my all time favourite…. VOÏVOD playing the Dimension Hatröss album on the Roadburn fest. Holy shitballs …….
CDU: Name your top 5 albums:
J: Impossible mate.
All Voivod
Neurosis
Pink Floyd, the old stuff
Kuyss When The Circus Leaves Town
Older Rise Against albums
Most of A Wilhelm Scream
Massive Attack Mezzanine
DJ Shadow, his trip hop stuff
Etc Etc….. This what comes to my mind now haha.
CDU: What are you hope to do for future? Any music project?
J: To enjoy life again! And pretty soon I hope to finish some songs with some guy called Daniel haha. And maybe the more noisy ambient stuff I have not been able to work on for a long time now.
CDU: To say goodbye, what musical advice would you give to someone who is trying to make music in the underground?
J: Just start, pick up your instruments and play! If you have a particular style in your mind go for it. I am more the ‘let’s see where this goes’ kinda person. Do not wanne be a star, have fun and maybe then…
Well Daniel, thank you for having me!
I could speak for hours about music and bands. History and things to come!
There is no favourites for me. There is music!
Jelmer
CDU: Thanks amigo Jelmer for your time and patience.
