(12.04.2017)
Tokio Hotel: What did the band say to the Poles?
The Tokio Hotel team once again visited Poland and by the way, they had a moment to talk to us. On ESKA.pl we have an interview with you guys and a special message for fans from our country.
German band Tokio Hotel on April 12, 2017 played an impressive show at the Warsaw club Progresja. On the occasion of this visit, Bill, Tom, Gustav and Georg took a moment to sit down with us and answer a few questions about, among others. their latest album “Dream Machine”, life on the road, show business, and … fall into the scene. Robert Choiński, the editor of ESKA.pl, spoke with the boys from Tokio Hotel. Be vigilant, because soon there will also be additional material on which the members of Tokio Hotel played with us in the game YES / NO!
Robert Choiński: I would like to talk a bit about your latest album. The album “Dream Machine” is the most electronic material you have ever recorded. Why did you decide to go in this direction?
Tom Kaulitz: Electronics is a very comprehensive concept. I guess it’s hard to say what we call our music. In our case, it involves primarily programming a lot of things. In general, I do not think this record was more electronic than the previous one. Our sound is constantly changing, but since the album Kings of Suburbia we have found our way. This has started. This time we just did everything by ourselves – we took care of production and mix. This is a very personal album that is very important to us. There are only 10 carefully selected songs. It’s 100% Tokio Hotel. We found our sound and that means a lot to us. Of course, we also experiment with synthesizers, with sound. We use the novelties that appear, but also the live instruments and we combine it all in the studio. But yes, this is electronics, if you want to call it something.
Robert Choiński: I have a question for you Gustav. Without resentment for the rest of you, but that’s what I see you as a real rock-man in this band. How do you feel about how Tokio Hotel is changing? You as a fan like Johnny Cash, how do you feel that the sound of Tokio Hotel is becoming more and more pop?
Gustav Schäfer: Basically I have no problem with that. As Tom said, we still use a lot of drums and electronic percussion. Georg also uses acoustic sets. Let’s put it all together. If you have an ear, you can hear it on the record. With the rest if you listen to what it sounds like on the record, and how we play it live … It’s really alright.
Robert Choiński: You often talk about inspiration for music, movies and fashion from the 80s. I wonder if there are any songs or artists you listened to in early childhood with your parents.
Bill Kaulitz: Yes, I started to listen to David Bowie because my stepfather showed me the movie “Labyrinth”, which I’m a huge fan of. This film has changed my whole life – especially childhood and adolescence. From this began my interest in vampires, makeup and the like. This has had a great impact on me. On how I dressed and what kind of music I listened to. And then I just listened to Bowie, because I loved him so much in this movie. I started to be interested in 80s music. My mother loved Eurythmics. I remember that she had this album on which Annie Lennox had this gorgeous orange hairstyle. Also Depeche Mode, which our daddy listened to. As we did most of the 80s with our parents.
Robert Choiński: Tom, Georg – now we see you on stage with so many different instruments and devices. Do not you miss the less stressful times when you just had to deal with playing the guitar or bass?
Tom Kaulitz: We definitely miss the minor neuroses sometimes. We are not very stressed out, but it is a lot. Playing this show requires us to be 100% focused. There are many moments in which we have to move, for example, from one instrument to another. We are sampling and doing this is one of the most complicated things to do. You have to do it perfectly every second, because otherwise it sounds awful. This is more advanced, but at the same time it gives us more joy. This is a challenge.
Robert Choiński: Also more satisfaction?
Tom Kaulitz: Yes, the satisfaction of a good performance is far greater now than ever. It used to mean just good guitar playing, and now if all is well, it means you were just super cool. We love it. I love the challenge when every night I have to convey emotions and sounds.
Robert Choiński: Did you have any bumps on this route, because you have so much on your mind?
Tom Kaulitz: Now we have yet another huge technical aspect. We have 7 laptops on stage.
Robert Choiński: 7 laptops ?!
Tom Kaulitz: We have 7 laptops on stage, because we need them. For vocal processing, for sampling sounds, for drums. There is a lot going on there. If at least one of the computers breaks down, it means total massacre. There are many things that can go wrong. Even without counting the mistakes we make as people. And of course those committed by Georg. To be honest, this tour really came out great, we did not make too many mistakes, the audience was great, we were good. I am really happy with the team.
Robert Choiński: Any malfunctioning in the dressing room?
Bill Kaulitz: Unfortunately, yes. It’s all funny. It was probably just one of those days when nothing came out. We played a concert in Berlin, for which I was very happy, because a lot of our friends came. And that day, for the first time on this tour, I broke my pants. I was almost half naked!
Robert Choiński: Have your pants gone?
Bill Kaulitz: No, but the clasp broke into them and I had to finish the set constantly pulling them up. And so with the rest poked my ass. Then again I broke down the lock in the other trousers. Two ducks in one concert! But such things just happen. With the rest of the people like it. They like to look at the bottom.
Tom Kaulitz: In German we say, “Ein kleiner Arsch ist schnell geleckt” (literally: “Little ass can be quickly licked.”) “In slang:” It’s nothing / I have it somewhere “.
Robert Choiński: I would like to return to the subject of music. “Dream Machine” is your first record for a new label. You may not be able to talk about it, but I wonder if your old contracts were something that made you especially nervous.
Bill Kaulitz: We have been associated with our old contracts for a very long time, over 10 years. It made us so happy when we finally got a new crew: producers, managers, directors and photographers. It’s really great to have people around you again who enjoy what they do and bring a breath of freshness. Sometimes it just needs a change. We also chose our new label because they fully trusted us. They did not even have to listen to the album to sign a contract with us. We thought to ourselves: This is amazing, that’s what we meant! There was no ego fight there. They just talked to us and said they loved us, believe in our talent and trust in 100% of our artistic vision. We signed the contract and then we just recorded this great album!
Below you can see the greetings that Tokio Hotel has made for all their fans from Poland.