Interview with Daniel Palmqvist by Johnny C of www.loudmetal.com 



Please talk a little about your new album:

The album is named “A Landscape Made From Dreams”. It’s an instrumental album with a wide array of influences, focusing on catchy melodies and well thought through arrangements. The rhythm section consists of Daniel Flores (Minds Eye) on drums and Johan Niemann (Therion, Minds Eye) on bass. The guest musicians are Andreas Olsson (Narnia Stormwind) on bass, Johannes Stöle (The Line, Orange Crush), Kaspar Dahlqvist (Dionysus, Stormwind) and Andreas Lindahl (session player) on keyboard solos.      

Which guys would you consider to be your main influences?

As a guitarist I would say Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Lukather, Allan Holdsworth and Shawn Lane to name a few and in no particular order. But I’m really more influenced by good songs and interesting melodies than guitar players. It doesn’t matter if the melody is being played on a guitar or a flute or if it’s sung, as long as it moves me.

How would you describe your music to someone who is not familiar with it?

It’s a mixture of some of the different styles of music I’ve played and listened to over the years. Even though it is in essence a “hard rock” album, it still bares traces of fusion, progressive metal, folk music and fusion. My first priority is always to write good songs that can appeal to both musicians and non-musicians alike. I’m a guitarist, so of course I want to have lots of cool guitar playing in my music, but the songs and the overall production is my number one priority.

 How did you develop your own style of playing, did you take any lessons?

I think my style of playing is a blend of all the guitarists that I’ve listened to, and of all the music I’ve heard over the years, filtered through me. I’m a firm believer of the idea that everything you listen to will eventually come out, and when it does it will hopefully have been transformed into something else that sound like “you”.
As far as the second part of the question is concerned I started to take lessons in classical guitar at age 10, and then started out with electric guitar at age 12. Since then I’ve studied both at MI in Los Angeles and graduated with a degree in music education from a school in Stockholm. So yes, I’ve probably taken too many lessons in a way, haha…
 
What kind of equipment are you using live or in the studio?

For the last couple of years I’ve been relying on a Marshall 50w head that’s been modified by Tommy Folkesson, both live and in the studio. It’s a very versatile amp with a very warm and dynamic distortion sound. From time to time I also play a Fender Super Amp or a Mesa Boogie Triaxis, depending on the style of music I’m playing. The guitars I play are usually strat type guitars, both Fenders and a custom built strat that I used for most of the lead tones on the album. I also own 2 PRS Custom 24 that I use quite a lot. I play a lot of different guitars and I like the way they make me come up with different ideas.

What is the most important, feeling or technique? Can you survive with only one of them?

That’s a tricky question. I don’t think any player would be worth listening to if he or she wouldn’t have a good “feel”, regardless of how many notes he or she plays. Listen to Django Reinhardt for example. He played really fast, but had a wonderful feel and passion in his playing. I think both are very important, and “slow” doesn’t necessarily means “with feeling” and “fast” doesn’t necessarily mean “without feeling”.

How was the album recorded?

We started with Daniel’s drums, and then we added the rhythm guitars and the bass guitar. After the basic tracks were done I recorded the lead guitars in my studio and Daniel did the keyboard arrangements in his. Finally, Daniel Flores mixed the album in “Sound Vs Science” studios and Mats ”Limpan” Lindfors at MasterRoom did the mastering.

Which musicians would you like to play with some day?

Well, I’m really happy with Daniel Flores and Johan Niemann, they’re really like a “dream team” as far as I’m concerned, haha. But if they would be unavailable I wouldn’t mind playing with Marco Mendoza and Rod Morgenstein on a future project.  Also, it couldn’t hurt if Rick Wakeman would be available for some keyboards, haha.

What kind of music do you like the least?

I’m trying to find some qualities in all music I hear, although when it comes to Euro Disco or Trance I find it hard to find any, haha.

Are there any plans to tour?

Not for the moment, but I would love to get the chance to play my music live if the right circumstances would arise, and maybe to do some clinics in the future.

What other plans do you have for the near future?

I’m currently working with a new band project with Daniel Flores, Johan Niemann and vocalist Maria Rådsten. The style will be contemporary melodic metal in the style of Evanescense and Within Temptation. Heavy riffs and catchy melodies. I’m also working with singer/keyboardist Johannes Stole in the band Orange Crush. That band is more in the style of pop/rock. Other than that I’m also writing new material for the next solo album as well as working on a guitar instruction book focusing on “melodic metal guitar playing”.

How is the musical climate for hard rock in your country?

Not so good it seems. Like most other countries it’s all about the “flavour of the month”, and “melodic rock” and “hard rock” music doesn’t get much attention in the media nowadays. But there are still good bands out there delivering great music and playing live against all odds and that gives me hope for the future!

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