Based in Saarbrücken, Germany, Khaima is a relatively new band on the scene. They have garnered comparisons to Tool, My Sleeping Karma and King Crimson. They are either a Metal band that wants to be Prog or a Prog band that wants to be Metal. No matter what side of the fence you may find yourself on…well truth is…there is no wrong side. Their sound imcorporates many familar influences, yet they have developed their own sound. Their self titled EP was released in 2016 and 2020 saw (will see) the release of a full length album entitled Owing To the Influence.
In my research for this interview, I have truly enjoyed hearing their music…and I think you will too.
Markus Scherer: Drums
Toufik Bougherara: Guitar
Andreas Becker: Keys
Jo Rauber: Bass
Sven Hill: Vocals
Greetings from Colorado and Metalheads Forever! How are things in your part of the
world?
Things are mellow and turbulent at the same time around here. Covid still has us in it’s
tight grip and rehearsing/songwriting is currently interrupted by restrictions and social
distancing. But we still try and meet every time we’re allowed to. -Andreas
Please introduce yourselves more thoroughly to our readers.
We’re a dynamic quintett. One comes from a more punk-esque origin, one from an
experimental branch of electronic music, one from singing in a choir and in the shower,
one comes from an already really progressive past and one has played so much different
stuff in his life that he could be our swiss-knife for genres. This constellation is really
fresh as it is and this album was our first take on melting all of our influences into one
round Polymer-disc. -Andreas
Tell us about the new album…this is where you can boast all you want.
Owing to the influence refers to social, industrial, political and cultural influences that
interact with each other and reflects on consumption and the ever-widening gap
between research and resulting decisions, between knowledge and belief. In this, “The
truth does not triumph, but its opponents ultimately die out” (Max Planck). The
Anthropocene stands and falls with mankind. Our influence is more powerful than ever,
but the bigger is the influence on us. -Sven
An excerpt from your web page:
“The earth is not owned by anyone.
You can be at home anywhere in the world at any time.
This is our credo… he is why we think Music is important as it is indeed the most
connecting thing.”
Can you expound on this? And why do I feel like voting you into office?
To better understand our credo/concept I think you need to know the meaning of
‘KHAIMA’. It is much more than just to what it translates: “the tent”! It denotes the tent
of life, a symbol of humanity, a symbol of foreign existence. An eschatological dwelling
place for humans.
For Touareg, Khaima serves as a symbol of freedom, protection, down-to-earthness and
respect for Mother Nature, i.e. the earth is not owned by anyone, you can be at home
anywhere in the world at any time… And that is exactly what we tried to visualize, as
music is emotion… expression… something that is part of everyone and unites us.
Voting is a good point… we are facing that right wings are taking over more and more
worldwide. Dividing society. So it‘s best message we can send here to fight against this
trend. -Sven
In addition to Owing To the Influence, I’ve listened to your 2016 self titled EP more than
a few times. Not to minimize anyone’s contribution, but for me, the bass steals the show.
Hats off to Jo Rauber. Now having said that, the new album sounds quite different than
the EP. What has happened within the band since 2016?
Since then everyone has massively improved their involvement, above all our producer
Mike Balzer who helped us immensely to weave everything we had in our minds to a
beautiful fabric for our “Khaima”. We‘ve all been to concerts together, listened to our
favourite albums together, talked about music and the world and we‘ve tried to develop
our own style and sound. This is the shape of our progressive development since 2016 has
taken. -Jo
It’s difficult to pick a specific song on your album, but “The Fox and the Grapes” (for
which there is a video) is indeed a standout. Amazing musicianship and sonic impact
aside, what is up with the “Row row row your boat” outro?
Like the fox looking for the grapes in the Fabel we tell ourselves that they are sour just
because we might not reach them. And so we are sitting on this river now, gliding in the
current, gently down the stream, knowing that it will carry us along… and finally devours
us. Change is not a low hanging fruit. You have to reach for it. -Sven
Saarbrücken. I’ve researched it a bit. Looks like a lovely place…plus a good friend lives
roughly 3 hours from there. If I were to visit Saarbrücken, what one place should I visit?
Saarbrücken is the capital of the smallest federal state of Germany and is just a stone’s
throw away from the French border. People here adopted the french way of life. That is
to eat well, drink well and spread a lot of love.
In our common opinion, the „Nauwieser Viertel“ is the place to go when you’re hungry
and in search of a drink.
And love, love is everywhere! -Jo
We know you are busy with this and that and we appreciate your time. So my last
question is:
a. Any parting words for our readers?
b. Any parting words for the wonderful people of Germany?
a. Stay safe, wash your hands, and be nice to each other.
b. Bleibt gesund, wascht euch brav die Hände und seid nett zueinander
