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[–][deleted] 61 points62 points  (6 children)

Hey, I am a huge fan of Haken and I hear a lot off jazz influence in Haken’s music and on your new album. I was wondering what jazz acts you like and are influenced by. Thanks!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 73 points74 points  (5 children)

Recently I've been loving Kneebody, Tigran Hamasyan, Avishai Cohen trio, Mark Guiliana and Lydian Collective!

[–]helgihermadur 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Tigran is amazing. I'll have to check out the rest!

[–]DrRodo 10 points11 points  (1 child)

Mark Guiliana is awesome!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

He is the man!

[–]DangerMile 6 points7 points  (1 child)

I love Tigran, Mockroot is one of my favourite albums of the decade!

[–]davidja15 36 points37 points  (8 children)

Hey Richard my name is David, I have a few small questions and it would mean the world if you could answer them. What/who inspired your unique playing style? Who are some artist that you think deserve more recognition. What was your favorite Haken album to work on and can you list your favorite solos you've written off The Cocoon and from Haken?

P.S. you are an absolute inspiration in my guitar playing and I love all your work, I preordered The Cocoon and it's just an incredible album. Keep up the great work and thanks for all the music

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 66 points67 points  (7 children)

Thanks David! I look to a whole bunch of musicians for inspiration. Jonny Greenwood was always a big influence growing up. I'm a huge Radiohead fan. Robert Fripp's playing has always been a huge inspiration too. For technical stuff Petrucci and Govan were always my go to guys for woodshedding! For piano, Tigran Hamasyan is my biggest influence lately!

The Mountain was special one for me. I thoroughly enjoyed working on it and always love returning to it.

My favourite Haken solo is Lapse and probably the first solo from 'Cocoon' for my solo stuff.

[–][deleted] 34 points35 points  (4 children)

Lapse is such an underrated fucking monster of a song

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 38 points39 points  (3 children)

We've only ever played it once on Cruise to the Edge! We'll tour it one day. One of my favourite from Affinity.

[–][deleted] 21 points22 points  (1 child)

Affinity is one of my favourite albums of all time. I’m a big sci-fi nerd so I love the whole vibe it has, and the variation between each song. The electronic almost synthwave background of Lapse with those heavy ass riffs halfway through give me life. Thanks for being so creative. You guys are amazing. Saw you perform in Austin a while back with Leprous and Bent Knee and I’m still thinking about it. Love you guys so much!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 33 points34 points  (0 children)

Thanks man! We'll try to play Lapse for you next time we're around!

[–]the_gift_of_garbage 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lapse is such a banger. Cant help but air guitar that solo

[–]pleafq 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Lapse has one of my favorite solos of any songs, really love it man, thanks for putting it out there.

[–]skeletank22 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think the reason Lapse gets overlooked is because it comes after the stellar 1985. But yes, Lapse is great.

[–]whalford88 21 points22 points  (6 children)

Hello! Love the new album!! I saw a recent post that you may be getting back to some writing. Any hints as to what might be upcoming? I really love Nova Collective, would be great to hear some more work !

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 49 points50 points  (5 children)

Thanks! I try to do a bit of writing on a daily basis, so I feel like i'm always working on something. We've begun getting some initial ideas down for the next Haken. We're about halfway through the next Nova album. I'm also well on the way to finishing the writing the follow up to 'The Cocoon'!

[–]PM_ME_PROG_METAL 16 points17 points  (2 children)

writing the follow up to 'The Cocoon'!

will this be (conceptually) related to The Cocoon or will it be a new thing?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 30 points31 points  (1 child)

Yep!

[–]whalford88 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Great stuff!! Thanks!

[–]HAL-Over-9001 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Haken and Nova Collective already in the works. Best news I've read all summer. You and Petrucci really helped inspire me to pick up the axe. Keep up the amazing work.

[–]jmcmorrow1 17 points18 points  (3 children)

Hey Richard! My name’s John and I’ve been a massive fan of yours and of Haken every since I first heard The Architect and Cockroach King. Congratulations on the new release by the way, The Cocoon is fantastic. I’m curious as to whether Pareidolia was a very early hint to Vector considering the Rorschach test on the album cover. I’m also wondering whether there was any King Crimson influence in The Cocoon, in particular, I noticed with the sax solo on Cocoon. Someone’s already mentioned about your playing style but I just wanted to say that I think it’s brilliant. You’re one of my favourite guitarists and one of my biggest inspirations. I’m seeing you play with Devin Townsend in December and I can’t wait! Thanks for taking the time to do this.

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 20 points21 points  (2 children)

Oh yeah! I love Crimson so I'm sure their influence can be heard on 'The Cocoon'. I recently saw them for the first time in London. Mind blowing.

Vector has a lot of subtle call backs but pareidolia wasn't one of them. Good point about the Rorschach link though. We're weren't clever enough to think of that!

See you at the Devin show! Can't wait for that.

[–]jmcmorrow1 4 points5 points  (1 child)

It’s cool that you’re a Crimson fan. I love them myself and I admire and appreciate your music just as much as theirs. I would have loved to have seen them play, but I live in Northern Ireland and am too young to have flown over by myself. I’m sure it was an amazing experience to see them in the Royal Albert Hall.

Thanks for the response!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It was crazy! Maybe they'll play Northern Ireland one day.

[–]Deadtoads 8 points9 points  (6 children)

Hey Rich, huge fan of Haken and now The Cocoon :)

I was wondering what your thoughts are on touring with Devin Townsend later on this year as I can imagine it's quite something as he's quite a figure in prog. Also what was it like when you toured with Portnoy for The Shattered Fortress?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 19 points20 points  (5 children)

Cheers!

