I tried to reissue this many years ago.Originally Posted by APJU
I tried to reissue this many years ago.
Knight Area, the Netherlands. Album : D-Day (2019)
Line-up
Jan Willem Ketelaers – Vocals
Gerben Klazinga – Keyboards
Pieter van Hoorn – Drums
Peter Vink – Bass guitars
Mark Bogert – Guitars
New Horizon (6:27)
https://youtu.be/roQEMEylWBI
Overlord (5:11)
https://youtu.be/R-7nO8g8yWQ
Blood On The Risers (5:07)
https://youtu.be/bGHNBWfUOYw
The Landing (4:59)
https://youtu.be/taJy81kYOBQ
Omaha Beach (5:58)
https://youtu.be/0ufhvCiU4IA
Remembrance (4:06)
https://youtu.be/91f0jOtHuRM
When I’ll Be With You (3:42)
https://youtu.be/w_BCDlAKSQA
Wings Of Time (4:33)
https://youtu.be/BFb9b1IZ1bc
March To Victory (7:44)
https://youtu.be/G-ZMyOvHJdI
Freedom For Everyone (6:49)
https://youtu.be/ZsV8-RUW5Rs
Rock band Knight Area tells the story of D-Day on its new album
‘Through music, these stories really hit home’
Be mindful of how we live now – that's the key message of the new album D-Day by symphonic rock band Knight Area (release in September 2019). Through 10 songs and a spoken-word intro track, they tell the story of D-Day and the battle in Normandy as the first step towards liberation. To film the video for their first single they went to Omaha Beach, where the Allied invasion took place on 6 June, 1944. "When you walk on that beach you immediately get goose bumps and tears in your eyes", says drummer Pieter van Hoorn, who has been to the scene of the disaster many times before. "What happened there ranges from the deepest misery to the most profound sense of glory. These emotions are reflected in our music." As a veteran, Van Hoorn has a military background. Among other things, he served as an infantryman with Dutchbat II. "We live in a time of luxury and freedom, but I have seen with my own eyes that this is by no means guaranteed. War and conflict are never far away and if we’re not careful, things will go wrong here as well. On D-Day, hundreds of thousands of soldiers fought for our freedom. Our seventh album is a tribute to those who fought for peace during the Second World War, but also a warning: we have to protect our freedom, and that takes work.”
Tribute with a message
The band is pleased with the D-Day theme. Van Hoorn: "It's good to be able to tell a story. You don't just want to make good music, you want to share something." It didn’t take them long to decide on the theme following Van Hoorn, guitarist Mark Bogert and bassist Peter Vink’s (who has always had a keen interest in the Second World War and D-Day) weekend trip to Normandy. "That visit really touched us," explains Van Hoorn, "and we felt straightaway that we could do a lot creatively with all those emotions. We wanted to commemorate what happened there, a kind of tribute, but also to raise people's awareness." On their return, it didn’t take much to convince keyboard player and founding member Gerben Klazinga and new singer Jan Willem Ketelaers. And it didn’t take them long to write the songs for the new album D-Day. “We started by taking a few major events and putting them in a storyline," says Van Hoorn. "From the parachute drops and the capture of Pegasus Bridge to what it's like to go to war in a foreign country and the sorrow of those who stayed behind at home. Through music, these stories really hit home. That’s what you want to achieve as a band: touch people with your music. A good song connects with emotions."
‘Thousands of heroes in the sky’
That certainly applies to the first single to be released by the band on 6 June, 2019 – 75 years after D-Day: Blood on the Risers, which is about the parachutists and paragliders who were dropped behind the lines. They had to land and capture key positions by surprise. It’s a catchy number, partly because of the emotions you can hear in the music – from 'we're going for it' to 'we did it!' The first line sung by singer Ketelaers about thousands of heroes in the sky hits you straight away. To shoot the video, the band went to Normandy with an entire production team, including director Will Wissink and filmmaker Pieter Sonneveld for the drone images. Frank Diemel, the band’s regular photographer, shot images for the album cover.
