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Rock Hard - French magazine October 2004.




The interviewer explained that Richard wanted to speak in English although Till always in German so they needed a translator so it wasn’t easy cause it was at the phone...

Rock Hard: Why has it been so long to write this album?
Till: We promoted 'Mutter' for two years, after that we had a break for two month before the "Reise Reise" writing...

RH: You recorded in Spain this time...
Till: We recorded 'Mutter' in France and you ask why we didn’t it again this time. We are always looking for a good climate and more the more time goes, the further south we had to go.
Usually when we go into studio it is all written, but this time it wasn’t the same so we wanted a wonderful environment and we found it in Spain.

RH: In our last interview with Richard and Christopher, they talked about the tensions in the band, did you felt it yourself?
Till: When you live in community as married people during more than ten years , when you come from ten different bands, when you are more with your "job colleagues" than your own family, what do you want?
We have been together for ten years now and when we are in turn it’s not like if we worked in an office and that the evening we could find again our families.
Some quarrels happened in studio naturally and I don’t speak about Tour-bus, there are some violent discussions to decide who will have the high berth and the biggest cupboard (cynical laughs). Seriously there was in rehearsal room some quarrels about contribution parts and commitment of each one in the band. And after ten years we know well what irritates the other so when someone wants to do his "pig head" he knows how to overexcite his victim. This are nice little game.
In the Richard case, he is a workaholic and he loved to do all himself, and it didn't sit well with the other But our advantage is that we are ex-East Berliner and we have been educated in the collectivite principle and unconsciously we are always united to be only one, we talk a lot that is like a therapy. I think we go by more discussions than music.

RH: We know that the lyrics are 100% from you but what is your real part in the composition?
Till: The more interesting part for me is the lyric writing. But it is normal that I play a part in music, my lyrics have to adapt themselves in. It happens that the five others find a riff good but if I’m not in agreement I explain my point of view.

RH: R+ is a collective band but for the most of the fans you are the leader.
Till: The singer is often seen like that, but I only know to sing...we are like workers of a building site, each one have his role. As a proof we share all ours profits.

RH: After your last concert in France you were in a bad humor and you were fed up to be in R+.
Till: I remember this concert. We were very tired, but the show and the atmosphere were magnificent. You have to know that before to do this room we did only concerts in small clubs. We went from small lovely rooms to a big top. And we had problem with pyrotechnic, they didn’t accept it although all was ok on the paper. I was very in hanger because of that but the audience was wonderful.
RH: You are said very shy. Is it always so painful for you to go up on stage?
Till: yes. "painful" isn’t exaggerated. But now, things are better, I use to the stage. But I’m always the stage fright that I hate but that happens less and less. But when I play in little clubs I feel like the victim of voyeurs because the audience is so close that you can see them watching you from the feet to the head.

RH: Could you describe the Till Lindemann as we don’t know, the one in back stage.
Till: that something private and hard to say, a subject I don’t want to talk about. It is not my character to talk about me. To know more about, you should ask the question to my ex-four-wife and I doubt they would say good things about me. I would prefer you ask to my friends and they would be positive about me, so it is very subjective...

RH: Your daughter is now teenage, how does she see his father?
Till: Our relationship has changed with time and now we are more friends than father-daughter. We have regularly vacations together and this year we went to Costa Rica. And I think she loves me because I succeed to get backstage passes for her friends.

RH: Your texts aren’t cheerful, are you yourself someone dark and pessimist?
Till: My texts are dark but not pessimist, on the other hand I’m someone pessimist...



RH: You wrote a book "Messer" in Germany...
Till: Yes, I really would like it translated in other languages. Unfortunately I’m very demanding and I’ve no time to look for a Translator of German Literature . If one of your reader is interested in, he can introduce himself...

RH: Some German people find your texts debatable and that they are ridiculous and naïves...
Till: Each one is free to have his own opinion, that is not a problem for me. We are now sure of us for not to be interested in criticizes...