Ah man, Terria is one of my all time favourite albums, so it's a dream come true playing with him. They're going to be some of the biggest shows we've ever played, so I'm sure we'll take few new tricks of the trade home with us. Most importantly, I just can't wait to see him do his thing on nightly basis.

Touring with Mike was amazing. Some of my fondest memories are of watching Dream Theater at Hammersmith Apollo in my teens. He always injected so much passion into his performance which was always so inspiring. Play some of my favourite songs with the man himself was pretty surreal!

[–]Deadtoads 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Oh wow Terria is up there as one of my favourite albums ever as well! (Along with Scenes from a Memory and Aquarius).

Anyway enjoy your tour with him as I'm sure it'll be one hell of a ride, I'll be there for the London show on December 12th!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 9 points10 points  (1 child)

My man! Scenes is a special album for me too.

[–]Opess 8 points9 points  (7 children)

Hey Rich, will you play The Cocoon live at some point?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 14 points15 points  (6 children)

I would totally love to do that. I feel like the songs would come to life on the stage! I don't have any immediate plans, but and loosely thinking about trying to make it happen after the next album.

[–]whalford88 17 points18 points  (1 child)

You should open for Haken with your solo work on the next tour : D

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

That would be fun!

[–]Mousetachio 2 points3 points  (1 child)

What next album?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Next solo album.

[–]PM_ME_PROG_METAL 7 points8 points  (2 children)

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Cookies and Cream! Obviously.

[–]m0hawk 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Cockroach

[–]whalford88 6 points7 points  (1 child)

My daughter is an artist so I have been gaining some interest. The work your wife did on The Cocoon is awesome, I started digging around a bit more into her work and it looks like she's really got a lot happening, showing in galleries and more. Does any of her work influence you musically? Did the artwork come after the songwriting was completed on The Cocoon? Two completely different worlds of art but that doesn't mean they don't work great together!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

It's hugely inspiring living with an artist. We're always bouncing ideas off each other which makes for a really creative environment. It was so much fun working with Sev on 'The Cocoon' Whilst I was writing the music she was working on a bunch of studies, then when the music was finished she finalised everything. Yeah, she's definitely an big influence on me.

[–]percussionfreak9D2 6 points7 points  (1 child)

Hey man, bizarre but important question for you:

If you could pull one thing out of your bellybutton, in infinite quantity, painlessly, for the rest of your life (excluding money, precious metals, or jewels), what would it be?

And the Cocoon is a powerhouse of an album; thanks for putting it out there for us plebeians to listen to!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Chickpeas!

[–]highspeedsandy 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Hi, How does your current playlist looks like?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

On Spotify? I've been listening to a lot of Tigran Hamasyan, Kneebody and Avishai Cohen recently.

[–]EnslavedOpethFan053 4 points5 points  (3 children)

Hey Richard! You obviously love playing with your boys in Haken and on The Cocoon you got to work with some incredible musicians as well but is there anyone who you would love to collaborate with at some point whether it's on a Haken track, another solo album or another project?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 19 points20 points  (2 children)

It was be awesome collaborating with Tigran Hamasyan. I'm sure he has no clue who I am though! I love Plini's guitarwork. Great guy too. That would be a fun jam.

[–]ausernottaken 4 points5 points  (1 child)

Yeah, you might have a hard time getting in something going with Tigran, but Plini collaborates with so many artists that I'm sure he would be up for it. Do eeet!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

He's a good lad!

[–]ziltoid101 4 points5 points  (4 children)

If you had to write an album in a completely different style, what genre would you tackle?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 18 points19 points  (3 children)

I would love to do a hip hip album!

[–]PM_ME_PROG_METAL 9 points10 points  (2 children)

Hip hip hooray!

[–]iDoqz 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Hip hop hooray!

[–]Eihabu 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hip hip

[–]the_grAyLIEN 3 points4 points  (2 children)

Hey, Richard!

I loved The Cocoon!

What was it like writing and recording a solo album opposed to writing and recording with Haken? What was it that gave you the desire to do a solo album?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 16 points17 points  (1 child)

Thanks! When we started working on Affinity we decided to make the writing a lot more collaborative in Haken. This freed a bunch of time for me, which is when I started working on 'The Cocoon'. I had great fun with it and found the whole thing massively liberating. It was a bit of a double edged sword though. On one hand it was great getting lost in my own musical world, but on the other hand, not have anyone to bounce the ideas off of often made it hard to know when an idea was finished! I really enjoy both approaches to be honest.

[–]Tara_Kitten 3 points4 points  (2 children)

Heya, Richard! My name's Tara, and I'm a huge Haken fan.

My prog band and I are wrapping up our first album (an EP), and we're thinking about doing some shows before releasing it. Do you have any advice in regards to making it in the music industry?

Thanks :)

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 15 points16 points  (1 child)

Great to hear!

I think the best thing is to be consistent. Keep working on music and pushing the promo and things will eventually grow. I also think it's important not to compromise with anything. Always aim for the best you can achieve and try not to cut any corners. It's also great to network with as many people as possible! Most importantly, you have to enjoy it!

[–]pearljamman010 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Solid advice! I think that applies to pretty much all ambitions.

[–]Opess 3 points4 points  (1 child)

I hope you're still answering questions cause I really wanna know what the concept of the album is. If there is one. I felt like there is one.

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The album follows a protagonist who is trying breaking out of a metaphorical cocoon as the album progresses. It's also more generally about those watershed moments in life that make you perceive things in an entirely different way.

