LIT – Alternative Blogzine

Hiya guys, thanks for taking your time for this interview. How did you two meet at all?

MM: Actually ,the sweet wild  KMFDM boys were old buddies from Hamburg in the 80s. I think I can say,they were Mona Mur – fans. I knew Sascha K., and also Raymond Watts, who was the MM sound engineer and then became KMFDM member. Later I got to know  En Esch’s outrageous performances in mini skirts, fishnet stockings and parachute boots which immediately shot him far up in my eternal top list of extreme stage personalities.

EE: WE MET THE FIRST TIME 1985 IN HAMBURG DURING A MONA MUR SHOW AT THE KLECKS-THEATER WHEN I OPENED UP FOR HER BEING PART OF THE EARLY DAYS OF KMFDM. I LOVED HER SHOW AND HER STAGE PRESENCE RIGHT A WAY….
ONE MEMBER OF HER BAND WAS NIKKO WEIDEMANN ON KEYS.
YEARS LATER NIKKO MOVED TO NEW YORK ONLY A FEW BLOCKS AWAY FROM MY LOWER EAST SIDE APARTMENT.
DUE TO MUTUAL FRIENDS NIKKO AND I STARTED TO HANG OUT IN NYC.
FINALLY I MOVED TO BERLIN ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO AND NIKKO WAS ALREADY HERE SO I ASKED THE GUY ABOUT BERLIN NEIGHBORHOODS AND APARTMENTS AND SUCH AND HE DRAGGED ME ALONG ONE DAY TO VISIT MONA MUR…..

Your collaborative debut album „120 Tage – The Fine Art of Beauty and Violence“ will be released on Feb 15 and you characterize it as Chansons Brutales. How did you get the idea to take this direction of style and what do you exactly perceive to be Chansons Brutales?

MM: Well,it has  always been the direction.  I think it really nails the feel and atmosphere of the songs. We both stand for music that is intense, hard  and sophisticated. Playfulness and rigour at the same time. Beautiful melodies, harsh guitars and rhythm elements like moving steel sculptures. Lyrics in black and white…nothing between. We like hard contrasts.
The songs are chansons about love as an edgy experience… brutal and aggressive yet tender and broken. That’s it.

Mona, you have worked with Alexander Hacke, FM Einheit and Marc Chung of Einstürzende Neubauten (just to pick an example). How did this happen and how do you work with other musicians?

MM: In the punk/wave explosion of the early 80s I met up with them in Hamburg, as friends and then fellow musicians. Forced them to try me as a singer. It was like a vulcano eruption. 2 months later, we were in the famous Hafenklang-Studio recording our 12” “Jeszcze Polska”.
Matches like this only happen 2 or 3 times  in a life.
Working with musicians, it’s always like a love affair. Chemistry
is most important, apart from skills. Or I rather stay alone and do my own thing. That also happend for longer periods.

Are you still in contact? Will the a collaboration in the future again?

MM: I still appreciate the collegues very much, and we sometimes meet in the Berlin nightlife. Mark Chung is boss of the Freibank Music Publishing where my songs are published. So, we still work together on another level.
At the moment, I am with Mr Esch and this is a full programme.

En Esch, you are co-founder of legendary KMFDM. Why did you decide to become a musician?

EE: I DIDN’T DECIDE TO BECOME A MUSICIAN, IT WAS AN ACT OF GOD…
OR DNA..I STARTED DRUMMING ON THE DINNER TABLE AT THE AGE OF THREE, I USED TO DRUM TO THE MUSIC ON TV ALSO, IT  DROVE MY PARENTS NUTS….I HAD MY FIRST BAND AS A DRUMMER WHEN I WAS 14 AND THE REST IS HISTORY.

Even Rammstein had been honoured to open up for KMFDM years ago. How do you think about the success of that band? Are you proud that they had been your supportband back then?

