November 2003
questions by Antonius Block
Q. Please start by introducing Neuer Raum to our readers. Who areyou and what is NR main concept?
Thomas: "Neuer Raum" is a common project from me Thomas Knaufand Marcel Mulack.
Marcel: We both have one projects, my project is "Dresden '45"and Thomas is "Human Destructur". We are friends quit a longtime, and I think in the year 2000 we sit together and jammed a littlebit.
Thomas: Surprisingly it worked out really good. The pieces were doesn'tsound like Human Destructur or Dresden '45 it was something new, withpieces of our both styles.
Marcel: At this time we don't had a name for the project, or we doesn'tknow that we would make a project out of it. It was fun in first place.After a year or so we had some titles and we fought that
it would be a pity if this pieces would be forgotten on some unnamedtape.
Thomas: I believe first time we named it "Neuer Raum" wason the Video we made. That was in 2001 or so.
Marcel: We named it "Neuer Raum" because this project wasor playground for experiments that we couldn't do with our own project.We both make a step into something new, what we couldn't make alone.We both discovered a new room in music.
Q. All your material has been released and distributed through yourown label Torpor Records. When did you establish Torpor and which projectsdo you release? Can you distinguish what's the basic difference amongthem?
Thomas: We both experimented with music for a few years, we neitherthought that it would become more then fun in our flat. But in 1999or 1998 we put a split-tape together, just to have something in ourone hands. It had a total of 20 copies
Marcel: I started a little bit earlier with a tape and a CD-R, but theyboth had only 20 or 30 copies for friends. That was fun not relay seriouslyfor a bigger audience.
Thomas: But the feedback was relay good. We neither thought other labelswould be interested in our music, and we don't want to run from labelto Label to find some one, and so related to alcohol we developed theidea to form our own label. Jochen a friend of us took this idea seriously(he was not drunken at this moment).
Marcel: We don't know how but than we got our own Label, insisting ofme Marcel Mulack, Thomas Knauf and Jochen Mehlhase.
Thomas: First it was only formed to release and promote only our onestuff not to combat with other labels about other artists. We doesn'twant to be addicted to some others tastes or foughts. We want to doit our way.
Marcel: We doesn't know any body from the scene personally or otherprojects. We fought we were alone in our town. So we build it up onour own.
Thomas: And after a while it starts to work. We released some CD-R seriesof our projects with good covers and better quality, still only a fewcopies. More and more we grow on our selves. So we take a heart to domore and so we made real Cds and Lps. Related to this process we forma small company.
Marcel: And we discovered that we are not alone in our town, and soother projects came to light from other people. These are "Soulcripple"(Ronny Herling) and "Seraphim" (Anderas Mikat). Now we worktight together with them, and release some CDs for them.
Thomas: We don't have a special Torpor-Sound we release every thingfrom ambient other power electronics to industrial or neo classic, everythingwe like. We don't know what's next. But we mostly stick together whitlocal projects, that our main resource.
Q. Prior to your musical activities under Torpor, were you alreadyexperimenting with the more unusual forms of music/sounds � and whatwere the conditions that led you to form the particular bands and Torpor?
Marcel: I make music since 1991. If you are young you sometimes wantto experiment if you also can do something, sometimes you stick to it.I played in several projects with different styles, but alone I
developed my somehow Dresden'45-style. At the moment I play sometimesin a rock-band as a keyboarder. But manly I'am active in Torpor. SoI can express at best what's on inside myself, and try to reach somebodyelse. The Label came much later.
Thomas: I stared experimenting with some borough equipment in my flat(makes my neighbours crazy). First I had only an small amp and a cableand much fantasies. I would say I'm born out of a burst of real noise.
Q. What was the strongest inspiration/impulse at the beginning foryou when deciding to making music?
Thomas: For me music is my form of expression for the fears and angersinside of me. It helps me to cope with live. Its all a big experiment.
Marcel: Music in general plays a big role in my live. Its my way todo something sensefull with my time. It keeps me together, without ...Idon't know.