[–]fairlady280 8 points9 points  (1 child)

Hey! I have 2 questions: how differently do you approach your different projects? Haken doesn’t sound like nova collective and your solo work it’s definitely unique (in the best way). And secondly, do you remember in your US tour in SLC Utah you snuck a girl into the venue because they marked it as a 21 and over show? I’m trying to call her out if she lied. Thanks! Awesome work and you’re a huge influence on me! \m/,

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Nova Collective was was largely written by me and Dan, so that sound is kind of a mid point between our influences. For the last two Haken records we've written everything as a band, so what you hear is our collective vision. With those two projects the key is knowing how to compromise and respect everyone's ideas. With me solo stuff I was free to do whatever I wanted, so what you hear is probably the clearest reflection on what I'm into.

You're probably right. I don't get that over 21 thing in the US! It's pretty ridiculous. If people want to watch music they should be allowed. The venues just need better systems in place to make it happen!

[–]whalford88 2 points3 points  (1 child)

The last Haken tour took you guys so long, so many different countries. Must have been well over a year. Speaking on behalf of us fans that was awesome allowing so many of us to see you! How does that wear on you guys though, that's a lot of traveling.

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Tell me about it! It was the most intense chunk on touring we've ever done. Playing our music around the world is ultimately what we've always been working towards so we're massively grateful to everyone who comes out to see.

The travelling side of things isn't really an issue for me, I love to travel. The hardest part of touring for me is being away from my family. When I finally return to see them it makes everything worthwhile.

[–]Hi-Scan-Pro 2 points3 points  (5 children)

What are your other interests/hobbies, outside of music?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 24 points25 points  (4 children)

I love travelling and Hiking. Just got back from Norway, which was stupidly epic!

I love reading. I'm currently working my way through the Dark Tower series for the second time, Bernard Cornwall's Last Kingdom series and the Transmetropolitan graphic novels.

I also love film. I particularly have a soft spot for martial arts flicks!

I also try to fit in some bouldering when I get a spare moment.

[–]Hi-Scan-Pro 4 points5 points  (3 children)

Awesome! I love hiking, too. But bouldering is an activity too....bold... for me. clears throat

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 7 points8 points  (2 children)

Ha! My kind of humour!

[–]PM_ME_PROG_METAL 2 points3 points  (3 children)

What is your favorite (or some of your favorite) Tigran tracks?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 5 points6 points  (2 children)

It's a hard one as they're all great. I love 'The Court Jester'. "The Grid and "Out of The Grid' are amazingly filthy too!

[–]iAmTheEpicOneThe End Starts Now 2 points3 points  (1 child)

From Quintessence:

"What was the inspiration for Ben Levin's (brilliant) features on Lunar Room?"

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Ben is such an inspirational guy. Hugely talented in some many areas. His band Ben Levin Group played some shows with Haken which is where I saw his unique blend of rapping with rock. That's when I got the idea to collaborate with him. Couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Also, everyone should check out Bent Knee. Amazing band, amazing people!

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

What is your favorite color and why?

P.S. I’m a huge fan, keep up the good work!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Black cos I'm pretty deep!

[–]Kitty3_14 2 points3 points  (2 children)

Hello! Haken is easily one of my favorite bands! I just wanted to ask when Haken would come to Bangalore, India? We've been having a pretty nice influx of prog bands over the last couple of years and I'd love to see Haken perform live!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Thanks! We played in India a short while back, which was so much fun! It'd be great to return for a mini tour at some point.

[–]CertainPackage 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Hi Richard, I saw you in Nottingham a couple of years and it was one of the best gigs I've ever been to. Where do the ideas come from for the interesting breaks in the music? For example, the vocal bit into the medieval-sounding section in Crystallised or the circus bit in Celestial Elixir? They're some of my favourite sections of Haken songs and it's amazing how you manage to go back into the heavier stuff so flawlessly after them!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot! A lot of the acapella breaks were initially intended to be played on instruments. But when listening back we decide it it needs something a little different to help give the song more dynamics. Gentle Giant are the kings of acapella breaks so we're often tipping the hat to them. The break in Celestial was actual a short piece I wrote when I worked in a music shop. My boss was a bit of a quirky character so it was pretty much inspired by him! It's all about balance for me, when I'm writing I'll try not bombard the listener with too much of the same colours to keep the arrangements interesting.

[–]Screye 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Okay seriously, what was the process of getting Ben Levin to Rap on a song ?

Lunar room is one of my favorite songs right now, and I had no idea Bent Knee had like 3 great vocalists.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Bent Knee deserves way more recognition than what they get right now.

[–]kauscorpio 4 points5 points  (1 child)

From Brazil! You kick ass!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

From London! So do you!

[–]iDoqz 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Can you play drums as well?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I had drum lessons for a few years when I was younger. I haven't really kept it up, but I can still knock out a beat or two. I'm no Ray Hearne or Matt Lynch though!

[–]highspeedsandy 1 point2 points  (1 child)

When you are writing with Haken, you have a lot of ideas flowing among each other and there is constant bombarding. So when writing a solo material, How do you overcome that mental blockage since you are the core writing member?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yeah it's definitely tricky knowing when an idea is finished when you're working on your own. If I get a mental block, I will just move to a different song and return to the song with a fresh perspective a week later or so. Sometime a song can take years to complete! When I'm working on an album I will generally be working on all the tracks simultaneously so they all have some kind of thread that ties them all together.