RH: What are you doing with pyrotechnic? We have use to not waiting for R+ where we expect them, do you go to stop it?
Till: No. We don’t want it and if we wanted it that would be impossible cause it’s a part of Rammstein. It is like "Kiss" without the make-up. Some songs need this effects, we are sure about. In the other hand we know that we have to find something new, more and more bands use pyrotechnic and we want to distinguish ourselves from them. Some new bands use effects that we used at our beginnings. So today we are old fashion.

RH: We listened six tracks from "Reise Reise" I find that it is a come back to "Herzeleid" instead of a "Mutter" continuity...
Till: Thank you, I consider that as a compliment, it’s very nice. Some other people who listened it don’t think the same. In fact, I find "Reise Reise" like a modern "Herzeleid".

RH: Talk to us about this ambiguous track "Amerika"...
Till: Why "ambiguous"? It is not an attack but an observation, the USA and the English language are today too much forced, I think it is a song for all the European countries that they let themselves go and submit themselves to the American culture way of life. The traditions, the languages, the knowledge of the old continent are enough rich. I remember at the Mitterand’s time ( the ex- French president), if I’m not wrong, there was a real refusal of the Americanization of the French vocabulary. The knowledge identity (l’identité culturelle) of each European counties are enough strong for not let themselves go. There are some extraordinary things which come from USA but I remember about carnivals in which I took part when I was child, today it’s Halloween and I have to cut pumpkin for my daughter. I hate that. It is not my way of life, my land history culture. Can I ask you something? Why you French did you accept to build a Disney Park in Paris?
RH: for money...
Till: yes, it is unfortunately a good reason. But I consider that we have never to sell themselves. You had to build an island in the Atlantic but not to let Mickey going into your land. Soon he will colonize your vines, it would be horrible.

RH: You seem to be attached to France cause you have named your daughter Marie-Louise...
Till: Yes I love very much France, and for several reasons: the language is absolutely beautiful. I love your attitude when we speak to you (the French) in English you don’t answer, that’s a good point, in the other hand, if we try to speak in a bad French, you become absolutely charming

On "Reise Reise" there’s a song called "Amour" and I wanted to include the verses "amour d’une sauvage creature" ( love of the wild creature) I wanted to added French but the other wasn’t agree. To end with France, I don’t prefer to talk about women because I couldn’t and I wouldn’t want stop to talk about them ...


RH: You have to be surprise when you see the audience singing all your songs in German!
Till: Surprised and happy, cause I know French are intransigent, they like or they don’t like.

RH: a question about Foot
Till: But he said that he hates football but he said something nice about French team and that he supports the Republic Tchec team.

RH: one last word?
Till: hello to the readers of the magazine " Au revoir, merci beaucoup, vive la France" (all in French)


The interview with Till took place on June 24th 2004 and the Richard’s one the August 11th.

Although prisoner by an intrusive management, Richard Z K B haven’t use to be waffle.
He gave us the secrets of the featuring shows,...and like Till his love for France!

RH: In our last interview you wanted to talk more about inside band problems than music...
Richard: Yes I remember it well, it was very intense cause it was the first time I wanted to talk about this problems so openly to a journalist. Besides, have you seen the Metallica’s fim?
RH: Yes..
Richard: It is impressive, no? I was very disturbing, seeing it I realize that we find the same problems in all the famous bands, this craps about ego that you have to overcome to continue.
I’m near to say that it is a naturalist documentary, you need a real courage to exhibit the inside truth of a band...The formation life and the inside rivalry are stupid, no? At the same time I think they are necessary...

RH: Have you think about a therapist like Metallica?
Richard: I’ve thought about, but we had chance to overcome this problem by ourselves, without anybody except our manager whom is a real friend.

