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In
your opinion what are the main differences between your new album
“Schattenmädchen” and your previously releases? Are there some
peculiar modifications or changes in your musical approach now?
The voices and the work with the guest vocalists are definitely the
main differences to the previous albums. It is the first time that
other people joined in for recordings. This fact alone makes it
really different from the two previous CDs although you always hear
that it is still Apoptose.
“Schattenmädchen”
includes four tracks taken from compilations and three new tracks. Why
have you chosen to reuse old material? Where
is the connection between the new tracks and the old ones?
During the years many labels asked me to take part in compilations.
Whenever I found the project interesting enough I agreed to record
an exclusive track. After a while I recognised that all of those
tracks had a very strong bond – some kind of common theme that was
very different to the first two Apoptose albums: They all deal with
obscure and mostly negative aspects of the modern world. So it was
clear to me that they were the first steps to an album around this
topic. I had no hurry to finish this album so I just waited what
would happen. When in 2006 the Japanese Cyberpunk author Kenji
Siratori asked me for a collaboration I suddenly held the missing
pieces of this puzzle in my hands.
On
your new tracks the spoken-word lyrics play an important part: why
have you chosen this vocal experimental method? How has been born
your collaboration with the Japanese vocalist Kenji Siratori? And
how the bizarre lyrics of Kenji can be melt into your music?
I am constantly experimenting with sounds and instruments so it was
only a question of time that there would be human voices in
Apoptose. When Kenji emailed me to ask if I would be interested in
recording a track together this time had come. He sent me some of
his material which I found quite interesting because it was far off
everything I had ever done with Apoptose. We agreed that I send him
21 words and he would write a story around them which later became
the title track of the album. The girl’s voice that you hear in
this song is whispering those 21 words in German language – the
voice of the “Schattenmädchen” (which means “shadow girl”
in English) herself. It was a great challenge to compose something
that would fit to his text which is quite difficult to grasp.
In contrast to this very precisely planned title track I wrote the
lyrics and the music for the song “Karla” very
unconsciously.
Can
you explain to the Italian readers the meaning of your lyrics and
the main themes handled on Schattenmädchen?
The
general theme of this album is the modern world we have to cope
with. To me this world sometimes seems to be just the shadow of a
world we would like to live in.
Although I know that only few people in the world speak German I
won’t explain the lyrics. That would limit them to only one
“official” interpretation. I rather leave it up to the listeners
to get an own impression even if they don’t understand every
single word. You can also enjoy Apoptose when you consider the
voices to be just like any other instrument that adds its character
to the atmosphere of the song. A bit like this fantasy language that
Lisa Gerrard or Sigur Ros used in some of their songs.
Why
have you chosen to use the image of a kid on the “Schattenmädchen”
front cover and back cover?
This girl represents the “Schattenmädchen” who hides in the
shadows and observes the terrifying world around her. The music of
the album shows her view on that dystopian reality.
Schattenmädchen
All
of your compilations tracks are now reissued on “Schattenmädchen”,
but a song remains excluded: this is the Der Blutharsch cover
“Vaterland”, off “Fire Danger Season”. Why didn't you
include this track in your new album?
Schattenmädchen
was never meant to be a compilation album of all of Apoptose’s
compilation tracks. Only tracks which fit to this album’s theme
made it onto this CD. “Vaterland” was especially made for
Albin’s anniversary compilation so I never intended to use it
here. Same with the track called “Brainchild” from the
“Solaris collaboration” album. I recorded it together with my
friend Ingo of Polygon especially for Solaris so it is not on
Schattenmädchen either.
I
assume there is friendship and respect between you and Albin Julius.
How learn to know the Hau Ruck mastermind? Is there a connection
between your music and the sound of Der Blutharsch? Why have you chosen to
cover the track “Vaterland”?
I
got in touch with Albin in the early days of his band “The Moon
Lay Hidden…” and we stood in loose contact over the years. I
don’t think that my music is very close to the style of Der
Blutharsch so it was interesting to record an alternative version to
one of his tracks. I chose Vaterland simply because I like his
original song. But I wanted to give his lyrics a twist into a
different direction by recording completely different music rather
than just do a simple coverversion.
For
your live performance in Wroclaw you had Gary Carey in your line-up.
He is the mind and voice of the English band Joy of Life. How did this
collaboration start? And how did you get to know this great singer
of the 80’s scene?
Hails
to the modern age! I was able to contact Gary Carey via myspace.com.
I found his profile by accident and was really happy to see that
this man is still around.
I wanted to record the old Joy of Life song “Warrior Creed”
involving his voice so I asked him if he would be interested in this
project. He liked the idea and said yes. During our correspondence
it became clear that Apoptose would perform in Wroclaw and this time
it was his idea to join us on stage to perform this song together.
It was a great moment and the first time ever that the song
“Warrior Creed” was performed live.
Gary Carey on
stage in Wroclaw 2007 performing "Violet Silence"
foto © akinom1
Basically
Apoptose is an electronic project and I think for an
electro act it is difficult to create a live show. How did you organise your
concerts? Did you use also standard instrumentation (such as
percussion) as well as the electronics devices?
Do
you think our readers can see you playing live in Italy in the next
months?
You
are right: it is quite challenging to create an interesting live
concept when you are basically a one-man electronic act. It took me
quite a while to work out a concept for Apoptose which I found
convincing. It is a combination of live electronics, 10 – 15
drummers and a singer. We also use some strange sound-devices like a
long plastic tube that you have to spin around so that it makes
howling noises. I never regretted the decision for such a big
production and the people who attended our concerts seemed to like
it.
We would love to play in Italy! But at the moment our live line-up
consists of about 15 persons. So the travelling/accomodation costs
are really high which doesn’t make it easier to find an organiser
who wants to book Apoptose.
Apoptose live at
Wave-Gotik-Treffen 2006
Does
Tesco create the beautiful packages of your releases, or is it
your own idea?
To me music and artwork should be a unit so I always develop the
general idea for the album covers myself. The actual design and
layout of the first two albums were made by Ingo of Polygon.
Schattenmädchen was designed by myself. Tesco always offered us the
best working conditions and complete freedom in the design. They
just say “Stop” when our ideas of the packaging go beyond their
economic possibilities, but that’s OK.
Do
you think very beautiful packages (such as multi-panels digipak,
embossed cover, etc) can help an artist to sell his music?
You
rather buy something in a beautiful package than in an ugly one so I
guess it helps to sell the CDs. But I really don’t know to which
extent. Nowadays many people don’t seem to care much about
record-covers. They are content to have the music as mp3-files on
their harddisk. Which is OK by me. But when it comes to records/CDs
I am very oldfashioned: for me every album needs a decent cover to
be whole. So for my own albums it is a basic necessity that I am
working very hard to achieve a cover that I am satisfied with.
What
are your future projects? Did you plan to take part in compilations
or collaborations with other bands? Are you working on a new
Apoptose album? Can you disclose the main theme of your next full
length?
There
are no compilations or collaborations planned at the moment (apart
from the one with Gary Carey) but I am working on a new album. This
one will hopefully see the light of day sometime in 2008. After the
doom laden Schattenmädchen the next album will return to nature. Be
prepared for ancient forests, fairytales and true witchcraft.
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