Black Shades and White Spots
Part 1
Torrie: This year Dreadful Shadows celebrate 20 years anniversary! And you’re now working on a new material. Is it connected with the anniversary? Do you celebrate it anyway?
Sven: No. (laughs) Actually I didn’t think about it… But maybe it’s because in 93 we formed a group, and I think for me it will be 2014, because in 94 the first album was released, so for me it will be next year, but anyway, you’re right! It was actually in 93.
Torrie: And besides it is stated in your history on your official site.
Sven: Ah, really. (the company laughs) Yeah, it’s true! But also I think after 5 years you shouldn’t really… (laughs) I mean, 20 years sounds really… old…
Torrie: Mature!
Sven: Yes!
Torrie: In summer I got to know that in fact the idea to revive Dreadful Shadows belonged not to you as a logical centre of it all, but to some of the musicians… Who is right and how did it all happen?
Sven: Actually I really don’t know, it was like we were talking and we’d been playing shows again since 2007, then after a while it just came up, that maybe we could work on new material.
Torrie: Our people in the community decided that you might not like Dreadful Shadows anymore.
Sven: Oh, they decided! (laughs)
Torrie: They probably based it on some rumors, some quotations… But they decided that you were made to work against your own free will, that they caught you in chains… and made you write a song, another song…
Sven: (laughs) No, I think that wouldn’t work.
Torrie: Chains wouldn’t work?
Sven: No! (the company bursts out laughing) No, of course it’s a decision of all of us, it’s also my decision, for me personally, to be a part of this band. But we all have less time than 20 years ago. That’s the main problem.
Torrie: Can you agree that by the present moment Solar Fake has become your leading project, or can you call a leading project every project you are working on?
Sven: It always depends. If I’m working on Solar Fake material, this is my primary thing, and while we’re working on Dreadful Shadows songs or on Zeraphine songs, this changes all the time. It’s not like one major project, it’s having them all parallel.
Torrie: When Zeraphine appeared, it was called “a new musical family”, but now you have Dreadful Shadows as well, so are they two musical families, or just one big musical family including all the people, including Frank?
Sven: No! (A loud laughter breaks out) It’s really different. It’s really very separated.
Torrie: But still, for example, we saw Frank at the Zeraphine concert in Klaffenbach.
Sven: Yeah, he likes Dreadful Shadows and Zeraphine very much, so he is…
Torrie: …a good boy.
Sven: Yeah (laughs) I think, actually we met at a Zeraphine concert for the first time, so… No, I don’t think that it’s really one big thing, it’s two.
Torrie: There is one strange track on the “Apology” CD. We decided, it might be a hidden track, because it’s stated that it has Andre’s vocals there. And no one can prove it anyhow, because the CD is an absolute rarity.
Sven: It was like this. On our last lour with Dreadful Shadows we made some coverversions, and the result of this was the Apology thing. And Andre was singing one song, I think it was “Wonderwall” by Oasis, and we recorded it for “Apology”, but then after everything was made and the artwork was done Andre didn’t want this song to be released, so we had to take the track off the CD but we couldn’t take it off the artwork completely. We tried, but I think there is still written that Andre sang some parts… It’s just the rest of this removed track, so that’s the story. So, nothing…
Torrie: Nothing really special?
Sven: Nothing to be heard (laughs)
Norman: A nice trick for the fans!
(a wave of laughter)
Torrie: How do you switch projects when, for example, you have to do various performances in short period of time, like (clicks fingers) today I’m Solar Fake (clicks again) today I’m in Dreadful Shadows.
Sven: Oh, it’s very easy.
Norman: Doesn’t work! (laughs)
Sven: Doesn’t work! (laughs too) No, it’s just easy, you just have papers on the floor with the lyrics written on, so really it’s no problem. One time, I think it was two years ago, we played with Zeraphine and Dreadful Shadows on one event in Berlin, it was really special. But two years ago also at Amphi Festival, these were separate dates, but anyway. So… it works!
Torrie: Do you believe that stage, giving performances is a necessity for a musician? Or is it just going from the inside of you? So you have a will to perform… Because somebody doesn’t, for example, :wumpscut:.
Sven: This is the only act I know who is not willing to perform, I think. Yeah, of course, for us it’s always fun and for me, at least, it’s always fun. I mean, otherwise we wouldn’t really do it (laughs) Because it’s very stressful, sometimes it’s very boring, because you have to wait so long between the soundcheck and the show.
