R: First of all, I have to say that I am very impressed by the powerful production of your new album "EPIDEMIE". How did you achieve this sound in the studio? What did you do differently than with your previous albums?
T: Thank you very much, we are of course happy that you like the sound! We recorded the album, just like the predecessor "Cultus Interruptus", together with Harris Johns and Mathias Wendt. We have now become like a small family, and everyone knows exactly how the sound should be for TOXPACK. It was important to us that "EPIDEMIE" hits hard, so we took our time in the studio for that. We definitely spent more time beforehand working on the individual songs, continued to refine them in the studio, and later spent more time on the final mix than with the predecessor album. I think what also contributed a lot to the sound of the new record is that we privately invested a considerable amount of money in new equipment. It did hit our wallets hard, but in our opinion, it greatly improved the overall sound.
R: You are now new on PEOPLE LIKE YOU RECORDS. What does it mean to you to be on this label?
T: We never thought we would receive an offer from People like You, so we are even more excited to be part of the "PEOPLE LIKE YOU FAMILY". Everything is running much more professionally. That motivates us and tells us that it was the best decision we could make with TOXPACK so far. We would also like to thank PLY for their trust in us.
R: How was it for you to play on the PEOPLE LIKE YOU birthday tour?
T: The PEOPLE LIKE YOU tour was something special for us. We had never been on tour for 10 consecutive days with the band before, especially not with a nightliner. Additionally, we had spent 14 days in the studio with the band recording the "EPIDEMIE" album. Overall, we were almost a whole month crammed together in close quarters, and the fact that there were no frictions among us shows that the band works well. The gigs of the PLY tour were all very well organized and unique in their own way, except for Munich where we had a bit of trouble because we struggled with technical problems during our show. Overall, everything went very professionally, and we had a lot of fun with everyone involved. After 10 days of the tour, everyone was glad to sleep in their own beds again but also a bit sad that it was all over. We would want to do it all again anytime. Oh yes, the clear winner of the whole tour was definitely Leipzig!
R: In the past, you had a lot of skinhead and hooligan audiences, but now your audience is more mixed. Are there fans from the past who have turned away from you? Have there been or are there problems within the audience at your concerts?
T: Certainly, there will be one or the other who can relate less to our newer stuff than to the old stuff. But for everyone who turns away from us, a new fan comes along! That’s how we see it. Besides, you can't please everyone, and we don't want to either. On the last album, we clearly stated in the song "Cultus Interruptus" that we break cultures as we want. It may sound a bit pathetic, but our music is not just for subculture A or subculture B; we have no interest in that, and we are happy about everyone who comes to our concerts and can relate to our music. Whether they have short hair, long hair, colorful hair, or whatever, we don't care; that’s what makes us happy at our concerts. The audience is very mixed. Everyone gets along with each other. People who have any right-wing nonsense in their heads are, of course, not welcome at our concerts. That should be clear. There are no problems within the audience at our gigs. At our concerts, everyone celebrates together; everyone knows what they are getting into at a TOXPACK concert. If someone can't handle that all subcultures come together to have a good time at our concerts, they should better stay at home. If someone were to start causing trouble, they would be quickly removed from the venue.
R: In recent years, you have become more well-known and now play in quite large venues. How do you handle success?
T: We look positively at the development of the last few years. We are of course happy to play in clubs where we once only dreamed of ever giving a gig. However, we have also worked hard for that in recent years. We handle it quite normally and have remained the same as we were back when we played in the basement around the corner at Bolle. I think that won't change in the future either.
R: On "EPIDEMIE" there are some songs (like "Für immer in mir" or "Was gestern war") that deal with partnership. Is one happier as a single? How much freedom do you need / does the band need?
T: "Für immer in mir" is actually less a partnership song. It can be interpreted that way, but the song is about something else. Anyone in such a situation will know what is meant. Regarding freedom, as a musician who works a lot with the band or is often on the road, you definitely need a woman who has a lot of understanding, patience, and above all, trust in you. If that is not given, it doesn't work. Sad but true. Whether one is happier as a single, that question should be answered by everyone themselves. I think everyone sees this differently.
R: The song "Was gestern war" reminds me of Die Toten Hosen. What do you think of that band?
T: I can say for at least 3 people from the band, including myself, that Die Toten Hosen certainly played a role in our youth. Just last week, three of us went to the benefit gig of Die Toten Hosen at SO 36 in Berlin, where only old hits from 82-90 were played; those were songs we grew up with. I really felt completely transported back to my youth. We found ourselves in the front rows that evening, sang along loudly, were nearly crushed, and sweated half to death. But the gig was unique. The songwriting and deep lyrics of the Düsseldorf band have always impressed me personally. We also noticed during the recordings that "Was gestern war" has a slight Hosen touch, but that was not intentional.
R: Listening to your songs gives one the courage to continue on their path. To what extent must one make compromises in life to achieve their goals? What compromises have you made as a band?
T: It starts with our leisure activities, as a lot of time is invested in rehearsals and concerts, and therefore personal matters often have to take a back seat. It continues with the money that had to be saved to get a decent sound system and instruments, to the point that you can't just take any job if it conflicts with the band's schedule. We have never made compromises for profit reasons or to appeal to a broader audience as a band! We would never bend for anyone, even if someone waved a bundle of cash. Because that would no longer be honest. I think one should always have the courage to go their own way. You always set the course in life yourself. Follow your own path and make something of your life, but be careful not to go astray.
R: Soon you will play two gigs in Italy. How is your music received there?
T: We already played in Italy last year. It was a cool little club show in the middle of Rome. We actually expected everything when we set off for Rome, but not a club that ultimately was filled with more than 400 people. The atmosphere was great, and we are always amazed when we play gigs abroad how many people actually have our music on their radar now. It is unbelievable for us as a band when you fly to Italy or Spain and people there actually try to sing along to the lyrics, or when I was in New York and Boston last year, people asked me if I knew TOXPACK from Germany. That’s a strange feeling.
R: TOXPACK and TROOPERS, both bands come from Berlin and make similar music. What connects you with the band? Are there any joint concerts planned?
T: We share a close friendship. TOXPACK and TROOPERS have played many concerts together. We have met countless times in Berlin pubs for endless drinking sessions. Atze also sang on one of our songs on our last album, which made us very happy. Unfortunately, we have seen each other quite rarely lately, if at all. Joint concerts are unfortunately not planned in the near future, as Atze is currently taking a creative break. However, we hope that there will be some joint gigs again someday, and that Atze will return to full form with TROOPERS in the future!
R: Which Berlin bands can you recommend at the moment?
T: TOXPACK of course! Spontaneously, I can also think of MAD SIN, SKEW SISKIN, and the EASTSIDE BOYS. TROOPERS, of course, should not be forgotten, even though they are currently on ice.
R: What’s next for TOXPACK?
T: As usual, straightforward! We will continue to work hard on ourselves, are already planning several big festivals in 2010 as well as club shows, and can hardly wait to go on tour with the "EPIDEMIE" album in tow. Come to our concerts and see for yourself. You are warmly invited!!
