Rockezine.com interview with Funker Vogt on Oct 04, 2002

with Gerrit Thomas & Kai Schmidt on Oct 04, 2002

Funker Vogt will release their new album “Survivor” soon. Reason enough to ask the band some questions. Gerrit Thomas and Kai Schmidt gave the answers…
		Funker Vogt started in 1995, but it went pretty fast for the band, looking at the attention you had in these years, didn’t it? When did you decide that Funker Vogt would be the main project/ band for you? Gerrit: There haven’t been a certain day or moment when we said: “FV is our main project”. It turned out this way by itself, because the demand for FV was much bigger than for the other projects. We had to spend more work in playing concerts, giving interviews and of course making new CD’s.
		Why is war such a hot issue for you? Gerrit: War is always present at every time. First of all you war itself, but also the little wars in everyone’s life. A war always shows the bad side of humans and their society – and that’s our starting point.
		If you look at the German history war is (especially after the Second World War) a important item. You had some trouble with that as well, I believe? Gerrit: Sometimes there are stupid people who just see us on stage without listening to the lyrics. These guys may think that we are glorifying the military or wars etc. Of course we want to provoke with our stage outfit, but I think, our presentation of FV must makes people think about our intentions. People who say we are right-winged extremists should read our lyrics – then they would be very, very calm...
		Can you tell us more about your writing process for Funker Vogt? I see that Kai Schmidt writes the lyrics and that Jens Kästel is singing them… Gerrit: Kai is one of our best friends and indirectly another member of FV. He knows our intentions and the way we think about many things. If he writes a song lyric for us we read it, discuss the theme and mostly we – especially Jens – change some words or a verse. Then it’s up to me to create a suitable atmosphere to these lyrics with some hook lines, certain chords, effects etc. After that, Jens and I create a vocal melody to complete that song.
		Kai: I started to work with Funker Vogt from the very beginning. Actually as their manager and I then wrote some lyrics for them. This changed a bit in time, so right now I am not only doing just some, but most of them. Sometimes I write about things of which I think they would fit Funker Vogt. Sometimes Gerrit or Jens have ideas for topics they would like to see in a song lyric.
		There’s a story behind the concept of Survivor, can you tell us more about that? Gerrit: This time we are working with the third record company within the last six years. We had a lot of disputes with and fights against companies and people who were working for them. We always came out as the winners of these “little wars” and most of them don’t exist anymore. During that time we learned a lot and I think this made us as successful as we are. So we decided to give ourselves this album as a tribute. We also want to show these people that we’ll always keep our own direction, believe in ourselves and that we always will survive...
		I hear a small Frontline Assemblage influence during “Obscure Pictures”; can you tell us more about your influences in making music? And is the connection to FLA right or wrong in your opinion? Gerrit: I think, there is no deliberate influence by FLA or any other band. I always try to create my own individual sound. Of course, sometimes there may be some similarities to other bands, but this is never my intention. The only influence I deliberately work up are movie sound tracks.
		‘Date of expiration. A disease you cannot cure. It’s our destination. No delays anymore’ (“Date Of Expiration”). That doesn’t sound very promising, does it? Kai: That is only the case if you take it out of its context. This passage sounds negative, but this will only give the rest of the chorus more strength where it says: ‘Love has no date of expiration’. So all the negative elements, which are taken in account, are not true for the one and only true love. So all in all it is positive and not negative!
		Why did you decide to release “Lügner!” in German (all the other songs are in English)? Gerrit:: “Lügner!” is written in German language, because it has a straight and direct statement and is dedicated to all the German guys we had trouble with.
		What can we expect from the new tour? Are there new elements in your live shows? Gerrit: Yes, we always want to present FV in a new way. There are some plans for our next tour but nothing concrete. Priority is always the action on stage and in front of it. All the stuff around us, for example DVD-shows, lights or the whole stage scene is changing from tour to tour.
		Do you feel that humankind will survive? Are we survivors? Gerrit: I think that by the time humankind has destroyed this planet they will be able to travel through the universe and have already left the earth. So, I think, there is nothing that is able to destroy the whole mankind. In comparison to the dinosaurs, human kind is just at the very beginning. Maybe you can imagine what mankind will be able to do in the next one thousand years – but what will mankind be able to do in about a million years?!
		I have a theory that people who create dark music are divided into groups with different kinds of emotions:
		1. You really have/ had some issues. 2. You know what life is about, but you’re happy dealing with it. 3. People like dark music, because they are supposed to… To what ‘category’ do you belong? Why? Gerrit: I think I belong to the second category. I always try to make the best out of every situation, whether it’s good or bad. Surely, life is not good and nice all time, but in the journey through everyone’s life the valleys will be followed by mountains and that’s what keeps me smiling...
		Something you always wanted to say, but never were asked… Gerrit: Always believe in yourself, follow your goals, don’t turn around, look into the future – then you get what you deserve...
		If you want to keep up to date than check www.funkervogt.de regularly… (Beautevil )