Meet Hans Johm, the man behind one of the most interesting dark ambient projects of our days ANTLERS MULM and the mastermind of Sonderuebertragung label, known for LLOVESPELL, RADIO EICHENLAUB and other great bands. So far releases of Sonderuebertragung are pretty hard to find, but the next album of ANTLERS MULM will be released through LOKI, so take a closer look at tomorrow’s sensation.
First of all, please introduce yourself to our readers.
I'm Hans Johm, the one behind Antlers Mulm. I live and work in Leipzig, Germany.
Do you have musical education?
No. I had to learn to play acoustic guitar while my unfinished first study. I forgot very quickly how to play it, because I never liked to do. With my second study - I'm a painter and graphic artist – I had to work on structures which are very similar to music. If one is on his/her way through this frontier area, it can be revealed as a fascinating world of translation, limitation, misunderstanding and unseen things. To see something means to name it. To give things a name, to describe something means to make use of words, of noise, of sound. you can also do this in reversal. And as you may know: colours are sounds and forms are noises - there is a very deep relationship between painting and making music, on different levels.
So, you are a painter and a graphic artist. Could you tell me more about that side of your talent. Where one may look at your works?
In the beginning of my study the different graphic techniques were absolutely relevant to me. Printings made from stone (lithography) or wood (woodcut/wood carving) were my favourites. This clean world of mainly black and white was a good foundation, a solid basecamp. In the third year I began to operate with colours and soon the first paintings followed. That’s for dry history. Ask any artists about their heartland and you will see: some won’t tell you much about the core, the flame, the reason...(other will, indeed). I was an 18 years old boy when the Berlin wall was getting porous. everything changed it seems, but some things didn’t. I think about my experiences in a different world who are engraved in my consciousness, in my inner life. All the daily structures which are now declared as ‘generally wrong’: the way of education, the youth organisations, just the way to see the whole world. It wouldn’t be no possibility for me to live in this ‘lost germany’ (it is impossible, I know). All what is left from it is an extract: a fascination to see people drawing up their plans of a ‘community’ (Gemeinschaft) and then watching others seriously live by these codes. History is a changing of codes. And codes are like the waves who are leaving pattern in the sands... but I feel myself bound to the formula of ‘Gemeinschaft’ – there is a lot of energy in these thoughts and schemes...deepest blackness and golden lights.
If you want to see the pictures: have a look at the covers of the Sonderubertragung releases. there you will find some of my pictures. And you could find some more at an A.M.-performance.
I know, before ANTLERS MULM you had another project - RADIO EICHENLAUB. You even sent me a promo back then. It was good and quite original mix of martial and ambient, but suddenly you have decided to stop all your activities with RE, ANTLERS MULM and LLOVESPELL were born. Am I correct?
The timeline is a little bit different. Stephan S. left R.E. and founded LOVESPELL in early 2002. In the meantime I was working on the next R.E. album on my own. It was never released. But R.E. was existing until early 2003. There were five new tracks on the 'FUNKFEUER' compilation (summer 2002), the 'Coats devoured by Colours' 12inch e.p. (december 2002) and the 'AUTOPSIE' tape from this 'lonesome' period. The 'AUTOPSIE' tape was released posthumous in autumn of 2003. ANTLERS MULM came out of the shadows with it's debut 12inch e.p. 'Gro?er goldener Tag' in april 2003.
Let’s continue question about RADIO EICHENLAUB. I have seen news that you are going to release a new CDR with unreleased tracks from the project. So, the project exists even today?
The cd-r is a rerelease of R. E.’s ‘Autopsie’ tape from 2003. The tape was limited to 26 copies. R.E. doesn’t exist anymore.
You have started from intelligent military pop and suddenly changed your music to minimalistic dark ambient. What happened with your musical taste and what have influenced such change?
I think there was no ‘suddenly changing’. It is a measured movement without a certain direction. music happens when I’m in the mood for it and maybe the mood has changed through the years. In addition to that it seems to me that it doesn’t make sense to do one album three times (or more). With the years the synthesizers has become more faint and the percussive elements and bass structures are more present. My music is permanently in a development stage. The only non-moving solid thing is the content, I can only change the point of view and the way how to say it.
BTW, what does ANTLERS MULM mean?
'Antlers' stands for the wood, the forest, the process of 'growing' - Live.
'Mulm' is for the water and also for putrification (not only in a biological way), a kind of death which makes Live possible again. Trees and Water are the elements of whose A.M. is made of.
Is there any concept behind AM?
How do you define concept?
For some musicians their music is the way to express themselves. For some their music is the way to spread their views, position, agenda. For example, INADE seems to have concept – all their albums based on theme of space and esoteric stuff. PUISSANCE record their music to manifestate their idea about world destruction… black metal bands love Satanism. So, what about you? You just play nice music?