Torrie: And besides I remember your messages about being nervous, at the point of nervous breakdown. Does it still feel the same as 10 years ago, for example?
Sven: Yeah, sure. But it’s just because it’s really good to do this, it still feels good.
Torrie: A nice question to go! If we look at the stage from another point of view: have you ever wanted to do… stage-diving?
(a roar of laughter)
Sven: No!
Norman: If people remove first… No, no.
Torrie: Because the audience might drop you down, or you might look silly… or you just don’t want anyone to touch you?
Sven: (laughs out loud) Hmm… No… No, it’s just… This is poser shit, you know.
(a new roar of laughter)
Sven: No, I think this is really silly. Don’t like this. Don’t like it, don’t like to see it when others do it. Have you seen the film “School of Rock”? I think, this is a very good view on this silliness, stage-diving *laughs*I think what is cool, was this Rammstein thing with this boat.
Torrie: I remember your promo photos for “Kalte Sonne”, and there was one shot where the band seemed performing. So did you really make a video?
Sven: We didn’t make a video, but we were performing there. It was really without sound… It was in an old swimming pool. But we set up everything; we really played a song while the photographer took pictures. But no videoclip, unfortunately! We should have done this, but it was still time, when videoclips were really expensive. It was the first album with this record company, and they… I don’t know, I think they just wanted to wait a little how it develops… if they wanna spend money on a videoclip.
Torrie: But you could have made something… home-made like anything. (grins)
Sven: Yeah… we could have (laughs)
Torrie: Another white spot about Zeraphine is in “Whiteout”. In the DVD-section, when you come and do some silly things making the audience switch something or do something, everyone is present except Marcellus. Why?
Norman: (laughs) Because when we did this video recording, I think he had to go, we did it at the end of the video recording, and Marcellus had to go, so he isn’t there.
Sven: Yeah, he had to leave earlier, and then we thought about filming this for the DVD-menu, so it was a spontaneous idea, and he was already gone!
Torrie: In the latest “Orkus” you tell us some “lost places” in Berlin and you won’t name them as soon as you have some plans about making a video there…
Sven: Yeah, sure!
Torrie: Probably for a new Dreadful Shadows album, or?
Sven: Whatever?
(the whole company is laughing)
Torrie: Bear in mind that we are waiting!
Sven: Yeah, yeah! (laughs) I think there are a lot of very interesting places which are really unknown like old factories and stuff like that.
Torrie: Our community thought of the idea of making a videoclip exactly according to the lyrics, to the storyline of the lyrics. I think it is impossible, because the lyrics are quite abstract.
Sven: Yes, always. As for me a videoclip is better when it’s not connected with the lyrics, but if it’s on another level connected, if you get another point of view maybe.
Torrie: Do you still write in a forest, or in nature like before?
Sven: It depends, yeah.
Torrie: Or did you get used to writing in any place, anything, anywhere, anyhow?
Sven: Mh, yeah, meanwhile I can also write somewhere else. The only thing is I have to be alone.
Torrie: But still nature is preferable.
Sven: Yes, definitely, because you can really fade out everything else.
Torrie: And do you right by hand, or at the computer?
Sven: No, no, no, I write by hand! Because it’s a special feeling…
Torrie: When writing a song and when finishing it, how hard it is to accept the project, the song when it is done? So when it doesn’t need anything like changing or rewriting…
Sven: Meanwhile it’s very good (laughs) I think, in the earlier years I had more problems with that, with the thing like: Now, the work is over, this is done. I feel more comfortable when I can say: Ok, well this song is in the bank! It feels much better now. Even if it feels always good…
Torrie: Because people will like it anyway?
Sven: (readily) No, no, no, no, no. But I think over the years I have learned that you can always change like very small things and tiny bits of a song, but I see when I make like five versions of one song, and then two weeks later I listen to all of them, I don’t hear any difference.
(Norman laughs)
Sven: So it really doesn’t make, you know… difference. It’s just because you’re focused on something very extremely at that moment and then you say: (speaks in a lowered voice) Well, this line is really too loud and you should, you know, like get it a little lower, or I don’t hear this, and stuff like that. You know, in the end you hear everything, and it’s cool and you have five more or less identical versions. (grins)
Torrie: The book “Your Hell Is Here” by Christian Ruhm includes your lyrics from 2002 up to 2011. And why didn’t you include the Dreadful Shadows lyrics there?
