DAYS BETWEEN STATIONS

Days Between Stations is the creative partnership between guitarist Sepand Samzadeh and keyboardist Oscar Fuentes. The duo came together in Los Angeles in November 2003, and named the band after the 1985 novel by Steve Erickson. The band’s sound – Samzadeh calls it “art-rock,” Fuentes labels it “post-prog” – reflects their varied influences, as well as a shared disregard for stylistic boundaries... more

BILLY SHERWOOD

We are much honored this month to have Billy Sherwood (CIRCA:, former YES) as our interview guest. He just released his new CD titled "At The Speed Of Life". Currently, beside his solo projects he is one of the members of the band CIRCA:, formed by ex-YES members Tony Kaye and Alan White, along with Jimmy Haun. They released their first solo album in 2007, followed in 2008 by a live DVD. They are currently in the studio working on their second solo CD...more

Kate BUSH / Never For Ever

1980‘s “Never For Ever” is Kate’s 3rd album. The album was co-produced by Jon Kelly & Kate herself. One of the most interesting things about this album is that it is the first record by a British female artist to top the UK album charts. (Wikipedia). Kate’s progressive approach to music reaches its peak with Never For Ever. She tastefully blends different genres including folk, oriental, rock, classical and jazz. Unlike her first two albums which she wrote on piano, this one was written on synths... more

Interview with Kat EPPLE (Emerald Web) by Hande BURDG

KAT EPPLE, flautist and composer, is our interview guest this month. She has won 8 Emmy awards, was nominated for a Grammy and she has released 18 albums internationally. Most of you know her as the other half of the legendary ambient/new age duo EMERALD WEB. She has a very large collection (over 200) of flutes that she gathered from all around the world during her travels. Kat composes original New Age/Jazz/World/orchestral music and has produced film scores and television soundtracks for National Geographic, Nova, CNN, Carl Sagan, Another World, The Travel Channel, Turner Broadcasting System, History Channel, HGN, The Guiding Light, PBS, and NASA among others, and was Music Director for the feature-length film, Captiva Island. She also owns a record company and works on both sides of the music industry as a musician and as a business woman.

TPF: In the progressive music scene, compared to other genres, female performers do not have a strong presence. Some people think it is because progressive music requires active listening and that women are not very good at that. I even read some discussion boards about this a while ago, and sadly saw that some women think that since they are usually "busy with kids and work around the house", they really don't have enough time as men do for active listening. As a woman it frustrates me to hear such comments from other women who think we all want to hear the macho man sing "baby I will make you mine tonight" kind of songs. What are your thoughts on this?

KE: Women and men are "wired" differently, but I don't think women are less capable of active listening. Most people never really listen to music.

TPF: This is sort of connected to the first question. Ambient music mostly relates to the "spiritual" side of life. There are more female composers and instrumentalists in this domain then there are in rock or classical or jazz. What do you think the reason is behind this?

KE: Ambient music can be more personal, and is often composed by one or sometimes two people, while Rock and Jazz ensembles tend to be larger. Anyone who has been a part of a band knows that there are a lot of egos flowing when a rock or jazz band is composing and rehearsing together. It is just the nature of strong musicians with their own ideas to want to vehemently express those ideas. Sometimes in the past, I found it uncomfortable to create music in this atmosphere of confrontational comradery. It is not a problem once you learn to stand up for your musical ideas, and not to take criticism as a personal affront. That may be more difficult for a female at first.

TPF: You have traveled around the world and collected hundreds of flutes. Drums and flutes were probably the first instruments that man invented. Among the flutes you collected are there any that made you say: "wow, how did they come up with this?" This could be sound-wise or material-wise...

KE: I am often amazed by flutes I find. One of the most exciting instruments I ever played was a Pre-Columbian flute. The owner of the artifact had a collection of many recently excavated ancient sculptures from South America. He did not realize that one of them was a flute. When I insisted that it was, he took it out of the museum case, and said "show me". I put my breath through the ancient ceramic figure and a beautiful note from a distant past rang out. I was excited to be the first musician to play this flute in hundreds of years. It was like awakening a sleeping songbird. Some of the Native American flutes are made from beautiful wood, such as cedar, mesquite, and applewood. Each flute has a different timbre based on what material it is made from, and depending upon the design.

TPF: When you are in a country that you have never been before and you don't speak the language, how do you know where the right place is to find a flute? It seems like you have radars :)

KE: I keep my ears open, and find the musicians. Often, the flute players are also flute makers and they have flutes for sale. If you buy a flute, you can usually get some free lessons with it. Flute makers are always pleased when they realize that you are serious about playing their flute, not just buying a nice souvenir to hang on the wall. In fact, flute makers often make two kinds of flutes: one that they make for tourists, and flutes that they make to actually play music. Many times I have been in a country and a culture where I obviously don't fit in, and I don't speak the language. I often find that once the people understand that I am a musician, I am accepted into their circle and invited into their homes.