Maybe I do. I think we can say that – for instance – THE RESIDENTS, TG, PTV, PEOPLE LIKE US or RADIO WEREWOLF are/were conceptual bands/projects. Some bands/ projects released conceptual works (THE BEATLES, COLUMN ONE, BIOSPHERE, PINK FLOYD, KRAFTWERK...). It needs some parameters to call something a concept, because ‘concept’ means to have a plan, an agenda. And I think that it isn’t a good solution to call everything without these ‘just nice music’. An example: I think I’m right when i say that The Swans are not a conceptual band. Every single album they did has a special aura and each one is far away from being ‘just nice music’. Maybe I’m wrong (in different ways). For A.M. is to say: yes, I spread my views, my position, I try to light a torch (also for myself) in a very-very-very cold and lightless rationally western world with it’s paralyzing flood of disinformation and money-based destinations. If you’ve got a light in your hands: step beside or – if it’s possible for you – outside yourself. Look at yourself, the way you do the things you do, the way how you see your environment. Have a look at your mind and the way you feel. Try to see and feel the difference between yourself and the world that surrounds you. Then try to understand what the things around you really are and what they could be. Give them a new, appropriately name. Try to learn of them. and then try to change them.
...and by the way, it is a very interesting point of view to say ‘black metal bands love Satanism’. I’m not shure if Satan could be loved, if he’s able to receive or demanding love from anyone. But I can’t imagine that he would like it, if even one of his worshippers would be able to love anything (including himself)...
Well, my bad English... in Russian 'love' and 'like' have pretty the same meaning, so we sometimes use word 'love' but mean 'like'...
If I continue your point about Satan I'd say I do not agree with you. I think Satan wasn't against love, once he was an angel and he have started a revolution not against love but for power. So, he wanted more power, why he can't love?
OK, so you have a different view. That’s completely alright.
You seem to have a pretty critical view on today's Europe and life in general. Am I right? Are you interested in politics?
Everybody who’s feeling generally well and healthy in this sick western world, must be blind, completely numb or/and corrupt. We live a political live – people starving, beeing murdered and raped all over the world because of politicians and their buddies in the stupid and dangerous global business. We all know of this, we are part of the game. I still dream the dream of a culture of intelligence, respect for the others – including animals and nature in general – and love’s warm twilight. capitalism, the consumer society, is a senseless disease – there is no vision but making money – and this isn’t one. ....but from it’s cellars and backyards comes the best music mankind ever heard. As you know, nothing and no one is only black or white (maybe Satan is).
How do write your music? What kind of hardware do you use?
Mostly I write the songs in my studio where I also do my paintings. I use a midi-keyboard/-controller, a laptop, a audio-/midi-interface and microphones. While A.M.s live performances are also some hardware effect units in use.
Your CDs and CDrs are hard to find, so what would you recommend from AM for the first introduction?
At this time it is definitely ‘Reverse’. ‘Silbergrauer Staub’ demands more time to step into it.
I’ve heard only your Reverse album. Is it quite typical for AM? What do you think about it?
It is. The ‘reverse’-tracks are more rhythmical than all material before. I’ve also decided to stop the mishmash of german and english songs within a release and began this new period with ‘Reverse’. The ‘Weihnachtsfunk’ series of A.M. contains since the ‘WF3’ only german songs. A good solution I think. To perform the ‘reverse’-tracks live is salutary to me, it is a kind of pure and positive energy that fills the room.
So, I have started from the right one. You say “Reverse” is more rhythmic than “Silbergrauer Staub”, what about your upcoming album? How do you see your new material?
It is much to early to talk about the new album. I’m sorry.
I recall you have done a remix of Nocturnal Wine for Fjernlys not long ago. Do you plan to cooperate with the guys from LOKI in the future?
FJERNLYS were performing their first gig at ‘Transmission 2’ (the ‘five years of Sonderuebertragung’ birthday-festival) in january 2007. I was very happy to see and to listen to them there. Beside this the next regular A.M. album will be released via Loki.
When do you plan LOKI release?
Late 2007 or 2008. We will see.
What about your own label? You are not going to release AM albums on it or have decided to keep it for limited editions and “irregular” releases?
The forthcoming A.M. release via Loki is like the visiting of a friend. In consequence of this there will be no dramatically change for SUE.
Since we have started to talk about your label… what do you consider your main success as a label-runner?
The greatest thing is the progressive process of SUE as such. I love it to make things grow in a good way.
Could you tell me about the bands that signed to Sonderuebertragung? In my opinion it’s one of the most interesting and original “young” labels. Unfortunately, most of your releases are hard to find and I had to listen to only two of them.
Thank you. At this time there are 6 active projects on SUE. I will introduce them alphabetically:
- ANTLERS MULM is me and we talk about it here.
- BEACHHEAD is my collaboration-project. It is a little bit softer than A.M., more ‘synthesized’. There is one CD-E.P. with Holger W. (‘drowning tonight’/2004) so far. The next release will be shared with someone other.