Sven: Because we wanted to keep the Dreadful Shadows things out of this book, because Christian had already planned this Dreadful Shadows book. So he had it in mind and so we said: Ok, let’s keep Dreadful Shadows out.
Torrie: By the way, the new poster looks very much like his style. This picture, I mean.
Sven: Mh. Yeah, it’s from Christian as well. I think it’s actually from the Solar Fake photos, because we haven’t had any new anyway (laughs)
Norman: (looking at the poster) What is X?
Sven: X? Was ist doch X?
Torrie: I found the same X on the Still CD, I mean, the disc itself.
Sven: Really? (laughter breaks out)
Torrie: Probably it is the mark of “zerArt”…
Sven: Yes! This is it! (laughs again) Very good! A very good explanation, perfect (grins)
Torrie: Because your official site for “zerArt” has the same X!
Sven: Yeah, it’s very old… But I like X. Plus would be also fine, but X is better.
(a new wave of laughter)
Torrie: Dreadful Shadows lyrics have especially concrete images, and some people even find there some implications from the Bible. Did you really use any images from there?
Sven: No. Actually it could only be an accident, because I’m never very much into the Bible.
Torrie: I read one review, and it was stated there: the line “I remember I was standing on a deep blue sea”— it’s like a Jesus exactly, so the author tried to find out the connection between the image and the lyrics… and he failed.
Sven: Yes. It really has nothing to do with that, absolutely. I never wanted it, because Zeraphine are… you know, oh don’t know it in English… alttestamentarische creatures (laughs) It’s always very difficult… all this religious stuff, I’m really not into that, I think… respect that when someone is, but I’m not. I also don’t use it intentionally. So when there is a parallel, in some way, then it’s really accidental.
Torrie: This book “Tour Hell Is Here” also states that you have studied English philology. As far as I remember, you studied at some musical college. Did you study philology there?
Sven: No, in Germany earlier you had to have… one Hauptfach (laughs) and zwei Nebenfächer. So you had to study tree directions, three different subjects whatever.
Torrie: So the primary subject was composition?
Sven: Was music, musicology actually. And I also studied English and… Welsh!
Torrie: Welsh?! Great.
Sven: I can’t speak it anymore, I think. It’s all away…
Torrie: At our very first meeting in Moscow you told me that you had analyzed some songs from Deine Lakaien. Do you want your music or lyrics to be analyzed like this or just in some other way?
Sven: I have more analyzed the music, not the lyrics, I never really analyze the lyrics of bands because I’m not a real fan of analyzing words. I’m more into analyzing music, how is something done, and how the lyrics feel together with the music, so… this is what I prefer, I don’t take out the lyrics and then look at them, so it’s just only combined with the music. It’s very interesting.
Torrie: Do you consider yourself a good teacher?
Sven: No. I’m not patient; I don’t know if I can explain something, I don’t know… I don’t think so.
Torrie: Have you ever tried?
Sven: Yeah, I was a guitar teacher actually for a couple of years, and the results were… (laughs out loud) Hm… I don’t know. I needed money, so…
Torrie: You could deliver lectures at some university, for example…
Sven: I don’t think so… I don’t think so, no. I think it’s really hard to prepare for something like that.
Torrie: All right. You don’t teach, but you mentioned that you were interested in science, so in what branch of it?
Sven: In general. What I really find fascinating is that scientists can have a very separated view or an extreme focus on one thing forgetting everything around. This is what I would like to have (laughs)
Torrie: Do you make some experiments, or do research?
Sven: No, no, no, I think I’m very untalented in this… It fascinates me how people can find out or invent things.
Torrie: I think I understand this phenomenon, because one is always fascinated by something he can’t possess or can’t do…
Sven: Yes. I think most scientists I know or I’ve heard of are really unable for any social aspect in life. So they just see one thing and forget everything around. It’s really strange. I would call it ‘ignorant’ (laughter breaks out) extremely! But I think it’s good, because if you weren’t ignorant— I don’t mean very negative, but if you weren’t, you wouldn’t have these thoughts that you need to find out new things! So this is what I find really fascinating. But it’s not a special branch, it’s more in general, because I’m really… absolutely… zero (laughs)
Torrie: You were asked once if you would like to write a book about yourself…
Sven: What did I say? (laughs out loud)
Torrie: You said: Maybe later! Actually my question is: would you like to have a book written about you by someone else? Probably about your musical biography, the history of the three bands… This phenomenon can be found about the great bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode… Maybe sometimes it is worth having such an encyclopedia.
