From: 6anthony_m@spcvxb.spc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.industrial
Subject: Interview with Blixa Bargeld [1/2]
Date: 24 Jan 93 02:47:29 GMT
Organization: St. Peter's College, US

Interview with Blixa Bargeld of Einstuerzende Neubauten
Part [1/2]
Typed in by The Fiend (6anthony_m@spcvxa.spc.edu)


Bob Westfall: Interviewer (Bob)
Wednesday: Bob's girlfriend (Wed)
Blixa Bargeld: (Blixa)


Bob:   Here we are with Blixa Bargeld of Einstuerzende Neubauten. Can
       you say Einstuerzende Neubauten Wednesday?
Wed:   I hate you. If I say it fast it sounds right.
Bob:   So when is the new album coming out?
Blixa: (clearing his throat) Umm, Im afraid you will have to ask the
       record company.  I dont exactly know, soon.
Bob:   Soon... And the name of it is Tabula Rosa?
Blixa: Yes.  In fact in the majority of the world it's not going to be
       one record but three records, the first record in Germany comes
       out in two days.  And the 1st of February the second album comes
       out and the 1st of March the 3rd album will come out.  And I dont
       know, I have to talk to Peter Wright about this later, and see
       how we can deliver the same amount in America.  But its probably
       going to be in a different form here.  Its probably going to be
       in two releases.
Bob:   So, if people want to get the whole effect..
Blixa: Well, if people want to get the whole effect they will have to
       travel quite alot because there are seven different versions of
       these recordings existing.
Bob:   What's going to be different about them?
Blixa: We have a French version, a Japanese version, a European version,
       and a American version.
Bob:   So, its going to be sung all in those different languages?
Blixa: No, there are certain tracks which are in different languages.
       The Tabula Rosa one that is released internationally has Blume in
       English, and the French one has in in French, and the Japanese
       one has it in Japanese, and the third one has a track that is in
       German and Japanese which will not be released anywhere else
       and their is an english version of Die Interimsliebenden which
       will probably come out here and not anywhere else.
Wed:   So, all the diehard fans out there gotta start saving their money
       for travelling and shopping.
Blixa: Well, the most difficult one to get will be the one that comes
       only in Italy and has two tracks that dont appear anywhere else.
Bob:   Are there like Einstuerzende Neubauten fans who follow you
       around like the Grateful Dead fans follow that band around?
Blixa: Oh yes, millions and millions...
Wed:   They got him on the way to the hospital cant you tell?
       ...... At what point in your life did you decide that you wanted
       to be a musician?
Blixa: Oh I never decided that I wanted to be a musician.
Wed:   It just kinda happened?
Blixa: Yea, it certainly just kinda happened.  I dont really see myself
       as a musician.  I had to fill in a form at a hospital saying my
       profession and I was worried what I was going to write there.
       Musician? thats stupid.
Wed:   What were your aspirations when you were younger?
Blixa: Umm how young, an astronaut or...
Wed:   Seventeen.
Blixa: Seventeen, I dont think I had any perspective at all when I was
       seventeen.
Bob:   What do you feel Einstuerzende Neubauten's place is going to be in
       history once someone starts to sit down and write about music.
Blixa: I dont know.
Bob:   So how do you feel about all these industrial bands that have
       followed in your footsteps.
Blixa: They usually didnt follow us very far.  I dont want to criticize
       anyone about it, but it is usually reduced to sound matter, and I
       dont think we are generally concerned about sound mater.
Bob:   What concerns you more?
Blixa: What things actually are.  At the time we had the first
       promotional kick in foriegn countries, alot of people easily
       caught up at that.  It went from like Depeche Mode sampling
       material to alot of people using similar sounds.  I dont think
       our focus point was to just get different sounds.
Wed:   What do you do on your free time?
Blixa: Aside from the fact that I havent had any in the last six months.
Wed:   If you had any free time, what would you do with it?
Blixa: I have a whole list of things, but all of the things that I would
       do, would automatically turn my free time into time that I havent
       got free.  There are lots of things not finished that I want to
       finish.  I even have a pile of things with me that I have to work
       through that has all kinds of future projects, that I havent
       found time to do.
Bob:   What kind of future projects?
Blixa: I have one theatre production coming up, and one play that I have
       to direct and I havent even read it.
Bob:   These are all back in Germany?
