DIE KRUPPS

1) First of all I would like to congratulate you all for your reunion and thank you for the chance to see you playing live in Estonia. What brought you back together again?

We met to discuss the re-release of our back-catalogue, which is not available in the stores anymore. As we met, we realized that there is enough potential for more than just that. On top of it, I received lots of mails from booking agents, record companies and magazines asking if there is a chance of us regrouping.We then decided it was time to do so.

2) What is the concept of Die Krupps?

DIE KRUPPS is a conceptual project rooted in German history, but with an international approach. We have always worked globally, never on a national level only. We tried to be innovative and create, rather than follow, and spread our ideas musically as well as intellectually. Political statements are part of our agenda, especially our outspokeness against facism. We always showed our colors. Our music stretched from true roots industrial music to electronic body music. It changes over time, but it is always a direct reaction against recent developments.

3) Some time ago you also made music under the name DKay.com. Why did you decide to become Die Krupps again?

Like I said, the time felt right to do DIE KRUPPS again. We had taken a long break, which was certainly a good thing after the excessive touring in the 90s, but with all good reasons falling into place, it would have been a mistake not to bring DIE KRUPPS back to life.

4) During your long career you have done albums in very different styles, although industrial motifs have always been there. What will your next album sound like?

The next album will be back to more electronics, still guitars, but with lesser importance, very club-oriented, and still different, unmistakably DIE KRUPPS.

5) During your career you have also collaborated with different well-known artists and bands and you also made a very impressive tribute-album to Metallica. Are you just saluting your friends by these actions or is it rather in order to improve the selling numbers and reach a wider audience?

In collaborating with other artists you can explore the possibilities. It is as interesting for us as it is for the fans to hear a song interpreted in the many ways possible. With our Final Remixes album we opened those doors and ears, and we still do so today. The new single features the band CLIENT.

6) How has the audience regarded your reunion so far?

The few shows that we played were big successes. We didnīt expect the audiences to give us such a reception, since it has been nearly eight years since the last album. It seems like the time was ripe for us to come back. With lots of bands sounding the same, DIE KRUPPS still have their own niche. We still have a good fan base, but I know we can take it further.

7) You haven’t released a new album yet and it’s been quite a long time since you released your last album. What kind of material do you play at the moment?

We will be playing material that spans our whole carreer. It will range from the early electronic days to later 80s stuff and all the hits we had in the 90s to new unreleased songs. We will give the fans a taste of what DIE KRUPPS is and was all about.

8) What do you do outside Die Krupps? What are your hobbies or interests?

I am very interested in recent political developments, like to watch news channels, do research on the internet and enjoy watching good movies.

9) What kind of films do you enjoy most and why?

I like David Cronenberg films such as eXistenZ and SPIDER, and also love the new latin american wave with movies such as CITY OF GOD and AMORES PERROS. The last movie I really enjoyed was Paul Haggis's CRASH. These are films that give me ideas for my lyrics and feed my intellectual hunger. I fall asleep watching action movies.

10) In German industrial music the neo-nazist attitude has become rather popular lately. As far as I know you are against it. Have there been any incidences concerning this opposition?

No, like I said we have always shown our colors, and our fans know that we are anti-fascist. Songs like Fatherland were a direct reaction against the horrible incidents that happened in Germany, where people got murdered due to their race and beliefs. We are all world citizens, and I am glad all these differences exist. It makes our world more colorful and interesting.

11) Dark-electro/industrial scene is growing rapidly in the whole world. What do you think might be the cause of that?

The reason is because there is no other true scene in existence that offers the feeling of being part of something. The Techno scene is very impersonal, the Metal scene too cliche ridden, the Alternative scene too diverse. The Punk scene of the early days gave you the feeling of being at home. It was for an elite group of people that wanted to change something. I donīt see that in todays music. Everything is possible, which is a good thing, but it also has its downsides. If you donīt feel like you fit into any of the categories, you go into seclusion. And this is what the Dark scene is doing. Only that there is a lot of people that feel the same.

12) It seems that Germany has become the centre of dark-electro/industrial music. In your opinion, what might be the reason for that?

For the above reasons. Germans have always had a deep melancholy about them. The Dark scene offers the kind of romaticism a lot of young people can relate to. It is also a direct reaction against the bubblegum colorful world of POP and R'n'B, which is popular.

13) What can we expect from your performance at the Green Christmas 2005 festival?

DIE KRUPPS and their audience. There will be a lot of positive aggression. We canīt wait to come to Estonia and meet our fans. It will be wild!