Who is Mel?
Hi to all and the Cyber Angels Team. I’m MEL, singer of the german electrobands Future Trail and Cold Waves.
To what music did you listen as a kid and do you still listen to the same kind of Music?
I was born in the early 80’s and the taste of my music interest started in the 90’s with the Rock/Pop/ and 80’s sound. I listened to all types of music. As a teen I was a big fan of the german punk band ”Die Ärzte”…and still I am. Very often I wished to be a bit older. Wanted to grow up in the Depeche Mode or The Cure time. But the 90’s time with all the different kinds of music impressed me as well. I still listen to music of my older days..;-) but also I am open minded for the new styles of electro and so on.
You started at a young age with music, in 2001 you could be heard on the davaNtage ep Virus:Hate. How did this happen and what was this experience for you like?
I started with making music especially singing very early. Since the first years in school I was in different choirs and later on I had singing instructions for a few years. Also with some liveshows and talentshows around. When I was just 17 I met the band davaNtage over Gerald from Black Rain Records, who I knew before. At that time davaNtage were searching for a female guestsinger to make a coverversion of a song. So we met and I showed them some demos of mine. They choose me directly. The Cure song “Cold” was recorded some days later and the result was and is just the best. In that time everything was going very fast and I slipped in that music scene. Going to concerts, having lots of fun, met interesting people and musicians. So the experience was a good one as you can see and hear now.
Every musician has certain people who left a footprint on them and are a source of inspiration, which musicians are an inspiration for you and in what way? What makes them so special for you?
Yes of course I have certain singers that I was looking up to and still do. First of all it’s Martin Lee Gore. I love his voice, character and emotional feeling when I listen to his music. Also of course Robert Smith, I am very interested in the unique sound of a voice and the messages the voices tell me. My current hero is Ronan Harris of VNV Nation and I am looking up to the career he had the last years. In front of so many people who know all the lyrics. The emotion that he brings to the people… that is the biggest present you could have as a musician!
Oh...haha, yes there are many words with MEL around. And always when my friends have a new one we lough a lot. A special present for my birthday was a big poster with a collection of “MEL” words on. MELbourne of course is a special to me because my good friend Dave Foreman who I miss alot lives there. Or for example schMELzkäse…that word was the one at Elekktroschokk-Festival in april when I was there with Cephalgy. The third one last but not least ..melodie.. don’t need to explain.
You started in 2001 also the band Future Trail? What were your original goals and did you have an exact idea how you wanted it to sound?
There was no special goal at that moment in 2001, it was just a hobby and we wanted to release an album sometimes. We worked 3 years and in 2004 it was ready to be released on Firezone Records, a part of the Black Rain Records Company. The fiber of making music and sing and everything in between got more and more a part of my daily life. I can’t live without it and of cause there are many goals that I want to make in the future.
Who are the members of Future Trail and where did you meet?
It’s René, Gunnar and me. When we startet also Mario from davaNtage was in our band but he left us in 2007. Future Trail was risen from the davaNtage team. René had a lot of unused instrumentals and soon the idea of a new band with just female voice was realized. Future Trail was born.
In 2004 Future Trail released the album “Big Sky Horizon” how were the comments on that album and how do you look back yourself to your debut album?
The comments were just good. It’s now some years later and my memories of that time are still in my mind because I can look back and be proud of all the things that I created. I am now 10 years in that scene and I’m anxious about all the things coming the next time and years. My mind is full of plans, lots of things to do.
The album is released on Rupal Records, you are also working for that label, what do you exactly do for Rupal Records?
We are a team that once gave ourselves a platform to release music and be free from everything. Make our own thing. Very fast we grew up and our online shop is full of different artists. That is the work of André who is the man behind the shop! A big thank you to him for the good work the last 3 years! My part is constricted by the work on the www.myspace.com/rupalrecords side at the moment because all my time stands in the light of Future Trail and Cold Waves.
Because Future Trail is engaged with the same members like davantage, except the singers, we had a lot to do in the years between 2004 and 2008. Some davantage releases on which I also did some songs and the founding of Rupal Records made it impossible to have enough time for a new Future Trail album. Also I was involved in some projects like Wynardtage (The Grey Line 2008). But in the end of 2008 such a big inspiration came into my life and I decided to start the second album. René and Gunnar also were happy and got infected by my ideas for “Breaking New Ground”. And so...the time was right…!
Can you explain the title of the album “Breaking New Ground”?
As you can hear in the lyric of the song “the intention in front / breaking new ground / the volition so strong / we can hear the sound” the title stands for having a goal, don’t waste your time. Do something with your life, search for help if you think you can’t manage it by yourself! Be strong and don’t hide if some problems are on your way! Stick to your principles and break new ground!
When you entered the studio, were all songs finished and did you have in mind what you wanted it to sound like?
