To me success of ORPLID has influenced current development of German neofolk. May be you wasn't first in this genre, but you has started this promising German neofolk attack. As far as I know your pre-ORPLID projects were heavier and more metallic. What has influenced you to change your sound / music preferences and start ORPLID?
Unfortunately, we are not as successful as we would like to be, so I guess our influence is rather small. Furthermore, I am not really happy to be considered either part or main force of a so called "German neofolk" scene. Only few of the bands there are worth the attention they get for playing with taboos that no longer exist. Before we started ORPLID, we had a heavy metal band called "Ruckgrat". It was fun for a time but then we decided to do something different. This was mainly due to the fact that our fellow musicians were not serious enough to reach a higher level, to leave the stage of amateurism. It has not so much to do with a change of musical preferences, we still like the music we heard in the past (although Uwe's preferences and mine could not be more different).
Well, you are quite successful for an underground band. ORPLIDwell-known even in our part of the world and your last CD (bootleg?) was released in Russia. So, what would you call a real success for ORPLID?
Certainly, everyone has his own measure for success. To me success means to be in a way influential, to gain the attention of a certain number of people. Our aim is to reach people beyond specific scenes ore circles. I am convinced that we have something to say, probably more than most of those laughable "popular" artists which regularly appear in the mass-media. Anyway, of course I'm pleased to see our music being appreciated outside of Germany. It is even a bit funny because we sing in German. It seems our language has a certain appeal to people in other countries, which is nice.
Well, when you say "taboos, that no longer exist" you mean that "neo-nazi" and "neo-WWII" trend, right? I agree, that when Death In June has started this kind of image it was interesting, but now almost every new band in neofolk/ industrial plays with the same boring thing. Don't you think that this rising of interest for "German past" somehow influenced by political situation in Europe/ world? I run a magazine about industrial music and I notice that even Russian bands begin to fool around with that kind of things. Pretty sick, by the way.
I think the German past has a lot more to offer than the Third Reich. Apart from that, it doesn't make much sense either to glorify this period or to see it as the root of all evil. As long as people are stuck in this black/white good/evil scheme they won't learn anything from history. As far as the Nazi imagery of some groups is concerned, I refuse to take it seriously. It is just stupid, I cannot accept it as a statement for or against anything. It is just a fashion thing without any political or cultural relevance.
I continue my previous question… could you tell me a bit about bands that has influenced ORPLID's sound? Do you listen to neofolk/ apocalyptic folk music these days?
There are not many things these days which are less interesting than the current neofolk. What is there beyond wearing camouflage and aping dubious scene-gods? Not much, I guess... It is not easy for me to speak about bands or artists that have influenced our sound. Maybe any listener could do this better. Anyway, I will just list a few names which are important to my understanding of music and which are likely to have an influence on our music. Here we go: Richard Wagner, Carl Maria von Weber, Scott Walker, Lee Hazlewood, Jacques Brel, Serge Gainsbourgh, Freddy Quinn, Joy Division, Crispy Ambulance, Durutti Column, My Bloody Valentine, Billy Mackenzie, Paul Haig, Felt, Wire, Pale Fountains / Shack, Royal Family and The Poor, Wild Swans, Sound, Spacemen 3 / Spectrum / Spiritualized, Paul Quinn, Magazine and a lot more.
What do you think about current state of German neofolk scene? Do you like it? Do you have any favorites among newcomers?
I'm afraid I am too ignorant. I cannot even say whether I like it or not, I am just not interested.
Do you think that neofolk will se better days and become more "popular". I mean do you think that one day we can find that neofolk like metal has MTV/ radio rotation, press coverage and so on? For example these days "outcasts" like black/death metal are getting more and more attention from mass media and major labels… neofolk, unlike metal music, has more potential among "normal" people, don't you think?
Again, I am not the right person to give an opinion. I agree that the so called neofolk could be quite accessible to "normal" people, so there might be a certain potential. The fact that most neofolk bands don't have much to offer either ideologically or aesthetically should be no hindrance. But probably the substance of this music is not yet thin enough for MTV.
What do you think about development of ORPLIDover the years? Do you see the progress as positive or you are not satisfied by it?
Progress is always necessary . And progress does not come from satisfaction. So we are never satisfied with our development which does not mean that we are not happy about it.
I continue my previous question… Do you have special musical education/ training? And do you think that you have enough knowledge to materialize all your ideas/ plans in music?
We have no special musical education. Sometimes I wish we had, it would make some things easier. But we're learning in the process and we have learned a lot in the past years. We are more and more able to materialize ideas the way we intended it. Which is nice but at the same time I miss the surprise and euphoria when a song is finished. You cannot have all at once...
What do you think about musical education in general? Some say that this kind of education just ruins talents, cuz you get used to rules and regulations, and in the end it's not good for underground music.
Obviously, it might ruin talent. At least this could be a good explanation for that tenor-phenomenon in popular music. Great, trained voices but more or less disgusting music. Or is it rather a problem of money killing good taste? No, I don't think that education is a bad thing. Once you get used to rules and regulations you are able to break them or at least make them work for you.
What do you think about role of a poet/ musician in our world? Should he influence people, awake them, make them do things... or he must be independent from reality and create "pure" Art?
No great art is aimless, even if it claims to be. Yes, any poet or musician or painter influences the public by showing his specific view. It is not a question of their intention, it just happens.
ORPLIDis a good example that german language is good enough not only for military marches. Is it hard to write songs in German?
I guess it is not harder than in any language (as long as you use your native language). But it takes a lot of time if meaning and sound are of equal importance. There are many words in German which are impressive within a poem but do not sound well if you try to sing them.
My last question. What can stop you from writing music?
I could imagine many reasons for no longer releasing it. But nothing would prevent me from making music.
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