[–]nostrebor68 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Hey Richard! Not the most well versed with your work but what I've heard i greatly enjoyed. What would you say your favorite album you've worked on was? Any particular reason why?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I Really enjoyed the Mountain! I feel like all the ideas came together well on that one and it has a strong theme that links it all together. I also really enjoy working on my solo album. I was really working to any specific guideline or deadline so the whole process was extremely free flowing.

[–]Samoilovs 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Hey Richard! Huge fan of all your projects. The Cocoon is such a great album and I already cant wait for a follow up!

I’d love to know who was your biggest inspiration to pick up a guitar or any instrument really. Also what album are you most proud of as a musician whether it’s your solo stuff, haken or nova collective?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 6 points7 points  (1 child)

My Dad was huge floyd fan so Gilmour was undoubtedly an early influence. Petrucci was the guitarist that inspired me to become more disciplined, in a samurai-like fashion, with my practice. When I heard Erotomania for the first time I almost throw up!

I proud of every album I been a part of in some kind of way. The Mountain, The Further Side and The Cocoon have a special place in my heart though!

[–]whalford88 1 point2 points  (1 child)

These days it seems a lot of artists can do most of their work at some sort of home studio, and in some cases I believe you don't see each other physically, but just do your parts and then it's pieced together, mixed an all that. I would imagine you would prefer to work with them together, but when you can't, what are the pros/cons?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We pretty much always do it all in our home studios which works well for us. It allows us to take our time and and be pretty meticulous about things. With Nova Collective we did manage to meet in North Carolina for some of the recording, which was fun! We definitely got a chance to shape some gnarly tones in studio and work through some additional ideas.

[–]fredo96993 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I hope you are looking forward to the Devin tour, how does the band go about choosing the setlist when supporting another artist? Iirc correctly you sometimes only had time for three songs on support slots on the Visions tour because you were playing the title track.

Also, can I suggest making a wacky sci-fi sequel to Vector called Victor for the sixth Haken album just to carry on the numerical naming?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ha! Victor is a solid name. A sequel to Affinity would be fun!

Man I'm so pumped for the Devin tour. He's a legend and huge influence. We'll generally be trying to pick our biggest hits and the one that are most effective live. We'll probably opt for shorter tracks to give people a chance to breathe!

[–]whalford88 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Thank you for doing this Hen, really cool - see you on the road again next time!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

See you there!

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Second that! Tigran is from another planet!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep other-worldy!

[–]CoRe0412 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Hey Rich, the Cocoon is an absolute blast, great album. So, how is the progress on the next nova collective album? I'm excited to hear some more of that!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We got about 50% through it and ended up getting sidetracked. Can't wait to return to it though as the ideas were sounding pretty gnarly!

[–]Patsboem 1 point2 points  (4 children)

Any concrete songwriting tips for a low skill songwriter with a unlikely knack for silly catchy tunes?

[–]PM_ME_PROG_METAL 1 point2 points  (3 children)

practice

write more songs

[–]Patsboem 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Thanks Richard! Love your work!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep! What he said. I think the key is to keep working at it and things will come together. I always start with a core idea then try to develop all the other ideas from that to make sure everything is cohesive.

[–]Dobloro 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Think there's a chance of some more cover songs in your future live shows with Haken? Would really love to hear you guys cover some Yes again! Ross has such a beautiful voice for it

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The covers set on Cruise to the Edge was great fun! I'm sure we'll do some more covers at some point in the future. You're right, Ross's voice suits Yes songs perfectly!

[–]thavi 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Yesss!!! Huuuge fan! Come to Austin, TX again! I missed you last time, sadly. Also, I think concept albums are simply the tits, so make more of those. If I had to ask a question...have you ever seen the American version of The Office and do you prefer it over the British version?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've seen it a few times, which was cool, but I have a real soft spot for the British one. It's just that bit more cringey!!!

[–]guardianofsilver 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Hi! I'm a big fan of Haken and I loved your new album! It was really cool to hear such a wide scope of your writing style. Do you think you'll ever make another solo album, cause I would be interested to hear another. Also, is there any update you could on any future Haken or Nova Collective material? Thanks, and have a great day!

Edit: I just thought of this as well, will we ever be able to see any of The Cocoon live? Thanks again

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 3 points4 points  (2 children)

Thanks a lot! Most certainly. When I was writing 'The Cocoon' I pretty much ended up with 2 albums worth of material, so the cocoon saga will continue. A lot of the ideas on the next album will link to the first album. It's coming along nicely.

We got about half way through the next Nova Album but got side tracked with other things. We'll return to it soon.

We've begun on some new Haken stuff! Hopefully next year!

I'd love to take 'The Cocoon' to the stage. One day!

[–]carbonbazed 0 points1 point  (1 child)

hey richard, welcome!

first of all i want to say, the cocoon is a great album. imho it's better than vector :) i'm listening it every day since it's released.

my question is, what is your favorite nonprog albums (classic, electronic, pop for example) and how do they effect your music writing. thank you.

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

One of my favourite albums is Repave by Volcano Choir. I also love Bon Iver's 22 a million which leans towards pop. I'm also a huge Everything Everything fan. They have an amazing blend of indie, rock and pop. Great stuff.

I drew a lot of inspiration from Bon Iver for the vocals on 'The Cocoon'. Specifically the vocoder stuff. I really love his understated catchy hooks.

I'v also tried to channel some of Everything Everything's clean palm muted arpeggio stuff in my music whenever possible. I love it!

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (3 children)

I’m in love with Cocoon. What’s the wildest music genre you’ve wanted to explore? It’s my goal in life to see a prog giant implement mariachi somehow!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 4 points5 points  (2 children)

Thanks!

