Information
Date: April 2001
Source: WOM
Interviewed: Paul
Translator: English translation by Mikki
Interview
WOM:On the cover photo- are you all in formalin? Paul:No, that's water.
WOM:And why does no one other than the drummer, Schneider, have their eyes open? Paul:Because we are dead.
WOM:I see, & why are you dead?Paul:Because we are in formalin. Just kidding.
WOM:But the album isn't called "Death", it's called "Mutter." Paul:I thought "Mein Herz Brennt" would have been better but we wanted to keep w/ the one word tradition. "Mutter" is itself a bit dramatic which was reason enough for us.
WOM:Another tradition: always 11 songs on an album, are you an 11 song band? Paul:I preferred 10 songs on the album. This time we had 30 songs to choose from. Of the rest 10 got trashed, the others are either waiting good lyrics or will appear on the next album.
WOM:Earlier rammstein wasn't so diligent.Paul:We've changed w/ that. But now there's almost too much material. If you have 14 children, you can't wipe all their noses.
WOM:You prefer then a bit of an elaborate manner in production. Paul:Absolutely. From the beginning we've used machines. In the practice room we always play w/ the computer & for every change Flake or Schneider use the software. It takes time.
WOM:And ruins the spontanaity?Paul:Not really. In preparation of this album we also have, in fact, a couple classic songs, w/out the computer, fully composed. But generally, it's our destiny to use machines. We've done that from the beginning. We know how to do it.
WOM:Now also stadium-rock: "Ich Will", almost the perfect song to get the audience going.Paul:We wanted to make a song that only worked if people helped out. Unfortuanately the sing-along parts are not that great in that song. We had discussed the song a bit. To many people, it sounds shrill. Not to me. I enjoy the shrillness.
WOM:Sounds like being at camp. Paul:True. I donīt want to name the musicians , but theresīs a soulful camp, a more orderly camp, a more musical camp, a show defined camp. We try, as a band, to maneuver through it.
WOM:And so arose a few experiments w/ dance rhythms? Paul:Yes, we tried to insert some jungle elements. It's only partially successful for us which is why there's not alot of it on the album. Jungle is too light for a clumsy, stomping band like Rammstein.
WOM:Anyway, you finally openly confess where your hearts beat: "Links". Under the wallet.Paul:Exactly. A good answer to this irritating matter. We can't express it clearer than w/ this song. Anyone who still doesn't understand, or doesn't want to understand, there's no help for them.
WOM:Would you then play a festival like "Rock against Rock against Right?" Paul:What? Rock against what? Ok: "Rock against Rock" I would play. "Rock against Right" we would also attend, if we had time. Udo Lindenberg is a personal friend of Till's. Naturally he asked. Unfortunately we were on tour in Australia at the time.
WOM:New York, Rio, Tokyo- amazing feats for a band that in 1993 only had a dream, with THIS music, to be in "Bravo".Paul:That was only one of our dreams. My personal dream was that one day, w/ guitar in hand, board an airplane & play a stage you can only reach with the plane.
WOM:And with a music that doesn't fit between Phil Collins or No Angels.Paul:That part is astonishing. On the other hand, one can also say, it gives the world their need for extreme. It will always give something to people who want to annoy their parents.
WOM:Has metal in the heart & Micky Mouse in the mind.Paul:We're not a metal band. We use guitars & metal riffs, other than that, there's nothing to it. We've played Metal festivals for all the tattooed, tennis shoe wearing head bangers. As we come out w/ our plastic coats on the people mostly think "What do these fags want on OUR stage?" I guess.
WOM:Unfortunately my Mutter's best-before-date was smeared. How long is Rammstein good for? Paul:That is always the danger: If one knits in modern elements in their music, expiration is shorter. But w/ timeless elements the date is longer. We have both- in this respect we'll just have to wait & see.