TPF: You compose music for National Geographic, PBS Nova, Guiding Light, Another World, NASA and many more. While you were with Emerald Web you guys composed music for Carl Sagan. How did this all come to happen?

KE: We started out composing for industrial films, commercials, etc, while also releasing electronic music albums. Carl Sagan and his television producer heard some of our album music, and thought it would work for their productions. Because we already had some knowledge of how to score to picture, he gave us a shot. After that, he used us for all of his productions. Scoring music for film or television is a very different skill set from writing a song. Plus, composing custom music to match the director's ideas of what the music should sound like, sometime starts out as a guessing game with many pieces of music being discarded until you hit the feel he/she is looking for. For years I composed music for soap operas. That was fun! The Soaps incorporate almost every emotion and mood, so it is an opportunity to branch out and create musical styles that you might otherwise never have tried. One of my musical "specialties" was the "maniac lurking in the bushes" genre. I also create a lot of "dream sequence" music. It was a great learning experience. More recently, I have been creating music for an action adventure film, a nature documentary, and a film about the Pope for PBS. It is all created on digital samplers with a few flutes peppered in.

TPF: The sound of Emerald Web, as written in the progressive music literature is considered to be the beginning of New Age/Space music era in the United States. Who were your influences, both yours and Bob's? You truly had a unique sound... How did you come to the decision of "OK, this is how we will do it!"?

KE: Influences: Brian Eno, Larry Fast, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Walter and Wendy Carlos, Subotnick, Edgard Varcse, Louis and Bebe Barron(Forbidden Planet Score). These were some of the pioneers in electronic music. King Crimson was a big influence too. Bob Stohl and I both were very interested in synthesizers, the Lyricon, and musique concrete. I started on a Buchla, then moved to an Arp 2600. We also used acoustic instruments in our music, especially flutes, but also guitars, percussion, oboe, and cello. We never made a decision to make this kind of music. It was what came naturally to us, and just evolved over time.

TPF: When you started your solo career your music became more acoustic. In one of your previous interviews you say that after Bob passed away you found healing in music. Do you think it was an inevitable direction for your current sound as it is much more spiritual now?

KE: I use the same amount of tracks of digital keyboards in my compositions, but samples have improved so much that they can sound very acoustic. My most recent album releases include very simple production, and reflect my live performance sound. I enjoyed getting away from lots of production, and concentrating more on composition. My more electronic sounding recent music has not been released on an album yet. My music continues to grow more connected to my spirituality. It not only reflects my spiritual journey, it is also a big part of the process.

TPF: You have a record company and you are on both sides of the "music". How does Kat Epple keep the balance between the spiritual side of music and the not at all spiritual (business) side of it? Don't you sometimes hate the music industry?

KE: > I spend a lot more of my time on music business than I do on playing or composing music. I enjoy doing both. I don't hate the music industry, but I also don't rely on it.

TPF: Are there any projects in the works like maybe more traveling around the world or new CD's? Will there also be more Emerald Web albums on CD format?

KE: I have many hours of new music that I plan to release in the future. When I am composing for film or television, that usually takes all of my time and focus, so the albums are put on the back burner. I hope to release the old Emerald Web albums on CD, or at least make them available for digital download. They are still on analog reel to reel masters, so I need to digitally re-master them one of these days. I am planning many exciting travels in the near future. I have several new albums coming out, and recently released. One is native-inspired solo flute, with very simple production. Another one includes some of my film score music. That one will consist of a variety of moods, styles and instruments. I hope to travel over the coming year as a part of the Worldwide Peace Marker Project. Proposed destinations include Cambodia, Nepal, and Dubai.

TPF: What would you suggest to someone who wants to start playing flute? Like what brand, and what instructional books or DVD's? Or are you planning to release something like that?

KE: As far as a standard C flute (classical flute), I would suggest getting an open holed flute. There are many fine flute brands, and for the money, an overhauled used flute may be better than buying a new one. The most important thing is to get a flute, and start learning to play it. If you LOVE playing it, and can't wait to play it again, then you've got what it takes to become a flutist. If you can find a teacher who will teach you simple flute technique and how to improvise, you will be able to have fun playing it soon.

TPF: Thanks a lot Kat for taking the time to answer our questions.

KE: You are welcome!

KAT EPPLE's Official Website: KATEPPLE.COM

Watch a Video Interview of Kat's. You will see her play many different kinds of flutes including a crystal one: CLICK HERE