In 2015 Tanzwut will perform at the legendary Trolls et Légendes festival in Mons, a great festival that attracts every 2 years almost 30.000 people. Time for some questions ...
As a band Tanzwut was torn out of Corvus Corax (as some of you wanted to try out other things), can I say it like that or can you tell us how it really happened?
The first experiments of medieval-rock and electronic music happened a long time before that time at Corvus Corax. Together with Micha Rhein (I was together with him at a medieval band Pullarius Furcillo) and his band "Noah" we tried to melt medieval and rock music. After Micha and me broke up, everyone followed that idea. So In Extremo and Tanzwut were created. Some members of Corvus Corax were part of Tanzwut.
When I saw both bands years ago (when you started) it was a bit confusing for me: I wasn't sure If I wasn't watching the same band playing another set with other idea's. Was it hard to find your own way and build up your own fan base?
It´s always difficult to bring two projects to the stage. At that time we split both bands consistently to avoid misunderstandings. But today Tanzwut brings two different shows (medieval and rock) to the stages. But we noticed that it confuses people if we play our acoustic "market-music" on medieval markets and on festivals or at clubs mostly our rock-shows. At Trolls et Légendes Festival we´ll show our rock-program.
How was it to be part of the EMI label? Can you tell us something about your actual label? How did you end up with them?
It was a good start for us with EMI. They invested well in us. After that we produced some CDs on our own and released them at our own label T.Fell Records. 2014 we dared again to sign a contract. Now at AFM records, like them and know them as a good partner to make a good progress with Tanzwut.
Over the years you tried out different genres, from Industrial to medieval: a giant leap, no?
Our roots are the pure medieval music. So we connected our familiar instruments like bagpipes, shawms and drums to "modern" rock music and other different elements. So within the years we continued to develop our music. After all 15 years passed by since our first release in 1999.
Did the fans always liked it, how did you feel it?
There are always people who always want the "classic" stuff and don´t accept new things. But usually that changes if you listened thee new songs a few times. Of course there are always advocates of the pure medieval music and on the other side those who love amplification and rock. You can notice that in the internet or by talking to fans after a concert.
But that happens to a lot of musicians or bands. Even Bob Dylan played two different shows, with and without amplifier, for a long time to satisfy everybody.
You recorded a few tracks with Umbra Et Imago, how was that? Did you ever manage to play them together on stage?
It was a long time ago. In 1998 we recorded two Songs with Umbra et Imago. After that we toured together with Mozart and his guys. It was a funny time.
One of my most favorite tracks on the new album Eselmesse is 'Der Eselskoenig', what is this track about?
The "Eselsmesse" (donkey-worship) is a party of the lower clergy which was founded at the middle ages. Even the clergy celebrated a secular party while wearing costumes. In a kind of "reversed world" the participants wore animal-costumes. At these days there was a nominated jester- or donkey-bishop and the people answered his blessing by ambiguously chants and animal-sounds like the typical "hee-haw hee-haw". The donkey-king, ruler of that party, appears with his followers and celebrates the donkey-worship together with them. Lots of people are celebrating together with them and the huge amount of beggars should not be hungry or thirsty that day and are invited to the binge.
At the previous edition Daemonia Nymphe and Rastaban did something nice together, will you try out something with one of the other bands?
We can imagine to do something like this but actually we´re busy to produce the next rock-CD. So we don't have time to prepare the show.
How do you see 2015 and the further future? What is your ultimate dream with the band and the music you make?
In February 2015 we´ll release our new rock-album and we´ll go on tour with it. Our dream is to make music for a long time in future, to see more and more places in the world and to reach a lot of people with our songs.
