Shout! Online :: All about De/Vision :: Exclusive interview with Thomas (De/Vision) (October 2003)

Exclusive interview with Thomas (De/Vision) (October 2003)

Last updated 20.10.03

ALEX: First of all, I want to ask you if you remember my first e-mail interview with you in 2001? Could you imagine that just after 2 years we’ll sit together, face to face, here in Moscow?

THOMAS: Yeah, I can remember that we made an interview two years ago, yes. It’s quite funny to sit here now with you, talking to you face to face. Nice to be here, nice to make an interview again, make so many interviews, everyday [smile] Yes, its of course very nice. Thank you! [smile]

ALEX: Now, when something changed in the world, and you finally came to Russia… describe your first feelings in Moscow.

THOMAS: I was quite expressed, because of sighs of this town, how big everything is, buildings, you know, it was very impressing. I thought Berlin is a big city, but compared to Moscow it’s just a small town, how it seems to me. I liked Moscow for the first moment I came here. But I have to say I felt in love with it a bit too much than at the first moment when I saw and meet people here. People were such warm and welcome. These experiences are to me, for Steffen of course too. It’s my first feelings when I came to Moscow.

ALEX: When we’ll see another studio album from De/Vision? After some flash backs with «Devolution» are you ready to continue your music evolution again? Or you still want to keep your original roots in their original form?

THOMAS: Next studio album set to released in the next October, as it was planned, but we never know what could happens. You know. «Devolution» does not mean a step back, it has another meaning for us, it says «De/Vision Evolution». It was a step back in only one way, because it’s more electronic again, but it is a step forward for us. Of course we’ll keep doing music in a way we do it now, trying out something new a little bit, but we’ll always continue nice electronic pop melodies and pop songs. So it won’t change too much than we doing at the moment. Steffen always describes that next album is a mix of «Void» and «Monosex». That’s about what expect to you.

ALEX: Fans are like to use titles for style you play, synthpop, futurepop or anything…

THOMAS: We call our music Progressive Pop. That’s what it for us. Because it’s a pop music and it’s compared to synthpop is much more progressive, its much more modern, its evolution of synthpop for you, it’s why we call it Progressive Pop.

ALEX: I really like this answer, because I don’t like futurepop in its original form, simple dance music…

THOMAS: Yes, that’s true, that’s what is it. You know, I don’t like normally to say «We call our music as Progressive Pop» because people always want a special term, but we don’t like it at all. One thing that could separate one thing from another is just music, but people need something to describe it.

ALEX: They think «I will buy only synthpop» or «I’ll buy only futurepop»…

THOMAS: That’s right.

ALEX: As you can see on my site, I present many bands, incl. Rammstein, Madonna, The Cure. I don’t think much about if they are making electronic music, they are making good music first of all, I want to talk about the music I like, and my friends like, it’s the most important reason why I’m doing my site. I don’t like terms like synthpop, futurepop, you know, I like more technopop.

THOMAS: Yeah, its cool!

ALEX: Its very strange for me that you released CD titled «I regret 2003» just after last year release «I regret 2002» as promo video. It looks like funny joke, not truth. So why did you do a new release for this track again, I think you have a lot of excellent tracks to re-edit.

THOMAS: [laugh] You know, the reason why this song is released again is, that it wasn’t our idea, it was idea of our ex-manager. When we departed we made different contracts. You know he has our back catalog, and it was his idea to release it. So we believed that it was stupid, stupid idea, but he wanted to do it.

ALEX: It was a really strange idea…

THOMAS: Yeah, but its out of our control.

ALEX: This year De/Vision celebrate 15 years anniversary. Returning in your past, is there something that you believe is the most important thing in your career? I think it’s a difficult question.

THOMAS: Ja…

ALEX: Try to remember…

THOMAS: You know, I can’t find one event or thing that was the most important. Everything was important. There were too many things important for us. The first keyboard we bought, it was very important, because without this we couldn’t make any music. It was important when we’ve got our first record deal. Each new album is very-very important, each concert is very-very important for us, you know. So I couldn’t name something special, everything is important.

ALEX: It’s a good answer. How about Green Court? This project is frozen at the moment, or so?

THOMAS: This project is frozen at the moment, that’s true. We did two releases with Green Court, and that’s about it. Steffen is in contact with guy from Green Court, but there are no collaboration plans at the moment.

ALEX: So maybe it was final work, or…

THOMAS: …or maybe will be something in the future, I don’t know.

ALEX: Did you ever plan to contribute your vocal for any side project too?

THOMAS: No, no [laugh]. The side projects we did, for example Green Court, it was always Steffen and me together. He did singing, you know, first song was a cover, but second one I had to write lyrics. Everything we do - we do together.

ALEX: Last summer you split up with your long time manager, Lorenz Macke. Now you have no manager at all. I guess it was avery hard decision for you. Are your satisfied by the first results of your independence?

THOMAS: We have no manager, its true, but we have a tour manager, Jan Winterfeld is doing all the concert stuff.

ALEX: So do you like it?

THOMAS: The way right now it is perfect for us. We don’t think we need a manager, because we could do all by ourselves. Right now it works well.

ALEX: Do you plan at the moment to change your record company or no?

