RoD header

Translate

Interview with

Johannes Berthold of ILLUMINATE

The German band ILLUMINATE was founded in 1993 by Johannes Berthold, who is already the leader and singer. They released nine full-time albums, the last one “Zwei Seelen” in 2006. I met Johannes in his home studio. Although we tried to talk about the new album, we got away from this theme. 

Your band history is only told until 2002 on your homepage. Can you summarize the last years for us?
This would be too much. So I will just concentrate one the basics. We celebrated our 10th anniversary in 2003 and released the specials editions of “10x10” in “Schwarz” and “Weiß”. In the next year our album “AugenBlicke” came out. We played at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen and in Mexico-City. We travelled there again in 2005 and recorded our Live-CD “In Metal”, which is the additional CD for our actual album “Zwei Seelen”. Since 2002 we were twice on a tour through Germany and we played at some of the biggest festivals (i.e. M’era Luna, WGT). My child was born in 2003 and since 2004 I’m studying medicine in Heidelberg, besides the music of course.

I’m surprised you are studying medicine. When did you decide to start this difficult work?
I started an education to become a male nurse, but then I broke up to finish my school-leaving examination and became a professional musician. When I started working on the album “Narrenturm” (add.: former psychological hospital in Vienna/Austria, also home of a pathological collection and the name of his solo album, which came out in 2003) I got fascinated again with the theme. Besides that I turned 30 and I realized I still had more than 35 years to work. It’s not sure whether I can live on my music for the rest of my life. So I decided to learn a “real” profession. However, it’s my “plan B” for my life.

You are part of ILLUMINATE for 13 years now. What does the development and success of the band mean to you?
In 1993, I didn’t want to mix up the scene or to leave my stamp on the music scene. Our fast development up to one of the most successful German speaking bands in the so called “dark scene” was something like a dream to me. To be honest – I was lucky to meet the right people at the right time and place. They helped me a lot in creative subjects or just with the business.
This constant success also has another meaning for me personally. Because we have such a strong relationship to our fans we could become a solid part of the scene. So we could also take part of the design and development of the scene itself. We have such an incredible fan background although it’s not easy to be a fan of ILLUMINATE.  Some people bring discredit upon our fans, but that’s a problem of many other bands too.

At the beginning your show included many performance parts. There were dancers and performance artists. During the last years you changed your appearance into a clear “band show”. What can you tell us about the reasons for the changing?
After some years this performance became some kind of routine and so it was time to change something. Our fantastic dancers did a very good job. They were very authentic and honest, but we had to change our structures.  Actually we feel comfortable being a band. We try to bring the most of handmade music live on stage. Because of this we have so much more possibilities to interact with the audience.

During the years your artwork changed too. In the early years you used these paintings with romantic and baroque scenes; in 1999 you even had a half-naked woman on the cover. Later you stood in the centre of the artwork. With the last album your covers changed from simple colours to modern paintings and to a romantic picture again. How important is the cover design for your releases? What kind of ideas or connections are you trying to transport with the artwork?
The first three covers were the optical background for the trilogy around the supposed endless love. When this theme was done we had to separate from this artwork. We had the idea of the half-naked woman, who was my girlfriend and our female singer at that time- Anja. This heavy contrast should show our changing. In the following years I just wanted to go on with the “collage”. My face – as “Mr. Illuminate” – was the best for it. The intention of a cover is to reflect and transfer the emotion and theme of an album. I like to work with different artists, because every one of them has his own understanding of what ILLUMINATE means. Because of that the result is always a special symbiosis of the design and the music – in my opinion.

There was also a changing in your music. It is especially heard at the current album. What was the difference between working at “Zwei Seelen” and the older albums?
The greatest changing is the including of my musicians. Now, Jörn (guitar) and Mats (drums) are mostly free working on the songs. That was different in the past. I just said that this is the new song and they had to play their parts in a way I wanted. That wasn’t a fulfilling work for a professional musician. In my opinion this new “freedom” can be heard at the new album.

How hard did you take this development?
It was really hard to take and it is still difficult for me. It’s hard to describe, but ILLUMINATE has always been my “baby”. The whole music and sound only existed in my head. Making this vision clear to somebody else is not easy. But on the other side it’s a good development for the music. My drummer is really good. I only used a drum computer before. This limited the sound. Mats is able to play much more and better than that.

