Uploaded October 2018 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Renowned prog musician Roine Stolt (Transatlantic, The Sea Within, The Tangent, Agents of Mercy) discusses his new album 'Manifesto of an alchemist', with Andy Rawll for Record Collector Magazine.
Released under the singular imprimatur 'The Flower King' (23/11 via InsideOut) this may be a Stolt solo album, but the signature psyche-tinged prog of the collective Kings is never far away. Lushly orchestrated prog with lashings of feral guitar and peppered with Beatlesque harmonies, this may be one of the Swedish prog weasel's most cunning and satisfying releases. From the soothing ambience of 'Rainsong' and the 12 minute epic landscape of 'High road' to the jazzy hocus pocus of 'The Alchemist', ukelele-driven prog lullaby of 'Baby angels' and scathing diatribe of 'The spell of money', this is a rich and scintillating suite of songs with broad appeal.
Better still, the court of the floral king returns to Europe in December as special guest to Spock's Beard, culminating in two UK dates (Islington Assembly on 9/12 and Manchester Academy Club on 10/12) promising a set of FK favourites, in addition to songs from this most regal new album.
The track 'Lost America' provides a taste of the alchemy being conjured here: youtube.com/watch?v=y919myxnMAc
#TheFlowerKings #RoineStolt #ManifestoOfAnAlchemist #TheFlowerKing
@TheFlowerKings @InsideOutMusic @RecCollMag
www.flowerkings.se recordcollectormag.com insideoutmusic.com
INTERVIEW TIMELINE:
00:00 – Intro
00:30 – From Flower Kings to Flower King – back to the beginning or a new start ?
03:00 – Is there different approach to the music as the sole writer and singer on the album ?
04:30 – Has lyrical approach changed (e.g. the new track ‘Ze pawns’) ?
07:18 – Wasn’t this a relatively quick album to record and release ?
09:05 – Do you consider this more of a solo album ?
10:02 – Does this album resurrect any archived ideas or demos ?
11:56 – Is there a key track on the new album that you’d recommend ?
13:45 – Guitar sounds and the debut of the ukulele on the track ‘Baby angels’
16:00 – The track ‘The spell of money’ and finding the right balance between creativity and commercialism
17:51 – The guest musicians and collaborators, including Marco Minnemann and Jonas Reingold
19:14 – The Steve Hackett connection – his singer (since 2013) Nad Sylvan was recommended by Roine
22:04 – Jonas Hellborg finally gets the Hackett gig
23:25 – Current tour coming to Europe in December with Spock’s Beard
25:50 – Other musical inspirations, including Peter Gabriel
28:03 - Conclusion
Renowned prog musician Roine Stolt (Transatlantic, The Sea Within, The Tangent, Agents of Mercy) discusses his new album 'Manifesto of an alchemist', with Andy Rawll for Record Collector Magazine.
Released under the singular imprimatur 'The Flower King' (23/11 via InsideOut) this may be a Stolt solo album, but the signature psyche-tinged prog of the collective Kings is never far away. Lushly orchestrated prog with lashings of feral guitar and peppered with Beatlesque harmonies, this may be one of the Swedish prog weasel's most cunning and satisfying releases. From the soothing ambience of 'Rainsong' and the 12 minute epic landscape of 'High road' to the jazzy hocus pocus of 'The Alchemist', ukelele-driven prog lullaby of 'Baby angels' and scathing diatribe of 'The spell of money', this is a rich and scintillating suite of songs with broad appeal.
Better still, the court of the floral king returns to Europe in December as special guest to Spock's Beard, culminating in two UK dates (Islington Assembly on 9/12 and Manchester Academy Club on 10/12) promising a set of FK favourites, in addition to songs from this most regal new album.
The track 'Lost America' provides a taste of the alchemy being conjured here: youtube.com/watch?v=y919myxnMAc
#TheFlowerKings #RoineStolt #ManifestoOfAnAlchemist #TheFlowerKing
@TheFlowerKings @InsideOutMusic @RecCollMag
www.flowerkings.se recordcollectormag.com insideoutmusic.com
INTERVIEW TIMELINE:
00:00 – Intro
00:30 – From Flower Kings to Flower King – back to the beginning or a new start ?
03:00 – Is there different approach to the music as the sole writer and singer on the album ?
04:30 – Has lyrical approach changed (e.g. the new track ‘Ze pawns’) ?
07:18 – Wasn’t this a relatively quick album to record and release ?
09:05 – Do you consider this more of a solo album ?
10:02 – Does this album resurrect any archived ideas or demos ?
11:56 – Is there a key track on the new album that you’d recommend ?
13:45 – Guitar sounds and the debut of the ukulele on the track ‘Baby angels’
16:00 – The track ‘The spell of money’ and finding the right balance between creativity and commercialism
17:51 – The guest musicians and collaborators, including Marco Minnemann and Jonas Reingold
19:14 – The Steve Hackett connection – his singer (since 2013) Nad Sylvan was recommended by Roine
22:04 – Jonas Hellborg finally gets the Hackett gig
23:25 – Current tour coming to Europe in December with Spock’s Beard
25:50 – Other musical inspirations, including Peter Gabriel
28:03 - Conclusion
