Interview: Blac Kolor - February 2024

Interview with

Hendrick Grothe (vocals) from Blac Kolor

BLAC KOLOR, helmed by Hendrick Grothe from Leipzig, is a music project rooted in the raw energy of early 90s German Electronic Body Music. As a DJ, promoter, and graphic designer, Grothe has continuously pushed boundaries, shaping a distinct BK sound - banging rhythms for a dark, underground world. BLAC KOLOR’s journey began with the “Frost” techno night alongside Daniel Myer, DSX, and Square7. The ‘Range EP’ marked the project’s proper debut, evolving into releases like ‘Kold’ with rough breaks and uneasy vibes. With albums like ‘Wide Noise’ (2014) and ‘Awakening’ (2016), BLAC KOLOR collaborated with FRONT 242’s Jean-Luc De Meyer. The upcoming 5th album, ‘Weltenbrand’ (2023), features collaborations with PANTER NOISE, JENNIFER TOUCH, DONIS, and XTR HUMAN. We not only discuss the new album ‘Weltenbrand’ but also touch upon ancient times, the essence of the “scene”, and upcoming concerts.

Reflections of Darkness [RoD]: You emerged from the Leipzig 90s EBM scene - could we go back to ancient history and discuss how it all started?
BK: It all started with a crew called ELECTROSMOG, which I founded together with two friends in the early 90s. We basically taught ourselves DJing and established parties out of the need to hear our favourite music. We all were in a phase where we tried to catch up with all the dark sounds we missed consuming in the GDR times. We bought all the records we kinda heard of but never owned and tried to find parties, where this very music was played. But there was just nothing, especially in our area. So we started our own first party - it was a PROJECT PITCHFORK night, though. None of us planned a DJ career or something. We just looked for a room where our music was played loud, where we could meet friends and dance with them. And hey, we danced a lot back then. The parties grew and grew over the time and we basically continued with this whole shit until the early 2000s. Mid of the 2000s then, I was kinda fed up with all the dark sounds and switched to Drum’n’Bass and breaky stuff and continued DJing under my former moniker of GOUVERNEUR SANTINI. But as we all know, I came back to the “dark stuff” later. We had great times back then.

RoD: Would you say your roots are more deeply embedded in techno or EBM?
BK: It would say, definitely EBM. Techno of course played a role back then, but the F242s and the NITZERS of this time had much more to offer then any of the Techno acts, at least for me. But as said in other interviews: I do struggle with genres. The boundaries between the defined genres were always blurring for me. I think the typical BK sound is hard to put in genres, at least not in the general ones. Techno and EBM are two definitions that are so broad, it just became a melting pot for me.

RoD: How do you feel the so-called “scene” has evolved over the years?
BK: I struggle with genres and I also struggle with the definition “scene”. I never thought in those patterns. I never dressed like a typical “scene” partygoer and I was always interested in good music shared with good people. I never felt as part of any “scene”. But by the same token I was of course always a part of it, at least when you organize events and book artists. But the question is really hard to answer, since I basically cannot judge any “evolving”. The people are evolving and one is sticking with the old sounds for good, not accepting any other music - you would probably call them die-hard fans. And others are open minded enough. I really don’t know, how to judge that. What I can say is, that the people attending to the shows and events I go, are getting older and older and barely no new kids show up. Maybe the definition of “scene” is dying in this very moment. No clue.

RoD: You started as a DJ first - when did you come up with the idea of creating music on your own?
BK: In the mid of the 2000s I DJed together with a really talented guy back then in Leipzig. I always wanted to be able to spin records in the way he did. I realized, I had to start producing in order to hear music more granular. So it was probably around 2006 or maybe 2007 when I started with simple beats on Garage Band and later Logic. I always showed the results to my circle of musician friends. But let’s put it this way: I was not really successful for quite a long time with this fishing for compliments. Daniel and Dejan from HAUJOBB were the first guys who gave me a chance and so I had my first proper release on their imprint Basic Unit Productions. BLAC KOLOR was born.

RoD: I’m curious about the story behind ‘Frost’ - you collaborated with Daniel Myer while creating it. What was the idea behind the video installation and EP?
BK: ‘Frost’ was the first label compilation of Basic Unit Productions, triggered by Dejan and Daniel. I had my first track released (‘Rule Forever’) via this very compilation. We then thought, that it would be cool to have an event accompanying the label sampler. We had our first ‘Frost’ event, it was successful and we tasted blood. So we did several ‘Frost’ events on a more or less regular base. Dejan, Daniel, Square7 and myself were always DJing at this events and we also always invited guest artists like cEvin Key and Paul Kendall just to name a few. Part of our regular crew also was this funny guy called Robben Bollocks who always did live video shit. So it was not a special video installation, but more or less a regular setup for our event. Fun times.



