Here is the link: http://www.maffin.ru/english/articles/paper-02.htm
Great interview...really liked this one.
Rammstein front man Till Lindemann:
“Cannibalism is the dark side of love”.
30.06.2004. Izvestiya. Anton Pomeschikov.
German band Rammstein finished their work at the new album in Berlin. The Muscovites will hear it this autumn. And their concert tour in Moscow and St-Petersburg is planned for November. The observer of “Izvestiya” Anton Pomeschikov interviewed Till Lindemann, the front man of the band about what listeners can expect from the next album, about cannibalism, Zemfira and the Klichko brothers.
AP: Your show in Moscow was cancelled at the last moment. What did you feel then? And how do you view the fact that you are still suspected of Nazi propaganda?
TILL: I do not think that Moscow authorities cancelled our concert last year because of this. As you can remember shortly before our upcoming concert football fans caused troubles in the center of Moscow. The streets were disturbed, people broke vitrines and windows. Evidently your authorities thought it wise to wait with mass actions. And our concerts are like big shows. That is why it was cancelled. We were very disappointed because we were looking forward to it and it took us long to get ready for it. It is always a great pleasure to perform in Moscow. The thing is that public is very unusual here. Your temperament is close to Mexican. When I came out with the Russian flag for the last time everyone started to scream the way I never heard before!
AP: Did you manage to mix with Russian musicians?
TILL: We are on friendly terms with your band “Aria” now. And I personally respect a lot, no, I admire Vysotskij
AP: Are you planning a project with “Aria”?
TILL: No. It is a very interesting idea but it is hardly realizable. We are always on the road. But I heard several of their songs. I like “Wind in the Night” a lot.
AP: A CD where your songs were mixed with the songs of Russian singer Zemfira came out illegally in Russia. Did you hear it?
TILL: Yes, I heard it and I think it was a good idea. It was a very interesting cutting and several moves even startled me. We would never hit upon it.
AP: Your shows are always followed by fireworks. What aroused this strong love for fire?
TILL: The thing is that fire catches your eye at once and attracts your attention. Fire can be compared to a woman: you can love her but you can also hate her, because you always risk to get burnt both with a woman and with fire.
AP: How long have you been feeling this love for fire?
TILL: I can say that we are fire fans with a record. All children like to make bonfires and different bombs. Once my friends and I burnt a whole forest plot because we wanted to get rid of snakes that lived there. My father gave me a good going-over which I will remember forever.
AP: How do your parents take your music?
TILL: My father is no longer with us and my mother is very proud of me.
AP: Let’s pass on to your new CD. When will it appear and is there anything unusual about it?
TILL: If there are no delays, the album will come out in the middle of September. Our new album is a continuation of the last one called “Mutter” (“Mother”). I mean there will be many melodies but I think that our guitars have become harder. But on the whole musical instruments went to the middle ground. The vocal came to the fore. For the first time we used choir and symphony orchestra also took part in recording.
AP: What music influenced Rammstein?
TILL: We try to avoid any influence if possible. We try to listen to ourselves to get something unique finally.
AP: Are there any songs that you wish you composed by yourself?
TILL: I like music by Trent Reznor and “Nine Inch Nails” and I would also like to have composed “Diana” by “Therapy?”.
AP: Let’s get back to the album. The first single is the song “Mein Teil” which is dedicated to cannibalism. How did you take that awful and incredible story that happened in Germany last year? A man ate another one alive by parts.
TILL: I suppose it is not that awful. The thing that happened is so strange and so much beyond everyone’s comprehension that it is not taken as a crime. It is something very exceptional! It was just a must to react somehow, so we wrote this song. You know that the cannibal ate the man because he loved him and wanted the man to stay inside him, don’t you? For us this story has become a demonstration of the dark side of love. And everything dark has always attracted people.
AP: Another interesting tandem formed while you were working at your new album. Pet Shop Boys made a remix on the song about cannibals. Frankly speaking, it is hard to imagine your bands together...
TILL: We are the children of the eighties. Pet Shop Boys were our idols when we were teenagers. When we asked them to make a remix we were first a bit afraid because we were not sure if they liked our music. But they made a great composition. It is called “You are what you eat”.
AP: A composition named “Dalai Lama” is listed among the songs of the album. Is it also a provocative song?
TILL: Unfortunately I cannot answer this question. Otherwise it will not be a surprise and I would not like to reveal all our ideas before the album comes out. It is a pleasure for us when people get surprised at our songs.
AP: Does provocation mean a lot in what you create?
TILL: We are always searching for new turns to tell about the dark side of love and we manage to find them. It may look provocative but as a matter of fact we have never intended to provoke anyone as I think about it now. We do not need provocation to attract attention if that was what you meant. We are good without it.
AP: What has shocked you recently to such an extent that made your mouth form an O?
TILL: Definitely it was the eleventh of September.
AP: Well, then I will ask you a question to the point. Why did not you write a song about it?
TILL: The thing is that this story is very ambiguous. Sometimes it is better to say nothing about some things because you can hurt someone.
AP: Are there many taboo topics for Rammstein?
TILL: Our own censors are our family and friends. Sometimes we have no idea about how the public will take what we do. If we have such doubts we consult our friends and relatives.
AP: Your hit “Sonne” was written especially for the Klichko brothers. Do you know them personally?
TILL: Unfortunately we had no chance to meet them yet. But we follow their ups and downs. We like them a lot. They are real fighters.
