The musicians from Mannheim, Leipzig, Hamburg and Berlin got to know each other during their studies at the Mannheim Pop Academy. "Soul splinters were our bachelor's project at the time," says drummer and main composer Fenix Gayed. "But we soon realised that we would like to continue with the band after graduation," adds guitarist Simon Kramer in the joint interview. "We all come from different musical backgrounds, and with the founding of the project there was a fusion of these influences. Currently Steven Wilson has inspired us with 'The Raven That Refused To Sing' and Haken's 'The Mountain'. Other notable influences include Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Dream Theater and Snarky Puppy. Earthside with their debut 'A Dream in Static' were also very important as they encouraged us to work with different guest singers for each song. The original singer wanted to go his own way after his studies, and since it is not easy to find the right vocalist, especially in the prog area, we decided to take this approach
The diversity or rather the different gestures of the individual titles is almost predestined for this approach anyway. For the album as a whole is a more than 60-minute prog-parforce ride, in which soul splinters of modern classic with a touch of minimal music, progressive rock of the seventies, symphonic elements, prog metal and above all a lot of jazz. Even in terms of lyrics, the album offers an interesting approach. "Just as we musically try to combine different styles, we also connect different worlds lyrically," explains Gayed, who earns his money as a session musician and drum teacher. "I would describe it as a mixture of sci-fi and primal myths. Salutogenesis' is first of all a medical term. It describes an approach to healing where the focus is on health - what you can do to promote and maintain it. Getting healthy is understood as a process which is also carried out in the context of the album. This is true both on the individual level of the protagonist, who has to face his inner and emotional conflicts in order to find a healthy, coherent sense of life and meaning, and on the collective level, where this healing process enables a recovery of society and the planet
