F: Matthias, you founded the PORK PIE label in 1989. How did
the label come to be?
M: It started with the first Ska festival in Germany 1989 in Berlin. It
played the then-existing Ska legends BLECHREIZ, BUTLERS, SKAOS and YEBO. I was already a Ska fan since the late 70s and was very pleased that Ska became popular in Germany again in the late 80s. It was only natural to present this scene with a compilation of German Ska bands. The result was called SKA.. SKA.. SKANDAL! and has proven to be one of the most successful Ska sampler series to date. While compiling it, it was so much fun that I decided not just to release one sampler, but to found a whole Ska label. Bands like Blechreiz and Butlers also provided the iconic graphic designs for SKANDAL samplers and even for the Pork Pie label itself. So, in short, that's the founding story. The first "One Artist" album CATCHTHISBEAT came from SKAOS, which I recorded and produced in our studio (among others known for working with Die Ärzte) at Vielklang.
F: 37 years as label boss. 37 years PORK PIE. Would you like to give a
brief summary and perhaps mention the most important
releases?
M: The really important releases are, as already mentioned, the SKANDAL samplers, of which there are now seven editions and which have contributed internationally to making Ska from Germany popular. That the scene in Germany is still lively today is shown by the latest issue No. 7, 35 years after SKA.. SKA.. SKANDAL! No. 1. The special thing about the SKANDAL series is also the concept that it is not just a "Best Of..." sampler, but the bands contribute previously unreleased songs, often even newly recorded in the studio for this purpose. In other words, not the usual "leftover utilization".
What I'm also particularly pleased about is the fact that the collaboration with bands like SKAOS and EL BOSSO & DIE PING PONGS has continued without interruption since PORK PIE was founded and, like with DR. RING DING and many other musicians from the PORK PIE universe, long-standing friendships have developed.
F: In recent years you've released fewer and fewer things. What
is the reason for that and do you notice something about the Vinyl hype of recent years?
M: After 37 years with so many great bands and releases, I no longer find it quite so easy to add something truly decisive to this "life's work". With PORK PIE I have always tried to pave new paths and take risks, EL BOSSO & DIE PING PONGS for example as to date THE Ska band with German texts, which were considered taboo before. That hasn't changed. But it should not be hidden that the "business" has changed significantly in recent years towards streaming and towards increasingly short lifespans of music. Sales figures for vinyl records have been declining for years, and especially with Vinyl, production costs have been rising for years due to the numerous worldwide crises and the resulting supply problems of materials. Vinyl has indeed pulled off a remarkable revival, which is at least a good sign. But in our genre it's still very difficult to make money with it. In addition, there have been blockages of pressing plants for months on end due to huge pressing orders by international artists like Taylor Swift, so that your own releases can be extremely delayed. A small fun fact: there are studies showing that half of Vinyl buyers don't even own a turntable! In this context, part of the Vinyl hype may be based purely on the possession of a merchandise item.
F: How has the Ska scene in Germany developed since 1989? How do you see the Ska scene in Germany today?
M: In the early 90s we had with the Third Wave a huge Ska revival worldwide. In Germany Ska, also in connection with the SHARP movement, was again very popular. The fall of the Berlin Wall gave Ska new momentum, especially through the legendary Potsdam Ska festival and a few years later with the now legendary THIS IS SKA festival in Rosslau, which has gained worldwide fame in the scene. Much of what we documented in the book SKA IM TRANSIT (Ed. note: The book review is available at the link https://www.ramtatta.de/s/reviews/f/details/id/8239/), in which many protagonists from East and West Germany speak out. Today we have a perhaps somewhat smaller, but now very professionally functioning Ska scene compared to the 90s. But with some great festivals across Germany and many great bands. What is missing here at home, however, is a new, young generation of Ska bands like there is in England, for example with bands like Dakka Skanks or Death of Guitar Pop.
F: Lately there's been a small revival of older bands. Blechreiz plays in larger halls / open airs. No Sports is on a major tour this year and The NÖ have formed from the remnants of No Life Lost. What's the reason for that and can that give the scene new momentum?
M: One can only speculate about the reasons. The bands just still have or again want to play and the audience as well as the musicians have aged a bit but they can simply do it really well. Perhaps that can also inspire young bands to choose the Ska genre.
F: The Skandal Allstars have existed for a few years now. How did the
founding come about and what does the band mean to you?
M: The whole thing was an idea by the bands and the organizer of the THIS IS
SKA festival. It was supposed to be a nostalgic nod to these glorious times of German Ska. NO SPORTS agreed to act as a backing band for the big hits from the first SKANDAL samplers, and as singers were Prüfer from BLECHREIZ, Mad Wolley from SKAOS, DR. RING DING aka Prof. Richie Senior from EL BOSSO & DIE PING PONGS, Jockel aka Joe Scholes from THE BRACES, and Ras Meyer from MOTHERS PRIDE.
I found out about this legendary gig after it was already a done deal. The more I felt pleased, or to say honored, and I'm very grateful for it.
F: In recent years, large parts of society have oriented themselves to the right. How do you personally deal with that and should Ska bands position themselves and engage more politically than before?
M: I would first not hope that it's already LARGE parts of society here in Germany. It should hopefully be the far larger percentage that clearly distances itself. But one sees – not only how quickly such a mood can change and become socially acceptable, as we've seen recently in the USA – how our scene is concerned, right-wing ideology and especially racism have no place. The SHARP movement has contributed a lot to this and this attitude seems to be firmly established in the scene to this day. Many bands also have explicit political messages in their repertoire. In this context, I don't believe the scene needs to position itself more strongly where people actually know what it's about. But engaging politically outside one's own scene is always good. But that should be a decision each person makes for themselves, including the audience.
F: Which Ska bands can you really recommend to everyone?
M: Everyone according to their taste. One is a fan of Jamaican Ska and Early Reggae, then there was the 2-Tone movement, Third Wave Ska and – how do you call it, what all these subgenres are these days?
But if there's a band that really embodies everything we associate with Ska, it was probably THE SPECIALS. The seed of the rebellious 2-Tone Ska with political statements against racism and right-wing extremism, combined with Jamaican influences among other things through horn player Rico Rodriguez and their 2-Tone label with the iconic black-and-white graphics.
F: What would you advise people who want to start a Ska band?
M: First of all. be brave!
Study the old Kings or Gods of Ska. But don't try to reproduce something that's been done a thousand times or sound exactly like... Try developing your own style. But above all: have fun with what you're doing.
F: What are your plans for PORK PIE going forward?
M: As always: pick the musical cherry on top of the offbeat cake, release new things, especially when it's from old acquaintances like the NØ. But also take some less conventional paths.