Blixa: Yes, these are all in Germany.  The theatre production is a German
       Austrian cult production and its probably going to be shown in
       some obscure theatre later but mainly its German stuff that has
       been written for us.
Bob:   For Einstuerzende Neubauten?
Blixa: Yes for actors and Einstuerzende Neubauten.  The guy that has
       written it has written it with us in mind playing it.
Bob:   Its going to be interesting.
Blixa: Yes, its going to take up the rest of this year.
Wed:   Do you think it would ever be released on a video?
Blixa: They already raised three million to produce it so I dont think
       they will let it go unnoticed.
Wed:   When do you think we will be seeing that?
Blixa: The opening is in December 93, so I guess 94 is a good
       perspective.
Bob:   Ive seen you in the movie "Dandy" (sp?!?)
Blixa: Not trying to play anything.
Bob:   Was that you on the floor screaming?
Blixa: Yes, that is me.  The director just tried to rebuild a very early
       Neubauten concert poster in that shot.
Bob:   I was at the New York premiere for that.
Blixa: I was there too.  I didnt think the film was very good.  That
       director has one very good ability, thats promoting his own
       films.
Wed:   Is acting one of your desires?
Blixa: No, acting is about the same as being a musician.  I never wanted
       to do either.  I said once that I only want to play two roles,
       Jesus and Hitler.  Once I cover these two, I never want to act
       again.
Bob:   So what inspires and drives you?  is it just something that you
       just have to get out?
Blixa: Talking about work with Neubauten, certainly yes.  I do have the
       urge to write these things and get them out of my system.  Once
       the record is finished, I will see them slowly... not dissapear
       but gain distance to me and in about six months time I can
       actually judge them and look at them in some type of perspective.
Bob:   So have you ever gone back to your early albums and said could I
       really have felt this way?
Blixa: About twice a year I listen to them, yes.
Wed:   Do you ever get the urge to drop all this glass, screaming,
       sampling, and noises and maybe just... do a beatles cover?
Blixa: Have you ever listened to this album closely?
Wed:   Ive listened to it, but not closely.
Blixa: It appears at about the point where you just stopped when I
       walked in.
Wed:   Oh no...
Bob:   The Beatles?
Wed:   no way..
Blixa: Yes.  You can turn it on again and I can guarantee there is
       something you should be able to recognize.  This is very
       difficult to talk about because, i dont want Micheal Jackson
       ringing us up and stop the record or do anything like that,
       because we are not allowed to do this cover.  This is not a cover
       I actually have written the complete contradiction of one of
       their songs.  I took every line and turned it around 180 degrees.
       We have a version prepared in case they try to stop us where we
       have beeped out all the lyrics.  That wasnt exactly answering
       your question, it was if we would like to take all this and do
       something different with it.
Wed:   Yes.
Blixa: I think some of these songs are like that.  It is the same
       instrumentation in a way but even these things have a broad
       spectrum with what you can do with it.
Bob:   So do you feel that your changing your style to become more
       popular or is popular music changing to sound more like you?
Blixa: Well, definatly the latter is correct.  In the last ten years
       the possibility of what you can do and still be considered popular
       music has changed drastically.  There are lots of noises
       acceptable.  I dont think we changed anything for any particular
       reason.  We didnt try to make it sound the way it does, it just
       turned out that way.
Bob:   Was the original intent of the band to be different?
Blixa: I dont think at all that the original intent was to be different.
Bob:   Or was the intent just to be artistic?
Blixa: I dont think that either, You can decide to become a musician, go
       to work, save your money and buy alot of instruments and work
       with these instruments as everyone else does.  A, I dont know
       really how to play an instrument, B, I didnt have the money to
       buy any instruments, C, I thought it was a more logical
       consequence to use my own surroundings, like in every functioning
       culture, someone would do.  I didnt try to be arty about it, and
       I didnt try to be different, it just somehow seemed natural to
       me.
Wed:   What kind of music and bands do you listen to?
Blixa: Im not very firm in popular music Im afraid.  Its not that I have
       anything against it, I dont find anything anymore that reveals
       anything to me. Most of the things I am listening to are not out
       of the field of popular music anymore.  The best thing I heard in