Sven: I don’t know, I think the problem is that I don’t find myself interesting enough to fill the book with just me, you know (laughs)
Torrie: I mean you because still as I have already said you are the logical centre of it all as a singer and as a frontman. But of course it will be about all the people involved.
Sven: Hm… sure.
(Caspar appears to bring some mess searching for his top hat)
Torrie: Do you know about such a genre of writing as fanfiction?
Sven: No. (laughs)
Torrie: Ok, it’s worth telling. Fanfiction relates to prose, mostly short stories written by fans about their favourite people from some musical bands, or films, or books, and in fact they create new characters possessing the name, the appearance, the musical biography, and they create new storylines with such characters. For example, there can be found a lot of fanfiction about Harry Potter and other great phenomena. Sometimes and more often such fanfiction involves sexual relationships and even homosexual relationships… How do you see this? Would you like to read anything about you and your projects in such a way? (grins)
Sven: (giggles) Actually I haven’t read anything yet, so… I don’t know, why not? I think it would be interesting to read, definitely, but I haven’t found anything so far. But I wasn’t looking for, actually.
Torrie: I’m asking because I know some authors who write this way.
Sven: Ah.
Torrie: About you!
Sven: Oh, about me! Good. In Russian?
Torrie: Yes. But there are still in German, probably in some other languages, but we didn’t find.
Sven: Okay (laughs)
Torrie: I’m not a fan either! But still I looked some of them through and one of the most popular female characters is… Louisa.
Sven: Oh, really! Yeah, sure, makes sense.
Torrie: So they create a character named Sven and a character named Louisa and they make them date, become friends, lovers, and so on.
Sven: Okay, cool (smiles)
Torrie: Well, fans are fans and they are different, and generally speaking musicians call them different names, when they address to them. For example, the Placebo world calls them ‘soulmates’, HIM community has ‘darlings’, IAMX has ‘beauties’. Have you ever thought about your terminology?
Sven: No! Actually I think it’s a pity we don’t have any word! (laughs) Any special word…
Torrie: There is one word, but it can’t be applied to everyone, because “Shadowplayer” is a person connected to the fanclub.
Sven: Yeah, that’s the word for the fanclub members. So it’s all the fans of these bands. But it’s not a very nice word, I mean, not as nice as ‘darlings’ (laughs out loud) Anyway. But maybe we should think about this. Yeah, will be good.
Torrie: I think it’s too late… (laughs)
Sven: Yeah, maybe (grins)
Torrie: It’s always interesting to collect opinions about colours. Some people worry that you are always dressed in black and white…
Sven: Why do they worry? (laughs) There’s nothing to worry about.
Torrie: Because other colours could suit you well!
Sven: Gray, maybe. Sometimes I wear grey too. But very rarely.
Torrie: What about dark red or dark green? (smiles)
Sven: No, no, no… I don’t wear anything like that… Do you have other proof?
Torrie: Yes, our people made some photoshop specially for this occasion! Because they hoped it could bring you to a new way of dressing, probably. A naïve way to think but still… I promised and I will try. (shows pictures)
Sven: Oh! Okay (laughs)
Torrie: So, it’s good!
Sven: Yeah, might be good! But I’m so used to wear black that I think it would make me really nervous to have a colour on me. I’m most comfortable in black.
(Lars comes in to announce that the venue is completely full)
Torrie: What colours would you associate with your musical projects? For example, Dreadful Shadows is one colour or a combination of colours, Zeraphine is another combination, Solar Fake is just another one…
Sven: I only have a colour association with Solar Fake and this is greenish and bluish grey. And this is how all the artwork is made: it’s always black, white and greenish and bluish grays, so this is really connected to this. For all the other bands I don’t really have a special colour connection, because it’s too colourful for me. So it’s like all the colours, actually mostly it’s always the colour of the album artwork. Kalte Sonne for me is completely bluish, and Still is black and red, and The Cycle is orange… This really always depends.
Torrie: And that’s how the artwork works…
Sven: Yeah, maybe. Sometimes it shows up in this progress of creating the artwork, so… sometimes I don’t have it in mind before, talking about or working on the artwork, and it’s just coming up. So, in this process… or this progress… whatever. (can’t help laughing)