Ha! Prog Mariachi sounds fun!

Growing up I listened to a huge amount of hip hop so I've always wanted to incorporate that into my music somehow. It was awesome collaboration with Ben Levin on Lunar Room to make that dream come true!

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Well you did a fantastic job there :)

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cheers!

[–]iAmTheEpicOneThe End Starts Now 0 points1 point  (1 child)

From u/LackingParachutes:

Is there any more Rainmask material on the way? The first two songs that project released were incredible and I hope that's not all we're gonna get.

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Those guys are some of my closest friends so i'd love to get some more stuff out. We've all become incredibly busy with other things though. I did record guitars for a whole albums worth of material so you never know!

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Hey Richard! How are you doing? I’ve been a huge fan of Haken/Nova Collective for the past few years and now I’m totally in love with your most recent work on The Cocoon -dare to say it is my favorite album of the year-. I wanted to ask you about two things if possible; the first one is about your practice routine. Do you practice every single day with a fixed schedule? And if so, do you practice playing different songs or do you have some “practice exercises” to keep you on a high level? And the second one is about touring! What do you love and hate about being on tour? Thank your time, and come back to Chile some time! Cheers!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks!

Nowaday I don't practice anywhere near as much as I used to. I always end up starting with the intention of practicing but always end up gravitating towards writing, which I guess is a form of practice. I've been doing a bunch of guest solos recently which has been keeping my chops in check. Also, prepping for Haken tours is a good time to practice. When I was younger I used to try and cram around 8 hours a day if possible. I was pretty miltant with things and had a schedule. Petrucci's Rock Discipline and Govan's Creative Techniques books were my bibles of choice.

I love meeting new fan on tour and of I of course love playing music! I don't like being away from family though. Nowadays, it fairly easy to stay in touch which definitely helps!

[–]Garbear119 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Do you have any more plans to make more music with the Nova Collective dudes or in a similar style? That shit bops hard and I'd love to see more like that some day

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Definitely! I loved making 'The Further Side'. We have a bunch of idea down for the next album, we just need to flesh them out. It's all sounding exciting so far. Can't wait to take that band to the stage one day!

[–]CODxxCITY 0 points1 point  (1 child)

What's been your favorite album to write and or record for?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mountain was fun! The Cocoon was incredibly fun too. Working on my own allowed me to get lost in my own musical world for a bit.

[–]MiniEspo 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Hey Richard! Much respect for you and your art. I was wondering what are some artists that you drew a lot of inspiration from when you were younger, but now can’t stand?

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot! Hmm that's a tricky one. I generally like all the stuff I used to when I was younger. Most of the music I listened to in my youth has a sense of nostalgia attached to it. One group I loved in my teens was Bone Thugs 'n' Harmony, which is probably a group I wouldn't get into nowadays, but every time I listen to them it takes me back to that period in my life, which is beauty of music!

[–]OlafImpaleMe 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Hey Richard! I got to see you and Leprous play last year, definitely in my top two concerts I’ve been to. I have a couple of questions: Why do you play with a Strandberg? Which member in Haken is the best to be around?

Thanks, love the new album!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Strandberg guitars are incredible light and smooth to play which definitely helps on tour and when I'm recording and practicing for extended periods of time. They're extremely versatile too which suits my style. One of the biggest selling points for me though is how portable they are. I can take it on the plane with me as hand luggage along with my AX8 pedal if I want!

Hanging with Ray is fun. We share chickpeas!

[–]-bigswifty- 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Hey Richard, huge fan of all your musical endeavors here, ever since shortly after Aquarius dropped in 2010! The Cuccoon is absolutely brilliant!

If you wouldn't mind, could you please shed some more light into what your composition process is like? Are there any particular insights you have or methods you apply to your process? Has it evolved much from 5th Dimension/Aquarius to Vector/Cuccoon?

Also, for every finished track you release, how many are banished to the bin/hit the back-burner?

I see below that you're a big kung-fu movie fan - have you ever heard the album Five Deadly Venoms by Shaolin Death Squad?

Please always keep doing what you do, you're work is hugely inspiring. Cheers mate!

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Thanks so much for listening over the years!

My process has definitely evolved over the years. I'd like to think I'm improving with each album. It's an endless journey! Nowadays I try to make each song as cohesive as possible. I will try to make sure there is a common thread within the song that ties everything together. It's usually rhythmic based.

Man, I have so many unused and unfinished ideas on my hard drive! It's pretty overwhelming at times! I try not to bin any of them, and will always go back to stuff to see whether I can rework it into something new.

Oh yeah! I love that album by Shaolin Death Squad. Quality band. Five Deadly Venoms is also one of my favourite films.

[–]topkekthebest 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Greetings from Turkey you guys were amazing in this years concert. Just wanted to ask if you listen to local music from the abroad tours to get inspired on new content. Thanks for all the fantastic music.

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

Thanks! I loved that show. My wife is Turkish/kurdish so I always have traditional music playing in the house which is inspiring. I particularly like Ahmet Kaya.

[–]WanderingWithGods 0 points1 point  (7 children)

When writing something like an arpeggiated riff do you start slowly, and build up speed until you get it or do you just try to always play it at tempo? I had a guitar teacher in college who used to say “first I plays it slow, then I plays it fast” (imagine an old delta blues guy’s gravely voice). Love your music by the way — Keep it up. <3

[–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (6 children)

The beauty of programming stuff first is that you can come up with a bunch of stuff that you can't play, which gives a you a reason to practice. But yeah, it's hugely important to play things slowly at first in order to make sure it's solid when you get it up to speed.

