Oh yes, good question. The track Lost in the New Real from
my solo album was basically a blueprint for The Theory of
Everything album. A long adventurous track without any
traditional structure or repeating choruses.
• Besides the collaborations, one of the main Ayreon’s
characteristic (as any good progressive album) is the huge
number of elements in a single song. However, you has
managed to version some of your songs in acoustic way, either
with a cello, wind instruments or just an acoustic guitar,
without losing the magic of the original version. Have you
thought in a compilation acoustic of Ayreon?
Well, as you may know I made an acoustic version of the first
Ayreon album ‘The Final Experiment’, which we sell now as
a double album. I enjoyed that, so I might just do it again.
Maybe with new material?
• What challenges or benefits was working on 42 separate tracks
(or 4 big songs) as opposed to a standard 10-11 songs album?
It was a new way of working. I entered the studio with just
one idea (as opposed to my earlier Ayreon albums, when I
entered the studio with about 50 little ideas) and then I let
all the new ideas come spontaneously... Before I knew it I
had long 20+ minute tracks, I didn’t plan that at all! It was
a natural process. Only at the very end did I subdivide the
tracks into 42 parts.
• Finally, a question that we all wish to know, who is Arjen
Lucassen out from the composer and multi-instrumentalist?
You don’t want to know, you may fall asleep… haha! I’m really
just a very boring recluse who loves to watch movies and
TV series and go for a jog! I don’t go out and I don’t socialize
with people. My every day looks exactly the same, up to the
very minute. And I love it, wouldn’t want it any other way J
• I want to thank you again for giving this interview and finally
Arjen, any last words for the readers of Rock & Metal World?
You’re very welcome, my pleasure! And thanks to all the
readers for supporting me and my weird and challenging
music J As long as you spoil me like that, I’ll do my best to
spoil you all as much as I can!
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