THOMAS: No, it’s all right at the moment, we have our next release with Drakkar Ent. After that we’ll see. Anyway for sure we’ll do another one with them, but you never know, maybe we would split after that. We never know what will happen.

And I want to add some words about Lorenz. It wasn’t a hard decision for us, no, to split with him. The problem is… you know, I’m not allowed to talk about background… you know why… but at the end it wasn’t a hard decision, not for me, it was the only way, there was no other way, no other chance. We did what we had to do, that’s all I can say. And we didn’t regret it so [smile] it was the best thing we could do at that time. You know all we regret is the fact that we didn’t kick him off earlier [laugh]

ALEX: Two years earlier?

THOMAS: Maybe five years earlier! [laugh]

ALEX: We still have no news from Marcus, De/Vision ex-member, just few short infos that he’s working on his own album, and that’s all. Can you add something? Do you keep any relationships with him?

THOMAS: Hmmm.. I met him once for a while, when I come back to bands in my hometown. And I visit him some times, we sit and talk a bit, but we meet each other once or twice a year.

ALEX: He want to return to music?

THOMAS: I don’t know exactly what he’s doing right now in the music business, you know. I have rumours that he is doing something, he is doing something with our ex-De/Vision member Stefan Blender, who left the band in 91. I don’t know if it is true or no, I have no idea.

ALEX: Hmmm…

THOMAS: You look like you don’t believe me? [laugh]

ALEX: [laugh] I want to ask one more question. You can not to answer it if you want… are you still friends with Marcus?

THOMAS: I wouldn’t say that we are friends. We have a good relationships, we said a lot each other, we talk, we sit and drink together, when I come to him, we smoke a joint together or something, but I wouldn’t say we are friends. When he was still in the band…

ALEX: Could you imagine that Marcus return to De/Vision?

THOMAS: No, never, it will never happen.

What I wanted to say – when he was still in the band we worked together, that was all about it, you know, we didn’t really go out together very often, at least the last two years he was in the band. We started to make music more than 15 years ago, we did much more together, we went to clubs together and things like that, but the last few years we only work together, he has his own friends, I have my friends, Steffen and me – we were always very close, we did everything together, come to clubs together… but Marcus was always… yes, it was only work relationships.

ALEX: If it isn’t secret why have you both so short haircuts at the moment? Do you have a reason beyond concept of recent album?

THOMAS: There is nothing special behind our haircuts, our haircuts are only haircuts and nothing else, you know. It’s unimportant, music is much important.

ALEX: We noticed that firstly Steffen did a very strange haircut, and then he cut all his hairs off…

THOMAS: It was an accident, it was not an intention to cut everything, it was an accident to cut it all [smile] but soon he will have his Iro again [laugh]

ALEX: Yesterday you performed your first live concert for Russian public. Did you plan to do something special on that concert, any surprises for your Russian fans?

THOMAS: No surprises, we went on stage and played our songs.

ALEX: Why you did not played any songs acoustic?

THOMAS: We did in Germany «Blue Moon», as acapella version, but because we came here for the very first time, it was our first concert here, we wanted to present «Blue Moon» in its original form, electronic version, that was more important for us, why we need to did it in different way?

ALEX: Did you hear about that fantastic success which AO, Melotron, and Mesh had here with their live concerts?

THOMAS: Who is AO?

ALEX: And One [smile]

THOMAS: Ohhh, OK [smile] Yeah, I heard about it, it was fantastic, I think it seems like fantastic for each electronic band which came here, I mean that this music is very popular here, so of course they so wondered.

ALEX: Do you have any plans here besides concert? Maybe you want to see something around our city, for example our nightlife?

THOMAS: Yes, sighting tour, we did today, very interesting. We were in the Kremlin, and some other places.

ALEX: Do you see Moscow Metro (underground)?

THOMAS: No, hopefully tomorrow, I want to see it...

ALEX: The Moscow Metro and the Berlin U-bahn are the oldest in the world, you must see it…

THOMAS: I know, I see it in documentaries on the TV, in program about Russian underground, and I want to see it of course. I hope to find some free time [laugh]

And the nightlife of course, there is some parties - I don’t know where, I didn’t sleep for last 3 days, maybe alltogether 5 hours, but I don’t care, we could go to bed and sleep like a babies, but I prefer to see as much as I can, to meet as many people as I can, because tomorrow I need to leave this city. When I’ll come back to my home I can go to sleep, it would be enough [smile]

ALEX: At the end, please say something special for your huge Russian fans that waited this show more than 5 years.

THOMAS: [laugh] I want to say Thank you for this warm welcome the fans gave to us, and for the fun we had during the concert. And I have to admit that it was a little bit stressful after the concert yesterday but it was a very-very nice to talk to the fans, it was amazing for both of us, hopefully we’ll come back the next tour.

ALEX: And the same question to you, Steffen? [smile]

STEFFEN: We don’t have fans in Moscow [laugh] It was a joke. It was a great time and I hope to see you again soon.

ALEX: We hope too.

STEFFEN: I hope we’ll come back.

ALEX: Thank you! Thank you Steffen, and thank you Thomas for interview! I hope to see you again sometime!