- HIGH TIDE Technology is maybe the most complicated act on SUE. A strange wide range through electronica, dub and noise. HTT aka D. Michaels released a double CD-R ‘Megamanc’ in spring 2006. A new release will come in winter 2007/2008.
- KRTR TTOX is mostly drifting through time and space. He works everytime with a concept. His tracks are mainly messages for the subconsciousness. While performing live his music gets more harsh and noisy as it sounds on the regular recordings. On one hand we have the first release, which is not really a debut album, more a compilation of some older stuff (‘xorientlx’/CD-R/2006). On the other hand we’ve got the ‘Synagogal Songs’ CD-R/MC (2006), which is a live-record.
- LLOVESPELL, the two ex-Radio Eichenlaub members Stephan S. And Mandie K. They create an unique fairy ambient pop which is simply beautiful. Get enchanted, get sick of llove. They’ve released 2 CD’s (‘symmetric poetry’/2004, ’signatures of sympathy’/2005), the ‘short white shot’ tape (2004) and a live-CD-R (2006). Their new CD-album will be released this year.
- THE ROYAL ENGINEERS are a remix-only project. They have done a 5-track CD-R (2005) with remixes of Antlers Mulm, Llovespell and Radio Eichenlaub. The release of their first (remix-) album will follow soon.
The deleted mission, the SUE-source projekt is RADIO EICHENLAUB. It was a martial ambient project with a little 80’s touch sometimes. Releases: the debut CD (2001), the ‘Coats Devoured By Colours’ 12inch-E.P. (2002) and the ‘Autopsie’ MC (2003) (+ it’s rerelease on CD-R in 2007).
Everyone can order the releases of Sonderubertragung from SUE itself, from Loki (Germany) and Tesco (Germany).
Not long ago a friend of mine gave me Llovespell’s “Excavated and Expectant” and I have found it a fantastic release! Unfortunately, I had no chance to hear their “regular” albums. How “typical” this live recording if we compare it to studio works?
They’ve played their ‘hits’. On the studio-releases you will find some longer versions, some quiet tracks and also instrumentals. But on the whole they sound not different.
What do you think about recent wave of talks about MP3 files and huge amount of sites with illegal music? I’ve heard that one quite big German electro-label has decided to quite because of problems with MP3 trades. Cold Meat Industry and Old Europa Cafe made statements about MP3 sharing, and so on…How do you see this situation? Will we experience degradation of underground scene?
Surely – I’m sometimes annoyed by all this. But it matches the whole picture...change the world and this ‘problem’ will vanish.
Here is a tricky one: what is more important for you - your band or your label? And why?
The label is my home and A.M. is my mission. But if there would be a knife held on my throat, I would say ‘A.M.’.
Do you remember that moment when you have changed your status from a listener to a musician? What have influenced that? And why industrial music, not folk or jazz, become your obsession?
There was not a remarkable moment. It was a process (and it is still), a work with words, noise and sound. Maybe we can call A.M. a industrial band, maybe a research project. I want to hear the sounds I create, thats why I made them.
I know you had a split-vinyl with Russian Reutoff. What do you think about that release? Who was an initiator of this work?
The contact was made by Daniela and Sebastian Lobstedt from the Eqinoxe magazine (r.i.p./they are now members of the Black magazine staff). The Reutoff-side sounds more brilliant and you can listen to their tracks in one ride. the A.M.-side is more ‘disco’. I asked Reutoff, why they gave ‘die Sunden der Vater’ a german title. They wrote to me, that it was inspired by some bible-psalms. I’ve asked my teacher from school to help me to translate this bible text into russian language. And she does (I haven’t seen her for more than 10 years). I like the result.
Your band stay outside of industrial scene. It looks like you do not consider yourself a part of German scene and live on your own: you release and distribute your own records, organize your own festivals and so on... so, you don't want to be a part of it or the scene does not let you in? or my impression is wrong?
To do your own thing, to spread your own language, with so little compromises as even possible, beyond the mass media. This is what creative subculture means to me. This is what I’m doing with Sonderubertragung and A.M. People should work together if the feeling is good, everything else makes no sense.
What kind of music do you listen for your own pleasure? And what is your Top 5 albums for the last year?
This is what I’ve listened a lot last time: THE LEGENDS ‘Public Radio’, ANGELS OF LIGHT ‘Sing Other People’, BIOSPHERE ‘Dropsonde’, JOHANN JOHANNSSON ‘Ibm 1401. A User’s Manual’, JUNIOR BOYS ‘So This Is Goodbye’, SLOWDIVE ‘Blue Day’.
Do you believe that music still can change and influence people or today it became a part of interior of people's rooms or something like designer clothes - temporary and trendy?
It belongs to the kind of music what music can be. And to the listener.
Sonderuebertragung.de
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