Karmakanic is the musical vehicle of Jonas Reingold, the bass player of The Flower Kings and Kaipa. However, he founded Karmakanic to give shape to his own musical ideas. Through the years, Karmakanic released five studio albums of which Dot, released in 2016, was the last one. Since he has been on the road with Steve Hackett, it became difficult for him to write and record a new studio album. Eventually, he managed to produce Transmutation in 2025. It was worth the wait because in my opinion this album is one of the best albums made in 2025 so far! For all the readers of Background Magazine, I asked him how the new album came about despite the difficult conditions.

Jonas Reingold

First let me congratulate you for releasing Transmutation. I think it's one of the best progressive rock albums of 2025 so far!
"Thank you, it was hard working to create the album, but the critics from both press, media and fans have been exceptional positive. So, I'm really happy that the hard work paid off."

It took nine years to release a new Karmakanic album. How did you find the time to work on it because of all the touring with Steve Hackett, and when did you start with it?
"The first song I wrote for this album was Cosmic Love. I wrote that tune back in 2017. The title track was composed in 2021 during the covid pandemic. I tried to stay focused, and I wrote it between the tour schedules of Steve Hackett. However, a lot of the stuff I recorded on the road. The drum parts of Craig Blundell were recorded in Nashville, we then had three days off, so I proposed to Craig to book The Ocean Way Studios to record his parts. Steve Hackett's parts were recorded in a hotel room in Leipzig, Germany. Amanda Leamann did some backing vocals in Scotland. I tried to work on it whenever I had the chance to do so."

Why did you give the album the title Transmutation?
"I think it is an appropriate theme since everything is always in a constant change. There's no moment the same as the other moment, big or small. The world is changing a lot at this moment. Politically speaking, there is global chaos. Democracy and things we took for granted are questioned again. It's bad for the world, but great for a lyricist, because there are many things to write about."

You played the bass guitar, the guitars and keyboards. Your bass parts are amazing as always, but what about the other instruments? How many parts did you play on the guitar and keyboards?
"I normally play a bit of guitar when there's no need for technical excellence. I can play melodies and rhythm parts, but I leave the guitar solos and the flashy stuff to others. However, I played the last solo on the title track. If no fast passages need to be played, I can do it, and I believe my intonation is quite good. That also applies for the keyboards. If it's just a few chords there's no need in asking musicians like Lalle Larsson to do it. It's much quicker and I mostly know what sound I want, so I do it myself."

This time you worked with another line-up compared to the previous albums. In general, you recorded with the same musicians. This time you chose a different approach by asking separate guests to contribute.
"Well, this time I really wanted the music in the foreground: the right player at the right spot. Every single choice I made with the music in mind. Every part was handpicked: who will fit in this part and who will fit in that, and so on. I've been doing this for an exceedingly long time, so this is my bonus as a senior player: to handpick the musicians for what I believe will make the best musical result. I see Karmakanic as a musical collective. These guys are my friends, but also my favourite musicians. I'm a lucky man."

Jonas Reingold Pompano Beach Amphitheater 2024-Mar-06

If you don't mind, I would like to go through all the tracks on the album. Brace For Impact is a hard rock tune in the vein of Deep Purple with great guitar and organ parts. This track features Krister Jonsson on lead guitar, and Lalle Larsson doing a great synthesizer solo. These two musicians are part of Karmakanic for a very long time. We also hear the legendary Simon Phillips on drums. How did you find him and was it easy to get him for the job?
"This is the 'let's get the audience in shock' track. I wanted to open with something that is not typical for Karmakanic, just a wild jam where Krister Jonsson and Lalle playing their asses off. It's a short track, so when End Of The Road starts the audience can breathe again and sigh: we're back in Karmakanic land again. I had my eye on Simon Phillips for a long time. I met him on the last cruise, and I asked him if he would consider playing on my record. I sent him a few songs, and he replied positively. To have him on our record was something I wanted to experience for a long time."

End Of The Road is a The Flower Kings kind of tune with for the first time the voice of John Mitchell. How did you find him and was it easy to book him? That also applies for Luke Machin and Randy McStine.
"John Mitchell and I know each other for a long time. We always wanted to do something together when we met on festivals and gigs. Musicians always have these kind of conversations when we're drunk in a bar. Most of the time nothing happens, it's just drunken talk. But this time singer Göran Edman announced that he had retired from touring. So, I took the opportunity to call John, and I asked him: hey John, you know we've been talking about doing something together for ages, now's the time. He came to Vienna, and we recorded a few songs and the rest is history. As far as Randy McStine and Luke Machin are concerned: I've worked many times with both musicians, so obviously they were normal choices for me. They are both great guitar players and they fitted the music perfectly."

Cosmic Love was the first single that you released. Some parts sound a bit poppy, and I hear for the first time Craig Blundell on drums. What was it like collaborating with him apart from the Steve Hackett band?

Jonas in the Royal Albert Hall 2024-Oct-24

"Yes, indeed. Cosmic Love is the natural single for this album. It's the only song, apart from Brace For Impact, which is under five minutes. There are not many choices for a single in the progressive rock world. Craig was a breeze to work with! He is a true professional, always serious about his craft, so it doesn't matter if he plays for Steve Hackett, Steven Wilson or Karmakanic, he always does his utmost."

