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Interview with

Caisaron

In this interview we learn something about the band’s genesis, how they found their name and everything else in-between. Of course the band talked a little about the current EP ‘Tief in Mir’ as well.


Lucy: Hi guys, many thanks for taking your time to answer our questions. As you will not so well known to our readers, please start with a short introduction of yourselves and the band CAISARON.
Angela (A): CAISARON has been founded by the three of us - Frank, Daniel and me - during a spiritual ceremony with candlelight in 2006 in Dresden. The time had come for it. We have worked together for a period of time before and there was a musical harmony between us. Frank and I are responsible for the vocal parts. Daniel writes the songs and plays the keys on stage.

L: Can you tell us how you met and how you came up with the idea to make music together eventually?
Daniel (D): Frank and I know each other since our wild time in school. We used to go to gigs a lot. Later on I was forced to relocate so we lost contact for a longer time. In 2004 we ran into each other randomly in a club in Dresden. We have talked about our musical creativity and that we have been involved in projects. A few days later we exchanged our ideas and decided that I should become the new songwriter of that project. Frank and Angela have known each other back then already. She contributed with some vocals and enriched our sound a lot. The front man was forced to quit the project in 2005 due to private reasons. Thus, Angela, Frank and me decided to continue on our own - CAISARON was born.

L: The Name CAISARON reminds me of Kaisarion, son of Cleopatra and Caesar. Am I right or totally wrong?
Frank (F): You’re absolutely right, well done! CAISARON, however, is our own derivative of Kaisarion and is to be understood as an individual name.

Lucy: Which five adjectives would characterize CAISARON?
A: Melodic, catchy, electronic, danceable, different.
L: You describe your music as melancholic and plaintive. Are these terms one can relate to your private lives as well?
D: Yes and no. Using melancholy we feel to be able to transport emotions. I write new songs in a secluded atmosphere in which I can be very thoughtful. Then I feel inclined to transform that mood into music. In our private life, however, we are all but introverted.

L: Which kind of audience do you want to reach with your music?
F: We want to reach all kind of people out there.

L: On your website and in your logo one can find some hints to ancient Egyptian culture (cat, pyramid, sand). What is so fascinating for you about it and what’s the link between you and ancient Egypt?
D: On one hand it’s the band name that derives from a half-Egyptian. On the other side I have travelled several times to that fascinating country. It is amazing what mankind did achieve already thousands of years ago. There is nothing comparable in that time. And the beauty of ancient Egyptian art is even nowadays a symbol of perfection.

L: I have found out that you have worked in a project called M-O-R-B-U-S before you started with CAISARON. What are the differences between the two projects in style, ideology and working processes?
F: CAISARON is the successor of the old project. The most important difference lies in the line-up of the band. After the former singer had left the band, Angela and I took the positions of vocalists. The cooperation in CAISARON is much more effective, as we understand each other without words.

L: In September 2007 you have released your debut album ‘Own way’. Which feedback did you receive from fans and press?
A: We received a lot of positive reactions on the album. Feedback from the fans who bought our first CD proved that there is a huge audience for that kind of music. It was sad; however, that our album appeared on the internet a few days later - there have been ten thousands of downloads within days. We hope this won’t happen again, because we put much money, time and passion into our productions.

L: After your debut you had a lot of time to play live. Are you rather a studio project or a live-band?
F: In the past we’ve rather been a studio project, only playing a few gigs now and then. We intend to change that in the future. We want to enter the stages of the scene more often and would be happy if many booking agents would contact us.

L: Do you remember your first gig? If so, what feelings did you have? How about stage fright?
A: Yes, of course. The first gig you won’t soon forget. We’ve had a lot of stage fright and were curious about the reaction of the audience. When the last sound of the first song had faded and a wave of applause came from down there, everything was much easier from there on. In that moment, a heavy weight is taken from your shoulders. And this hasn’t changed till today.

L: And how are the reactions on your live performances?
F: As a merely unknown band we do not expect people to get ecstatic. That’s normal if you see a band for the first time. Most of the time there was good support from the audience. At least we always had a lot of people at our merch-booth, which shows that we are on the pulse of time with our music.

L: Has anyone of you worked in other bands before M-O-R-B-U-S und CAISARON or do you have any side-projects?
D: I have started to work as a songwriter and singer during school in a college band and played in different projects.
A: Yes, I have worked as singer in various projects. But at the moment I concentrate on CAISARON, with all my power and creativity. And it’s good that way.

L: The EP title ‘Tief in mir’ stands for ...?
D: ‘Tief in mir’ (Deep in me)…there are many thoughts and feelings that I want to release into the world with our songs.

L: Are your lyrics based on personal experiences or pure fiction?
D: With our words we reflect pictures of our life and things we were thinking of. Our hope is that other people will find and identify themselves in our lyrics.

