With the release of “Radical Animal” – of what Fenris perceives facing his reflection, Synthagma makes a bold entrance into the Progressive and Art Rock scene. Emerging from North Rhine-Westphalia and composed of musicians with a long-shared history, the band blends Classic Prog foundations with psychological and mythological explorations in a visionary debut. We had the pleasure of talking with Synthagma, with composer and keyboardist Ropp Köhler offering particular insight into the origins and conceptual framework of the band.
Let’s begin with the roots of Synthagma. Ropp, as one of the founders, could you tell us how the idea of the project came to life and what led you and Thomas Kohls to reunite after so many years?
Ropp: Thomas and I never completely lost sight of each other. Even after the death of our guitarist and singer at the time and the resulting dissolution of the band Inquire, we remained in loose contact. And at some point I played Thomas a few songs that I had written for myself at home and we immediately realised that we didn’t want to keep this music from the world.
The name Synthagma is both unusual and particular. What does it signify, and how does it connect to your aesthetic or philosophical identity?
Ropp: The name Synthagma is indeed quite unique and intriguing. It comes from the Greek word σύνταγμα (sýntagma), which can mean “arrangement”, “composition” or “structure”. This etymology reflects the idea of an organised, deliberate creation with carefully crafted and meaningful structures. The name Synthagma is intended to epitomise the idea of bringing together different elements into a coherent whole. It is intended to emphasise harmony, intentionality and depth and to show our work is not random or arbitrary.
How did the band take shape musically and personally, especially during the early stages when Roland Eichler-Hungerbach and Thomas Bruhns joined the line-up?
Ropp: After a long and targeted search for the right guitarist and bassist and after numerous auditions and rehearsals, we came across the exceptional guitarist Roland in 202.. With him, the creative dynamic began to solidify and intensive rehearsals followed. In 2024, the accomplished bassist Thomas joined the ensemble, completing the line-up and crystallising Synthagma’s musical identity. Overall, when looking for fellow musicians, a certain musical quality was just as important to us as human interaction. Especially in this day and age, you often come across people who have very strange views on politics and society. We are not a political band, but of course all four of us are in favour of togetherness and a society without exclusion and hatred – unfortunately that is not a given these days!
Your debut album bears a remarkable and symbolic title: “Radical Animal” – of what Fenris perceives facing his reflection. Could you explain the core concept and how the mythological reference to Fenris serves the album’s narrative or emotional structure?
Ropp: The idea of the album title was to confront the listener with the question of who or what a Radical Animal is. Is there even such a thing? Or does it only exist in mythology? Or is it ultimately the human being who is the ‘Radical Animal’?
The album traverses various musical textures and moods. How did you approach the songwriting process — was it driven more by composition or improvisation, or a balance of both?
Ropp: The songwriting was definitely a compositional work. Roland wrote the song ‘Power’, I composed the rest of the songs. And so the basic structure of the songs was fixed and each band member ‘only’ contributed their ideas for their own instrument or minor changes to the structure.
Ropp, considering your work with Castle Mountain Moon and other past projects, in what ways has your experience influenced the sonic architecture and harmonic language of Synthagma?
Ropp: I think that any newly created music or art in general is based on past experiences. Whereby Castle Mountain Moon is more of a project by two people who are equally involved in the creation process. Nevertheless, experiences from this project as well as from the Inquire times with Synthagma naturally flow into it.
The album’s sound feels like a dialogue between tradition and modernity. Which musical influences shaped “Radical Animal,” both in terms of Classic Prog references and more contemporary elements?
Ropp: All band members are influenced by the classic progressive rock of the 70s and the neo-prog of the 80s. But of course we all have our own influences. For me, it’s clearly my background in church music. I worked as a church organist for many years before I switched to IT.
Production-wise, what were the key challenges or surprises during the recording sessions? How did you manage the balance between analog warmth and digital precision?
Ropp: We recorded all our instruments at home, each separately, except for the drums, which were recorded in our rehearsal room. In the end, I brought it all together and tried to create the best possible sound that each band member would like. The work with Castel Mountain Moon, which was very similar, certainly helped. To be honest, in the end we were surprised ourselves at how well it worked.
Are there any tracks you feel particularly attached to — perhaps pieces that represent a turning point during the creative process?
Ropp: Actually, all the pieces are equally close to our hearts and we enjoy playing them all equally. Of course, it’s always something special when a long track like Radical Animal Pt.2 is finished, because it’s a lot more work than a ‘normal’ track of maybe 5 minutes.
How do you envision Synthagma’s presence on stage? Do you plan to perform “Radical Animal” live in full, or adapt it into a different format?
Ropp: Yes, we are definitely planning to present the CD and other songs live. Due to holidays and illness, we will be working on it more intensively from late summer at the latest. And maybe there will be the possibility of ‘double concerts’ together with other prog rock bands or even Castle Mountain Moon.
Looking ahead, what are your next steps as a band? Is a follow-up already in sight or will you focus on expanding this debut’s reach first?
Ropp: In addition to the aforementioned live plans, we are already working on songs and a concept for the next CD. The plan is to release a follow-up album next year at the latest!
Thank you so much for your time and for sharing these reflections with us. We encourage our readers to dive into “Radical Animal” – of what Fenris perceives facing his reflection, a work of depth, elegance and ambition.
Ropp: Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to introduce ourselves a little. It is a pleasure and an honour for us that you are interested in us and our music!
Purchase “Radical Animal” on Bandcamp: https://synthagma.bandcamp.com/album/radical-animal