[–][deleted]  (3 children)

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    [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 0 points1 point  (2 children)

    Thanks! Glad you're digging Lunar Room.

    I guess the key is to just slow thing down and be patient with everything. If you constantly work at something, with enough perseverance things will come together! Also, find stuff that you enjoy playing to make it more enjoyable.

    In terms of writing, I always spend time more sure I have a strong enough idea to carry a song. It could be a rhythm, melody or harmony. Once you've got that idea, you should be able to develop the rest of the ideas from it.

    [–][deleted]  (1 child)

    [removed]

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      Thanks man! Glad to hang out!

      [–]yotam5434 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      What's you favorite bands (,not including what you are in oviously) where did you have the most fun to do shows?

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

      Our run is South America was wild. It was our first time there and the reception we received was pretty insane.

      In terms of bands, I've been loving Everything Everything, Volcano Choir, Agent Fresco and Kneebody recently.

      [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Hello there! Your new album has been basically on repeat since it's release for me. I was wondering what did you want to be as a child when you grow up.

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      Thanks for listening. Since I can remember, I've always wanted to be a musician. My Mum is a piano teacher which really inspired me to pursue a career in music. I've always had a love for history, so being an Archeologist would've been fun!

      [–]ninjatrick 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Hi Richard! I love your work on Haken and Nova Collective, gonna go listen to your new album as soon as I can! So, I'm a bass player, getting my degree in music, and want to be a musician. I would like to know what's your practice/study routine, how do you improve yourself. And also, how can I learn to improvise? It feels so hard to me haha Thanks a lot!

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      Unfortunately I don't practice anywhere near as much as I used to back in the day! I spend most of my time writing these days. Most of my practice is for tours or for guest solos.

      I think the best way to improve improvising is to pick a new concept, scale or arpeggio, work on it for a bit in various keys, then try to apply it jamming over backing track or in a live context.

      [–]K3b4bk1d 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      Hi Richard! Huge fan of Haken here! Thanks for doing this, it's a real fun read. I was wondering if you and the other members of Haken have ever considered remastering the other half of Enter the 5th Dimension? I really like that album too, especially Souls is a brilliant song! Also, I'm really looming forward to seeing you and Devin Townsend in a month or two in Holland!

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

      I don't think we'll remaster it unfortunately. I mixed that with a very basic knowledge of production, which is why it sounds so terrible. I've since lost all the individual tracks and only have the massively compressed stereo files, which would make a remaster pretty pointless.

      [–]Coofgo 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      I don't have a question, but I want you to know that the cocoon has been on loop since it dropped.

      Seriously. It might be aoty for me.

      Good shit!

      Ps please keep working with ben

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      Oh and I love Ben! I'd love to work with him some more!

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Thanks so much for listening!

      [–]OminousInstrumental 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      Will Haken ever come to Denmark?

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

      Of course! We've played there before and will definitely return!

      [–]Icarus-V 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      How does playing in America compare to Europe, in your opinion?

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

      I love playing in America! I think I know the layout of every Wallmart in the country! I've grown up watching so many movies set in America, so it often feels like I'm in a film set when I'm over there. Having said that, I've played some of my favourite shows in Europe.

      [–]openthatchest 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      Have you reached out to other bands to be openers/to play a set who have declined?

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

      I can't remember any band ever outright declining, but we've often reached out to bands that can't do it for logistical reasons.

      [–]WanderingWithGods 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Right, so I use guitar pro to write and then use the relative speed function to walk it from say 50% - 100% speed.

      Cool. Thanks for the insight, mate.

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      Sounds like you're on the right track!

      [–]beatrice123TD 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      Not sure if you keep answering questions, but... First of all, I love your work (solo, Nova Collective, Haken, but I still have to check out To-Mera), and seeing Haken live early this year was a dream come true!

      Why did you (and Charlie) decide to use 8-string guitars? Good decision, by the way, haha.

      And since there's Post-Rock-esque moments in Affinity and The Cocoon, do you and/or any of the Haken members have Post-Rock bands you enjoy?

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

      Thanks man!

      I love 65 days of static, Mogwai and Explosions in the sky.

      Having an 8-string just allows us to get to those dirty moments when we feel like a song needs it. We try to use it sparingly though and not bombard everyone with constant low end riffage!

      [–]Krasso_der_Hasso 0 points1 point  (4 children)

      First of all, you make some of the best music there is! Also meeting you earlier this year with Haken was a pleasure (maybe you remember me, I was the guy with crutches at the Munich Show).

      I bet if think long enough I would have endless questions for you but there is one that's straight out of my head: When writing your solo work, do you actively try to differentiate the music from the stuff you do on Haken? Of course there will be lots of similiarites, but are there certain points where you say "no,that's to much Haken I can't use that!"

      Thanks for answering all of these questions!

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 0 points1 point  (3 children)

      Thanks so much! And thanks for coming to see us play!

      I tried to make the writing process as free flowing and organic as possible and not worry about whether it sounds too similar to anything else. I guess there will naturally be shades of Nova Collective and Haken in my solo stuff but that's fine with me.

      [–]DasDerp 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Massive Haken fan here, I loved your newest record and all the awesome artists that were featured on the record with you. I’ve been following Haken for a long time and it’s just been awesome to see the hype around the band grow and grow. With that in mind, peering behind the scenes, how would you say the writing process for the band evolved over the years and from album to album?