RH: And you producer Jacob Hellner...
Richard: No. He is important for our musical reconstruction and cohesion, but for personnel relationship I don’t recommend him to anybody...(laughs)

RH: the new album now, and the new iconography, you realize pictures that remember the Michael Douglas film "Chute libre" (Free fall?)...
Richard: Yes it is that movie that inspired us. We said ourselves that it was a good way to change our passed picture it is nothing like the band has been shown in the past. At the beginning, I found this pictures ugly but in their context and with the film, I’m finally very satisfied. In the other hand I don’t know if they will compose the mean art work of "Reise Reise". Yes because the last week we realize the video clip for "Amerika"....we play on the moon,(ect...) at the same time that suits with the idea of travel ...The problem with this realized pictures is that we are not sure that we will like them, they will be realized by a Spanish photographer, he made cliché very "arty" but...it is an interrogation for us because we didn’t expect that.

RH: How many tracks did you recorded and how many will be on the album?
Richard: We recorded 13 tracks but all won’t be on the disc cause we don’t want a too long album, the long time disc time is old fashion...The time accelerates the rhythm of the things and nobody have leisure to listen 70 minutes of music and if someone have time to do it he will be fed up after 50 minutes. 11 songs are enough to make a good album...and two of the recorded songs have no lyrics so we will use them maybe the next time...


RH: "Mein Teil" is n° 2 in German charts. It’s great but at the same time I imagine that you expected to be n° 1...
Richard: Honestly with this track I didn’t expect anything! It is not my preferred one and his subject is delicate. So we didn’t know that to expect. To be n° 2 is a good surprise. I think that n° 1 would have been too much! It is not an easy single, it is provocative and really not commercial.

RH: Commercial, no but effective, yes! Since "Herzeleid" you didn’t realize a so much aggressive track, such the bridge of the song and its famous "Denn Du bist was Du isst"!
Richard: "Mein teil" is definitely the most hard and dark track of our songs. We explored a lot of directions in our carrier and indeed this track is really "bad". And to know if it looks like "Herzeleid" time...

RH: On the "Mein Teil" single there is a Pit Shop Boys remix, it is very "Tanz metal" though with "Mutter" you seemed to want to distinguish yourselves from this style. Do you prefer now to let free the artists who remix you?
Richard: (Laugh) Honestly, I don’t know what the Pet Shop Boys wanted to do with this track, we didn’t get involved in their work. I think they know the old R+ and they wanted to go in this direction.

RH: You don’t have your word to say in the remix?
Richard: Yes, sure. We always make requests but it’s always the same they haven’t time, don’t like our music, or I don’t know what... But I want to be honest. I don’t mind about remixes. On 20 tracks remixed I only like one. I prefer to work in a different way for example giving the track to members of a chorus and they manage with it. The "bum bum" remixes begin to bore me......

RH: Is it true that "Mein Teil" was only destined to the German market?
Richard: Yes that’s true but the English Record House was cracking up* and ask to us to make an international version. That has surprised us overall from England! I think the single market doesn’t exist anywhere anymore if it has existed, maybe in Germany, what’s why we wanted at the beginning only to deal "Mein Teil" in Germany.

RH: The "Mein Teil" video has been censored on German channels. Is it because of images or lyrics?
Richard: In fact it wasn’t censored but it can only be shown after 23h00=11pm and that’s because of the images. In Germany, there are big problems about sexuality on TV and they didn’t enjoy when Till receives oral sex from an angel which he eats after. We have to take off this passage but that don’t choc us cause it is not an important shot in the video.

RH: What is the exact translation for "Mein Teil"?
Richard: I would say my "tool".

RH: Have you see the English Mercedes advertising which use "Mein Herz brennt"?
Richard: Oh my god what advertising! I don’t talk about the fact that there is "Mein H b" but about movie, it is incredible! I’ve only seen it on Internet http://www.beam.tv/beamreels/reel_player.php?gSdfxyzbbc or http://www.mercedes-benz.com/ but it is amazed. To see this cloud in computer-generated images fighting above desert it is astounding. We are proud to have been chosen. For a German advertising that wouldn’t be possible because the music is too hard and we make Germany afraid yet. The English are more open minded and have a good sense of humor. Humor comes from the trust inside us that is why Germans haven’t sense of humor...

