In his new solo album, Lost In The New Real, Arjen Lucassen tells the story of Mr. L, who, after spending several centuries in a coma, needs psychological help to adapt to and understand the changes society has gone through during his sleep. On his own admission, Arjen Lucassen identifies himself a bit to this character and considers himself a stranger in this reality. The man doesn’t go out much, watch the news or spend money; he doesn’t even like touring or reading! Arjen confesses to having sometimes been caught up in reality, with over-produced albums like 01011001 – hence his desire, with this solo album, to be more “transparent”, just like on his album The Electric Castle. A truly nostalgic and intimate album.

More specifically, the reality of the music industry, without scaring him, leads him to think that it will soon become impossible to make a living with music. In concrete terms, Arjen details his own financial situation, still more than decent, but which prevents him from planning as ambitious a new Ayreon album as the previous ones.

Let’s take stock with this long conversation with a man as humble and pleasant as ever.

Read the interview…