How did Schlammpeitziger originate?

I started very early. The keyboard Iım still working with, got a little sequencer, I bought in 1986, something like this. Then just do little things at homes, just for me. In Œ89 I make music together with two other people, but they wanted me to learn notes. Thatıs not my thing, so in Œ89/ı90 I started to do Schlammpeitziger. That was the moment I thought, ³Okay let me do it all alone.² Then it took three years, Frank Dommert listened to the music and said letıs bring out the tape, that was realized Œ93 Erdrauchhamschleck. That was the first tape.

So Frank was the first person to put that out, the one that was reissued this year on vinyl?

Yes, Entenphuhl, it was the first publication of the tape. It was about one hundred tapes, not more. I donıt know if you know about this, it was a split record, one side Schlammpeitziger and the other side [?] was on Gefriem. It was made by FX Randomiz, [?], and Jan from Mouse on Mars. Gefriem brought something out right now, Blutsiphon, itıs very interesting, nice material. I donıt know if you can get it in the states. Itıs out now. If you can get it, take it. Itıs a friend of mine. Thereıs a lot of loops, very funny, very good stuff... They used to do this little label, I remember, it took three years to sell three hundred copies. So it was a time before electronic music was interesting for everybody. After this there was Freundlichbaracuda, Schlammpeitziger LP and it sold one thousand copies in one year, so the time was different. Very different. Now everybody thinks electronic musicıs good. But at this time you need three years to sell three hundred copies. It was very different.

So you used the same keyboard for everything?

Yes! Mostly this piece because itıs got a little sequencer inside, Casio CZ-230 F. Itıs got a very little sequencer and Iıve got all the shit on it. Most of the records were made by this piece and the mini-sampler I got. Itıs got 2.3 seconds sampling rate, not more. But now, I got a little bit bigger piece to sample all the stuff, from this keyboard too, to arrange it better. The technical side changed a little bit, but not the music. So now I can work a little bit better for everything, but I still work with the same pieces.

Do you play out live ever?

Yeah, yeah, a lot of times. The next time is in Dijon, France and in Paris, but it splits because I do Holosud together with FX Randomiz. So we play in Dijon as Holosud and in Paris I play alone. I just take the melodies out, if Iım mixing it and play live the melodies to it‹and some flies with big fish, so Iım off in a fishing trip off in the Carribean area or something like this, so itıs not so boring one man on a stage just standing on a keyboard. I try to make it a little bit more funny and interesting for the people.

When did Holosud start?

Oh this is very funny, because the record came out, I think last year, 1998. We worked on it for three or four years, so it was very funny because Felix [FX Randomiz] was very slow, he was working on his LP, Iım on my LP, so it took a long time. At last we thought, ³Can we bring it right now?² because some of the pieces are maybe three or four years old. But the stuff was so timeless, so we could bring it out because it sounded so different to everything. So we said, ³Okay we bring it out.² It was three or four years ago for the record to come.

So youıve known Felix for a long time?

Yes. It was an idea of Jan St Werner from Mouse on Mars, he said, ³Okay Jo do something with Felix, Felix do something with Jo.² And Felix is very different because he has all this high tech stuff and I got all this lo-fi stuff but there was so much space for everybody to do what he wants, so it happened from the first moment with no problem. It was very easy.

Do you record all your stuff at home?

Yes, I got a little room where I got my keyboard and my eight track recorder and a table with it all standing on. Itıs just a long wood piece that I put all the shit on. I need it at home because I like the idea of doing everything at home. Go shit, go eat, make music. Okay, like this. I need it around me because for me music is very personal, so I need it at home. Thereıs no idea to go to a different room just to make music, thatıs not my thing.

Youıre working on new tracks right now then?

Yes, a lot of pieces are ready now. Jan mixed the last LP, Spacerokkmountainrutschquartier, and I like very much how he works with the materials so I let no other guy touch this music again other than Jan. A lot of pieces are ready right now, but Mouse on Mars is going on tour right now. They start Saturday, and I think that weıll mix it at the end of November, during September. I think it will come out in March of 2000. But a single is coming out right now, this month. We thought itıs been about two years and no record (okay Erdrauchhaumstich, but itıs old material) so a 7² is coming right now. I like the idea of a 7². So I need a 7² and I get it right now.

That will be on A-Musik also?

Yes, and the LP/CD too. Jurgen is my mother, so he must bring it out. (laughs)

So Jan, Frank and all the A-Musik people, youıre all from the same city?

