Interview by Tim Brown / MTV Rock
When and why did you start playing?
At school I made poems about drunkeness and phantasy worlds. When I learnt guitar (autodidact) I recorded awful things. It was an escape from reality.
Who are your favorite musicians? Groups? CD’s?
I like very much classical music: Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Kinks, Beatles, Stones, Cream, Who,…
My favourite genre is Britpop. Not only the up-to-date bands like Franz Ferdinand (as Austrian I have a special connection to that bandname), Hives or Mando Diao. I also like the 60s bands like Herman’s Hermits, Mersey Beats, Swinging Blue Jeans or Rattles.
I think that music influences me.
Have you been in competitions? Fleadh’s? Any prizes?
I received two nominations in Hollywood as music producer and a few nominations as well as awards on international film festivals in the category “music video”.
Not so bad for I never studied music or film making. I studied Communication Engineering. But I never worked in this field. I learnt how to calculate an amplifier. But if an amp does not blast I throw it to trash. This is my approach to Communication Engineering.
What makes this kind of music “good” to you?
On my album ìTie Break,î a mix of pop and Britpop with a touch of R&B, electronically infected I am singing about the big subjects of life like love and positive feelings. On days where the pop music landscape is splintered, I am thinking big and making music the world can love. The recordings put the listener in the recording room being able to locate every instrument. This is a different way of mixing and producing music today.
Let’s Talk about your music and your last work…
With my song ìSunny Dayî, one of thirteen songs on album “Tie Break” I present an easy listening pop song for mainstream radio that makes people want to join in singing. The track simply describes the positive feeling and overall better outlook on life that you get on good summer days after enduring the often cold and rainy spring time. ìSunny Dayî with its reverb vocals, dreamlike guitar and roaring trumpet interludes which all blend together to create a whimsical, fun summer track where the sun is smiling and nothing can go wrong. I created this song one morning, when after days of rain the sun broke through and I opened the window saying ìWhat a day! A sunny day!î Within minutes I had 50% of the lyrics and an idea for the melody. After coffee and cake ñ he is loath to stress ñ I started recording.
For the music video ìSunny Day,î he asked fans to dance for his music video. He received footage from Ukraine, France, Canada, USA, Haiti, Austria, Venezuela, Philippines. The result is a collage of people and places from around the world enjoying the summer rays, making the video and the song a celebration of summer with a global community feel. The ladies did a great job. I fear people could say: Forget the music, look at the girls.
How do you feel about the internet in the music business?
Music listeners have completely changed and unfortunately music industry is behind today’s demands. For example non-US labels exept the majors do not get paid for airplay in the USA. I think this industry is in steampunk age. Steampunk is a fashion style looking like Victorian’s time, the age of beginning industrialization. It’s time that music industry arrives in 21st century. Same for plays via smaller internet streaming platforms. Music is more than ever a global business.
What are the plans for the future?
I will produce music and music videos. I have already written a book with stories like the stroy in my song “Moments”. Creativity to the max. The world is full of inspirations, you only have to grab it.
How has your music evolved since you first began playing music?
I started with bands playing from punk, hardrock and pop to dance hall music. OMG, dance hall, we had 300 songs in stock and played from 8pm to 4am. Quite good money, but a donkey job. In the morning you feel like dead.
Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
Usually first I have the lyrics, then I think of the music. Sometimes I have a refrain in the ear, text and melody came at same time. The song “Caroline” was completely different. I had the lyrics and started to sing without chord progression or any instrument in the headphones. After recording the vocals I made the music. It was interesting to try a for me new music making process.