Q. Your sound, except of Neuer Raum, feels to me quite horrifying- can a listener find a trace of a specific dark humor and irony aswell?
Thomas: Fun? Only making the music, but the sense is for me very seriously.That's my deep feelings and foughts.
Marcel: It's also for me a way to express my emotions, not to send aclear message or something. But maybe it is for someone else. It dependson the situation in witch I 'am at the moment.
Q. How is everything going with the label? Where can one find yourrecords worldwide? Whom are your closest allies and distributors?
Jochen: I'm responsible for this part of our label. You could receiveour CDs/LPs and other stuff through several big and small Labels anddistributors all over the world (manly german distributors and Labels).I don't want o mention some one in particular to don't prefer any one.But there are some, and if any one doesn't find our Stuff, he couldreceive it also directly from us through our Homepage () or easily mailus to . At best it would be if the people would come to our concerts,there you could get it mostly for a special price. If there are anyquestions feel free to mail us.
Q. There´s definitely few themes going thru your work like a leitmotiv- I mean death, suffering, extinction, war. Are there any other essentialsI didn´t mention? Where do you think this feeling is coming from?
Thomas: That's mostly my live, luckily expect the war. But there isalso some kind of love in some form witch is unbreakable joint withthis feelings and my music. And there is also fear, much of it. Andif I have done it its something like I am freed from it, and that'sfun and liberation.
Marcel: Nobody should overestimate the war-thing in my Dresden '45 project,this is only my way to express my fears and my apprehension what mankindcan do to each other. Its relay no political stuff its more a symbolfor the war inside of anyone of us, The dive in our souls. Music alwayscomes from inside. Or it should be so.
Q. What kind of impact do you expect your music/sound has on thelistener?
Thomas: Deep falling, if you close your eyes and let it flow.
Marcel: It only depends on the listener, there is no manual to dealwith.
Q. Can you describe your live show? Is there any trace of Gesamtkunstwerkor do you just concentrate on music and sound? Do you use any stylization,special stage, videoprojection, fire, masks etc?
Thomas: No masks that's stupid. The rest we actually don't know. Wework on it.
Marcel: Its not our first gig but the first one with "Neuer Raum"that's why there isn't any show until now. But it will be somethingspecial for Prag.
Thomas: We will play some titles from the CD in a different way, andwe will play some exclusive previously unreleased material in Prag,especially for this festival. And there will be some guest musicians.
Marcel: With the show we will see what ideas we can make possible. Butthere will be definitely something for your eyes. Look forward to.
Q. What can you say about your creative process - field recordings,movie sampling, internet? What are the main sources when developinga composition?
Thomas: Most important is the idea in your head, sometime it flows sometimesnot. Inspiration comes from everywhere in live. Its a process were youdon't know what you get at the end. For the rest we
use analogy equipment and vocals.
Marcel: We also take some samples when it fits. The rest is an experiment.Often it is a jam secession, some one has an idea and then we work itout together.
Q. While composing, do you think you do use any method which no oneother bands uses, at least as far you know?
Thomas: I nether fought about that. May be? Its a process and everytime different.
Marcel: There is no model witch we follow. Most important is the idea.
Q. What´s your relationship to technology, especially computer one?To what extent is NR or other project depend on it?
Thomas: The paces from the album are all made without a computer, therewere recorded on a 4 Track Taperecorder and nothing else. They wereonly arranged on the computer for the CD. Its all analogy sound.
Marcel: In the last time we take a computer for recording. There moretracks and better quality. But the music is still based on analogy externalequipment. The other projects on our label us more computers. That'sthere way.
Q. What kind of equipment/instruments do you use?
Thomas: Synties, Bleach, efektprocesors, Tapes, external drumcomputers,feedbacks, Amps, voices, guitars, nearly everything what sound in someway. Mostly there were used in not correct style.
You don't need expensive equipment, it would be better but its not soimportant. The creative idea how to us it is more important.
Marcel: I use manly synties and samples. We put our stuff together inone room so we all can use the stuff of each other. Its a form of acommunity.