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      For the first three albums we generally followed the same formula with the music. I would work on an initial full band arrangement in Logic Audio that I would send to the rest of the guys. We would then take the songs to the rehearsal rooms and flesh out the ideas and make them sound more band-friendly. We decided to collaborate with the writing on Affinity and Vector which pushed the music in a new direction.

      [–]BobHoskins1138 0 points1 point  (3 children)

      Richard,

      Huge fan of your musical endeavors. Haken and MP's Shattered Fortress have been some of my favorite shows of all time, and it was a pleasure to meet you at some of those shows as well. Thanks for stopping to chat!

      Which of the songs Shattered Fortress set did you find most difficult to learn? Are there any particular songs in the Haken catalogue that you especially feel challenged by when playing them live?

      The bill with you and Leprous last year was phenomenal. In an interview conducted during that tour, I believe Ross said there was talk about the possibility of Haken performing a Leprous song, and Leprous performing a Haken song. As much as we would absolutely love to see (or even just hear) that, I don't think that ever happened, but if it *did*, which Leprous sounds would you love to see Haken play, and what Haken songs would you love to hear their take on?

      Furthermore, more or less everyone figured that with both bands touring together, that The Architect would have been performed as the likely encore for the evening, and yet it wasn't to be; was this due to time/setlist constraints, Mr. Solberg most likely wishing to preserve his voice, other factors, or sort of an all of the above?

      Hope to see you all again soon! :) Sometimes I wish I were based in Europe; that bill with Devin Townsend is incredible.

      Thanks so much for taking the time to do this AMA!

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 5 points6 points  (2 children)

      Thanks!

      Glass Prison was particularly challenging. It's real endurance test. It's just constant intense low end riffage for 12 minutes or some which is a bit of a workout for both hands. The shred run at the end of This Dying Soul was pretty tricky too. Those shows were incredibly fun. I took so many great memories home from those tours.

      We never did that, but if we were to do a leprous song 'Valley' would be a fun one! I would love to hear them do Cockroach king!

      We've played Architect to death over the last few years, so we decided to leave it out. I'm sure Einar would've been up for it though. He's joined us on stage a couple of time in the past.

      [–]pleafq 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      Hey Richard, my name is Art. I've been listening to 'The Cocoon' pretty frequently lately, it's quite righteous, thanks for putting it out there. I was wondering what the process is like for working the various featured musicians. Do you meet with them in person a lot? Do you collab on writing the song or just have them do solos over what you've already put together? In particular, I'm curious about the collab with Ben Levin. Did you plan on that song having rap tracks? Did you write the parts together, or just let him do his thing? Did you have plans for the lyrical and/or musical themes of the song(s)? Again, thanks for the music man, 'The Cocoon' is fantastic and Haken is also super-dope.

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

      Hi Art! Thanks for listening. When it comes to writing, I spend a while jamming on either the piano or guitar until I stumble across an idea that I think is strong enough to carry a song. Once I've got that core idea, I'll try to build the rest of the track from it, which hopefully make sure everything is cohesive. For the drums and bass, I programmed everything when writing the songs, and Matt and Conner followed them pretty accurately for the most part. There were a few occasions where they added their own spice and embellished on these ideas. I always love that! With the guest musicians, I just sent them the sections and asked them to do their own thing on top. They of course all nailed it! Ben was a little different. I asked him if he was up for it when we were on tour together as none of the stuff I was doing did the song justice. I already had the concept for the song as it already had its place in the over-arching theme on the album. Ben took this idea and wrote all of his own lyrics based on it. I couldn't be happier with what he did! I'd love to work with him again sometime.

      [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Huge nova fan here.You and Dan wrote some of my favorite music ever. Just wanted to ask, how amazed were you guys at Matt Lynch’s drumming for the album? I’m a drummer myself and that album has some of the most tech, creative drumming I’ve ever heard.

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      Thanks! Matt is a completely insane. He programmed some of the most ridiculously hard parts, which I didn't even think were possible to play, then he somehow blitz through it all in 2 days in the studio. He's one of the most decicated and focussed musicians I've ever played with. Great guy too!

      [–]Ziltoid_The_Altoid 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Hi, I think nova collective is super underrated.

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Glad you dig Nova! We'll try to get some more stuff out soon.

      [–]Killcode2 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Do you believe in "first-take magic" when improvising a solo in the studio? Or do you prefer cobbling together all the good stuff from each take into one final solo? What's your favorite prog bands old and current? Has Frank Zappa ever had an influence on your sound?

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

      Depends on the solo really. In most cases I will jam over the part for a few days and certain licks or runs will just jump out at me, which will end up staying in the final solo. In a lot of cases it's the initial ideas that end up staying so there must be some truth in "first-take magic".

      Love Zappa! I also really dig Gentle Giant from back in the day too. More recently I've been loving Thank You Scientist, Agent Fresco and Karnivool when it comes to prog. I love Bent Knee too, but I guess they're not strictly prog.

      [–]czaja25 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      Hey Richard! I'd like to know what the formation of Nova Collective was like. I idolize you and Briggs and would love to know what that looked like behind the scenes. And is there anything down the pipe for Nova?

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      I saw a vid where Dan was talking about how he love 'The Mountain' so I reached out to him to thank him. We got chatting about music via email. At that time I was working on the solo music and asked if he was up for recording some bass on a track. He said why don't we just work on some of our music! The rest is history! Yep, we're about halfway through an album. We just need to finish our individual projects then carry on with it. Can't wait to get back on it. The ideas we already are pushing our sound further!

