ok, hier ist es nun.
ich moechte gern dazusagen, dass ich das interview fuer meinen kurs gefuehrt hab und dahingehend nicht wirklich spezifisch werde (was equipment oder groessen angeht), statt dessen eher die person als solche im mittelpunkt steht.
ahja - ich hoff es ist ok auf english. andernfalls lasst mich wissen, obwohl ich nicht viel hoffnung auf mein deutsch hab 
hoff es gefaellt.
Hi Andreas, how are you doing?
Thank you, I am very good. We are very busy touring at the moment, so I really do enjoy having a couple of days off.
I sure can imagine that. Let´s talk a bit about drumming. How did you get into drumming in the first place?
Well, that was pretty much 8 years ago. We celebrated my father´s birthday having a huge party in our garden with a band and everything. The next day I saw that drumset standing around. I couldn´t help but going up and just hitting the cymbals and drums. A friend showed me a couple of basic rhythms which was when I seriously “licked blood“.
I started hitting virtually everything around me – my desk, the air, tables. I even built some kind of drum out of a bucket and a blanket.
Gee, i got to admit I was not that dedicated. So how did you go on, did you take any lessons, at all?
I bought a pair of sticks and a book for beginners. A little while later I took lessons in a local youth club. The guy teaching me didn´t really manage to motivate me, he was too concerned with notes and theory. In fact, he seriously screwed up my striking technique, as well, as he actually played kettle drums. I got my first kit about a year later. It was a Sonor 2000, with Sabian Hand Hammered cymbals – real good stuff for a beginner! I am still keeping that set, and probably ever will. (laughs)
I then went to the music school. There I improved my technique and really started getting into the groove and all that. I loved playing to all these all bands: Doors, Led Zeppelin, Ugly Kid Joe, that kind of stuff.
But it wasn´t until the summer 1997 that I realized how important drumming actually was for me. I went to the “Drummer-Summer-Camp“ in Bonndorf. It was amazing being able to meet and being taught by all these people that I have only known from magazines, such as Thomas Ludwig. I went there the next year, as well. Pretty expensive, but it sure was worth it!
I bet. So you did read drum magazines?
Yeah, sure. I bought Drums&Percussion and Sticks regularly. I was intereseted in what professionals had to say about the instrument I loved. I also looked at how they arranged their sets, what equipment they used and stuff like that. Right from the beginning I tried different tom sizes, cymbals and coats, but pretty soon found that I am most comfortable with two toms and two crashes.
Which is the kit you are playing today, isn´t it?
Yeah, that´s right.
Today you are playing and endorsing RMV drums and Anatolian Cymbals. How did that sponsorship come about?
I was looking for companies for quite a while. I called up various people asking whether they wanted to work with me. My first choice was Sonor, the German drum maker that built my first kit, but they never replied to my call.
A while later I got the number of “Box of Trix“, the distributer of RMV, Anatolian, Axis and Kit Tools. I told them who I was, which band I was in, that we just had our video released and that we were in the Top10. They imediatelly were like: “Sure, let´s try something out! What do you need?“ Within only three days I received all the equipment, which was just perfect.
What I have to do is being present in the media as much as possible, showing what instruments I am playing. There really are people who are going to buy that stuff because of that. After all, it is all about doing business, you know? You´ve got to give a lot in order to recieve – and the other way around.
So, how satisfied are you with the deal?
Oh, I really am satisfied, seriously. What I like most about them is how quick they are. I just got to call them up whenever I need something and it´s gonna be there one or two days later. That´s essential when you are on tour!
Also musically I cannot complain, at all. RMVs are great sounding instruments that can be used for a wide range of music. Erm ... to be fair, I am not the biggest fan of their hardware. You have to use keys all the time for adjusting every little detail. RMV started off as a builder of percussion instruments in Brazil. They do not have much experience with producing hardware and they know that.
Anatolians are also a rather new company, but they produce some good cymbals. Boy, i can´t tell you how happy I am not having to pay for my cymbals anymore. My wear and tear of them is immense! Hihats, Crashes, Rides – I brake everything in no time! (laughts)
You seriously manage to brake Hihats?
Erm ... yeah, I don´t know. But, by the way, this is the next good thing about Anatolian: They got a two year guarantee of all their cymbals. That means, if a cymbal gets a crack or whatever you can get a new one without any problem. I guess nobody can beat that!
How often do you practice these days?
To be honest, I haven´t been practicing for almost two years now. I just don´t find the time. When being on tour I play the soundcheck and the gig – that´s it. Of course, I could practice when being at home, but I rather use those moments for relaxation and meeting old friends. This is very important to me.
In a way I feel I should take some time to get behind my set and play on my own – practicing and just trying out new things. I think my fills are too often just the same. Let´s see.
Is there anything in particular that you like to achieve on the drums that you are not able to do yet?
Not exactly. As you know, there is always something to learn or to improve. As I said, for now I want to be a little more creative and find good concepts that groove. I recently got myself a Cayon. It is a very interesting instrument which I am kind of teaching myself at the moment. I even use it on stage more and more often. And ... oh yeah! South Amercian rythms fascinate me! They are so different and beautiful.
Otherwise I´d really like to be able to sing. I am not trying to sing in my band, but in private I really do enjoy singing. Also I just started learning a few cords on the guitar.
Tell me something about making music and drumming.
I love making music, of course. For me, music is something that defines people, brings them together. Punks, for example, come together listening to the same kind of music, whereas other people prefer listening to classical music, going to operas and so on. I want to keep our songs as simple as possible, to enable people to understand and enjoy them even more. I am not somebody like Ralf Guske (Söhne Mannheims, Xavier Naidoo) who plays really complicated figures, ghost notes and odd meters. Which is not to say that I do not adore what he is doing! But personally I prefer that simple and original aproach to what music is – sitting around the fire, playing the guitar and bongos and bringing people together.
Andreas, I thank you very much for that interview.
Schreibt mir bitte euere Meinung oder Fragen zu dem Interview an
joa04dm@sheffield.ac.uk
David Mueller
