(02.10.2017)

Tokio Hotel: “We really don’t want to put up with music industry bullshit”

Earlier this year, consistent German quartet Tokio Hotel put out the fresh and divisive Dream Machine. Having billed it as their most ambitious and daring record to date, frontman Bill Kaulitz and his men trekked the world in pursuit of putting on the perfect live show, one which complemented the new music as pristine as possible. We called up Kaulitz to discuss the record, its live show and where on earth they’ll go next.

Hey Bill. How are you doing?

I’m good, thank you! How are you?

I’m good too, thanks! Your most recent studio album, Dream Machine, came out this year. Can you tell me more about how you approached it, particularly in comparison to previous records?

On this album we were far freer to do whatever we wanted. We didn’t to talk to any record labels or management companies, and we cut out everyone along the way, producers included. We wanted to go back to the basics and just rely on our instincts to create something that made us happy. Tom (Kaulitz) and I went into the studio to write the first demos, and then we spent a full year recording it. We did everything on our own, and nobody else was involved. It was the first time that we’d done it like this, and it ended up being the album we always wanted to write. Afterwards, we played it to people to see who wanted to be involved, and who our best partner could be. We did it the other way round, basically. We were super happy with Dream Machine, and I’m personally still very excited about it.

After you finished the album, you switched from Universal Music to Starwatch. How did that come about?

(16.06.2006)

We chatted with Tokio Hotel about drugs, sex and German music

I want to be honest: I’m not a big fan of artist interviews. This is ultimately due to the fact that you never actually experience anything new. Usually the pure boredom prevails, the artists try not to be at all entertaining and wind up their answers automatically. “The recordings were very special, the songs are really coming from the bottom of my heart and the album is the best we have ever done!” Everything is clear, thank you, bye.

Of course, it is up to us to get the right condiments to us and to spit exciting information, but many artists are resistant for a long time. In the end you have an interview, which at most 50 years old.

When the request for an interview with Tokio Hotel came, my otherwise imperturbable pessimism disappeared quite quickly. Tokio Hotel, this is the band you really do not really know what it is doing; who, over a decade ago, brought with middle-aged Rock song fans to wine and French to learn German and who were always easily ridiculed.

“Haha, Tokio Hotel, nee, the shit I’ve never heard! Do not understand why they were so successful! And what are they doing right now?” An interview with the band, which did not bother any longer with Germany and moved to L.A., could be interesting! So what happened at Tokio Hotel? How have they changed? How has their music changed?

The last one I can answer directly: For about half a year their album “Dream Machine” has been out – and it has nothing in common with the teen skirt from earlier days. Today, Tokio Hotel make synth pop, which clearly hits the 80s. Now that this decade is being celebrated again, not such bad idea – and I must say: That does not even sound so bad! I would not have thought that I would ever say it ironically. So, as I walked across this bridge, I am ready for the interview with Bill, Tom, Georg, Gustav – and two huge dogs that are in the room.

I come directly to speak of the current album “Dream Machine”, which I really liked! With this album you are away from the major label, they have completely produced themselves, made all the decisions. Was that a kind of liberation blow?

Bill: Yeah, I’d say. We did not have to work with anyone for the first time. Before that, there were still producers with whom we had to write and produce, and now it was the first time that we really had nothing left to do. We did not want to sign a contract in advance, but rather concentrate on the music first, then only to find a record company, which is then also really cool. We wanted to make music that we find very good and with which we are consistently happy, and then only to bring people on board who feel the same for it …

Tom: … and not just from the start with a strategy come from “guys, you have to do this, this and that!”, But only hear what we want to do and then tell us whether they find it cool or not ,

Bill: “Starwatch” found it then the hottest, so we decided for that. You can already feel the experience and self-confidence that you have accumulated over the years. You now know what you want.

Bill: We went back a bit to where we started, long before “Through the monsoon.” We have already written the music ourselves and have performed with it. If, of course, some other people also join in, so the hobby becomes a profession, then one loses between the fast and sometimes the essence of the whole. We do what we do, yes, because we like to write music and stand on the stage. Tom produces and likes to write, so we have put ourselves in a studio and just looked at how it goes on its own. It went well, we were all happy with it and so we did not bring any other writers or producers.

The album is called “Dream Machine” – in it you are talking about dipping into a dream world, which is-removing from reality. Is not reality enough for you?

(28.09.2017)

Emoji interview with Bill Kaulitz
Hand up

The Tokio Hotel singer about school, makeup and Los Angeles.
And all this without words

At 16, Bill Kaulitz became a superstar as a singer of Tokio Hotel. He toured around the world, twisted boys and girls heads, his apartment was besieged by stalkers.
Today, he lives in L.A., is modeling, and has released the new album “Dream Machine” with Tokio Hotel in spring.

On an intermediate stop in Berlin we catch him on the phone with WhatsApp. He does not have much time, but he does not have to type much anyway: he can only answer our questions with Emojis.

– daily.spiegel.de

L’Officiel Hommes
No 02-Sommer 2 017

Young hero – and legend.
No German before him looks back at such a career at the age of 27.
Bill Kaulitz, a pop nomad, roaming between Berlin and Los Angeles.
A conversation about his life and the search for meaning

Patience is the first word that comes to mind when I see Bill Kaulitz sitting in the studio. It is just being painted. Lace knees stuck out of the jeans with holes out. He is rolled up, you see naked fetters. At his feet is a brown and white piebald bulldog: “This is Pumba. He did not want to get up today.” Bill‘s voice is warm and open.

“Have you had him long?” I ask and sit down in front of the hair equipment. I know that Pumba is in the hit list of the sweetest celebrity pets. On Instagram there is a whole gallery with pictures of the two cuddling. And he also got his own video for his first birthday.

“Three years. I got it at eight weeks. He is so sweet & kind, so full of love. Sometimes he sits there and looks deeply into my eyes, which is like a ‘Hug’. ”

Bill is talking about tattoos with the make-up artist. That they fade after a few years, especially the black. She also has one thing on hand. A chain with cross dangling above it. He shows her his hands and his forearm: Freedom stands there. With flourishes. A reference to his mother. When she was pregnant with the twins, the wall was still standing. Bill closes his eyes, leans back. The make-up artist dabs his face with a paste from Bobbi Brown. “Do you need anything more?” She asks.
Bill looks up, “No, everything else fits.” He gets up, bends closer to the mirror, is now tugging at his hair. Every single strand is wise.

Read the full title story in the latest issue of L’Officiel Hommes Germany.

– www.lofficiel-hommes.de

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