Doomed Confessionary: Stef Kohler (One Velvet Winter)
One Velvet Winter is an experimental music project by Dutch composer and multi-instrumentalist Stef Kohler.
Kohler started at the age of 15 as a guitarist with Dutch 80’s power/speed metal band Defender and released albums with that band on CBS, including the legendary »City ad Mortis« from 1987. Since that time he has developed into a versatile musician and was part of The Emerald Tablet and November.
In October 2024, Kohler released a 5 CD boxset masterpiece with his project One Velvet Winter, called »Jesus In Dystopia«. This concept album is an absurdist and philosophical journey through the world of big data, manipulation, fear and the growing urge to control. Musically, this trip takes you from classical guitar, psychedelic rock and fragile songs to abrasive avant-garde metal and doom, with dazzling guitar work.
An intense and diverse landscape of meditative interludes, lengthy, heavy and varied epics and alternative experiments.
Can you say a few words about your band?
One Velvet Winter is a project I started about ten years ago as an outlet to all the different musical ideas I had. I stopped trying to form new bands because my musical tastes were too broad to fit in one band. In One Velvet Winter I can try out any style I like and ask different friends/musicians to play along on a particular song. I try to explore different styles like for instance: classical music, doom, sludge, experimental, jazz, slowcore, psychedelic… This way I have all the freedom I want and there are no restrictions.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
The biggest challenge is of course: How do I get people to find out about my music?
I love to play and create and like most musicians I don’t particularly like to promote myself. Since I do everything independently, I must find a way to get the music out there and that’s not easy, because there is so much great music out there made by independent musicians.
What can you be most proud of so far?
With One Velvet Winter I already released two 5-disc albums in four years, that’s almost ten hours of music. I am very happy with both albums: »The Leftovers Of Hope« and »Jesus In Dystopia«. Both albums are very diverse, experimental, dark and atmospheric and that’s kind of the way I like most of my music…
Also nice to mention: there is a reissue of »City ad Mortis« in January 2025, by my first band: Defender (eighties power/speed metal). I was a member of Defender from 1986 until 1990. I was just fifteen when we recorded »City ad Mortis« and to this day I have very fond memories of that band and the album. »City ad Mortis« was first released in 1987, and this is the first reissue on vinyl! We recorded three extra tracks this year and these tracks will appear on B side of the album. The tracks are from the eighties but were never recorded until now.
What was your biggest regret?
Spending too much money on my expanding vinyl collection, I probably should invest more on studio equipment or new guitars. I guess I developed a vinyl-addiction?
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
I have never performed live with One Velvet Winter and probably never will.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
As far as new bands (to me) are concerned I’d have to say Imperial Triumphant… I absolutely love that band, the mixture of complex death/black metal with classical and jazz influences is just out of this world… Definitely the biggest surprise to me!
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
The reissues of all the Psychotic Waltz albums (especially the first two), as mentioned earlier: Imperial Triumphant, Deathspell Omega, Mastodon, the first Trouble albums, Warlord, Fates Warning, Death: »The Sound Of Perseverance«, Krallice and lots of other stuff of course!
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
I don’t know if someone told me or if I read it in an interview back then: “Start with becoming a great rhythm guitarist first…”
What are your guilty pleasures?
The Carpenters (although I don’t consider them a “guilty pleasure”, just fantastic music with the greatest female pop singer that ever lived: Karen Carpenter), Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, Tiffany (»I Think Were Alone Now«), Air Supply, Natalie Imbruglia, Barry Manilow and lots more 🙂
Can you say something more about current music scene in Heemskerk?
Well, I don’t really go out that much, but I guess there are a lot of cover- and blues bands in the area where I live (about 30 km from Amsterdam in The Netherlands).
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
One Velvet Winter is a studio project, so I won’t perform live.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
There is a new album almost finished (not a 5-disc boxset this time 🙂 ), I am writing some classical guitar pieces which I have to practice for about one or two years before I can really play/record them, also working on a slowcore/alternative album… Enough to do!
Do you have any special plans for New Year’s Eve?
I probably will be staying home with my cat, TomTom. He is so scared of the fireworks; I really don’t want to leave him alone on that evening…
How can people best support your band?
Well, of course it would be great if people would buy one of my albums! You can order them directly with me (st********@*****il.com) or you can visit my Bandcamp page: onevelvetwinter.bandcamp.com.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
I know that it can be a bit daunting to start with a 5-album boxset, but the albums are both very reasonably priced and if you are up for some adventurous music, I think you won’t be disappointed if you purchase a One Velvet Winter album!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well