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Philip: We met Archi on tour. After the Terrorgruppe no longer exists and Archi has since focused mainly on producing, we just sent him a few new songs. Then Archi visited us in Oldenburg, and under the influence of a lot of wine and spicy Indian food, he offered to produce the next album. We were absolutely not used to having a fifth person in the rehearsal room giving their opinion on the songs, but it brought a lot. There are so many things we didn’t even notice because we were just jamming, and sometimes you need to be pointed out to them.
Wuschel: Do you think the upcoming album will connect to its predecessors, or are there fundamental changes in the songs?
Philip: The songs have become more cohesive and therefore also more powerful, sometimes even slower. Additionally, the sound this time sounds a lot more natural, which suits us better. But that doesn’t mean the album won’t connect to its predecessor; after all, it’s still a Bitume album. We just do on record exactly what we do best and what we love, and that hasn’t changed much. But it would be damn boring to repeat the same thing in green as we did two years ago. I think the main change lies in the fact that we put more thought into the songs.
Wuschel: Anyone who has seen you live knows how much energy BITUME has. I’ve missed that energy a bit in your previous productions. That doesn’t mean I don’t like your records. However, you’ve always convinced me 100% live, while on record it barely reached a weak 90%. Do you see yourselves more as a live band, or am I just off with my assessment?
Philip: I’m curious to hear what you say after you’ve listened to the new album. You’re absolutely right that we haven’t managed to transfer what we do on stage to recorded media until now. I think we’ve done a better job this time. As I said, the album sounds more natural; maybe that was the key to it all.
Wuschel: In my opinion, BITUME has always been underestimated. While bands like WOHLSTANDSKINDER, KNOCHENFABRIK, or BAMBIX were heavily promoted by your former label VITAMINEPILLEN, BITUME always had to take a back seat. What do you think was the reason for that?
Philip: It’s not that we were promoted less by the label; it was just a different time. We released our first album with Vitaminepillen in 2002. Those three mentioned bands had already done that much earlier. They were already at the level we are now and beyond in 2002. Moreover, we have always been a somewhat controversial topic for music listeners: too rock 'n' roll for punks or too pop for rock 'n' rollers and pop music fans. Additionally, the music world looked very different in the 90s than it does today. I believe it simply depends on where the zeitgeist is floating at the moment, and since we don’t chase after it, the only possibility is that it might cross our path by chance.
Wuschel: What kind of punk rocker do you prefer? The samba punk or the Elcheniro? Keyword: Brazil - Finland!
Philip: Hmmm, both were wonderful experiences that we definitely need to repeat. The Brazilians wanted more autographs, and the Finns have saunas. Both have their advantages. In Brazil, you’re just more of an exotic, and the whole trip is more exotic for us because it’s further away. Everything is so different from here, and that makes it all so fun and interesting. Both were unhealthy!
Wuschel: I also got to listen to the new album and am really very excited. As you just mentioned, everything sounds more "cohesive" and a bit "slower" overall. Is this a random process, or have you consciously worked towards this?
Philip: It happens more or less naturally. The longer you play together, the more you notice little details in the songs. And when you build the songs together and also focus on the details, they just fit together better in the end. This time we also spent quite a bit longer on it than with the previous albums, which contributed a lot.
Wuschel: On February 2, a pre-single "EIN SCHÖNER TAG AM HAFEN" will be released. A very thoughtful and melancholic song. Why did you choose this one?
Philip: Hmm... good question. It was more of a feeling thing. The song is just somehow special and creates a nice atmosphere. We simply felt that it would be the most fitting to take this song.
Wuschel: "EIN TAG WIE 100 FETTE JAHRE" particularly reminds me of TERRORGRUPPE in terms of the guitars. Archie also contributes a verse vocally here. Did Archie have any influence on the implementation of the songs? Or was he solely responsible for the sound?
Philip: Archie definitely had an influence as a producer, but more of a structural nature. The songs themselves were mostly already finished before we started working with Archie. It usually went like this: Archie made suggestions after he heard the songs about how to change something structurally, like shortening a chorus or removing another guitar solo because it’s annoying, or whatever. We then tried that out in the rehearsal room and decided whether to do it or not. In most cases, the suggestions made a lot of sense, and then we arranged the songs accordingly.
Wuschel: Lyrically, BITUME has always been very thoughtful, and there has always been a critical statement recognizable. Do you discuss the lyrics among yourselves, or is everything musically implemented that someone brings in?
Philip: It’s usually the case that one of the four of us comes up with a musical idea, and we then almost finish the music together. Of course, not everything that is brought in is implemented; a lot is also experimented with. Then Crischan writes his lyrics and vocal lines on top of that. And we three have always been very enthusiastic about those, so discussions on that topic don’t even come into question. Sometimes Crischan also comes with an almost finished song, and we build the framework around it... depending on how it comes. But I particularly like his very thoughtful lyrics the most.
Wuschel: Which five bands are playing in your tour bus?
Philip: Living End, Social Distortion, Iron Maiden, Turbonegro, Tv-Smith
Wuschel: Were there any musical activities before BITUME, are there any other side projects, and where do your musical roots lie?
Philip: Well, Crischan and Uwe played in the Zertretenen Blechdosen, then Crischan and Tom had the Hush Puppies... to which Uwe later joined. Meanwhile, I had already made some music with Tom. At some point, Uwe joined the Hush Puppies, which then led to the name being changed to Bitume, and I joined in early 2000. Uwe has played with Buzz Aldrin in recent years, which is a hardcore combo without guitars, but with two basses, very interesting music! And Tom, Crischan, and I also have a Ramones cover band that we occasionally play at one party or another.
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