Back

Rock Sound April 2005 - Italy

RAMMSTEIN – 24.02.2005, Assago (Milano)

Rammstein – The Invasion of the Football Field

We have met the German band in the moment of the release of "Reise, Reise", its fourth and latest album. Since then, several things have happened. And Rammstein had a great success all over the world partially due to the enormous potential of a single like "Amerika", partially due to an exuberant live act, special effects, entertainment and music at a very high volume.

We met with the guitarist Richard Z Kruspe-Bernstein at Forum di Assago, Milan, a little after the soundcheck. The other band members went into their own chambers, for a bit of quietness and privacy, while everything around that is usual in these people's lives, managers, recordings, and commitments. Our interviewee is the only one from the band who can have this interview in English so the presence of a translator wasn't needed. As we said earlier, the band owes the great success of "Reise, Reise" in a big part to the "Amerika" single, so it is normal to start our conversation with this topic...

Do you think that present day situation of the world helped to the success of a song like "Amerika" which lyrics are pretty much critical toward this nation?

Richard Z Kruspe-Bernstein: To put it this way, I like very much strawberry cake, but if I over do it and have one every day, I'd get sick of it. The same thing goes about United States: too much talking about America, and not always about positive things, ends up in casting a shadow over what it is also good there. It isn't a song against this country, it is a criticism against the cultural Americanisation of the world. That's the reason we wrote the chorus in English, we wanted for everyone to get the message in our lyrics (of the text)

Aren't you afraid that it might be misinterpreted in America? It says, after all, "This is not a love song"...

Richard: Why should we? We only say what everyone knows and effectively keeps happening: we all live in America. It is a stating of an actual fact, not an attack, and the text isn't about the country, it's about the way the non-American countries allow their non-American things to be "Americanised". In Europe we have a cultural and linguistic history that must not disappear, each nation has its own identity pretty strong in order not to be subdued. Everything is beautiful and fantastic about America, but it isn't my culture, because it doesn't represent my history. We don't want to be rated as a political group, as we don't want to tell the people what nor what not to do. After all, everyone is free to eat hamburgers, no one bans you to do that.

Yes, but you are living in America...

Richard: In New York, not in America (starts laughing). I like this city very much, it is different from the rest of the country. New York is New York, a city definitely very cosmopolitan, and where I feel very good (I find many good things there).

What do you remember about East Germany, where you grew up and made the first steps?

Richard: It was difficult, you couldn't live only by making music, you had to have an eight hours job (a place to work) and, after that, if you wanted, you could sing. Having a job was mandatory, it was practically impossible to live only off singing. You could make music only on your spare time, and only those with a diploma from the Conservatory. It was impossible to make music as an amateur, to have a band.

Is it true that Rammstein was started initially as a side project?

Richard: It was in this way: I wanted a project who was close to what my culture is, to the German one. I wasn't too pleased of what I was doing with my previous band, it was music that copied a lot the Anglo-Saxon style and it wasn't very original. I realized that it would be really difficult for us to sing in America without having a distinct personality, we weren't to be a band similar with many other bands. So I wanted to create something that could be identified very easily with my country. Till (Lindemann, the singer) wasn't too convinced at the beginning by this project, but he came to work with us and soon Rammstein became our first priority. We found out very quick our style, because we knew very well what we didn't want to do.

Remaining in the East, in "Moskaw" (their spelling, not mine) you have lyrics (choir) in Russian. It is said that initially you wanted T.a.T.u. to sing that part, is it true?

Richard: It is true, but in the end it was a bit complicated. Think that they have four or five managers that don't agree with each other! We had to rehearse at least two months and in the end we preferred to give up. It was indeed a bit complicated for such a simple part.

After recording the previous album in the Southern France, this time you chose Spain. The climate of this place doesn't seem however to have a big influence over the atmosphere, anything but cheerful, of your music...

Richard: We are dark inside. (laughs). We love the sun very much and, from this point of view, Germany isn't the best place to be. The place where we were recording didn't have, in effect, a great influence over our music. Usually, when we were entering the studio, the pieces were already written and arranged. This time it wasn't this way, and therefore we had to choose a location ideal for a better collaboration between us.

Collaboration is very important after the tensions created in the period when "Mutter" was recorded?

Richard: In effect, it wasn't too entertaining. The fault is mainly mine because I made a big space only for myself in the band. I wanted to impose my decision and to lead the artistic choices. We were really risking to get separated, but in the end we found each other again, all six of us, and we looked up to understand what it used to be the real strength of Rammstein (or we tried to make out what it used to be the real force of R.). Now, a certain order of functioning has been established within the band. I understood that my creativity shouldn't limit the creativity of the others, for the sake of the band. I'm pleased to see that we got out stronger from this big crisis.

How did you make it? Did you call a psychologist like Metallica did?

Richard: As I remember, I understood that a band can't depend only on one person. There wouldn't be any reason to have other people in the band, then. And Rammstein was created as a true band, a democratic team, with people that rehearse together in the same studio. But, at a certain point, I started to work at home, thanks to the help of the computer; at the moment of entering the studio, I had the pieces ready, they didn't need anything, they were complete in all their parts. I didn't manage to narrow my field of action and my influence, therefore I felt the need to move away from the others and relax. This allowed, once returned to the studio for "Reise, Reise", to explore all the way all the ideas everyone of us had. I'm very proud of the work done for this new album and honestly it doesn't matter to me to know who signed (is named as the creator of a song) one song and if anyone is more concerned about another. What matters is the final result gained by the band. All the tensions from the "Mutter" period were useful, in the end, because we re-established the solid relations between us.

