The sixth Blackfield album "For The Music" was created under the auspices of Aviv Geffen. In the eclipsed interview the Israeli superstar gives an insight into his soul life and never tires of talking about politics.
eclipsed: Now that Steven Wilson has further retired from Blackfield, you are solely responsible for the compositions, lyrics and production. Was that difficult for you?
Aviv Geffen: No, on the contrary. For one thing, Steven is still there. He sings on three songs and plays a little guitar. On the other hand, I had all the freedom now. Blackfield still sound like Blackfield. It's the same melodic sound. And I think the new album sounds more like the old Steven Wilson than his last solo albums. Also, Coldplay producer Rik Simpson helped me with the mixing.
eclipsed: Are you disappointed that Steven retired?
It almost seemed as if Blackfield - the duo of Israel's superstar Aviv Geffen and prog/art rock jack-of-all-trades Steven Wilson - would come to an end without much fuss. Anyway, the albums only appeared when Wilson's tight schedule allowed it. In addition, Wilson seemed to leave more and more Geffen in the lead with the last two Blackfield releases. Now Blackfield report back.
Not all musicians can put their art into words. This also applies to Aviv Geffen, who receives at the Cologne Hilton, but prefers to play with his mobile phone rather than concentrate on the conversation. He suffers from a discreet self-overestimation and sometimes has less to say than one would expect from a man of his reputation. After all, he is not only a musician, actor and TV celebrity, but also the mouthpiece of the political left in Israel, critic of the radical Orthodox like the Netanyahu government and a good friend with all kinds of rock celebrities. In the end, however, a revealing conversation was relaxed.
eclipsed: The last two Blackfield albums were rather solo albums from you, where Steven supported you only moderately because of other obligations. Now it seems to be a real cooperation again. What's the matter with you?
ROBERT PLANT
The showman must go on
62 years old, nominated for the BRIT Awards - Robert Plant doesn't give the impression that he wants to hang up the microphone so quickly. On 22 January, on the verge of his two appearances in Toronto, Canada, the legendary shouter talked about how he became the musician he is today and why a Led Zeppelin reunion would give him nothing.
JOE BONAMASSA
Blues traveller
GRATEFUL DEAD
Playing With The Band
Although they have not officially existed since 1995, new CDs of them are released with impressive persistence. Grateful Dead - with or without "The" - is a myth. But despite all the fables and legends that entwine around them, they were a real band with flesh and blood musicians. What makes the Grateful Dead exceptional, why don't you get tired of their countless live albums with always the same songs? Where are the boundaries between legend and reality of one of the most influential bands in rock history?