More than just an album
This new album marks Knight Area's transition from progressive-symphonic rock to more popular symphonic rock. The band is hoping to appeal to a wider audience. "We're going from a niche to music for everyone," says Van Hoorn. "That not only reflects the band, but also the theme. Our music has meaning. We have a clear message: Be careful, it could also happen now. Be critical and think hard. It is our generation's duty to keep the memories of the war alive and to bring them to the attention of the younger generation. Whether you're a parent or an artist. As a band, we want to raise awareness of the theme. For us, this is about more than just making an album."
The following also contributed to the D-Day album and the video for the single Blood on the Risers:
• Will Wissink (director)
• Pieter Sonneveld (drone and film crew)
• Frank Diemel (photographer and film crew)
• Joost van den Broek (audio mix and mastering)
• Jan Dekker (audio recording in Prosound Media Studio)
• Cinéma Circulaire 360 Arromanches (filming location)
• Stichting Ondersteuning Veteranen Activiteiten (Foundation for the Support of Activities for Veterans)
• Butler Records
www.knightarea.com
https://www.facebook.com/knightarea/
Last edited by APJU; 05-10-2020 at 09:36 PM.
This thread is making me break out in a cold svet.
I was thinking the same already last night
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
Well, Spinifex, really.
A favorite of mine from the Netherlands is Robin Borneman. He is somewhat known in the USA for being one of the featured vocalists with Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but that job helps finance his incredible non-TSO-like solo records. Not sure I would call them prog, but many prog lovers may dig him. "Cinematic Folk" is probably a good description. He has several albums, including the Folklore Trilogy (separate albums, but the storyline follows through all three).
This is one of his more expansive songs - a few twists and turns.
And one that has more of a spacey folk vibe:
I'm a big fan of his music. If you like what you hear, check out his website or this interview that I did with him in 2017.
TRACE - "Gaillarde" - Live (1974)
Rick van der Linden (keyboards) ;
Jaap van Eik (bass) ;
Pierre van der Linden (drums)
Dutch Televison "Nederpopzien" (VARA)
https://youtu.be/8vsQVsib9Kk
Old grey whistle test (BBC)
https://youtu.be/kndiVcSos5c
Last edited by APJU; 05-11-2020 at 07:07 PM.
Would Arjen Lucassen, with all of his offshoots, count here? A lot of international involvement there but basically "the motor" is Dutch. Love Focus, Kayak, Earth and Fire (early stuff), Supersister, Alquin and some other Dutch bands but is Lucassen's name really that bad in this company that nobody mentioned it yet, too melodic?
Love his folkish interludes on some of his albums but one piece (and more operatic/symphonic at that) kind of stuck with me, quite amazing. Of course one should listen to the whole thing/album to get the storyline.
"Confusion Will Be My Epitaph"
@ PCMusic : Mastermind Arjen Lucassen who calls himself a tall hippie dude, is certainly a name that should gain a lot more attention, also in this topic. I was very lucky to see "Ayreon's The Human Equation Theater Experience" live in Rotterdam (the Netherlands) @ the Nieuwe Luxor theater on friday september 18th 2015 and 2 years later the Ayreon Universe live show in Tilburg (the Netherlands) on friday september 5th 2017. Arjen, the man himself, made a guest-appearance in Tilburg performing a couple of his songs (although he doesn't really like to be on stage). It was staggering and there were so many people from all over the world. I met a guy from Kansas City. He flew to the Netherlands to see Ayreon Universe. Respect ! ARJEN RULES ...
By the way : Before performing in Rotterdam the band and a couple of "understudies" did a try-out in Dordrecht (the Netherlands). I filmed the entire show. You can experience it on YouTube : https://youtu.be/sRjqj8M9eLM
Last edited by APJU; 05-14-2020 at 03:59 PM.
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