Great interview...really liked this one.
Rammstein front man Till Lindemann:
“Cannibalism is the dark side of love”.
30.06.2004. Izvestiya. Anton Pomeschikov.
German band Rammstein finished their work at the new album in Berlin. The Muscovites will hear it this autumn. And their concert tour in Moscow and St-Petersburg is planned for November. The observer of “Izvestiya” Anton Pomeschikov interviewed Till Lindemann, the front man of the band about what listeners can expect from the next album, about cannibalism, Zemfira and the Klichko brothers.
AP: Your show in Moscow was cancelled at the last moment. What did you feel then? And how do you view the fact that you are still suspected of Nazi propaganda?
TILL: I do not think that Moscow authorities cancelled our concert last year because of this. As you can remember shortly before our upcoming concert football fans caused troubles in the center of Moscow. The streets were disturbed, people broke vitrines and windows. Evidently your authorities thought it wise to wait with mass actions. And our concerts are like big shows. That is why it was cancelled. We were very disappointed because we were looking forward to it and it took us long to get ready for it. It is always a great pleasure to perform in Moscow. The thing is that public is very unusual here. Your temperament is close to Mexican. When I came out with the Russian flag for the last time everyone started to scream the way I never heard before!
AP: Did you manage to mix with Russian musicians?
TILL: We are on friendly terms with your band “Aria” now. And I personally respect a lot, no, I admire Vysotskij
AP: Are you planning a project with “Aria”?
TILL: No. It is a very interesting idea but it is hardly realizable. We are always on the road. But I heard several of their songs. I like “Wind in the Night” a lot.
AP: A CD where your songs were mixed with the songs of Russian singer Zemfira came out illegally in Russia. Did you hear it?
TILL: Yes, I heard it and I think it was a good idea. It was a very interesting cutting and several moves even startled me. We would never hit upon it.
AP: Your shows are always followed by fireworks. What aroused this strong love for fire?
TILL: The thing is that fire catches your eye at once and attracts your attention. Fire can be compared to a woman: you can love her but you can also hate her, because you always risk to get burnt both with a woman and with fire.
AP: How long have you been feeling this love for fire?
TILL: I can say that we are fire fans with a record. All children like to make bonfires and different bombs. Once my friends and I burnt a whole forest plot because we wanted to get rid of snakes that lived there. My father gave me a good going-over which I will remember forever.
AP: How do your parents take your music?
TILL: My father is no longer with us and my mother is very proud of me.
AP: Let’s pass on to your new CD. When will it appear and is there anything unusual about it?
TILL: If there are no delays, the album will come out in the middle of September. Our new album is a continuation of the last one called “Mutter” (“Mother”). I mean there will be many melodies but I think that our guitars have become harder. But on the whole musical instruments went to the middle ground. The vocal came to the fore. For the first time we used choir and symphony orchestra also took part in recording.
AP: What music influenced Rammstein?
TILL: We try to avoid any influence if possible. We try to listen to ourselves to get something unique finally.
AP: Are there any songs that you wish you composed by yourself?
TILL: I like music by Trent Reznor and “Nine Inch Nails” and I would also like to have composed “Diana” by “Therapy?”.
AP: Let’s get back to the album. The first single is the song “Mein Teil” which is dedicated to cannibalism. How did you take that awful and incredible story that happened in Germany last year? A man ate another one alive by parts.
TILL: I suppose it is not that awful. The thing that happened is so strange and so much beyond everyone’s comprehension that it is not taken as a crime. It is something very exceptional! It was just a must to react somehow, so we wrote this song. You know that the cannibal ate the man because he loved him and wanted the man to stay inside him, don’t you? For us this story has become a demonstration of the dark side of love. And everything dark has always attracted people.
AP: Another interesting tandem formed while you were working at your new album. Pet Shop Boys made a remix on the song about cannibals. Frankly speaking, it is hard to imagine your bands together...
TILL: We are the children of the eighties. Pet Shop Boys were our idols when we were teenagers. When we asked them to make a remix we were first a bit afraid because we were not sure if they liked our music. But they made a great composition. It is called “You are what you eat”.
AP: A composition named “Dalai Lama” is listed among the songs of the album. Is it also a provocative song?
TILL: Unfortunately I cannot answer this question. Otherwise it will not be a surprise and I would not like to reveal all our ideas before the album comes out. It is a pleasure for us when people get surprised at our songs.
AP: Does provocation mean a lot in what you create?
TILL: We are always searching for new turns to tell about the dark side of love and we manage to find them. It may look provocative but as a matter of fact we have never intended to provoke anyone as I think about it now. We do not need provocation to attract attention if that was what you meant. We are good without it.
AP: What has shocked you recently to such an extent that made your mouth form an O?
TILL: Definitely it was the eleventh of September.
AP: Well, then I will ask you a question to the point. Why did not you write a song about it?
TILL: The thing is that this story is very ambiguous. Sometimes it is better to say nothing about some things because you can hurt someone.
AP: Are there many taboo topics for Rammstein?
TILL: Our own censors are our family and friends. Sometimes we have no idea about how the public will take what we do. If we have such doubts we consult our friends and relatives.
AP: Your hit “Sonne” was written especially for the Klichko brothers. Do you know them personally?
TILL: Unfortunately we had no chance to meet them yet. But we follow their ups and downs. We like them a lot. They are real fighters.
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