Yes, everybody is all living here. Jan and FX Randomiz, these two guys know each other from Bombach [sp?]. Itıs a city in the south of Germany. They went here to Cologne, to the exploding scene right now. A lot of shit is coming out now here. For outside people itıs always, ³Wow, what are you doing? There are all these people here, blah, blah...² but we all drink the same beer...

Is that you on the cover of the Freudlich LP then... The guy with the fish?

Yeah, thatıs me, but there was seven different covers. There was me or my girlfriend, or we met a big black guy here in Cologne coming from [?], the typical thing, the fifty year old woman going to [?], okay and then bring this guy to Europe. But it doesnıt happen because this guy is so macho itıs unbelievable. Then she invited us. He stayed here one week because all the girls put him out of the flat because he was too macho. And he stayed here one week. On the front of Freudlichtbaracuda LP there is one song, the last thing, he does a speech on it. Then we went there and had some fishing trips there. It was very nice, but this guy was high on crack and cocaine. I was there two times, but the first time he was high on coke and the second time he was high on crack. So weıre staying in paradise and the guy is on crack. Stupid. Very sick, I donıt go there again.

[We then talk about the weather in Portland vs Koln in October...]

November to March itıs cold and the days are getting shorter. The sun goes down at seven oı clock in the evening, so thereıs a lot of time to make music right now. Iım just mixing new songs for live playing, but I always get stuck on the new pieces because I always find something to arrange new. Itıs very hard because I must do it in the next three days. I always stop in the new piece and start to arrange something new and... fuck, I must stop this. Then I have to sit weeks here.

So you are rearranging everything this week for the live shows?

Yes, I take the melodies out and I was mixing up one piece for the live piece. And then I said, ³Maybe I can do more of this or this...² So I found a very new melody for one song and now Iım sitting here for two days, not mixing but arranging. I canıt do this with every piece because everything is very different. Itıs very good, after a long time you hear it again and then maybe you make something different...

Do you have a day job that you have to work around?

No I stopped it. I was at a job (I donıt know the name in English) and then after ten years I got the money from the state because I worked at this job and now in September I started to get the money from my music. Now I live just from the music. Itıs not so much, but I can live from it. Iım thirty five, itıs the first time I live on my own money. It took thirty five years, but now Iım ready.

Well, thatıs really good. Most people never get to that.

Yeah, so maybe sometime Iıll get to the states to play there. Itıs one of my big wishes. Thereıs always some questions, letters of faxes coming, ³Do you come to the states?² But nothing happens to it. So maybe if Mouse on Mars are going there, maybe I can play before them or something, maybe, maybe maybe... Or not, but I like the idea and a lot of letters are coming from there and people are asking. I never was in the states before, so maybe I can arrange it, going there, playing there, make a little holiday of it. Maybe it will happen sometime, I hope... €Mouse on Mars is really popular here, so that would be perfect for you too. I know they will do their European tour, and I think after this, maybe starting next year, they will go Japan and also the states then. Thereıs something in the air like this.

Pole came here recently. I talked with him also.

Pole is playing very much all over Europe right now. Heıs very popular. All the festivals from August to November, December, he is playing all of them. His pockets must be full of money. Wow. He is playing everywhere. Itıs funny, you go to Scotland or Barcelona to play, whoıs there? Pole. Itıs very nice because most of the time you only meet all of the same people all over Europe. They put you in a plane, you get out, whoıs there? Pole. Itıs very funny. Itıs a very active scene right now. Itıs very interesting what happens, and Cologne also. I thought, ³Sometime it must stop!² because itıs so much and maybe the time is over, but no, it doesnıt stop. Look also Blutsiphon, itıs very funny, very nice and very strange. I think it will come over to the states. It very good and brand new. Itıs very different from all the techno and house scenes coming out of Cologne.

I like that Wunder LP, I heard that recently.

Heıs coming from Cologne also. This is one of the guys I started to make music with that I told you about before. He said, ³Jo you must learn notes.² I said, ³Fuck you,² and then I did Schlammpeitziger. (laughs) Itıs okay now, that was ten years ago. Now he is doing his stuff, he has two childs. I have no childs, I have beer. Okay. Itıs very different because all the time heıs at home, working at home, doing stuff for television or something. A lot of different guys, you meet everywhere at the clubs for drinking, but this guy always stays at home. He makes his shit in silence. Okay, so we got all these people around here. Very nice, all in one town. Thereıs one million people, but the main heart of the city is little. So if you go out everyday, just shopping, you always meet somebody. Always. Itıs like... not family, family is something different... Itıs like if everybody is fucking each other. Itıs very strange, itıs not right. Maybe heıs my brother? No, but theyıre all here and everyday you can meet them everywhere.

[end]

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