EE: I SAW RAMMSTEIN’S FIRST GIG IN THE USA BACK IN 1997 IN NYC. KMFDM’S MANAGEMENT SAID WE ARE GOING TO TOUR WITH RAMMSTEIN IN EUROPE AND AFTERWARDS THEY GONNA OPEN UP FOR US IN THE STATES, CHECK THEM OUT…I NEVER HEARD ABOUT THEM BEFORE AND I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THEIR LIVE PRODUCTION EVEN IN FRONT OF ONLY 80 PEOPLE….
THEY BROUGHT EVEN THE BURNING COAT, EXPLOSIVES AND THE DILDO TO THAT SMALL VENUE….HA, HA.
I CONTINUE TO BE FRIENDS WITH RAMMSTEIN EVER SINCE , THEY WORKED HARD AND TOURED THEIR ASS OFF TO BECOME THAT SUCCESSFULL.
BTW, THEIR DRUMMER SCHNEIDER DID AN AWESOME REMIX  OF “BLAST“ FOR MY OTHER PROJECT  “SLICK IDIOT“.

Why did you quit KMFDM?

EE: I DIDN’T ACTUALLY QUIT, I RATHER DIDN’T RE-JOIN….
THERE WAS A LOT OF NEGATIVE ENERGY BETWEEN SASCHA AND GUENTER SCHULZ AND MYSELF AROUND 1999 AND WE DECIDED ON THE PHONE TO CALL THE BAND QUIT. ONLY 2 DAYS LATER I HEARD THAT SKOLD AND SASCHA STARTED A NEW PROJECT CALLED “MDFMK“, I WONDER TO THIS DAY WHAT WAS UP WITH THAT? 2 YEARS LATER SASCHA AND I HAD A MEETING IN NEW YORK AND HE TRIED TO CONVINCE ME TO RE-JOIN HIS IDEA OF A NEW „KMFDM“. I HAD BEEN HAPPY ABOUT MY NEW CREATIVE FREEDOM AT THAT TIME AND SO I REFUSED THE CONCEPT OF A FAST REUNION OF KMFDM.
SASCHA COULDN’T WAIT AND WENT AHEAD WITHOUT ME.
BUT I’M PROUD THAT I’M A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE GOLDEN YEARS OF SUCH AN INFLUENTIAL BAND.

Okay, different topic: Mona, you have travelled a lot throughout India in the 90s. What is fascinating you about that country?

MM: After 10 years of rock n roll life I had to explore some new spheres.
India is a shock, a wonder, chaos, hell and heaven at the same time.
It smashes your prefabricated views on life forever. It hits you hard. It offers you its treasure freely if you open up. Its music is overwhelming.
I can’t say no more. It will never let me go.

And did it come that you trained Taekwondo?

MM: Same with Martial Arts. I was lucky to find martial arts as a way of life, instead of going on destroying myself completely in my “poète maudit” existence in the 80s Rock ‘n’ roll Underground, like being burnt in my own flame. I obviously need things to get hooked on, obsessively. Not even music did the job alone. So, I learnt how to smash wooden panels with my hands and feet…I learnt discipline … I enjoy the elegance of its movents and deadly kicks. Here we go again, elegance and brutality.

Since 1999 you have been producing music for videogames, too, Mona. Which games have you contributed to?

MM: There Is BALLANCE; the magical puzzle game by ATARI where I have designed the hyperreal Sound FX and spheric music. There is
VELVET ASSASSIN, a surreal WWII – stealth – shooter… where I have composed some really dark, desperate, forlorn music – very lost piano
pieces, iron “judgement day “ horns and some brutal beating.
It will be released in march 2009.
Work in progress  is CULPA INNATA 2, an adventure game where Esch & me
contribute a song – Actually “120 Tage” in a russian version –
AND we are also IN the game, as Mur & Esch 3D characters.
I love that. The Game will be out late this year.

If you see your daily routine, how much of it do you spend on making music?
What the bright and dark sides of being musician for you?

MM: There is nothing else. Apart from my martial arts
exercises which I try to do as often as time allows. I need it to
be able to continue my musical work. Bright sides, dark sides…
you have no choice. You are musician or not. You work without
security web and no one guarantees you any success. Music is a
strict, sometimes merciless mistress.

