TIME GRID
Life
(TG Records)

 

Throughout the European continent, progressive rock has been enjoying a resurgence these past few years. A fleet of talented and quite adept bands are taking cues from the best genres of decades past and reinvigorating rock with a new spirit. Featuring a cast of musicians from France and Switzerland, Time Grid features the music and guitars of Steve Huber. Steve has a solid band at his fingertips including Mathias Reusser (vocals and keyboards), Laetitia Fontannaz (vocals), Rémi Poussier (drums), Pierre Sottas (bass) and Raphaël Sudan (keyboards). Time Grid’s first album, released in 2013, Life is filled with a compelling wide screen merger of progressive rock and hard rock stylings. One of the rising guitarists on the European continent today, Steve Huber’s guitar work is razor sharp throughout the CD, incorporating wide ranging elements of both progressive fusion and heavy metal sounds. Even with the volume of slashing power chords, Time Grid manages to keep things melodic while the mix of male / female vocals, featuring Mathias and Laetitia, echoes 1970’s era Eurock bands such as Kayak. Time Grid started out back in 2001 and although took them a while to have their first album released, the sound of Life is excellent and the English lyrics printed in the eye catching CD artwork will further heighten the international appeal of this auspicious progressive rock band. www.TimeGrid.bandcamp.com


mwe3.com presents an interview with
Steve Huber and Mathias Reusser
of TIME GRID

 
 
mwe3: Where are you from originally and where do you live now and what do you like best about it? What other cities do you enjoy visiting?

STEVE HUBER: I'm from Switzerland and I live in Montreux on the shores of Geneva’s lake. It is a beautiful area surrounded by mountains. All my family lives here and most of my friends.

I love to travel and if I could, I would go to every city in the world because I think everywhere there are things to see and learn.
 
mwe3: It took a long time for the first Time Grid album to be released. How does the Time Grid Life album represent the sound and vision that you wanted to achieve for the band and how has the album been received in Europe?
 
Mathias Reusser: I think it took that much time because we wanted to take the time to make that music as close as possible to the images we wanted to communicate. We wished to make a music that is not a demonstration of speed or instrumental virtuosity. Our aim is to build an emotion, a climax, a story and to be able to communicate that emotion to the people who are listening. According to the reviews we could read about Life in Europe, it seems we made it. Only the French reviewers think our music is too complicated... That will remain a mystery to us!
 
mwe3: Time Grid was formed by you and singer Mathias Reusser. How would you describe the chemistry between you and Mathias and the rest of the band and what approach do you take when you write the music for the band and the lyrics for the vocalists as well?
 
STEVE HUBER: Mathias is my best friend since I was 17 years old. I have the impression of having always made music with him. We are complementary. In general I write guitar parts, bass and drums and Mathias arranges everything with keyboards and vocals.

For some songs the other musicians modified parts or complete. Rémi, the drummer adds many rhythmic elements. Words are more complicated... we do not speak very good English!

It is laying on a couch with sheets of paper and listening to the songs. According how they inspire us, we decide on a theme and writing. When we fail, we ask Raphael. He is always willing to get started.
 
mwe3: What elements do you blend into your guitar style? Your sound is very progressive and while you cite Steve Vai and Dream Theatre you also mention classical influences like Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky too. How do all these rock, prog, instrumental rock and classical music influences sort of come together in your guitar work and compositions on the Time Grid CD?
 
STEVE HUBER: I try not to limit myself to one style, and always I listen to all kinds of music and I think there is good in all styles of music.

Making music, I'm trying to tell stories with different moods and textures. I take everything I can from other artists and composers trying to do it my way and I especially am inspired by life. The guitar is just an instrument by which I speak, but I do not feel I'm a guitarist inside, just a musician.

mwe3: Can you tell us what guitars and other gear including amps, pedals and strings you’re using on the Time Grid CD and do you have other guitars, electric and acoustic that you play or endorse?
 
STEVE HUBER: I play with an Ibanez RG seven string and especially an Fender Strat HM. I have also a Guild acoustic guitar and a nylon string Godin Multiac.

I play with a Mesa Boogie TriAxis preamp and a power amp Mesa Boogie 2:90, awha wha cry baby and a Digitech whammy. I have no preference for strings. I just recorded without effects and they were added during the mixing of the CD.
 
mwe3: What guitarists, artists and bands in any genre today do you feel are breaking new ground for both progressive rock and hard rock, and music in general, in 2014?
 
STEVE HUBER: There are a lot of bands: Disperse, Lord Of Mushrooms, Caligula's Horse, Circus Maximus, Haken. For guitar players in this style there's no one who has brought something really new since Steve Vai, John Petrucci etc. but the current level is very high and musicians all play really well. The year has just begun...

mwe3: When were you first exposed to music and the guitar and writing music and what were your early musical studies like? Do you still practice guitar every day or do you spend most of the time writing and rehearsing? What’s the perfect balance?
 
STEVE HUBER: I started playing guitar by accident. I was with friends and we watched video clips when one of us had the idea of forming a metal band. We therefore chose an instrument. I have chosen the guitar. I have then taken classes with a teacher in private. Later I have studied at the school of music technology in Geneva where I currently teach.

I have a 18 month old son. I do not have much time to practice the instrument. (lol) I try to play my instrument as often as possible. Living in Switzerland is very expensive. You have to work a lot. Music is not considered a profession. I write when I'm on vacation or late evening. We rehearse before concerts or recordings. Music is our passion but this is unfortunately not with Time Grid that we make our living. Must find its own balance, there's no magic formula, we are all different.
 
mwe3: What’s the music scene like in Europe today in your estimation? It seems like every country, from the north, down south to Italy and Greece are producing some great bands. Do you think progressive rock and even instrumental progressive rock fusion is growing as a worldwide phenomenon?

Mathias Reusser: I do not listen too much to the other prog bands because I want to avoid any influence. I think progressive rock and metal music feeds from everything that is not progressive! So I listen to whatever is not prog rock/metal. Now of course I can't deny I've been influenced by Dream Theater, because if I didn't discover their music, maybe I wouldn't even compose progressive music...

Now speaking of other bands, I'm very glad to see that despite the difficulty to record an album, find gigs and touring, there are many people around the world wanting to create interesting music, and they will not stop! I think progressive music is a worldwide phenomenon definitely. It comes from a natural need to spread our minds beyond the common limits of pop music. I love pop music by the way and it inspires me many times, I'm just saying that progressive music allows you to tell a longer and evolving story, and this is why it is so interesting to me.
 
mwe3: What other projects would you like to further explore with Time Grid in the new year and what about new writing, recording and plans for live shows with Time Grid moving into the future?

Mathias Reusser: Steve wrote many songs since the release of Life. I made some too, and I'm looking forward to arranging those! There are many styles I'd like to explore, such as electronic music and contemporary classical music. I'd like the next songs to get rid of every unnecessary thing. I want them to be clear and true. About the shows, we don't plan anything at the moment, cos we all have children and jobs, so we can't fill our Time Grid as we would like to.

Thanks to Steve Huber and Mathias Reusser @ www.TimeGrid.bandcamp.com

 

 
   
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