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The European Weekly
had the chance to sit
down with one
incredible singer
songwriter and an
indie electroinca duo
from Germany to get
the insight into what
the music scene in
Germany is like, the
future of music and
David Hasselhoff. We
asked both folks the
same few questions.
The Tale of Genji
(intro by Genji)
The Tale of Genji
tells the ancient yet
everpresent tale of
life, love, suffering,
and eventually
evolving. Genji are
versatile, and they
don’t spend time
trying to figure out
which musical genre
they might fit into.
With experience in
various and sundry
bands, Genji have
tasted life. Lyrics
telling stories about
love, hate, heartbreak
and questions of
faith, underlined by
striking melodies.
Genji have been there
and done that only to
bring you honest,
heart-felt songs with
that charming touch of
agony. Genji hails
from Berlin, Germany
but is soon to take on
the world with their
indie electronica mix
of sound.
So, the press is
always quick to point
out their views of
what a band sounds
like and who they feel
are artist’s
influences. So why
don’t you tell me how
you describe your
sound and what three
artists have
influenced you the
most.
It’s actually a lot
more interesting to
read other people’s
descriptions of our
sound because, plain
and simple, we are
never able to do
describe it to our
full satisfaction. Our
music is like a
constantly mutating
organism, we never
stick to a common
principle. For this
reason, basically
anything we absorbed
over the past years
can be considered
“most influential”.
This ranges from
classical music to ’77
punk rock, from gothic
to gospel to country
music, and so forth.
Whether it is from
your live show or
record, what do you
hope folks walk away
with after hearing
you?
They should get the
feeling they have
experienced a piece of
art consisting of the
combination of music
and poetry. In the
course of this, that
piece of art should
have touched them
emotionally in some
way, be it on the
positive or the
negative side of the
emotional spectrum.
What movie has
inspired you more than
any other?
We prefer zombie
movies but they are
really not inspiring.
It’s also impossible
to restrict ourselves
to a single movie,
being the film nerds
that we are. So here’s
our top three for
inspiration: Donnie
Darko, Ghost in the
Shell 2: Innocence,
and anything Tim
Burton has to offer.
Where do you see music
in ten years and how
do you play a sole in
that?
Due to the fact that
the internet is such
an important factor
globally,
independently working
artists will be able
to spread their music
to vast numbers of
people. More and more
households have access
to the internet these
days, so pretty much
every corner of the
world can be reached.
Where musicians come
from will matter less
and less when each and
every country is only
a click away.
If you could go
back in history to
witness any event,
what would that event
be and why?
The Big Bang. This
way, we would once and
for all settle the
dispute between
scientists and the
Church.
Since the World Cup
is being held through
out Germany, we have
to know…who is going
to win?
The winner will be
either the United
States or Germany,
depending which side
David Hasselhoff
takes...or maybe
Brazil will win.
Again.
And the last, most
important question…Why
does Germany love
David Hasselhoff?
Yugao: David
Hasselhoff possesses
higher power.
Supposedly he
single-handedly ended
the Cold War!
Maboroshi: It’s
because David
Hasselhoff is the
German dodgeball
team’s trainer. He
throws the best pool
parties ever.
Inubia is the new
organic German singing
sensation
(intro by Inubia)
I remember being into
music, singing and
performing from an
early age. I would sit
up way beyond bed time
and listen to my
stepfathers records
from Brian Ferry and
Roxy Music, Elton John
to Gary Rafferty. At
the age of eight I
bought my first
singles by: Dave
Stewarts remake of Its
My Party and Kung Fu
Fighting by Carl
Douglas, and I would
play them loads on my
own little record
player. I also had a
small organ my parents
gave me for christmas,
and I worked out my
first little tunes on
it, which I would
present to my parents.
When I was ten we
moved out to the
countryside just
outside Hamburg. Once
I composed a little
Christmas song for my
school, by mixing the
lyrics of a well-known
German Christmas song
with a song from the
80s motion picture
Flashdance. By chance
at the age of 19, I
came across a member
of a formerly known
band from Hamburg
(Hamburger Arroganz),
who recorded my vocals
for the chorus of one
of their tunes. I dont
know if the record
ever came out. After
moving to Florence,
Italy at the age of 21
in order to study
fashion design, I met
an english rapper
called Ice MC and
joined him on tour
throughout Europe
between 1992-94 as the
female part of his
EuroHouse project. In
1994 I left both, the
fashion studies and
the music project and
moved to London, where
I started writing my
own songs. In 1997 I
started co-writing
with another West
London producer named
Major. Together we
recorded over 10 Trip
Hop songs, two of
which appeared on his
Solo album, which was
signed to former Sony
subsidary called
Discovolante.
Unfortunately the
Indie label was closed
down in 2000, just
before the album was
meant to come out. I
decided to move on.
Soon after that I
picked up an acoustic
guitar and learned my
first chords, which
enabled me to develop
my own song melodies,
as opposed to writing
lyrics and top line
melodies to already
produced backing
tracks.
So, the press is
always quick to point
out their views of
what a band sounds
like and who they feel
are artists
influences. So why
don’t you tell me how
you describe your
sound and what three
artists have
influenced you the
most.
I generally describe
my sound as
Alternative Folk with
earlier influences from Trip
Hop to Indie Pop/Rock.
There really
are two artists, who
have influenced me the
most:
PJ Harvey
for her raw,
utterly personal style
and her great
sound; but before I
came across her, at
the beginning of my
songwriting, I got a
lot of inspiration
from Joni
Mitchell,
because I
loved her pure,
beautiful voice and
complex
melodies. Other
bands, who influenced
me loads as an artist
during that time were
Portishead and Tricky.
Whether it is from
your live show or
record, what do you
hope folks walk away
with after hearing
you?
I hope folks walk away
with their hearts and
minds opened and the
feeling of having been
part of an authentic,
intimate moment, where
it's just been them an
me.
What movie has
inspired you more than
any other?
I don't have one
movie, there are so
many...let me
think..the
movies which I thought
were
really inspiring are
films like The Crying
Game, Faraway So
Close, Frida and Ray.
Maybe Out of
Rosenheim. Yeah.
Where do you see music
in ten years and how
do you play a role in
that?
I don't know..I hope
that good music
carries on finding
its audience through
the internet, cause to
me most of the music
in the charts is
rubbish. I don't think
we'll reinvent
ourselves musically,
but I hope that there
will be a
retro-movement towards
authenticity and true
musicianship.
If you could go
back in history to
witness any event,
what would that event
be and why?
I would have loved to
be at the Woodstock
Festival in 1969 for
the great line-up, the
underlying spirit as
well as the peaceful
athmosphere and
non-profit character
of it.
Since the World Cup is
being held through out
Germany, we have to
know…who is going to
win?
I hope
a poor, underpriviledged
country wins.
And the last, most
important question…Why
does Germany love
David Hasselhoff?
I don't know. He must
have shagged the
production/label
manager, who was
responsible for
bringing his shows and
music on the German
Tele. Anyway,
my Granny didn't watch
it.
(To read more
interviews with German
artists check out the
July/August issue of
mf magazine.
www.myspace.com/musicfashion)
©
2006 All content property of European Weekly unless where otherwise
accredited
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