L: Lyrics on ‘Tief in mir’ are partly German, partly English. How do you decide whether a song is presented in English or German?
D: The two others have to sing what I write…*laughing*… No, seriously. The change is somewhat historical. I have been writing songs for many years. I have started with English lyrics, since that was “trendy”. We have changed it with CAISARON. Then it occurred to me that I can play and express much more when using my mother language

L: Let’s talk about two specific songs and their meanings: ‘Knebel’ and ‘Diese Bürde’. What are they about?
D: With ‘Knebel’ we have purposely left a lot of room for interpretations. People even thought it has a Sado-masochistic meaning. Basically it deals with the phenomenon that there are people with special abilities the public never gets information of because mighty people see their status quo in danger. You can also project this onto the music business, or economy - where the big eat the small. ‘Diese Bürde’ gets more concrete and should be seen from a listener’s point of view. In one sentence: If everybody on this world would think and act responsible, many actual injustices would be minimized.

L: On your new EP there are remixes of SOMAN or Mr. Stolz of LETZTE INSTANZ to name just a few. How did you get in contact?
A: On our way to ‘Tief in mir’ we have inevitably met other musicians. Our contacts to the remixers came about on gigs or during our work in the studio. We are very proud to have them on our EP. We want to use the opportunity to thank all remixers for the perfect cooperation; in the end we got five remixes of our new songs and two as a retrospective on our first album.

L: What did you feel when you listened to your music remixed by someone else?
D: In our opinion a remix should show the musical potential of a song from a different perspective and create an interesting counterpart. The Remixes do that for sure. They prove to our listeners, that our songs also work in a different style.

L: Your vocals sound very professional. Did you have vocal training?
F: No classic vocal training, no. We just learned the basics. And we have worked a lot and got better over time.

L: Your lyrics deal with love, religion and society. What are you criticizing particularly?
A: We do not criticize love *laughing* It can have many facets and that’s what we want to express in our lyrics.
D: In regards of religion we do not neglect that there is something mysterious in that universe. But even if we are not part of any religious community, we respect all kind of peaceful practice of religion. Our today’s society is probably the aspect most worth of criticism. There is numerous topics worth to discuss about. But this would exceed the length of the interview.

L: You’ve found a new label. How did that come about?
F: We are now on Lukotyk Records and the contact was a pure coincidence. We have been very lucky and are satisfied about how things develop and look into the future optimistically.

L: What are the strengths and weaknesses of CAISARON? What do you think you need to work on in the future?
A: The biggest handicap: Our day only has 24 hours. We are keen on trying new things and do new songs, but we cannot find the time. Fans and listeners say that our melodies and the unique sound of our songs are our biggest advantages.

L: What kind of music do you listen to in your spare-time?
D: At home I exclusively listen to music of the dark scene. Ranging from soft synth music to distorted electro or acoustic tunes I listen to everything.
A: I have a broad range of musical interests from electro pop to industrial and much more. I think the dark scene does not lack of different facets to find something for your daily mood and interest.

L: What are your hobbies besides music?
D: Besides music I love to go clubbing. And the usual stuff: I like to travel, sports, reading and I love to play games with friends.
A: Hobbies? My only hobby is music. Besides that I like to drive cars, go to the cinema and all the normal stuff people do.
F: I spend most of the time with music. If I got a bit of time, I go to the gym or spend time with my dog.

L: How long are you in the scene already? What do you think about the actual situation and what is your prognosis for the future?
D: Is there anything else than the scene in my life? I can’t remember. I have started with DEPECHE MODE when I was 10. I was 13 or 14 years old when I was the first time on the scene party. Since then, I have been part of it. A: I’m not getting this together exactly anymore. I think I have been 15 years old. And I used to go to scene clubs. I think it was the same story with Frank. Regarding the future of the scene… During the past years we have noticed that the interest on music is more and more focusing on the established bands. There is not much new stuff coming to the top, though there are many bands with lot of potential. We hope that the scene will not stop to explore new sound and bands - this is the only way to keep it alive and prospering.

L: I really like your band pictures. Who took them?
D: Our new photos have been taken by photographer Ronny Marzok. He has worked for other scene bands in the past as well. We know each other since our time in school; it was just natural to ask him. It was a very exciting day with many cool pictures. It took us days to decide which pictures to present as the official press pictures.

L: What about the future of CAISARON? Do you plan live-gigs in 2009? Something else?
A: At the moment we are busy preparing the release of the EP. After that we will relax a few days and will start planning some gigs then. Maybe there will be a video.

L: Many thanks for the interview! We wish you much success for your future career and leave the last words to you!
A: Hey guys out there! Risk something and come to now our sound


Interview conducted by Lucy von Leipniz for Promofabrik in April 2009
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