RH: We won’t see you on stage in France this year...
Richard: Nothing is definite for concerts and I assure you that we will play in England and in France. For the moment the dates are the ones planned before Christmas, the time we have a break. But we will return in tour to end February. For France we don’t know what to do again, we hesitate between one Bercy or two Zénith following the availability of the rooms.

RH: I imagine, for a band like you, it is hard to book a room because you have to precise the detail of the pyrotechnic and if I understand well, nothing is definite yet.
Richard: Yes, we begin to be pushed for time! (laughs) But we have a few ideas! Some simple thing like to put the Schneider’s drum on the front of the stage and we all stand back. For the "scenography" (image of scene) we would like that the scenery present a site where a plane has just been crashed. It wouldn’t be bad for a album called "Reise Reise" (he says that without laugh). But it is just an idea, all can change on next week.
RH: You have to be more and more original, cause many German bands, In Extremo for example, begin to catch you up in pyrotechnic...
Richard: (irritated) Yes, I know. But it means that R+ isn’t a so bad band. There is the Original and the copies. I know the "In Extremo" singer he is someone nice but I don’t like their music.

RH: The second single will be "Amerika". Will it be dealt in USA? And if yes how do you think the Americans will react?
Richard: Honestly except New York and Los Angeles the people will take it as anti-American (silly laughs) Each time I mad some American friends listen this song, they laugh. But I live in New York which is not USA!

RH: It is daring to take out a single like that in an anti-Americanism time and tow month before the elections.
Richard: We can’t do anything if people don’t understand what we mean! World is not all black or all white. There are some interesting things from USA some others not. Sometime they are marvelous sometime they are a pain in the ass* ("ils sont à chié" sorry but there is not an exact translation in my dictionary).

RH: It’s provocation...
Richard: Maybe. But it is subjective, that is provocative for you, won’t be for me maybe. I don’t find provocative saying "we’re all living in Amerika" . But I may be abnormal...This song is humoristic and I think everybody, except Americans, will laugh listening it. We want finally to show that the Germans have a bit humor!

RH: The R+ structure seems to play defensively and your disc house says that it is hard to work with you. As proof we only listened six tracks of the album! Your manager don’t go too far?
Richard: (Laughs) I understand Emu. We’re living a hard time for artists. A few day ago I was to the première of "I Robot" (bad besides), there were thirty people with "jumelles infra rouge" (special thing to see in the darkness). I didn’t understand what’s happening. Were they making a pirate copy? No they were trying to see the ones who could do it. It is not paranoia because if you walk in New York, two days after the movie’s release,, you can find the DVD copy, bad quality, but with a nice jacket...
I understand that some people hold it against Emu, but he does his best to protect us. It’s his job. But it is not so hard to work with us, the six members of the band traveled across the Europe for two weeks to give a full of good interviews.

RH: What’s happened with http://www.rammsteinfan.de/ .....
Richard: He showed wrong tour dates and that could have be a disaster for us and for fans...
....(the rest you know...)bla bla bla...

RH: Till said to us a few days ago, that he loves so much France...
Richard: The same for me! That’s funny because I live in New York for four years now and my friend is a French, his name is Arnaud Giroux, he is Axel Bauer’s bassist. I work with him on my solo project. That I love over all in France, it’s French girls, they are irresistible when they speak in English with their French accent. The last time we play in France I met an absolute nice girl, I spoke a long time with her, her phrase was delicious. Her name is Lina, I’m trying to have again contact with her, but she changed her telephone number, if she is interested in speaking again with me she can contact your magazine!

© 2005 Richiebaby