You work with two female guest singers on the new album. Who is that? Why did you work together and can you tell us something about a future cooperation with them?
Carmen became more than a guest singer now. That wasn’t that clear when she joined the work for the album. There are two reasons for it. At first she is new in our band and she took part of the work when nearly all songs were ready recorded. At that moment there weren’t many possibilities left to contain her into the band artwork. I’m a little bit worried about female band members. We had some problems in the past and so we will see what the future will bring. The second singer is my wife. That’s something like a tradition. She nearly always takes part in one song on an album. Besides I’m very fascinated by her voice. She just has a special charm, almost naïve and childish. Oh, she will get angry, reading that…

As always your lyrics are strictly German. Therefore you were always told to be kitschy. How do you deal with these reproaches? What would you change to be liked by your critics or to get better reviews by any magazines?
At first I have to say: I would NEVER change anything just to be liked by someone! Like Franz Josef Strauß (Add: a former German politician, who died in 1988) said: “You have to be careful. When you are ‘everybody’s darling’- you can quickly become everybody’s fool!” That’s true. Besides I think your conclusion is dubious. We are kitschy because we are just singing German? Than I have to say: just translate some of the lyrics of DEPECHE MODE or any other well-known bands. In comparison with that we are really not kitschy! This makes the problem clear to me. The people in our country are too tensed up with our language and identity. German is my mother language. It’s embarrassing how some of my workmates prefer English although they aren’t fit with it. What do you think how ridiculous this is for English speaking artists?

You played in Mexico, you are very successful there and you recorded your Live-CD there. What unites you to this country? Are there any future plans for another trip to Mexico?
There are always plans for it although we already played there threefold. I’m also interested in other South American countries. We also have some offers from Chile. A European can never imagine the visitors on a Mexican concert. That’s a little bit like the BEATLES´ times. The people there are not so inhibited; they are more open and fond of life. They just appreciate a concert. I see that so often here in Germany when I work as a DJ or a musician. The people already come to an event with the expectation to be entertained. Unfortunately this is a development, which is supported by the media. 
I’m working as a DJ for years now and I always do my own program. I deal with the wishes, but they must match to the other songs. There are often guests, who already take their long wish list to the party. They only want to hear the same songs they are always listening to at home. In the early years the people went to a party also to get to know new music. This got less over the years. In my opinion the personal relationship of the fans and listeners to the music changed.

Which plans do you have for the future with ILLUMINATE generally?
That’s the hardest question of all. We just released our album. We will play some concerts in December/January and maybe some festivals in next summer. I don’t know when we will start working on the next album.

You are the mastermind of ILLUMINATE, you have your own Label “Gallery Records” and your released the solo album “Narrenturm”. How do you combine this with your daily life? When and why did you decide to become a professional musician?
The way to be a professional musician is set when you start to earn some money with it and then you have to keep in touch. Because I have my own label I and my employees have to do all the work with ILLUMINATE. Besides the music this is all the hard work: marketing, promotion, working with the press, artwork, production, logistic, sales…
I had so much luck, because my hobby – my calling – became my profession. That is the greatest gift. I can support me and my family with it.

Why did you start your own label?
Because I had to! I tried to find a label for my music, but nobody wanted to work with me. At that time I met Tilo Wolff (LACRIMOSA) and he told me, that he had the same problems in the beginning. So he decided to run his own agency and he advised me to do the same. It’s really hard. Although there is nobody to answer to you are also only responsible for all business things and of course you are dealing at all risks.

If you would start ILLUMINATE in our time: What would you change? What would you advise to some young musicians in a time of the internet, the bankrupt of some distributions and labels, which are too afraid to sign new artists?
Unfortunately this question is easy to answer. In our times it would be nearly impossible to have this career. There aren’t that courageous and consequent people anymore. In the past these people just did what they wanted to do and so they took part of the development of the music scene. I just think of Easy Ettler (founder of the “Zillo”-magazine, he died in 1997) or our former distribution chiefs at East West/Warner music. At that time you could just venture something. Now you get statistics, analyses and objections first. You must have more than luck to get a chance. The burning of CDs and music already takes its part in this development. This is a larceny at the music scene and the artists!
And you shall not forget: At the beginning there was a whole different “Gothic”-scene. Now there are many people from the Techno-scene in it. They bring their mentality with them to the clubs and the concerts. I don’t want to judge this. I’m so happy we are established and that we have solid and faithful fans. I don’t know if we could start this again.

Which question would you like to read at the end of an interview?
ILLUMINATE you are now set for 25 years. You are beloved and successful as ever. Where does your creativity still come from – and why are you still as good looking as a quarter century before?

Thank you so much for spending time with us.
I have to thank you for this nice interview.

{jos_sb_discuss:21}

Comments powered by CComment