Q. What´s your attitude towards "industrial music"? Doyou think this term is still valid in new millenium, or it´s more relictof the past and we have to find a new description, more valid, moresufficient and powerful?
Thomas: I think its timeless, because its a form of underground musicwith is not so close related to money. Every one interprets it on itsone way.
And I think old material is also valid for today's time. Industrialis a word for such a wide range, why change it? My be avangarde is better,but these are only words.
Q. What does inspire you today? History, dreams, art?
Thomas: Live is a challenge That's inspires me enough.
Marcel: You never know what turn your live will take, this is the most
importent factor in my music.
Q. What´s your attitude to the innovatory movements from the lastcentury - futurism, dada, surrealism, musique concrete, krautrock, Kraftwerk,DAF WS Burroughs cut-ups etc?
Marcel: Kraftwerk influences me much in my early time. But when youmake music on our on you look in a different way to other music. I don'twant to sound like anyone else, so influence is only in an non
direct way.
Thomas: For me Stockhausen, music konkret, Bauhaus, and some otherswere influential. They were ahead of there time.
Do you find much inspiration in other types of music as well?
Thomas: I here to punk and classic and several other genres, but that'smore for fun not for inspiration to my music.
Marcel: Pop music.
Q. How many albums have you released so far, altogether and whichformat do you usually use?
Thomas: First we released some Tapes and CD-Rs, but for the better qualitywe changed to CDs and Lps. For me personally it will be more Lps infuture its a better feeling.
Marcel: I think until now we released 5 CDs 1 Picture-LP and 1 Videounder Torpor. But next year we plan to release a DVD Sampler on ourLabel. That's something new and interesting for us, and we looking forwardto the result.
Q. What can you see and say when looking back to your history? Areyou satisfied with the process the things are going?
Thomas: I am overwhelmed. I never expected this. When we started Itwas les more then a experiment for me. In my opinion we reached morethen I could think of at this point.
Marcel: I am surprised and it's still growing and we don't lose thefun in all the work. If it sometimes becomes more work then fun it wouldbe not the same anymore.
Thomas: Music plays more and more a vital role in my live. I can't thinkof my live without.
Marcel: We don't sell thousands of records but if you get a mail fromsomeone in the wide world and he says that he likes your CD, that'ssomething witch no one can take from you. And if you have your own CDin your hand, That's something like a little bit of immortality, maybeyour music survives. This gives me a form of foothold in my live. Idon'tknow what I would do without.
Thomas: Live is more worth living for me.
Q. How do you think the original idea has changed -.compared to thevery beginning?
Marcel: Musically I am always changing, there are every time new influences.You cant stop to change, or it becomes boring. You only keep it trueif your always changing.
Thomas: For me the original idea doesn't change but I grow on my selvesin this progress.
Q. Your next plans and visions?
Marcel: For "Neuer Raum" we want to make a few gigs in thenext year. My be there will be another CD in the future but this willtake a will.
Thomas: With our own projects, we both have planed some new releasesnext year. The biggest project is our DVD Sampler.
Marcel: And at the end of the year we will release the fist fulltimealbumfor "Serapim". I think this will become relay good.
Q. What do you mostly listen to?
Marcel: Midnight Oil, Pet Shop boys, ..... industrial, everything itdepends how I feel like in this moment. Music must touch me in someway then I like it.
Thomas: Herbst in Pekink (Punk), Georg Kreisler, Element of Crime, itchanges quite a lot depending on my feelings.
Q. Your last week top ten
Thomas:
-Sardh "Intar"
-Georg Kreisler
-Joy Division
-Element of Crime
-Makro Nympha
-Herbst in Peking
-Einleitungszeit
-Die Skeptiker
-Maria Zerfall
-Modern Talking (Joke)
Marcel:
-Snog
-Wolfsheim
-Midnight Oil
-Cure
-Suxie and the Banchees
-Deutsch Nepal
-New Order
-Death in June
-Depeche Mode
-Mike Oldfield
Last message to our readers...
I think its good that you ask this question, we see us in Prag.