RoD: Your most recent album, ‘Weltenbrand,’ is a solid piece of work. What new ideas or solutions did you decide to incorporate into the album?
BK: Thx for the flowers. ‘Weltenbrand’ follows a strict concept, like all my former EPs and albums. I think the topic and the message are crystal clear. We are all doomed to fail - there is no hope - we are all done. I know, everything pretty dramatic and pathetic, but that’s just the way I feel for quite a few months or even years now. Stefan Alt from the label more or less pushed me to the whole “collaboration” thing. Before, I never felt this urge to incorporate more people than me in the music making process. But with ‘Weltenbrand’ it pretty much was a good decision to look for vocal guest artists to enrich the message and to bring the music to a new level. So, more or less “collaboration” was the new idea behind the album and on a technical side I tried to limit myself to a few new synths and effects, especially out of my modular world. I think it’s not a secret anymore, that I’m a total modular Eurorack victim now. But I wouldn’t call that technical approach a “new solution”. It’s just a matter of fun for me. I rather spend time on my modular wall instead of using other external gear or software.

RoD: Do you have specific songs that carry particular meaning to you? Are any of the singles among them?
BK: To be honest: not really. All tracks are on eye level to each other for me. But if I should pick one with something like a special or particular meaning to me then it would be ‘Sandmann feat. Donis’. Not only because it is the strangest, most Dadaistic thing I ever released (thx to the great Donis), the meaning behind this one is indeed kinda special. It more or less says: “Your time is running out - your clock is ticking, second by second - seize every single day”. I know, I know, also very general and dramatic again. But I kinda manage it for quite a while now to remind myself to behave like that, take nothing in my life for granted, try to be thankful for everything, try to be polite to everybody and do something meaningful with my time. So, yeah, this is maybe a “track meaning” that stands out of the album context a little bit for me.

RoD: You have collaborated with many artists like Daniel Myer, PANTER NOISE, Jennifer Touch, Donis, and Berlin’s XTR HUMAN, and previously with FRONT 242’s Jean-Luc De Meyer on ‘Awaking’ - how do you feel these collaborations enrich your own work?
BK: As said before, the four guests on ‘Weltenbrand’ were asked on purpose in order to bring the music to a new level and enrich the whole context and the message of the album. And I think, that worked out well. The ongoing collaborations with Daniel Myer, are special, because it all comes out of a “friend thing”. We pay each other with friendship. And I am happy and thankful to consider him as a friend. Luckily enough he’s probably one of the most talented producers in electronic music. So my music automatically benefits from this friendship. “Daniel, u know it - I owe u”. And well, the collaboration with Jean-Luc is even more special to me. Because he saw me playing and approached me after the gig and asked if he could do vocals on a track he heard. What a f***ing honour to make music together with one of your all time heroes. Second to none. Especially when you spend your first hard money in 1989 (when the wall came down) on your first vinyl, which was of course a FRONT 242 record.

RoD: Tell me more about your live shows - what can an audience expect from your performances?
BK: Always expect an old grey haired man, trying to find some last energy to jump around on stage, yelling into the mic, delivering hard hitting, danceable moments. I don’t want to transport any special meaning with my gigs, I just want to deliver everybody (who wants to dance) a good time - and myself of course too. Maybe later I will establish a new show, where I will dive deeper into the calmer sounds and combine that maybe with some special live video performances. I also plan to go on stage with other people. But that’s future talk. For now, I want you to dance. Not that sophisticated, I know, but true.

RoD: Who are the people who listen to BLAC KOLOR - do you keep in touch with your fan base?
BK: I got the best listeners in the world, of course. I always try to find enough time for any feedback out of my fan base. If it is during events or digital via social media. I’m thankful for any kind of constructive feedback and I’m always happy when I hear that somebody likes my stuff. Over the years something like a family feeling arose for me too. You meet kinda always the same people outside when you play or go to concerts from other artists. And that’s now always kind of a family-get-together for me. I love that. And I’m so thankful to have met and still meet so many beautiful souls on my BLAC KOLOR way. You guys are the best. Kisses and hugs via this very interview for u guys.

RoD: I know you’ll be playing in March at the Leipzig E-Only Festival - are there any other live shows scheduled for 2024? What are your plans for the upcoming year?
BK: Yes, to be honest, my schedule for 2024 is full in a way I haven’t expected it to be. Beside E-Only I will play shows in Berlin for my buddy Phil Strobel, Hamburg is coming next, even Madrid again, with the lovely DarkMad Festival, Matrix Bochum and so on. And news: I will have my very last DJ gig at WGT this year… the very, very last one and then the whole DJ thing will be finally history for me. Beside all the upcoming shows, I try to produce a new album in 2024. We will see, if I can make it coming out already this year, or maybe then in 25. But even more news: you are the first knowing the name. It will be called ‘Arca’. Now the cat is out of the bag. Oh, did I already mention that I love cats?

RoD: As an extra question - I heard you once played in Wroclaw at CRK which is a very specific venue to say the least. Do you remember that concert?
BK: Oh, I remember that gig very well. It was such a fun time. So many lovely people, what a crazy venue. That night is one for the books, for sure. I even recorded heaps of polish talking in the backstage, because it was so crazy for me not even getting the context of a local conversation. Someday I will sample something from this phone recordings, I’m pretty sure.

RoD: Thank you very much for your time.
BK: Thanks for having me and ‘till soon. Your BK.

Promo pictures curtsey of BLAC KOLOR