Interview withMartin Soer (vocals) of Stahlmann
This year, STAHLMANN released the 4th full-length album ‘CO2’, played a lot of shows in Germany and moreover in Russia. And actually at this point it would be stupid not to talk a little bit with the band’s mastermind Martin Soer, ask a few questions definitely about music, future plans, other projects and some traditional stuff. The result is below, so just read, have fun and keep rocking.
Reflections of Darkness [RoD]: What made you decide to start STAHLMANN? Why did you choose such name for the project?
Mart: Well, we were sitting and thinking about a conception for the music. In Germany there is a novel entitled ‘Momo’. It’s about a man in grey. So out of “grey” we came to “silver”. So it’s like a man made of silver, silver make-up and as a result STAHLMANN (a steel man). That’s how it was.
RoD: Not so long ago there came out your new album ‘CO2’. Are you working on some new material now?
Mart: Yes, we are always working on an album. We have new ideas and so we are ready to write new songs. Besides we are going to write new songs for our side-project SÜNDENKLANG. So you can expect one or another surprise next year. RoD: For how long have you been a musician? Do you remember your very first band?
Mart: A musician? Well, actually for as long as I can remember myself. I think that I began playing the guitar at 14. And yes… since then I’m always into music. But seriously it was taken at 14/15. My very first band? I can’t say for sure… I remember the first band with which I used to play first gigs. The band was called CHEGGINS. It was a punk band.
RoD: What instrument can you play?
Mart: I play all the instruments, but all of them equally bad :) I’m a quite good guitar player, although not too good... Also keyboards… Drums? No, but I can do good programming for the drums, just enough to record a song.
RoD: What inspires you to write songs?
Mart: It’s easy :) I travel a lot, and my cell phone is always with me, so I can speak and record everything that is in my head. Also melodies. That’s why everything goes absolutely naturally. I have a lot of ideas kept in the phone. Then I go to a studio. I have a small studio at home. And there I start working on the ideas.
RoD: Which song from ‘CO2’ can you call the most successful one?
Mart: I can’t name the most successful song because the album itself came out not so long ago. But I can mark out my favourite tracks on it. For sure it’s ‘Plasma’, it’s one of my favourite. Then also ‘Die Klinge’, which means a lot to me and of course ‘Spiegelbild’. Actually for me the important thing is not how successful the song could be, but what I personally like. If I like the song, it will be on the album. I think it’s impossible to say from the very beginning if a song will be successful or not. RoD: Isn’t it complicated to work on two different projects?
Mart: Not at all. It’s not complicated even to work on 3, 4 or 5 projects, because you think in a different way, depending on a style of music. In SÜNDENKLANG we make everything different: more electronic, more ballads, sometimes a bit more peaceful and pop sound. On the other hand STAHLMANN is rather cold and rough. It’s like cooking. If I want to make pasta, I make pasta. If I want to cook meat, I cook meat.
RoD: Is music your only occupation now or do you have to do something else?
Mart: Actually yes, for me music is the only occupation. Everything else is just too much. I even have my own record label and agency. But the main thing is STAHLMANN and other projects.
RoD: Could you describe your ideal day-off? What are your hobbies?
Mart: I have no days-off. For me a day is ideal when I woke up in the morning, have breakfast, play a cool show, have fun at an after show party :) These are my favourite things to do. It’s not like I make a big difference between spare time and work. Actually I’m a lucky person, whose hobby and occupation is one and the same thing. RoD: Nowadays there are a lot of bands in this or that genre. So what peculiarities or distinctive features of STAHLMANN can you name, which mark the band out of the other formations playing in similar styles?
Mart: The optics, the silver, the apocalyptic mood… I believe that STAHLMANN is unique because we are a “party band”. We will be always have a lot of fun at concerts.. And we don’t take ourselves too seriously.
RoD: What is the main problem for musicians in Germany?
Mart: The same as for musicians all over the world: to find your own path, to be different from others, to make a good start to be able to live making music. At first you have three jobs and somehow try to earn enough just to pay your bills. This is really a big problem everywhere in the world.
RoD: Could you tell any funny story from your tour life?
Mart: Well, there are so many :) If I tell you everything, I will have to kill myself then :) So many weird things happen. Once I fell from the stage, my trousers teared while I was onstage, and there totally crazy meetings with fans.
RoD: With your songs do you try to change anything in the world or at least in the mind of listeners?
Mart: Yes, of course, with every song. Each song has its own story and a special meaning. It asks questions and definitely one can find their own reality in every song. RoD: What plans do you have for this year and maybe for the next year?
Mart: We are going to finish our Russian tour. Then we have several concerts in Germany next week to finish our German tour. At the end of the year again some shows in Germany, then we’ll be working on something new. It’s time for a new album of SÜNDENKLANG. In April again there will start a tour in Germany. There are a lot of plans :)
RoD: Thank you! And in closing please say something to our readers.
Mart: What should I say? :) Thank you very much for everything! It’s great that we can do all this. So for that I just need to say a huge thank you!
All pictures by Anatoly Klimansky
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