By Keith Walsh
The new album by Crooniek. Trail Of Time, is a satisfying mix of popular melodies, Neo Classical forms with traces of the medieval and renaissance ages. It makes sense when you discover that bandleader Gerry Croon has a Master’s degree in Art History and played in brass bands growing up. I had the chance to do an in-depth interview with Croon about how he works, about his inspirations, motivations and influences.
POPULAR CULTURE BEAT: Your album has lots of intricate brass arrangments. Do you find the latest staff software useful, or do you prefer pen and paper? When did you make the switch?
Gerry Croon: Well actually, I want to find things out in my head. First the idea has to be completed in my head. Then, I put things fast into a software program. But that is really an old thing, with not that many options (I use Noteworthy). But that is not important, because all the musical lines are being played and recorded by real instruments, played by fantastic musicians. So no pen or paper for me, but a computer so it is much easier to make all these different sheets of paper for all the musicians of Crooniek.
POPULAR CULTURE BEAT: There’s some tones and harmonies of the Renaissance and middle ages on the album. Is this because of passive cultural influence or are you an active listener and performer of classical music?
Gerry Croon: I’m not an active listener to classical music. But I grew up playing fanfares and brass band. So is not that surprising that my music is inspired by harmonics that has arenaissance feeling. Especially the song ‘Would you wake me in time’ has a deep renaissance connection. This is song is inspired by Sopor Aeternus & the ensemble of Shadows, as well by Die Verbannten Kinder Evas. Sopor Aeternus is by far far the most extreme and inspiring artist I know!
POPULAR CULTURE BEAT: The treatment of a plane crash as well as the burning at the stake of a spouse of Beethoven’s relative also strike me as somewhat medieval in their approach to death. It’s a kind of solemn horror that brings an awareness of our own mortality. How did you find yourself addressing these events with music?
Gerry Croon: The album ‘Trail of Time’ is in a way a personal journey to my own musical history, but I also wanted to involve my own interests and a bit of unusual historical facts, straight out of my home town. Perhaps village is more appropriate, only 11.000 inhabitants live in Kampenhout, so one cannot call it a city. About the urge to use historical facts, that might not be so surprising, when you know I have a Master in Art History.
I selected a few rather tragic events to transfer them into music. The plane crash of 1961, where an entire figure skate team from America died, was an really dramatic event. Till today, this is still the most dramatic plane crash in Belgium.
Same for the ancestors of Ludwig Van Beethoven. In the 16th century his ancestors lived at Kampenhout ! But in 1595 religious madness dwelled to the streets. Josefyn, married to Aert, was accused of being a witch and was condemned to the fire, at the fire stake at Brussels (now the capital of Belgium). The children of Aert and Josefyne later on moved to other places in Belgium, later on the family Beethoven moved to Germany. And so we get to the famous composer Ludwig Van Beethoven, born in 1770.
If you want to read more about the plane crash, check out this site: Heemkring Campenholt – Geschiedenis: Sabena 548, tragedie te Berg
POPULAR CULTURE BEAT: Do you make these songs to fit an audience or are you making what you want and letting the audience find you?
Gerry Croon: I really hope that I can touch an audience. The album ‘Trail of Time’ is not an easy listening album. It really will take some time to discover the many musical layers and even to appreciate the complex structures. The main goal was to create a really diverse album: no song can be a copy of an other song. That is always my aim. And this is not the first time. In 2018 Crooniek cooperated with singer songwriter Olivier Soil. Together we released the album ‘Demonen & Dromen’ under the name ‘Olivier & Crooniek’. On this album appear 10 pop/rock songs in Dutch language. In 2020 Winterstille released the album ‘Puin van Dromen’ (in Dutch, English, French and German language). And Winterstille, that’s a goth dark folk project of Crooniek together with singer songwriter Xavier Kruth. All different albums, different styles. But also on these albums: all songs are unique, no song is a copy of another one.
It is not easy to get an audience: there is so much music. Figural speaking, I think each minute an new album is released. Will the audience find me? Are there people interested in Crooniek? Time will tell…
POPULAR CULTURE BEAT: How long did it take to write the album and what is it that motivates you to write?
Gerry Croon: This album is in a way also a testament. Passing the age of 40, I was thinking: ‘What will I leave behind? What is important to me? How can I be remembered’? This album is an answer to all these questions. Let me be remembered by the music. So this album is a gathering of a few projects together. On the one hand a few songs, remastered and translated that were earlier released by Olivier & Crooniek (‘Nieuwe Dromen’ and ‘G&K) and also by Winterstille (‘When I look back upon my life’). Further you’ll find new songs I write (‘Would you wake me up in time’ and ‘Parade of the Funeral Fanfare) and 5 songs based on tunes composed by Kevin Imbrechts (his project is named ‘Illuminine’).
The complete album is indulged by this concept, including the album title (when you take the first letters of Trail of Time, you get the German word ‘Tot’, meaning death). But also the cover of the album has its story. It shows the hand of my father, holding out the clock watch above the hand of my eldest song. Passing the time, but also passing the music. My grandfather was, as my father and son still are, musicians in our local fanfare of Kampenhout.
To get to the first part of your question: you can state that it took more than 40 years to get this album. The time was now, I had to be released!
POPULAR CULTURE BEAT: I see you doing live performances with classical instruments. One imagines this is a challenge to get all these players together at the same time,. let alone learn the songs. Does this say something about modern life where everyone is too busy paying the bills rather than make art full time, and am I correct that perhaps in old Europe it’s easier to find classical artists ready to play than I might imagine?
Gerry Croon: As you can imagine: it is not easy to get all those musicians together: I would need to get 10 to 16 musicians together to play the songs of the ‘Trail of Time’-album. As we have all jobs, families and work to do … not easy. And the songs are complex and not easy to get them live on stage. I have no idea if Old Europe as you call it, is more open to classical artists.
For this, I think ‘Trail of Time’ fits best at your living room, enjoying the sunset with a good glass of red wine. But when the opportunity crosses our paths, we of course will play live, hoping to persuade the audience. Crooniek can be combined with Winterstille, because all the musicians of Winterstille are also involved in Crooniek.
I hope people like the eclectic style of ‘Trail of Time’, are open to this kind of music. We worked hard on the album, so we hope people like it and are willing to cross the musical boundaries.
But anyway, I’m thankful that I could make this album and thankful to all the musicians involved into this project, taking the time for it. I’m also very thankful to Dimitri of WOOL E DISCS, our label, to believe in this project.
www.crooniek.be
www.facebook.be/crooniekband
https://wool-e-discs.be/music
Olivier & Crooniek On YouTube
Crooniek on Spotify
Trail Of Time Review On Popular Culture Beat
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