We Got The World In Our Hands is another song with great sing-a-long lines and a kind of reggae rhythm. Is this the next single, and what do we hear at the start of the song?
"Well, it's a mixture of different sounds. You hear some kids, a market in Africa and a toy piano. And you are right: this could be the next single, but maybe it's a bit too long. Of course, it could be shortened if we wish to do so."

All That Glitters Is Not Gold has some amazing fretless bass parts plus the accordion sound of Lelo Nika. Who is he and where did you find him? The song also features Gery Schuller on piano, Markus Lukastik on flute, Rob Townsend on tenor and soprano saxophones and on keyboards Tomas Bodin, your former colleague from The Flower Kings. How was it collaborating with them?
"Lelo Nika is a fantastic accordion player, absolutely top division. He played with the late Joe Zawinul (the keyboard player of Weather Report, HS), so that speaks for itself. He's one of the most natural musicians I've ever run into or worked with. He has a perfect pitch, the ability to connect with the song immediately.

Jonas on top of the Royal Albert Hall

I think he's a true musical genius. Gery Schuller is a great piano player from Vienna. We did a few gigs together; he's an important musician in the Vienna scene. Markus Lukastik is my doctor here in Austria, but he's also a great musician. Rob Townsend does a great outro saxophone solo, very angular and freaky. I like when things are not so predictable. Rob is a true musician, and he can play anything. Of course, I know him well from the Steve Hackett Band. It was so great to work with Tomas Bodin again. I've missed his quirky playing style from The Flower Kings. He belonged to the heart of that band. So, to have him back on my record was a great honour to me."

On Lose This Ball And Chain we hear Göran Edman, the usual lead singer in the band. Why did you choose him for this song?
"As I said before, Göran retired from the scene. Nowadays, he's only doing recording work, but I wanted to have a whiff of the old Karmakanic somewhere on the album, and I thought that this song would be perfect with some vocals of Göran."

For Transmutation (The Constant Change Of Everything) our reviewer wrote: "Reingold saves the best for last as the title track is the album's absolute epic showstopper and a marvellous prog rock monster."
I agree, but how did you find the time to do this almost 23 minutes long epic piece? Was it recorded in one take? Again, this track features many people of the Steve Hackett Band including Steve himself and Nick D'Virgilio (Big Big Train) on drums. Was it easy to get them all on board? The vocal performances of Dina Höblinger are outstanding. Who is she? This piece has a great instrumental break with lots of prog, fusion and jazz rock influences. Is that what Jonas Reingold is, musically spoken?
"Yes, I'm immensely proud of this track. Although the song lasts for twenty-three minutes, it somehow feels shorter, and that's a good sign. I composed this song over quite some time during the lockdown of the covid pandemic. It took many different shapes before it ended up as the version you hear on the album. When I was busy writing, I thought that Nick D'Virgilio should play on this track. He did, and his drumming is great, he does a magnificent job. We didn't record it in one take, though. That is only possible if you are a rehearsing band and everything is ready. I wish I could do the next Karmakanic album by rehearsing with the band for a few weeks and then record it live in the studio. It was great to have Steve Hackett on this track since he is an incredibly good nylon guitar player, and the part he played fitted perfect for him. Dina Höblinger is a notable talent that I discovered in Austria. I got to know her just before the pandemic, and we started to record together. She did all the demos of this album; she's unknown to the prog world but man, what a talent! Yes, this epic track has everything that I stand for musically: lots of melodies, some outrageous solos, and some fusion sections. It's like a snapshot of my musical taste. That is the advantage of doing your own records, you can record your favourite album."

The cover of Transmutation features a picture of yourself that can be viewed from two different angles. Your profile and side are viewed in one frame. Who made this very cleverly done artwork?
"That idea came from my girlfriend Diana Seifert. She is not only my girlfriend, but a great photographer as well with twenty years professional experience. She's collaborated with many renowned artists through the years, like Steven Wilson, The Pineapple Thief, Porcupine Tree, King Crimson, just to name a few."

The booklet is very tasteful designed with all the lyrics and all the pictures inside. Who can we thank for that?
"The pictures were provided by Diana and the artwork by Haijo Muller. He is best known for his work with Steven Wilson."

Inside the booklet all the names that participated in the crowdfunding of the album are mentioned. I guess that you couldn't produce this album without the people that supported you financially. How important are they?
"Oh, I can't even describe how important they are. These people are absolutely essential. They make it possible for me to print the album, because in the beginning there's a lot of money involved in a project like this, and it takes some time before you begin to make some profits. These people make it possible for me to manufacture and pay all the costs involved. I'm very grateful to them."

Are you going back on tour with Karmakanic and will you play the epic track For Transmutation (The Constant Change Of Everything) in its entirety?
"I'm currently looking into possibilities to do this live in Europe, but the first mission is to get this album out. The future is not yet written, let's see what happens."

What's next Jonas?
"I'm currently in London rehearsing with Steve Hackett for a month's tour in Europe with Steve Hackett, then Japan in July, Italy in September and the USA in October and November. So, I'm busy but I will try to write a bit for the next Karmakanic album. Work for The Tangent is also in progress, and we will most likely have a new album out before the end of the year."

Thank you for answering my questions Jonas!
"Thank you for talking to me!"