REGAINED BALANCE

How do you see this crisis, now that it is over?

Richard: Trust to have tensions after 10 years of living together. It happens in many marriages... (laughs). The discussions are inevitable, but the problem was mainly about the centralizing role that was exerted on the others. For this I created a side project, it allowed me to find a certain balance and to use those ideas that I can't with Rammstein.

Can you let us know a bit more about it?

Richard: Of course, it is called Emigrate and beside me there are other musicians that are foreigners. It is very diverse. I want to start recording and to release an album at the beginning of the next year. Musically, it is very similar with Rammstein, but they are sung in English.

In the past you made English versions of your singles. But you stopped doing that. How come?

Richard: We found out quickly that the people from radio stations preferred the original versions, sung in German. On the other hand, during the translation a significant part of the meaning of the lyrics is lost, because our music and our lyrics are very connected. And, finally, these songs were created in German and they must remain as such.

This is the reason why you are the only member of the band that does interviews without a translator?

Richard: Usually the translator "jumps" over some details that might be very important to not misinterpret the meaning of the word. In the past it happened to us that he/she added his/her own misunderstandings, for this reason. At this point I prefer to have my interviews done in English.

In effect people have a distorted image about you. Are you avoiding having a clear image?

Richard: To be honest, this matter didn't scare us at all, we are who we are. Some people find us amusing while others say that we are too serious. It's only a matter of opinion, meaning people see what they want to see. In the time of our first album, "Herzeleid", we were subjects of criticisms for the image of ourselves we were offering to the public, enhanced by our origins and by singing in German. It is a problem that Kraftwerk might have had at the beginning of their career. I'm telling you, it is really interesting to witness this kind of reaction and this amused us as well.

The remix of "Ohne Dich" by Laibach, a band always politically ambiguous, surely didn't help the remaining doubts to disappear... Richard: Their version of "Ohne Dich" is truly excellent, because that it is a remix resembling a true and their own cover of our song. Introducing a female voice it gave (the song) a totally different dimension. And Laibach are a great band, and it is an honor for us that they made a cover of one of our songs. We are very well aware of the polemics (controversies) around them, but in the end they are provocative and love to spread a little confusion. But we like a lot to provoke too, but we probably have a different approach. In the end we are a band that sings rock, we aren't doing politics, and there is a connection between us and Laibach, regarding only the music.

And Pet Shop Boys made a remix of "Mein Teil". How was this collaboration born?

Richard: We never got to work with the artists that we like, because of the (lack of) time or because they don't like our music. But when we got a version that we found to be interesting, we don't hesitate on making it public.

On the last album there is a song named "Dalai Lama". What is the connection between this title and the text inspired by one of Goethe's poems?

Richard: The title of the song existed before the lyrics. Once the lyrics were written, we were referring to it as "Erl konig" ("The King of the Elms"), then we tried a different title, but none of us liked it so finally it got stuck with this one.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Your stage show, full of special effects and pyrotechnics, has got bigger and bigger with years. They remain so important for you?

Richard: It is used to enhance the contents of our songs, it is not an unique concept in our scenography, but it has different "moments" for each of our songs. Like when Flake, our keyboard player, stays inside the pot during "Mein Teil". We are a bit like children with their games and toys.

Aren't you afraid that the visual show could distract the public from listening to the music, and gives reasons for your critics that say that this is a trick you use to hide your poor musical skills?

Richard: I think that we have a very balanced show. Our music, in the way it is structured, it surely requires to be accompanied by a show like this one. During our concert we have moments that don't involve spectacular special effects, and then it is about only the musical side of the band, like when we sing "Los" when we occupy only a small space on the stage, with a small drum kit with very few items, and the acoustic guitar. We create a quite intimate dimension. As for the critics, who comes and sees us live leaves satisfied by the show and by the music, as well.

Using the pyrotechnics, haven't it created problems for you in any country?

Richard: Yes. In Japan they are stricter in this respect, and we were told that we aren't able to use all our special effects, but, in the end, it doesn't matter too much because Rammstein is worth a lot even without them. In United States isn't easy for us either, because the laws are different from state to state.

Do you agree with those that say they find that your music is more accessible than in the past?

Richard: It is more spontaneity, on this album, while for "Mutter" we've spent a lot of time in front of the computer. I always liked a melodious song and, personally, I like things to be simple. Our music is very personal and for this reason people find "Reise, Reise" more "hearable"

Is it important for you to continue working with the producer Jacob Hellner?

Richard: He is always of great help, professional and music wise. His presence was very important also to help us get over the negative period I've told you about, before. Jacob knows everyone of us really well and it can be seen very well in the studio too... why to look for someone else?

The promotional pictures made for the new album resemble very much Michael Douglas in "Falling Down".

Richard: We were actually inspired a lot by that movie. These pictures allowed to eliminate all the images created in the past. They show really well how the band changed in these years.

Talking about movies, what do you remember of your collaboration for the soundtrack of David Lynch's "Lost Highway"?

Richard: We sent a CD, because we tried to persuade him to work with us for a video. We all adore his movies, and we are great fans of cinema, but he didn't answer. Then, one year later, he contacted us for two pieces for the soundtrack of "Lost Highway". I think that our music was always perfect to accompany movie scenes. While writing and composing I often have a cinematographic vision.

On the idea of the title of your latest album, where does your voyage take you?

Richard: In a very long tour (laughs) and then another album. From the creative point of view, I wish to go as far as possible.

(by Daniel C. Marcoccia)

© 2005 Running Naked In The Park