       1992 was a Polish composer called Groetzchke (sp?), thats what I
       really love to listen to.  I can really highly recommend this,
       its fantastic.
Bob:   What kind of music is that?
Blixa: Well, its a living Polish composer.
Wed:   It's like Mozart for today.
Blixa: No, not quite.  You can get it in America.
Wed:   Ahh Im getting another cassette for my car.
Blixa: It would be absolutly impossible to listen to Groetzchke (sp?) in
       your car because it moves only between PPP and FFF, that means in
       between absolutely hardly hearable and so incredibly loud that it
       will blast your ears off so you wouldnt find any way to put it
       ona cassette in the first place.  And while driving in a car you
       would miss all the low volume bits and probably get into a car
       accident during the high volume bits.  I dont know what you would
       hear if you would put it on a cassette,  you would probably have
       to try recording on the cassette over and over again because
       everytime you get to a loud bit you would be totally in the red.
Wed:   Oh, well my car speakers are all blown already...
Blixa: George Crumb is also very good.
Bob:   Right, I've heard of him.  John Cage?
Blixa: Umm. I like some things by him.  I really like the Black Angels
       peice by George Crumb, you know that record Black Angels?
Bob:   Uhh.. Ive heard of it.
Blixa: Thats wonderful, if you really want to get rid of some guests in
       your house.  Its wonderful to play to unsuspiscioned people, and
       just put on the CD and watch them fall out of their chairs.
Wed:   So, where do you see yourself in another three years?
Blixa: In three years.... 1996, well Im not doing another record until
       1994... I have no idea.
Bob:   Do you have any other outside projects musically?
Blixa: Umm..
Bob:   Nick Cave?
Blixa: Im still with Mr. Cave.  Im going to Australia next week to play
       more concerts with Nick cave, and I think I will still continue
       to work with him.
Bob:   Is their going to be an Einstuerzende Neubauten tour this album?
Blixa: Yes in April or May.
Bob:   Do you still tear apart your stage implements?
Blixa: No, we never did that.
Bob:   Well, your reputation I guess has been overblown.
Blixa: Well, now we are trying to tear up the reputation and thats even
       harder.
Bob:   I read somewhere that you were barred from playing certain clubs.
Blixa: Yes. that happened.
Bob:   Is that because of you or your audience?
Blixa: That is because of being alive...  Some places it has been from
       the audience really, but I wouldnt blame anything on the
       audience.
Wed:   Can you recall some your earlier shows that you played in some
       smaller clubs.
Blixa: Yes..
Wed:   Danceteria..
Blixa: Yes we played in the Danceteria, twice actually.
Wed:   It was 85 or 84 and I saw you guys play and there was a big oil
       drum on stage and you were setitng fire to things, and I remeber
       that day was one of the creepiest days, I really wanted to leave
       it was the first time I saw anything like that.
Blixa: I have to say, Americans are really afraid of fire.  That
       surprised us, because we have done things with fire in that
       period many times and it was never really a problem in Europe,
       and when it happened in America there was rioting and that was
       taking us by surprise actually.  It was a bit frightening in Los
       Angeles actually, because it got a bit out of hand there, I was
       up on fire and someone spilt the gasoline and lighted it up and
       it was great.. It was really... Intense as you say.  From there
       on the reputation was travelling faster then we could.  But its
       not very wise to repeat that, first of all its great to take
       people by surprise, after that it would have been show business
       and thats not the reason why we did it in the first place.  But
       now we are trying to tear up that reputation, no destruction.
Bob:   So are you in love now?
Blixa: Yeah, I guess so.
Bob:   Is that what we hear coming through your album?
Blixa: There are several relationships coming through there.
Wed:   Who's the last person you've kissed?
Blixa: The last person I kissed?  I dont think you know her.
Wed:   Thats ok, you can give her a plug.
Blixa: No...
Bob:   Ok, its private.
Blixa: No, her name is Titania, she lived in New York for three years,
       so some of your listeners may know her.





Thats it for Part One.  I will have to wait until next week to hear the
rest.  I have a few questions for people who may know about some of this
stuff..

1.  Has anyone seen the movie with Blixa Bargeld in it?
2.  Has anyone heard anything by George Crumb or Groetchke? I am probably
    spelling the latter wrong, but its my best guess.
3.  Did anyone here see EN live before?  If so, how was it?


The Fiend
6anthony_m@spcvxa.spc.edu