Outburn Interview With Till and Christoph

I found this interview in an Outburn magazine. It was conducted via telephone so it is hard to tell which response is Till's and which one is Christoph's. However,most of the interview was between a translator and PS person. But you be the judge and see which responsess could be Till's!

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How many people does it take to put on a Rammstein live show?
Translator: About twenty to thirty people work with them on tour. Three are responsible for pyrotechnics. The rest are sound and management
What kind of new pyrotechnics will there be for the upcoming tour?
Translator: They're planning to leave pyrotechnics incorporated. However,at this point they are putting this tour together with a designer. Therefore,it's too early to say what it is going to be like,but it might have something to do with the design and artwork of the album cover.
Will you approach the US tour differently,since last time two band members got arrested during a show?
Translator: They got off on probation,which expired. So now they are free to travel anywhere. They are playing throughout the US again.
How do you deal with the local fire marshals?
Translator: The last time they were touring,they developed good contacts and relationships with fire marshals in several cities. This time they will not have any problems.
Have there ever been any injuries at a Rammstein show?
Translator: They always have a professional crew with them on tour,comparable with Universal Studios. So nobody gets burned.
Is there a difference when approaching the US market versus the German audience?
Translator: In America,because of the opportunity of the mosh pit,there is more opportunity to get enthusiastic,while the Germans behave rather cold. Germans are simply more distanced,more cooled off.
Do you prefer playing to one audience or the other?
Translator: No,there is no preference. They like to play everywhere and anywhere.
Do you feel that the media often misinterprets the meanings of your songs or messages?
Translator: They have been misinterpretations by the media,but mostly in Germany...not in foreign countries. However,they are not political at all. ,but there are a few messages that might be ambiguous or misunderstood.
Do you think that your success might be limited because the vocals are sung in German?
Translator: The success speaks for itself. No they don't feel that way.
How would you charactorize the theme of "Mutter"?
Translator: Musically,they have returned to the live instruments. The dance infkuences are not so strong anymore in the songwriting. They concentrate more on writing good songs.
How does "Mutter" compare to your previous albums?
Translator: They feel that they have developed and are not the same as they were three years ago. And it has improved. You have just got to listen and hear the music,that's how you know it's different.
How do you approach the songwriting with so many members in the band?
Translator: They have an extended pre-production,and they don't go into the studio before they have a proper demo version. Then they have a nice atmosphere,preferably in the Mediterranean where it is warm ans has a nice atmosphere. They go into the studio and take there time with the recording. They all work equally together on the songs. There is nobody who is boss. It's pretty democratic. Everybody brings his influences,and imput.
Is there a specific reason why "Sonne" is the first single?
Band member: "Sonne" is the first single in Europe,but not in the United Staes.
Translator: The first single in the US will be "Links 2 3 4."
Why the different singles in the US and Europe?
Traslator: They think for the American market,this harder and heavier song,"Links 2 3 4" is more suitable. The lyrics and music of "Sonne" are in contrast with each other. "Sonne" is a song where you have to understand the lyrics. And it's a song where they are trying to represent that they don't have a political standpoint. This song is actually suppose to give an answer to the former accusation that they were a right extreme group. They are not. It has a very militant sound,but as they said,the lyrics are in contrast and are suppose to provide the relief to that.
Are there any other songs on "Mutter" that you feel are important to understand lyrically?
Band member: Thay are all important.
Translator: It's the best album they've ever written. When they pick a new song for an album,they are always thinking that every song on the album could also be a single and stand by itself.
Why was "Mutter" chosen for the album title?
Translator: "Mutter" is one of the songs on the record. And they have also been doing it with other albums-picking a song title as the album title. They found that "Mutter" was the best title to describe the contents of their album. Also, because this leads to the opportunity to play some word games. April3 is Mother's Day [in Germany?] and that is when the album came out. It's good for promotions.
Are you planning to do any more cover songs? Translator: One wish of Till would be to do "Dust in the Wind" from Kansas,but it's not being planned at this time.
I understand you released a "scratch and sniff" EP. Did it really smell?
[general confusion,translator doesn't understand question]
PR person: It's a sticker you scratch with your finger and then it makes a smell.
Band Memember: Oh yeah,we did a...that's right...
Translator: Their very first single was called "You Smell So Good." When you scratch it with your finger,it would smell.
Did Rammstein sugn with Republic because MDFMK was formerly on the same label?
Band Member: Ah,MDFMK...
Translator: They didn't know they were also on the same label.
What are the benefits of paying to join the Rammstein fanclub?
Translator: Free merchandising,free tickets to concerts,and T-shirts. They also do some fanclub concerts. Members get all the information firsthand. The tour dates and all kinds of stuff are supplied directly from the first source.
PR Person: We're going to have to wrap this up...time for one more questioon.
How do you spend your free time when touring the US?
Translator: Whenever they are touring,they really don't have time. They just sleep in. It depends,I'm not sure...
Band member: We party all the time! We party and there's girls! (laughing) America is the country of rock'n'roll!
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