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eclipsed: Just now the soundcheck with RPWL, now the interview for Blind Ego, afterwards the RPWL concert. How do you switch back and forth?

Kalle Wallner: I'm actually used to having all the different construction sites at the same time now. At the latest, since our label Gentle Art Of Music exists, there is always a lot to do. You get used to it, too. RPWL and Blind Ego side by side is actually easy, because I'm heavily involved in both. So that's a pretty good fit.

eclipsed: Seven years have passed since the last blind ego album "Numb". When did you start working on the new album "Liquid"?

Something tribal drum, a few plucked instruments, in addition this clear female voice, traditional singing, somewhere in the North African area to locate, perhaps also some Arabic harmonies. And then, after 52 seconds, the electric bass comes along, playing a driving urban dance groove. What a contrast! But at the same moment: what a symbiosis! "Salam Nubia", the opener of "Manara", the second album of Alsarah And The Nubatones, is a prime example of the music of the New York quintet. "Salam Nubia", one may translate that with "Peace for Nubia" or also "Greetings to Nubia". This formula does not come by chance, since the composer, lyricist and singer Alsarah comes from Sudan, which partly belonged to the historical Nubia, the kingdom of Kush.

Where is the beginning of German rock music? When can you really talk about Deutschrock? In the 60s, German beat bands like the Rattles or the Lords still sang in the language of their Anglo-American idols as if they were a matter of course. This is how Wolfgang Niedecken (65) tells eclipsed: "Rock music in my generation has only become interesting in the first place because of the big English bands. If you wanted to do it yourself, you would be strongly connected to the English language. That was hard to separate."

Five musicians sitting on a worn leather set. They know more about each other than they care to. They've experienced things together that ordinary people wouldn't even dream of, and they've enjoyed the highest feelings of happiness and looked into the deepest abysses. They have played in front of hundreds of thousands of cheering fans, by others they have been mercilessly booed. They have spent the nights in gloomy juke-joints in front of a handful of boozers and have stolen their food together in shopping malls.

The five men have their own code. A glance, a short raising of the voice, a wink or a small gesture with the hand are enough to communicate wordlessly. They're not just some band, they're a bond, a family, a unit. Maybe that explains why no rock group ever sounded like this one. The Band were a powerful orchestra, so much larger than the sum of its only five instruments.

The makers of "The RCA & Arista Album Collection" have shown an exemplary approach to the re-release of the Lou Reeds work: So the CDs offer a clearly improved sound as well as sound elements, which one did not hear on early vinyl and CD Pressungen. For example in groundbreaking works such as "Transformer", "Berlin", "Metal Machine Music" or "Street Hassle", with which Lewis Allan Reed earned himself a reputation as an unconventional thinker and total denier, and in some cases created sound art so far ahead of its time that nobody understood it at first.

Eighteen studio albums, numerous live recordings, compilations and box sets - 67-year-old US superstar Bruce Springsteen looks back on an extensive oeuvre and an eventful career. How does such a man tick, who grew up in New Jersey in simple circumstances? In "Born To Run" (review on the book page of this issue) Springsteen gives sincere and profound insights. The press conference scheduled by Heyne Verlag must not be communicated in advance, and the venue, a hotel near the exhibition grounds, is also secret and will not be announced until shortly before the meeting on the afternoon of 20 October. After a short reception with snacks and drinks, the exact procedure is explained in the hall. The press conference, moderated by radio journalist Thomas Steinberg (WDR), will last less than an hour. Questions from the assembled media crowd are only allowed at the very end.

Floating synthesizer sounds, a Moog purrs and squeaks, and slowly a melody emerges. After about eight minutes, a bass begins and interrupts the atmosphere slightly stepping away. Meanwhile, the synthi fires nervously in the background like rockets. And above all hovers a soothing, constantly repeating melody. An ethereal melodic intermezzo finally leads to what is today one of the most popular electronic pieces of all time: "Oxygène 4". This simple melody in combination with bubbling synths could even be played in a disco - that was new. The first modern electronic album was born, recorded in 1976 by Jarre soloing on eight tracks with instruments like Arp Synthesizer, Mellotron, Farfisaorgel and AKS Synthesizer. This music has no message, but it invites you to daydream.

The name "The Neal Morse Band" implies it: With drummer Mike Portnoy, bassist Randy George, keyboarder Bill Hubauer and guitarist Eric Gillette the namesake has meanwhile established a fixed line-up and allows other influences. We talked to Neal Morse and his eternal companion Mike Portnoy.

eclipsed: Neal, let's first look back at your performance with Spockʼs Beard at this year's "Night Of The Prog" festival. How did you experience the gig?

Neal Morse: It was just terrific. There is always a very special atmosphere up there on the Loreley. I've been invited there a few times, but I don't think I've ever had so much fun this time. If I had to compare the two Beard gigs [Loreley and Morsefest; note], then I enjoyed the one on the Loreley more, because they weren't all so tense there. At the Morsefest the cameras were also running, so we couldn't afford any mistakes.