At last! After five studio albums, one live and an unprecedent fame, the four germans aproached our land in the end of February to present their last record 'Imaginations from the Other Side'. Because of their imminent arrival, we put ourselves on the telephone with Hansi Kursch himself, who told us details about the hard recordings on studio.

- Well Hansi: it was about time we heard from you here in Spain. What can you tell us about your last album?

"For me, 'Imaginations from the Other Side' is the best album we have done. I know every musician says that about his last work, but... because of the production, because of our technique, because of the technical characteristics of the studio and, maybe, because of the emotion that we have put into it, I really think its our best work. Until now it has been the one with more success. It was very well received in most of the European countries and in Asia. Nevertheless, it turned out to be the most problematic recording, because in the middle we had to make a large interruption: Andre Olbrich, our guitarrist, had an accident and was hurt badly in the arm. He couldn't play. We had to slow the recordings for two months, because he was in the hospital. We waited because he had been in all our previous records. The surgery was problematic, and we didn't know if he would be able to play guitar again, but, in the end, he was. After one and a half month he was practicing with his guitar again. Beteween recordings we composed 'Bright Eyes', which is for me one of the best songs of the album. It was one of the harder to record in studio. We wrote it when Andre returned from the hospital, when he started to play the guitar again. It has a very firm basis. We normaly dedicate about six weeks to do one song, but this one took us only a little more than two."

- Why a single like 'A Past and Future Secret'? Why a balad?

"I suppose there are people who would discuss our option, but it was one of the few songs that was finished before we had problems with Andre. Then we had only finished 'A Past and Future Secret', 'Imaginations from the Other Side' and 'The Wizard'. We choose 'A Past and Future Secret because it was shorter than 'Imaginations...', and it sounds very well on the radio. That was what we thought, and I still think it was a good song for a preview, don't you think?"

- In most of your songs fantasy is present. Why is this?

"Most of the songs nowadays speak of problems. It's something we all live, but our music is full of illusions, dreams, of good vibes. Full of fantasy. It has nothing to do with reality. It's not only the musical background; when we add the lyrics, it becomes a perfect combination. Sometimes we mention reality. In songs like 'A Past and Future Secret' there is a historic part, and also a mystic part."

- Kai Hansen participated in some of your records. How did this collaboration came up?

"With him it's always fun. We do the arrangements in studio. It was like that in 'Valhalla' and 'Hall of the King'. He's one of the best musicians in my opinion. In those times he was (???????) of us. He was on the top of the mountain, and we had just come out. He had been with Helloween. We managed in the first recordings a very good relationship. Since then we've been doing stuff together. One of the best was 'Quest for Tanelorn'. We never argued. We simply said wether it was good or not."

- In Spain there are many Blind Guardian fans. What have you heard about them?

"I think they are crazy, and I heard they always try to get backstage. Many guys who had come to Spain, like Gamma Ray, really had a good time."

- Well, we hope you'll do a good concert.

"I promess we'll do a great concert. We'll see each other!"

Interview by Marcos Mostaza, in spanish Heavy Rock, March '96
Translation by Pedro Andrade