We recorded the songs between November 2008 and June 2009. One song after the other evolved. René lives in another city and so the Future Trail songs are always vocalized in Chemnitz by me in the studio with the remarkable help of Rico from the Echorausch Studio. Sometimes Gunnar also was with us. I know exactly how it has to sound when I have my studio date. In my little home studio I am working on each song alone. René sends me the instrumentals and I add the vocals and lyrics. Recording it as well, hearing, changing … and when the time is right for recording the result in high quality I go to the studio. The vocals I send to René who is finishing the song then with effects and all the stuff.
How did the recordings go, did it all went as planned or not?
Everything happened as it was planned! :)
Both Dirk Steyer and Dirk Ivens contributed guestvocals to the new album, how did you get them to do it? Why these 2 singers or were you looking for singers with the name Dirk?
Hehe ... that’s randomness. I met Dirk Ivens last year before the idea of a new album was on the way. He likes our music very much and we talked a lot. He wanted to do some backing vocals on one song and after a few months “Landslide” was finished. Dirk Steyer is a friend of mine since last year too. He lives a few houses away from mine and we were on parties. We talked about the new album and if he wants to do some vocal parts on it. The same thing happened. “Panic” was on the way. So we met in his studio and recorded the song.
Of course it’s the most important thing for me to put in all the emotion I have at this moment when I am singing. Especially the song “Players” is in my mind. I remember when I was there sitting in front of the microphone, closed eyes and I had a run. I sang the song in one breath. I feel it anytime again when I listen to it. That was such an incredible feeling! I can manage all these feelings because these are all personal things in the songs and my sentiments. I had a very hard time this year, the music helped me a lot to overcome the sorrows and that makes the album such a special one to me. All my strength, energy, thoughts and feelings of the first 6 month 2009 are filled in. I am very proud of all that I managed and of course all the helpers and my band members René and Gunnar.
What progress did you make for “Breaking New Ground” when you compare it to “Big Sky Horizon”?
I think I grew up in the last years, had a lot of musical influences and experiences as well. Also the lyrics are more personal to me because I wrote the half of the lyrics. On “Big Sky Horizon” the lyrics came from Mario and Gunnar. When we started with Future Trail I was just 17 now I’m 26, that is a long time and it changes a lot in life. Personal evolvement certainly.
Is this album coming close to the original ideas you had when you started Future Trail?
Yes, it’s our music. We want to reach the people with and hope that they can identify with us and the messages we transfer.
Your lyrics, what are they about and is it hard for you to transform life experiences into lyrics?
The lyrics are about the personal life, future visions and the past. It’s not always easy to write the lyrics in a form everybody can identify with. It’s sometimes hard to hide the truth. But also that is the fact which makes it and me authentic.
In 2009 you also started a second band called Cold Waves, can you give a brief introduction to Cold Waves? Why the need to start another band?
Cold Waves exist since April 2009. It was not planned or foreseeable. Robert Tale (also in the bands Weltfremd and Soul In Isolation) and I got to know each other and the sympathy and empathy was so strong that it was unavoidable to do this!! We love to work together, sharing our experiences and combine them in a fulfilled kind of luck. Here I write all the lyrics and they are much more personal and the depth of my vocals comes through. It’s Darkwave and melancholic sounds, like a dream - another sphere. It’s like a new born baby. Understanding, conversation, deep feelings hang on. It’s different to Future Trail. I love both bands, each of them are special.
The goals for Cold Waves are very high. We are working right now on our debut album which will be released in 2010! We shot our first video that will be online soon. We plan some live shows in the near future. This is not just a side project. This is a band with strong volition. You will be hear soon more of it. Please check www.myspace.com/coldwavesmusic to stay informed.
In what way does Future Trail deviate from Cold Waves?
Future Trail is the more experimental side of expression. Cold Waves goes deeper shows more emotion of both of us.
On October 2nd the official release party will be in Chemnitz, what can you tell us about this event, in what way will it deviate from a normal Future Trail concert?
We have our release party with Weltfremd and Cephalgy, 2 chummy bands of us. We will perform the first time the new songs of the album and it is in my hometown. Many friends and family will be there which is not possible to realize on other gigs. I really looking forward to and it will be a very special evening.
How do you prepare for this event, will you be a little nervous, presenting the new songs to the audience?
Of course I will be nervous. I need my calm before a show. When songs are performed no one knows it’s of course a bit weird but good to see and hear the first feedback.
Any last words for our readers?
At first I want to thank you for the interest. I hope I could give you a little introduction of my musical life. Everybody feels different when a song, a voice, a composition be heard. Maybe I can touch your heart and take you on a journey through my world.
Enjoy the new album “Breaking New Ground” that will be released 09. of October and stay tuned for the following.
All the best to you all and take care!
MEL