Originally published in Side-Line magazine
2003
by Evan South
How would you compare your new album "The
Focus" to your 2 previous albums?
AM- With our third album we want to show that we
have musically moved on, without losing our identity.
"The Focus" will be a close follow-up to our lst album
"Damn the Lie". It's important to us that our songs are
easy to recognize, yet not sounding the same and
without getting bored.
Your material is very theme oriented. Does this
continue with the "The Focus", and do you feel music
needs to say something?
AM- There will be this so call "red line" throughout the
whole album, even more than at our last records. At
"The Focus" we will be constantly questioning the
"human perception". In this context the album title
describes the point where the human perception of
things is concentrated...focused. But before you can
focus on something, you have to be open and able to
perceive. The things someone perceives are an
apparition in the mind and in that they are totally
depending on the person itself-like a dream. "The
Focus" is all about those dreams/perceptions and their
sources. The question, if meaningful words ALWAYS
have to be a part of our songs to give them the right of
existence, we can answer with: "NO!". Music also
works without words-it actually SHOULD work that
way too. The music itself should be able to move
people and bring up emotions, which paint pictures in
their heads. But without words you cannot "transport"
complex thoughts or ideas- even if that might probably
not be the first intention of instrumental music.
Do you still find yourselves compared to a certain
band that shall remain nameless, or do you feel you've
established your own identity?
AM- As long as those comparisons don't want to deny
that we actually HAVE our own identity, we have no
problem to be compared with other bands. There's no
way to escape from influences of all kinds. A vacuum
would definitely be the wrong place, if you want to be
creative. As we said before: We think, we have again
moved on with the upcoming album- concerning this
certain theme as well!
The majority of your songs are in English, do you do
this to appeal to an international audience, or do you
feel it best reflects what you are trying to say?
AM- The main reason why we use English as the main
language in our songs is the fact that the English
language is much more melodious. It just sounds better
than German. Besides that in German you have to
squeeze longer and polysyllabic words into verses and
refrains, which makes songwriting much harder. But
the internationality of the English language is, of
course, a reason as well.
Your singles and EP's have featured many diverse
remixers. What do you think of people remixing your
songs, and is it different when you remix someone
else?
AM- Remixes are an exciting thing to us. It is and has
always been very interesting and revealing to us, how
other artists are making their own thing out of our
songs. In a remix you can "see" your own song from a
totally different direction and sometimes you even ask
yourself: "Why didn't YOU have that idea...?!" If we
remix other bands it is the same thing the other way
around. It is fun to interpret a song in your very own
kind of view.
How does your material come across in a live setting?
Do you try anything different for live shows, i.e. play
remixed versions of songs?
AM- Onstage we are 3 people. Stefan sings, Timo is
behind the E-drums, sings backing vocals and plays
bass guitar for 3 or 4 songs. Tilo plays the synthesizer.
The songs sound pretty much the same as on CD. For
the live sets we usually just arrange a shades, like
changing some sounds and modifying the beginning
of some songs.
You will be playing more festivals through the end of
the year. Do you prefer playing in a large live setting,
or the smaller more intimate clubs?
AM- To us it doesn't matter that much if we play in a
big arena or in a small club, as long as the fans and the
band are having a good time together. At big festivals it
is sometime hard, because everything is very hectic.
But as compensation you get the chance to show your
music to a quite bigger audience. In smaller clubs it
usually is more cosy, things are more laid back and
personal and you get a closer connection to the
audience.
"The Focus" will be released as a single disc and a
special 2cd set. Do you plan any other singles or EP's
to be released from this album, since you previously
released "Masterbuilder"?
AM- There will be another single-CD released from
"The Focus" called "Herzlos" (eng. Heartless). This
one is our very first song that is completely in German.
The song is very powerful and has the potential to be
played in the clubs quite a lot.
Do you know if Scanner has plans to license you to
other labels, so you can be released domestically in
other countries, such as USA?
AM- Unfortunately we have no answer to that question
at this time. We just know that our CD's are available in
the USA and some other countries (if not at the record
stores than at least through mailorder).
Final thoughts/comments?
AM- We hope that the people out there will take and
understand our new album as what it is in our opinion:
A seriously meant piece of long, hard work on musical
and lyrical development and progress. "The Focus"
represents us and it is us- 100%!!!
absurdminds.de
myspace.com/absurdminds
http://www.side-line.com/
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