EE: MUSICANS ARE ARTISTS AND ARTISTS WORK FOR THEMSELVES, THEY ARE THEIR OWN BOSS BUT ON THE DARK SIDE DONT HAVE THE AUTOMATIC SAFTEY BLANKET, PAYMENTS AND SECURITY OF A CONVENTIONAL JOB EITHER. WE HAVE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS TO EXPRESS OUR EMOTIONS, ANGST AND EXPERIENCE IN OUR WORK OF ART….
THAT IS UNTOUCHABLE.

Okay, back to your new album „120 Tage – The Fine Art of Beauty and Violence“. Let me use the opportunity to say that this is an artistically outstanding and sophisticated piece. What does the album-title mean to you, or better, wat does it contain?

MM: Thank you. First, “120 Tage” is ther title of a MM-underground hit from 1984. It has been in movies like Monika Treut’s “Die Jungfrauenmaschine”,
and on many compilations. “120 Tage” stands for the ultimate marginal experience. It deals with love and lust, pain, fear, abyss.
We shamelessly play with these associations. Formally, the song is like throwing knives at a moving target. I find that extremely thrilling.
Actually, my songs always say what I am up to in a given moment.
I am not much of an actress.

How long did it take you from the starting with a first idea to the final master?

MM: We started in May 2007 with some days in the studio sort of live-playing-recording the basic tracks. With us was at that time our long time fellow organist Nikko Weidemann who was initially responsible for this
new MM-incarnation. He later left to go on pursuing his own solo carreer.
I regret that, but we are still in love and I wish him the best.
Then followed a long period of Esch and me listening, editing, pre-mixing.
I completely lost distance to thee olde songs, i am too long with them.
This is where Ingo Krauss came in.
During summer and fall 2008, Esch and me happened to create the four new songs…”Candy Cane”, “Thin Red Line”, “Visions and Lies” and “The Wound”.
Last touches were made mid November 2008.

EE: THE ALBUM WAS COMPLETED IN FOUR STAGES.
FIRST:  JAMMING OUT ON OUR COMPUTERS WRITING AND RE-WRITING AND
PRE-PRODUCING THE NEW AND CLASSIC MONA MUR MATERIAL FOR
THIS RECORD.
SECOND:
STUDIO SESSION IN A WONDERFUL UNDERGROUND STUDIO HERE IN KREUZBERG MAKING A LOT OF NOISE: TRACKING LIVE VOCALS, GUITARS, ORGAN, KEYS AND PIANO.
THIRD:  TONS OF EDITING, SEQUENCING AND FINE TWEAKING AGAIN ON THE COMPUTER.
FOUR:
MIXING AND THE FINAL TOUCH BY INGO KRAUSS, KNOW FROM HIS COLLABORATION WITH BANDS LIKE: DIE AERZTE, DIE FANTASTISCHEN VIER, NINA HAGEN UND EINSTUERZENDE NEUBAUTEN TO NAME A FEW…….
THE WHOLE THING WENT ON FOR OVER A YEAR.

How do you work together, who is doing what?

MM: Mr Esch and me,  we do what is necessary. The best idea will be taken, no matter who comes up with what. I enjoy it so much. There is no ego bullshit. We have no competition. Better not say it too loud, as this is what kills most of the collaborations when strong personalities have to deal with each other.

EE: WE ARE BOTH CAPABLE OF SINGING, SONG-WRITING, PROGRAMMING AND PRODUCING, SO THERE’S NEVER A CERTAIN WAY OF WORKING TOGETHER.
THE GOOD THING IS THAT WE HAVE AN OUTSTANDING TOLERANCE BECAUSE WE ARE VERY SIMLIAR, BOTH LEOS AND POSERS….HA, HA…AND WE KNOW WHERE WE BOTH COMING FROM.

En Esch, you are well-known for being multiinstrumentalist. Which instruments do you play?

