
Tom Axer (music, vocals) from Düsseldorf
The concept of a bunker as a metaphor for entrapment is both evocative and unsettling. In a world where history often repeats itself in echoes of conflict and resilience, the psychological and emotional weight of confinement takes on a universal significance. With ‘Bunker Musick’, Tom Axer and Leander Roenick have crafted an album that is not only an exploration of historical fortifications but also a deeply immersive sonic experience that captures the emotions of isolation, defiance, and survival.
Drawing from war-related themes without falling into the trap of glorification or condemnation, ‘Bunker Musick’ invites listeners to reflect on the past while remaining eerily relevant to the present. Industrial soundscapes, electronic textures, and vocal performances in multiple languages weave a complex narrative - one that resonates far beyond the walls of the historical bunkers it references. In this conversation, Tom Axer shares insights into the creative process behind ‘Bunker Musick’, the balance between raw mechanical sound and melody, and the deeper human condition reflected in the album’s themes. He also discusses his collaboration with Leander Roenick and the broader vision for the project beyond just music.
Reflections of Darkness [RoD]: The concept of a “bunker” as a metaphor for entrapment is intriguing. How did this idea develop, and what inspired you to explore the psychological experience of confinement through music?
Tom: Well, initially it was supposed to be an instrumental, slightly Ambient album that also takes you through different genres of electronic music. At that time I focused mainly on recreating the acoustic distortion inside each of those bunkers. The demo recordings I sent to Leander had such a suggestive space that he found his way around it without any problems. He quickly wrote the lyrics, acting as the narrator - a person locked in the bunker. Some of the compositions turned out to be more expressive in the instrumental version- this is the case with ‘Ostwall’ or ‘Führerbunker’, for example. You could say that the theme of this album is the emotions of a man locked in a bunker, expressed both through words and sounds.
RoD: The album draws heavily from war-related themes but refrains from glorifying or condemning conflict. How did you balance the historical and emotional weight of these topics to create a universal message?
Tom: It’s true, we had to not only tell the story, but also appeal to the listener’s imagination so that they could draw the right conclusions from it. So we used traditional vocal means of expression, statements of authentic historical figures, sounds of war, etc. For example, a child crying in a dark and damp shelter, placed at the right moment in the ‘Flaktürme’ track, is enough to reflect on the meaning of war. The placement of the crowd’s euphoria somewhere in the distance - outside ‘Führerbunker’ - brings to the composition a tragic context also force one to reflect on this. By the way, we also recorded a very emotional vocal version of , ‘Führerbunker’ but I decided that the song which appears on the album had the right balance you mentioned.

RoD: Each track references specific fortifications, such as ‘Maginot’ or ‘Atlantikwall’. How did these structures inform the mood and sonic textures of the album? Was there a particular historical detail that stood out during the creative process?
Tom: Yes, the example of ‘Maginot’ perfectly explains how this album was created. As we know, the Maginot Line is a huge fortification that was supposed to be impregnable, but turned out to be ineffective. Thus, this very short opening track sounds praeludium - like, with a traditional French battle song and ends with a reconstruction of the authentic account by American war correspondent William L. Shirer of the surrender of France in 1940. Also, the accented word “revenge” conveys the atmosphere of an authentic historical event. In each composition, both the historical and emotional context had an important influence on its final form, melody, etc.
RoD: Your music often blends industrial sounds with EBM and Electro influences. What role does the interplay between raw, mechanical elements and melodic structures play in shaping the narrative of ‘Bunker Musick’?
Tom: As mentioned, I first defined what emotions were to be expressed in a given fortification. This gave our work direction, also in terms of sound and style. The abandoned, never used ‘Ostwall’ is spacious and calm, ‘Atlantikwall’ on the other hand is the violent battlefield music. The atmosphere of a nuclear silo in ‘Pervomaisk’ is expressed by Industrial sound, and the pathos in ‘O.W.Ś’ is achieved with the help of orchestral sounds and military drums. So on the album we have different styles that complement each other quite well. We also managed to preserve the characteristic, slightly eclectic style of Düsseldorf music - a combination of raw Industrial sounds with the melodic style of the 80s. That’s because we both know the band well.
RoD: Collaborating with Leander Roenick from ELEKTROKRAFT added a new dynamic to the project. How did your creative processes align, and what unique elements did each of you bring to the table?
Tom: Our collaboration started at the end of 2018, after listening to some ELEKTROKRAFT recordings. I asked Leander: “Is this your vocals?” He said “yes”, so I asked him if he could sing some songs on ‘Bunker Musick’. He said “yes” again. From that moment on, the whole project began its journey towards EBM. It quickly turned out that Leander also had a few of his own compositions that could complement this album. Originally it was supposed to have 6-8 songs on it but ultimately the album contains 11 of them, 3 of which are entirely composed by him. So the dynamic character of the whole thing is mainly due to Leander, while my contribution was to maintain the right proportions between the melody, rhythm & sound and coherence of the message, in general.
RoD: The track ‘O.W.Ś’ feels particularly charged and atmospheric. Can you share the story or emotions behind its creation? How does it fit within the overarching narrative of the album?
Tom: It’s about the largest Polish fortifications, built in Upper Silesia just before WW2. Although they helped to save the region from destruction, but came at a high cost and were an expression of weakness rather than strength of pre-war Poland. The composition illustrates the course of defence in 1939 against the Blitzkrieg in general - at first faith and declarations, defeat and disappointment at the end. Pre-war Poland is a great example of a naive foreign policy, hence this form of composition - orchestral arrangement and marching rhythms emphasize the pathos and national pride that distorts the reality perception. Anyway, this applies to all nations and countries and it doesn’t matter whether you’re good or bad. There are only winners and losers, effective or ineffective. One of the oldest songs on the album, I created in 2015 retained basically its original form.

RoD: The album features lyrics in native languages. How do you see language influencing the emotional impact of the songs? Do you think the use of Polish and German adds an additional layer of depth for listeners?
Tom: I think a vocalist singing in German is the most appropriate in this case - it is more credible, fits electronic music perfectly and simply sounds better. It is no coincidence that German is dominant here. There are other languages here too, but rather as background.
RoD: Industrial music often reflects societal or existential struggles. How do you think ‘Bunker Musick’ resonates with contemporary conflicts or the broader human condition?
Tom: We want our album to remind people that bunkers, shelters, and fortifications are structures that result from the evil nature of man. They are mainly used when there is no understanding or cooperation between people. ‘Bunker Musick’ is an example of such collaboration - descendants of soldiers from opposing armies come together to tell their story by music, which always brings people together.
RoD: Düsseldorf has always been known for experimental and multidisciplinary approaches. How did you incorporate non-musical elements like visuals or industrial soundscapes into the live or studio production of this album?
Tom: There is an idea to translate the content from ‘Bunker Musick’ into the film language. Such a longer classic animation, for example. We also want to introduce our music to the museum spaces related to fortifications. These will not be concerts, but rather a musical background for visitors.
RoD: Looking ahead, do you see ‘Bunker Musick’ as a standalone conceptual project, or do you think it opens doors for further exploration of similar themes in future releases?
Tom: No, there will probably be no continuation of similar topics, especially since there are new ideas and concepts waiting to be implemented. However, I do not rule out further cooperation with Leander, because we work well together and understand each other. Let’s see if ‘Bunker Musick’ will be popular in Europe - if it’s good, we’ll definitely work together again.
Pictures by Paweł Raubo