progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
band from
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, present since 1994.
Biography
Qoph started in the 1990s as one of the pioneers of the
stoner rock
Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Sleep. ...
scene in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. Originally formed as an experimental rock act Robin Kvist joined the band adding Swedish lyrics on what was later to become Qoph's debut album '' Kalejdoskopiska Aktiviteter'' (Kaleidoscopic Activities), released in 1998.
The album cover was painted by Swiss/Swedish surrealist artist
Hans Arnold
Hans Arnold (22 April 1925 – 25 October 2010) was an artist, born in Switzerland, who lived and worked in Sweden from 1947 until his death in 2010. He illustrated many magazines and books. He is perhaps best known for his illustrations for the ...
, who also did the cover for the 1976's
ABBA
ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...
album, ''
Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
''.
Drummer Federico de Costa, guitarist Filip Norman and bassist Patrik Persson were core members of several line ups before 1998. Many of the earlier songs were instrumental.
In 1996 Jimmy Wahlsteen replaced original guitarist Fredrik Rönnqvist, who went on founding The Moon. Some early Qoph songs later appeared on The Moon’s album ''In Phase'' (2005 Nasoni Records).
After the release of the EP ''Än lyser månen'' in 2000, Qoph started writing their songs in English.
Jimmy Wahlsteen left the band in 2001.
Second album ''
Pyrola
''Pyrola'' is a genus of evergreen herbaceous plants in the family Ericaceae. Under the old Cronquist system it was placed in its own family Pyrolaceae, but genetic research showed it belonged in the family Ericaceae. The species are commonly ...
'' (2004), released in Sweden, Germany and Japan, featuring several guest appearances, including Mats Öberg ( Mats/Morgan Band),
Joakim Svalberg
Joakim Svalberg is a Swedish musician best known as the current keyboard player for the Swedish progressive metal band Opeth, which he joined in late 2011 just after the recording of the album ''Heritage''. Svalberg is also involved with a ban ...
(
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal/rock band from Stockholm, formed in 1990 by lead vocalist David Isberg. The group has been through several personnel changes, including the replacement of every original member; notably Isberg in 1992. Mikael ...
,
Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie Johan Malmsteen ( ; born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck, 30 June 1963) is a Swedish guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical playing style in heavy metal, and has released 22 studio albums in a career spanning ov ...
),
Nicklas Barker
Nicklas Barker, formerly Berg (born 9 July 1969), is a Swedish musician best known as the founder, guitarist, vocalist and keyboardist of the progressive rock band Anekdoten
Anekdoten is a Swedish progressive rock band, composed of guitarist/v ...
(
Anekdoten
Anekdoten is a Swedish progressive rock band, composed of guitarist/vocalist Nicklas Barker, cellist/keyboardist Anna Sofi Dahlberg, bassist/vocalist Jan Erik Liljeström and drummer Peter Nordins. They are notable for the use of the mellotron and ...
) and Dennis Berg (
Abramis Brama
The common bream, freshwater bream, bream, bronze bream, carp bream or sweaty bream (''Abramis brama''), is a European species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is now considered to be the only species in the genus ''Abramis''.
...
).
Percussionist Per Wikström joined the band as a live member performing at several progressive rock festivals in Europe and USA, among them Burg Herzberg festival in Germany and Progday, USA.ProgDay Overview 2006-2010 Page /ref>
The band's third album ''
Freaks
Freak has several meanings: a person who is physically deformed or suffers from an extraordinary disease and condition, a genetic mutation in a plant or animal, etc.
Freak, freaks or The Freak may also refer to:
Fictional characters
* Freak (Ima ...
'', with new member Rustan Geschwind on vocals, was released by Transubstans Records and Nasoni Records in 2012.
Members
*Federico de Costa -
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
*Rustan Geschwind -
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
*Filip Norman -
guitars
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
*Patrik Persson -
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
Pyrola
''Pyrola'' is a genus of evergreen herbaceous plants in the family Ericaceae. Under the old Cronquist system it was placed in its own family Pyrolaceae, but genetic research showed it belonged in the family Ericaceae. The species are commonly ...
Freaks
Freak has several meanings: a person who is physically deformed or suffers from an extraordinary disease and condition, a genetic mutation in a plant or animal, etc.
Freak, freaks or The Freak may also refer to:
Fictional characters
* Freak (Ima ...
*''Aldrig Tillbaks'' 7' single (1998 Record Heaven)
*''Än lyser månen'' EP (2000 Record Heaven)
Compilation appearances
*"Dansar Galet Bakåt" on ''Thousand Days of Yesterdays - A Tribute to
Captain Beyond
Captain Beyond is an American rock supergroup formed in Los Angeles in 1971. at '' CD (1999 Record Heaven)
*"Rastlös" & "Restless" on ''Sweet F.A.'' CD (2002 Scana)
*"Resh" on ''An introduction to Nasoni Records Berlin'' CD (2005 Nasoni Records)
Related
* The Moon - ''In Phase'' LP (2005 Nasoni Records)