Can you introduce us into the world of “Echos”?
TILO WOLFF: I begin by telling you why we chose this title. In this album, we want to show how the past is present in your life, and how it guides you to make decisions. Is just like considering one-self as a product of your past, about the evolution you have followed, the situations that you have lived, or the family in which you have grew up. Those echoes of the past are part of your personality.
Before the release of the complete album, you released the single “Durch Nacht Und Flut”, which includes a version of the single made by Zeromancer…
TILO WOLFF: We thought it could be interesting to offer this theme since two different points of view, we have the theme with the rock orientation with bass, guitars and drums, and we wanted to see how it was reflected in another style, more electronic but maintaining the guitars. They were interested in doing this and there is the result.
The cover art of the single is different of that Lacrimosa usually show us. Why this change?
TILO WOLFF: We have two different styles in our covers, the draw in black and white is for the albums, and the singles usually have photos or another thing. The only new in the cover art of the single is that we use for the first time a photo in color, the reason for this is that the theme has too much energy and power, and that requires a different cover art. In the photographic session that we had, we notice that the cover art has more strength using the photo in color.
The cover art design seems to be very important for you that had uploaded in your web site (www.lacrimosa.de) an official presentation of the cover art of the album, which will have place on January 3, at 22 hours, why such a expectation and exactitude? (see the head photo)
TILO WOLFF: With this presentation we want to focus towards our cover art, and show how important is for us. We make a division in three columns: in one are the lyrics, in other the music, and at last is the covert art design. People do not pay attention on the design; I remember that in the past with the vinyl, you play the disc and then you keep your eyes at the cover art in order to introduce you better into the album; now everything seems different, it appears as with a cd you just look for a product. The art is very important for Lacrimosa, I think is very important to call up all Lacrimosa’s fans from different countries and cultures to have the opportunity of go together to this presentation, and perhaps after the presentation they will be interested in contact us through our guestbook.
How many musicians participated with you in the recording of this album?
TILO WOLFF: Wait… I’m counting… I think around one hundred people, including orchestras, the choirs, solo instruments, all of this made the recording sessions turned into something monumental.
For what part of the orchestra is easier for you to compose: strings, brass instruments, wind instruments or woodwinds?
TILO WOLFF: I wouldn’t tell you, I don’t think in composing something for an instrument, but when I am composing the arrangements I see with what instrument it sounds better. First, I take a melody and start to try, this may sound great in a French horn and boring in a piano, I choose the instrument that I like the most, and since there I begin to construct the rest of the arrangements, seeing what is better for the strings section or for any of the others sections; this is why is so difficult for me to tell you for what section is easier or hard to compose for me.
Are Mozart and the Goth rock of the eighties your maximum influence yet?
TILO WOLFF: People say that. I listen to people as Bauhaus and the rest of the classic Goth Rock bands. I’ve always thought that what you listen to you have to transport it towards an evolution, and never use it to make a copy. I don’t consider Lacrimosa as a 100% Goth Rock band, in the magazines you can read that they usually called us as a modern Goth Rock band or something like that; I don’t know what label is better either.
Have you made a video clip?
TILO WOLFF: We are working on it yet. Actually, we had had it ready on November by time the single was released, but we couldn’t. It will be ready soon.
You made electronic remixes of your songs, but you have never included a protagonist electronic theme in your albums?..
TILO WOLFF: In this album, we have used some electronic bases for some themes, for example: “Malina”, but I am most interested in playing real instruments, I prefer the guitar, etc.… The mix is good; but in this moment I can¡’t imagine me recording a theme that would have a great role in the electronic music.
What are the last news about your own recording studio “Hall of Sermon”?
TILO WOLFF: We have stopped working as we have been done lately. We’ve stopped working with other bands in order to pay more attention to our band. Now, Hall of Sermon is dedicated at 100% to Lacrimosa, so there is no news about releases. There are no plans to record any other album after the edition of “Echos”.
Nuclear Blast distributes your album in many countries except Germany, Poland, Brazil and Japan, the reason are obvious for Germany, but what about Brazil and Japan?
TILO WOLFF: In those countries we work with local companies, Hall of Sermon is the parent company and we licentiate the album to the recording studios we are most interested in each country.
You released a special edition called “Vintage Classix”. What is your opinion about these special editions for the fans? Are they successful?
TILO WOLFF: Of course they are not successful. This is a box which includes our albums in vinyl version. I grew up in the eighties with the vinyl’s and I thought it could be a good idea that people who still yearn for the vinyl, had the possibility of having these editions with a big cover art and other attractions from the LP, and they could collect all our albums in vinyl.
Do you have the tour planned?
TILO WOLFF: At the moment is not going to be a tour, because the last one and a half years we have been touring, composing and recording without rest, and we need to make a small pause.
Had you ever used an orchestra or a small part of it in any of your concerts?
TILO WOLFF: At this moment we have not worked with an orchestra because we like to transmit our music in a rocker and direct way in our concerts. Perhaps some day we’ll look for something totally different in our concerts, and we would use an orchestra, but I don’t believe we can use it by now.
≈ 2003
From lacrimosaforever.com
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Head photo from lacrimosa.ch
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