Xinema is another interesting addition to the growing number of Prog bands coming across the sea from Sweden. Xinema is a three piece prog/melodic rock band, and has existed in it's present form since March -99. Their music can be described as melodic emotional, well played and with a profound intention of making each song a working entity.
I got in touch with the band and Jonas answered my questions.
##################################################
When, where and by whom was Xinema
started ? Did any of you, past and present Xinema members, play in
any other bands before joining up in Xinema ? Why did you choose that
name ?
Xinema was formed back in 1999. Originally, way back in
the mid 80:s, the members involved played together in a Swedish prog
band called Madrigal. At that time the music was quite inspired by
the likes of Rush, Genesis, Yes, Kansas and Styx and was leaning
heavily towards complexity and skillful playing. All of us have also
played in other constallations/bands
and participated in studio
sessions...and are still doing so.
We thought for a while that we
could use the name Madrigal but after checking the web we realized we
needed something else. Cinema but spelled with an X was good enough
and noone else had come up with that yet, so we thought -"lets
go for Xinema"
How was the music scene in your area when
you started ?
Crowded with coverbands... and still is. As
Mikael said in a previous interview... most people would tend to
choose simplicity over complexity... but since everything changes we
see today that itīs easier for bands writing their own songs to get
gigs than it was ten years ago.
Let's go straight to the
first album. Please tell us more about Different Ways from
2002
Mainly based on old Madrigal songs, rewritten, rearranged
and replayed.
Back in the early days it was fun to show people we
could play. The songs had a lot of weird parts and odd time
signatures and we had great fun playing them. When we started Xinema
we basically wanted to make music that we also liked to listen to ; )
Thatīs why some people, especially devoted prog fans think the album
lacks some "progressive elements" and are considered pop
prog. Fine with us... weīre proud of the album and I can still play
and enjoy it. That means we accomplished our own goal and thatīs the
most important.
Please tell us more about your second and
most recent album Basic Communication from 2006
It was a tough
album to make since in that case we had nothing prewritten.
We
also learned a lot by recording/producing the first album. Itīs
slightly more rough, contains a few more complex structures and
sounds very different, at least to us ; ). Still with the same
goal... to make an album we like to listen to. To us itīs actually
much harder to make such an album than one with music that is only
fun to play. If we had saved all music we wrote for Basic
Communication we could have released a triple album with very strange
tunes.
What have you been up to during the last four years
?
Well, the members of Xinema donīt live in the same area. We
have our different lives incl normal jobs, families, kids, etc. Of
course weīve been writing and recording music for the coming album.
Hopefully soon to be finished.
Sven has several different projects
going on incl his own solo albums on a German independent label.
Since Xinema isnīt about touring Iīve been out playing with a
coverband for a couple of years. I also work with graphics and cd
covers which is another way to be creative when Iīm not working with
music. Mikael is a very private guy and stays at home writing music.
Just to give those of us who are unknown with your music a
bit of a reference point or two: How would you describe your music
?
Haha... please listen to the albums ; ) Just kidding... but
still, itīs not really up to us to put a label on our music. We are
inspired by everything from 70-80:s prog and hardrock through
soundtracks and classical pieces to plain pop. Is it rock? yes. Is it
progressive? sometimes I guess it is. Is it well played and arranged?
I would tend to say yes. I guess a lot of bands fit that description
so what defines Xinema? I guess itīs the unique input and life
experience from its members that really defines Xinema...and every
other independent band. In the end itīs just up to the listener to
decide what a band is about.
Are you a live band or only a
studio band at the moment ?
I know most bands gain a wider
audience if the play live but... nope, Xinema will for some reasons
remain a studio project.
What is your plans for the rest of
this year and beyond ?
For Xinema I donīt really know.
Hopefully Mikael will finish the vocal parts so we can release the
album later this year. After that Xinema will probably take a well
deserved break (as we also did after the two first ablums). Beyond is
beyond and the future lies open...:D
To wrap up this
interview, is there anything you want to add to this interview
?
Just that itīs been nice talking to you.
Best to you and
all people at ProgArchives reading this!
/Jonas (Xinema)
Thank you to Jonas for this interview
Their PA profile is here and their homepage's here
/PAlogo_v2.gif "Progarchives.com Homepage")
Xinema
Topic Options