EE: WHAT I MENTIONED BEFORE, I STARTED OUT AS A DRUMMER, AGE THREE SO TO SPEAK,  I WATCHED MY BANDMATES AND LEARNED GUITAR BY OBSERVATION, I FINALLY BECAME A SINGER IN A BAND WHEN I WAS 19 BECAUSE I GOT TIRED OF BEING STUCK ON THE DRUM STOOL.
BTW I HAVE A DIPLOMA AS A CLASSICAL PERCUSSIONIST PLAYING TIMPANIES, VIBRAPHONE, SNARE DRUM AND SUCH….
I PLAY PRETTY MUCH EVERY INSTRUMENT BESIDES WOODWINDS AND BRASS….I USED TO HAVE A RETAINER (ORTHODONTIC DEVICE) AS A CHILD AND THE DOCTORS WERE WARNING ME ABOUT PLAYING THE TRUMPET BECAUSE IT WOULD DISTROY THE WORK OF YEARS INSIDE MY MOUTH….HA, HA, HA.

Mona, your voice is very fascinating, sometimes close to hypnotising. Where did you learn to sing that way?

MM: THANKS. You only get hypnotized if you want to, btw.
I guess my mother triggered it. She was singing since I existed..
…she has a brilliant soprano, and she was singing russian
songs the whole day. This is a deep mark and influence. Sad, beautiful
russian songs about snowstorms and desperate lovers.
The rest is, well, live fast and do not die too young.
Some technique also helps.

Brecht and Weill do also take part on the album „120 Tage – The Fine Art of Beauty and Violence”. What makes these to personalities so fascinating for you?

MM: Since the 80s we had some Brecht/Weill in our repertoire, with our
“Surabaya Johnny” version being a kind of signature song. “Song of Mandelay” and “The Ballad of the Drowned Girl” are also really
expressive, radical little gems of a lost genuinely  german music tradition
which was totally destroyed by the fucking nazis. To have “The Ballad of The Drowned Girl” in our version on this record is a true miracle, by the way… Universal Edition Vienna strictly refused to give permission, out
of “internal reasons”. In the last second, I could convince the higher instance, the KURT WEILL FOUNDATION NY, to allow it finally. They rarely do that as far as I am informed. Thank you, Ms Weber.

There has several gigs been confirmed, e.g. at Live at Dot in Berlin on February 20. Will you perform the album live more often?

MM: Absolutely. I want to travel around this planet with it if possible. A tour is in planning for April/May, also gigs in Poland, Kopenhagen and Italy. The game, Culpa Innata 2, will possibly take us to Russia.

EE: TO RECORD AN ALBUM IS ONE THING TO PERFORM IT LIVE IS ANOTHER.
I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAY A STRING OF LIVE SHOWS THROUGHOUT EUROPE WITH THIS MATERIAL IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
PLEASE COME AND SEE US PLAY, YOU’RE GONNA LOVE IT.
WE WILL HAVE OUR GOOD FRIEND JOHANN BLEY PLAYING THE DRUMS WITH US ON STAGE. HE’S ALSO A VERY TALENTED PROGRAMMER AND USED TO PLAY WITH PEOPLE LIKE “JUNO REACTOR, HOLGER HILLER….“
HE ALSO PLAYED LIVE DRUMS FOR KMFDM ONCE DURING MY DAYS ON ONE OF THE BIG US TOURS. THERE’S ALSO AN ACOUSTIC VERSION OF “CANDY“ WE’RE GONNA RELEASE ONLINE IN A FEW DAYS AND AN EP WITH REMIXES AND OUTCUTS IN THE MAKING FOR A FALL RELEASE.

And what are your plans for your future?

MM:  More work with Mr Esch I hope. Touring. Producing new music.
Maybe some harsh dance floor stuff….
the world needs discipline …and also I hope for new exciting computer games scores. Like the other one I am doing at the moment.. which is still secret… which I will hopefully able to announce this spring.

Many thanks for the interview , much success for your further collaboration. I hope many listeners will be excited as I am to hear your music!
Any last words or a message you want to leave here?

MM: keep the fire burning….

EE: THANX TO ANY OLD AND NEW SUPPORTERS OF OUR MUSIC OUT THERE.
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO MANY YEARS TO COME TO ROCK YOUR WORLD.