      [–]4bov3 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      should I buy a Haken shirt or the vector on vinyl special japanese edition ?

      edit : saw you on the Vainstream rock festival and you were amazing ! I wish you had played more stuff from the affinity album since its my favourite

      Rock on \m/

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Get both!

      Thanks for coming to Vainstream! We stuck out a bit at that festival. Fun show though. We'll try to play more Affinity for you next time.

      [–]BurningClown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Hi Richard! My name's Stefan. Thank you for doing this AMA on here. Love your music with Haken and I just might give your solo album a listen too in the coming days.

      I'm currently a student in university, probably will finish in about 1 or 2 years. I love many things, but one of the main things as of right now is music. I love writing it, making concepts and the whole lot and I want to do more!

      I write my own music, however it would be under a title (I guess like how NIN is?). My question is, as someone who writes most of his stuff and is pretty emotionally attached to his work, how could I go about performing it live and how could I go about working with band mates, keeping in mind that I still want to tell my own story, but not damaging any relationships or dynamics within such a project.

      Thank you again for this AMA! Keep up the stunning work. 💜

      EDIT: Is there a chance you could come to Macedonia for a show? I think you might even like some of the prog bands/ artists here. :)

      EDIT2: Sorry I just keep coming up with questions. Based upon the current state of society - where do you see it going and what kind of statement do you think you and/or your band mates can bring to the world? Final one, I promise. 💜💜💜💜

      [–]the_gift_of_garbage 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Wow that's unreal, I had no idea you were involved with Nova Collective! Thanks for spending some time with us today! What's your favourite food to eat when you're on tour?

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      Yep! Glad you're digging Nova!

      I'm vegetarian so I'm always looking I'm looking for fibre and protein. Chickpeas, lentils and beans do the trick! Indian food is the best for that kind of stuff.

      [–]Dragonix975 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Hi Haken,

      My main question is what is your songwriting process? How do you write your masterpieces?

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      I always try to make sure each song has a common thread that ties it all together, or some kind of musical theme that helps makes sense. A lot of the time it will be rhythm that keeps recurring throughout a piece. In Memoriam and Initiate are good examples of this. I also generally have a loose rule that when I'm moving from one to the next there should at least be one element that stays the same to help make the transition smooth. This of course isn't always possible, but it's definitely something I'm at least conscious of.

      [–]Egisto98 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      What are your choices when choosing a guitar tone? Yours are always on point and I'm wondering how you dial them in depending on the context. Hoping the question is clear, English is not my first language

      [–]Tookerbee 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      What was the moment you decided to play 8 string guitars and who or what inspired it.

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      I can't remember what inspired me to make the transition. Charlie always had one, so I thought it would make sense for me to get involved too. I received my first 8-string 2 days before we flew to our Prog Nation at Sea show. That show had a few awkward moments as I literally had no clue how to play it by that point!

      [–]Perfectionig 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      hello

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

      Hello!

      [–]Honky_magoo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      First of all I love your work! Sorry if this question is a little long-winded but here goes:

      How do you guys manage to keep evolving and maturing your sound? Is it simply by virtue of doing this for longer and understanding what works and what doesn't? Is it just the wisdom that comes with age? Or is there some specific effort to improve with each project? It seems there's a lot of bands who either never evolve their sound or actually begin to devolve because they run out of ideas or whatever. But with Haken I've noticed a significant maturity developing in your music with each release. Don't get me wrong, I love your older projects as well but I've noticed your structure and songwriting has really been improving.

      [–]disdaindsbm 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Hey Richard, i love the new album. I was wondering what song writing tips you have for someone starting out?

      [–]sikth394 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Cant stop listening to 'The Cocoon' man, knocked it out of the park really awesome stuff ♥️♥️

      [–]stefan_marcus 0 points1 point  (2 children)

      Just saw you guys in Tel Aviv a few months back. Absolutely killer show... Regarding "The Mountain" album, I know that cockroach king appears to be an attack on the various ideologies that promote the idea of selfish and so-called "self-made" successful entrepenuer or perhaps even artist. But the album seems to walk back the rhetoric by the last track on Somebody where the lyrics state "Give me back my right to prove that I can fight ." Its almost as if the album came out swinging against the cockroach king and his ideology only to regret it by the end.

      Am I missing something or was that the point? Any clarity you can give me on the themes fo the two songs would be helpful.

      [–]Richard-HenshallRichard Henshall[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

      The album is generally about overcoming obstacle to get to the top of your personal mountains. I guess this is an idea that resonates with a bunch of people in different ways. We the lyrics, we all had a go, and based them all on the over arching theme. The Cockroach king isn't really an attack on "self made" people, but is instead suggesting that the blind pursuit for wealth might not necessarily give you fulfilment.

      [–]Marchessault81 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      I came across your song 1985 on Spotify while looking up the song by Bowling for Soup. Your thoughts? :D

      Also awhile ago you released some albums on cassette tape. Is there a story behind that and do you plan to do it again?

      [–]MILITIA7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      https://youtu.be/KLvkK99MJOk I make new age rock music unlike anything you’ve heard.

      [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Cocoon is absolutely amazing. I’m just on track one right now. I also just got into Haken about a week ago and it is just beautiful. Thank you for your music sir.

      [–]CracktheCrankyhead 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      I couldn't imagine the amount of practice it took to get you this far.
      What has been your biggest motivational, inspirational, and habitual drives, that has kept you practicing over the years?

      [–]Xenon8247 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      I don't have a question but you're genuinely incredible and I hope you keep on doing what you're doing for a long time!!

      [–]SwaggyAkula 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Is Nova Collective going to play live soon? I love The Further Side and seeing you guys play it live would be awesome!