Can you give a brief introduction to Kaos -Frequenz?
Torsten: I formed Kaos-Frequenz officially in summer of 2007. The debut CD “Never Ending Torture” was produced together with Tommy Steuer in the TS-Musix Studio in Zweibruecken (Germany). The CD was released in March 08 by the German label Sonic-X. On the basis of good reviews and feedbacks for the album, I played a lot of concerts for example in Germany, Austria, France, Portugal and Canada. In November 2009 I have released the EP “Sadistic Monsters” (Sonic-X label) and played more concerts after this release in Germany, Switzerland and in Norway. I was able to share the stage with bands like Straftanz, Santa Hates You, Frozen Plasma, Combichrist. At the moment I work on new songs for the next full length album.
Quite often one man industrial bands have a history as being a DJ. You haven’t so what made you decide to start with Kaos-Frequenz?
Torsten: Yes, that´s right. My roots are in the Death Metal scene, for more than 11 years I have been playing in several Death Metal bands as a bass player and singer. But since I have started Kaos-Frequenz I also have been booked as DJ or for guest DJ-slots on various dark electro events.
When reading some interviews I stumbled across comparisons with bands like Straftanz, Suicide Commando, Wumpscut, Soman, Xotox. Pretty big names for a new band to be compared with, how does this make you feel and what do you think of this comparisons?
Torsten: I think, that these bands are the reference of today's dark electro scene and nearly all bands will be compared to them, more or less. The review writers - especially in Germany - way too much assume that all new bands must have (and must want to have) the same sound and the same technical or musical standards like the referred well known acts, or even should be better as the scene top acts right from the beginning. If a new band does not fulfill these expectations, there will be a lot of negative feedback in form of bad reviews and many of the club DJs will simply ignore them, only because the band is doing something different than the compared established bands, looking for an own style, or do not show the same years of experience and musical development. Nowadays the standards rule more than ever, especially in the club music scene. It is a fact, that all new bands need a time to grow with their music, develop it. But still the most important thing for a musician is to have fun making his own music and to see at least some other people like it as well.
In 2008 you released your album “Never ending torture”. It got great comments but how do you back on it yourself, what would you have done differently?
Torsten: Yes that´s right, I was astonished about the good feedbacks and enjoyed them. Now it is more than 2 years ago since I have produced and released the first CD, it reflects my state in that time. Looking back, it was the best that was possible in that time and I am satisfied with it. In the meanwhile I have improved my technical and musical skills, and so of cause there are elements that I could do better today.
In your music you use vocals and samples, why the use of both, is it needed for a balance, what do the samples add to your music?
Torsten: With respect to my Metal vocalist roots, I like to sing and I want to do music with vocals. So I can bring a message into my songs, and use my voice as a means of expression. The samples are another element to create a certain atmosphere and a kind of introduction into my lyrics.
Your lyrics also seem to be very important for you, dealing with social issues. How do you get your inspiration and is it hard to transform that into lyrics?
Torsten: A lot of my lyrics have a social critical message. I find my inspirations in the daily news or in the society reports in Germany. For example the song “Moralische Perversion” from the EP tells about the Catholic church preaching to us every day to keep watch on morality, while in various cases the church doesn't care about morality by itself. I wrote these lyrics long times before the news headlines about children's rapings in Christian church institutions. The lyrics in “Sadistic Monsters” reflect the tendency in our media to make criminals a well known superstar, catching new TV viewers with the growing trend towards voyeurism in our society.
Lots of bands have lyrics without any real content, how do you think about that and is it something you ever would do?
Torsten: Everybody has his own inspiration. Somebody likes it to make splatter lyrics, others more like the real topics. For me every kind of lyrics can be o.k., if it works with the music.
You have done some live-shows already, do you do those alone or do you use other musicians as well? Who is in the live band of Kaos Frequenz?
Torsten: In the first concerts, some friends supported my stage performance with live synthies, and since the start of 2010 I work with a regular live keyboard player. Sometimes there are two keyboard players on the stage with me.
Just recently you released a new EP called “Sadistic Monsters” why this title for the EP? To what sadistic Monsters are you referring?
Torsten: The title refers to the murderers and rapists in our society, and also a society that wants to see more and more blood and news about crimes in their media. It is like a murder casting - who is the most extreme criminal?
How are the comments on the new EP?
Torsten: Comments are almost very good, all over the world. For example a Canadian Internet Industrial Radio rated the EP in their top 5 of all 2009 releases. In some webmags I gained very good reviews. And last but not least, this year up to now I have done 10 live-shows because of the EP success.
What things have you done differently? What progress have you made according yourself?
Torsten: I worked with new hookline elements and sounds in the songs, and I improved several arrangement details compared to the debut album.
What will be next for Kaos-Frequenz?
Torsten: In the near future I want to play more live-shows in Europe. Between the concerts, I will work on new songs for the next album and do some remixes for other bands.
When can a new full length be expected, are you already working on that?
Torsten: That´s a good question, but I don´t know when. There is no fix time schedule yet, the songs are still in progress. Probably a release can be done at the end of this year.
Any last words for the readers?
Thanks for supporting Kaos-Frequenz and I hope we will see us on a concert, somewhere in your area !
And thanks to you for this interesting Interview
Greets Torsten
www.myspace.com