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Sonic Seducer - Till Interview Jan-03 issue

The Gigolo of morbid charm and no melodies
by Thomas Clausen

Subject: Poetry volume 'Messer' by Till Lindemann

Till Lindemann does not speak willingly. What he has to say, the part-Leipziger-Berlin-opted citizen since 1995 communicates through the lyrics of his band Rammstein, in the meantime the global music world listens attentively to his completely singular metaphors. There have almost never been any explanations; misunderstandings and misinterpretations run hand in hand. Recently he’s published “Messer” his first volume of poetry. Now he must discuss it. Plain language with Till Lindemann. Probably very few native popular music bands have been similarly measured wrongly-interpreted, wrongly understood or simply reviled, as Rammstein even with their first album “Herzeleid” which was more or less a deliberately typically German handful of supposed magnificent-might, Leni Riefenstahl aesthetics meets Bodybuildingstudio-mallet-charm supported by Teutonic lyrics promoting morbid colour and international mega rock stardom. One of the chief executives: Front man and lyricist Till Lindemann, who now in "Messer" an insight of collected poems yielded from a good two decades and which are written about today after many years of restraint in the pages of such as Der Spiegel, Focus, Welt am Sonntag, TAZ and similar in discourse and answer. Escape into literature or the actual end of the (Information) Cold War? Lindemann, eternally the misunderstood one.

"Neither of them. The fact is that I very rarely and also very reluctantly give interviews about my work. In the past so many things were overestimated that actually I no longer have any desire to express myself so grandiose.
Unfortunately, this time there aren’t five colleagues who could represent me here. It is not like I would be still be annoyed at any rumours, half truths and strange interpretations, but I no longer have to contribute actively to their development. In the case of Rammstein and the success it has given us, it makes us rise above any bloody-minded reproach. This is a typical German kick in the teeth mentality to want to piss everyone off. Meanwhile, we smile and we have a clear conscience. No doubt I open myself up to attack again in a certain way with "Messer". This time, if the media are still not able to show my expressions in their actual context they will probably get no more statements about them in the future from me."

Clear words. However, one should deal more freely with the poems in "Messer", more a kind of rough Rammstein-style and in the characteristic Lindemann way the often misunderstood fables used for explicit metaphorical representations of the primitive force, sex and death expression and consequently thousands of years of the old dynamo of human development to thus reflect between plush-pink prose and the crudest pouring of expressionism in all its range.

Lindemann, the versatile one. Regard closely, therefore, a rather unusual career, which began 1979 in working- and farming country as the Schwerin writers son with building construction studies and over the years with the appropriate Guilds – defined himself as a Carpenter and basket maker. Later working as a gallery technician, drummer in the Punkband First Arsch and for longest as Rammstein’s lyricist leaving his trace like a visual sign. Today: Till Lindemann 2003 - art figure or multi-functional personality of Musician, Lyricist, Poet, Entertainer, Rock star, Artist?

“…I hack open at my chest for fun
it rains and my heart becomes wet
open my thick veins, and give yourself
bunches of red tears…” (“Nebel” / “Fog”)

“In no way an Art figure. I see myself fundamentally as a lyricist, which for the moment helps in the first attempts as a poet. The whole book is a kind review; a conclusion, a work exhibition. Compare it with the existence of the band, which comes to 20 Songs, they are only perpetuated on an album. The publisher Gert Hof and I selected from more than 1000 poems from a good 15 years what we wanted to publish in “Messer”. As with other artists, I am probably inspired in crucial measure by my environment and my experiences. The texts in certain respects represent equally my own account, revenge on myself and also a self-processing. It doesn’t matter whether dreams, nightmares, films, books and a pleasure trip cause this. Actually I am always in a receptive mood, and I have a note pad mostly within easy reach. My sort of texts develop almost exclusively subconsciously. If I decide to write something positive, something dark comes out however because in the end there’s a sort of automatic river of negativity in me.”

Certainly, the final text form is not without its compulsion, a wink of the eye and one gladly neglects the gap to savour and with a certain detailed view (certainly dark)-humorous comparison with the 60's Comedy icon Heinz Erhardt. "Herzeleid" without notes? Lindemann does not play melodies. But he laughs nodding. And this time the vowels are not rrrrrrolled.

“….I have a rifle, I have loaded it
a bang, you have a head no more
that I see through the smoke….”
(“Absicht?” / “Motive?”)

"That is indeed a very good rewrite. The texts are superficially shaped by force and every kind of provocation. But on closer reading, they are revealed also latently, almost as a comic-joke, which is not noticed by most people. The texts develop almost exclusively subconsciously from a word, a vague idea or an event but I leave open a kind of loophole for myself so that one can still somehow smirk over the texts. This is most evident with the poem ‘Big in Japan' which I wrote after going to nightclub in Tokyo. There was an artist, who hung really enormous weights on his penis. As everyone knows, the Japanese are not too well equipped by nature but the whole thing was such a great draw and following the Alphaville Song the satire was compelling. There is nevertheless nothing more satisfying and interesting for an artist than to create friction, to polarize and to observe the many different reactions. In the case of ‘Messer' this goes from fear over embarrassment up to genuine pleasure. Reliably I also ask myself occasionally: What do I have to create a monster there for? But on the other hand one also giggles now and then quietly to oneself inside and is pleased about creating the small, black, dirty something."

So does this deliberate provocation together with negligently caused measured interpretation as the style, mean the deliberate breaking of taboos? And not only in the chorus of the debut single "Wollt ihr das Bett in flammen sehen?” at that time the name Rammstein was more of a battle cry than an elementary component one used in context. Till Lindemann: Federal-fright citizen. Enfant terrible. Gigolo of morbid Eroticism.

“….Her limbs soon pale-blue,
still shy breath of sunshine
whilst the lukewarm heavy hips, can I
also love her remains…” (“Tänzerin“ / “Dancer“)

“We/I do not put on a recommendation of a misunderstanding at any price, but on the other hand again and again it is very funny to observe how one excites oneself in this country again and what waves this band makes. Otherwise the tool of the provocation is today no longer as interesting for us as it was at time after the wall opened. At that time it was a case of being so bad, as provocative and demonstrative as possible; simply to do something new and far reaching in the German language. Today it concerns other things; the art and the total result are our first concern. On the other hand it is not appropriate for me to interpret my texts to any great length and to give the contents any certain direction. It is however; much more exciting for all, if the people themselves and not the artist can interpret their thoughts on art as pictures, texts as sculptures. I stated that many people were disappointed with the real importance of my lyrics, since they had already created their own pictures for themselves and my definitive explanation must have, apparently, been far more unspectacular than the fantasy. Rather some things should remain unspoken..."

The purposely made photos in “Messer” play an important role, showing Lindemann in unfamiliar pose amidst a whole army of unclothed shop window dolls as an androgynous outsider – supposedly a distant, superficial dark macho image of the muscle bound pyromaniac, on the hunt for female booty.

“The interpretation is in the relationship of poem/photo and in reverse completely free. It is a very interesting experiment to see how the aspect changes with the poems with the help of the photos, how many different variations are possible. There is no direct correlation between both art forms, but there is a little dialogue there if one wants it. The pictures definitely show another side of me, perhaps a little bit of me one didn’t know...",
But with a closer view abandons the individual who constitutes the true protagonist of Lindemann's work: The over sensitive, affection seeking and security needing eccentric, the discharged Freak, the sensitive dear slayer on the search for fulfilment - there are many descriptions of the role in his completely singular personality frame, potential misunderstandings always included.

© 2005 Sue Lindemann