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Topic ClosedWhite Willow Disband

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Wilcey View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: White Willow Disband
    Posted: July 04 2007 at 13:00
pity they pulled out of the Subtacto Festival with just a month to go...

...Still looking forward to it!
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Dennis View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 02 2007 at 15:00
 Actually, both me and Lars are pretty fed up with anything prog-like these days (which is why we've been on a long hiatus), and we both agree there is not really any such thing as "new prog" - it's a dead genre. But flogging a dead horse is good exercise, and we sure could use some of that.


Wow I could not disagree more with Lars and Jacob's opinion about prog. Quality "old-school" prog is still exciting to listen to today, and "new-prog" DOES exist and the new bands can be very vital in today's music world. Bands such as Porcupine Tree and Anekdoten have revitalized many key elements of "old-school" prog, and infused modern music genres and techniques within those realms. Lars and Jacob both seem to be stuck in the past, and unable to infuse the modern elements into their writing. That's why IMHO Wobbler seems somewhat boring to me. It's just too retro-prog for me. I rather listen to King Crimson circa 1972. Don't get me wrong, I love symphonic prog with lots of mellotron, etc., but I need new music with a modern twist to it. And I don't believe that prog is dead at all. In fact the current revival is in full swing and very popular again. Even Steven Wilson in a current interview said that it's now cool to call certain bands prog again with no big pooh-pooh. And if you come to think of it, aren't we beating a dead horse with ALL music genres these days, just re-inventing it somewhat?   
"Day dawns dark, it now numbers infinity"
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 02 2007 at 08:47

Here's a more drastic announcement of White Willow's ongoing reorganizing process. There are some interesting lines about the aims and meaning of prog.-

"  So it's been like 12 years since our debut album. Time to shake things up, dontcha think? Reorganization is no stranger to White Willow, but this time we go all the way - just listen: We are disbanding. From today White Willow is no longer a band, no more rehearsals, no more concerts. Lars Fredrik and myself (Jacob) will henceforth be White Willow, and no worries, we will continue to make music. The next album is actually slowly taking form - a pretty extreme concept album - so much for thinking we had left prog behind for good... Actually, both me and Lars are pretty fed up with anything prog-like these days (which is why we've been on a long hiatus), and we both agree there is not really any such thing as "new prog" - it's a dead genre. But flogging a dead horse is good exercise, and we sure could use some of that. Not too soon, though, we have other albums to finish first. So long.  "

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 01 2007 at 20:28
Sad news but I cant say that its too surprising, massive line-up changes have been part-and-parcel of WW since the start, I believe only Holm-Lupo and Jan Ketil Einarsen (sp?) were the only two left from the original line-up on Ignis Fatuus.

As to new materiel, darker and more complex music sounds like a return to the Storm Season sound (though I suspect that, like all their album, it will have its very own unique sound) and that can only be a good thing. I just hope Trude Eidtang comes back to do some singing as I thought she was amazing.


Edited by sleeper - July 01 2007 at 20:29
Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 01 2007 at 18:47
That´s BAD news. I really enjoyed Signal to Noise and specially Storm Season. Hope they bring interesting projects like Wobbler, but i definitively liked more the sound of WW
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 01 2007 at 17:54
Originally posted by Dennis Dennis wrote:

This is sad news indeed. But to me the latest album, "Signal To Noise," was somewhat of a let down after their brilliant masterpiece "Storm Season." SS was a dark, brooding and complex concept, expertly performed and produced, where as the later album pushed towards a more commercial sound with less  prog elements. BIG MISTAKE on their part IMHO. And the departure of vocalist Sylvia Erickson I believe was the beginning of their downward spiral. Sorry Lars, but as much hype as your other band Wobbler has got, I think that WW was a superior musical entity in all aspects. Thanks though to all, especially Jacob for all of the great music over the years.  


Well said. Clap
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 01 2007 at 17:45
Originally posted by Dennis Dennis wrote:

Sorry Lars, but as much hype as your other band Wobbler has got, I think that WW was a superior musical entity in all aspects.  


I'm afraid I don't agree, Dennis. I thought STORM SEASON was dreary in the extreme. Give me Wobbler any time!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 01 2007 at 13:05
This is sad news indeed. But to me the latest album, "Signal To Noise," was somewhat of a let down after their brilliant masterpiece "Storm Season." SS was a dark, brooding and complex concept, expertly performed and produced, where as the later album pushed towards a more commercial sound with less  prog elements. BIG MISTAKE on their part IMHO. And the departure of vocalist Sylvia Erickson I believe was the beginning of their downward spiral. Sorry Lars, but as much hype as your other band Wobbler has got, I think that WW was a superior musical entity in all aspects. Thanks though to all, especially Jacob for all of the great music over the years.  
"Day dawns dark, it now numbers infinity"
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 01 2007 at 10:58
No, I'm not Jacob...I just culled the bit from another website where he actually posted.  Figured at least someone would find this news-worthy.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 01 2007 at 04:42
Hello Jacob
Sorry to hear of the break up. I was very impressed with the set you performed at last year's Summer's End Festival.
I wish you & the other band members every success with your future projects & look forward to the forthcoming album.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2007 at 13:03
Taken from one of the members of the band via progressiveears:

This to announce that White Willow has been somewhat re-structured. Not that that's sensational news coming from us, but it's a bit of a new situation now. We have disbanded WW (as a band), and will no longer rehearse or give concerts. This is a little bit sad, since we felt that the last run of concerts we gave with the "Signal to Noise" line-up was our best ever. But all things must come to an end, and it was a mutual decision, happily made, that we call it quits. We have done a lot of strange things, explored a lot of different aspects to our music, and we feel that we might not have had that much more to give in a typical write-rehearse-record-tour context anymore. We all have other projects we want to spend some time on, and our everyday routines are also changing as (some of us) are finally growing up and having families and such. BUT, all that said, this is not the end of White Willow. Lars Fredrik Frøislie and myself will continue to make White Willow music, and we even have the concept for our next album ready. It will be written, arranged, rehearsed and recorded simultaneously, by the two of us and a number of appropriate musicians. But recording will only start when I am done with my Opium Cartel album and Lars has gotten a couple of his albums out. The forecast is something quite different from "Signal to Noise" - a little dark, quite complex.

Jacob

Figured some would consider this news.  I thought their latest was pretty good too.
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