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ROCKWiRED
iNTERViEWS AUDiO OK GOOD NEWS ACTUALLY!!!
‘Organic’ is a strange word to use in describing the evolution of AUDIO OK’s sound – a sound punctuated by its electronic undertones and cold percussion. The Berlin-based quartet began as a group of childhood friends brought together by band leader TORSTEN VOLKMANN’s record collection which consisted of THE B-52’s, THE FALL, BIG BLACK, FUGAZI and SONIC YOUTH. It was that very record collection that proved to be the launching ground for these Teutonic lads to pick up their respective instruments and cut their teeth as musicians. After cutting their teeth on JOY DIVISION material, the foursome soon forged their own sound. The results of this musical exploration are in full display on AUDIO OK’s stunning debut ‘GOOD MEN’.TORSTEN VOLKMANN OF AUDiO OK TALKS TO ROCKWiRED ABOUT THEiR DEBUT CD GOOD MEN MiXiNG ELECTRONiCS WiTH MELODY AND BALANCiNG AMBiVALENCE WiTH AMBiENCE  iNTERViEWED BY BRiAN LUSH ROCKWIRED conducted an interview with TORSTEN VOLKMANN of AUDIO OK via e-mail. Here are the results. Now that the CD GOOD MEN is out there for people to hear, how do you feel about the finished work. When we started out we actually had no fixed concept. We recorded guitar, bass and vocals in our studio and gave the material to ERIC who worked on the drum arrangements. Finding a particular sound was our main goal. After mixing and mastering it, we finally got a result which is quite the essence of our music. How did it feel in the end? Well, it’s similar to other things you do for the first time. Once we were done, we weren’t quite sure if it reflected what we are and aim to do. Altogether we liked the result but would do things differently with the experience gained throughout the whole process. And in the end we got to realize that one record can only be a snapshot but not a full picture of all there is. How long did the recording process take? It took about six months, a time limit we imposed on ourselves. What was the most difficult aspect of putting this album together? All the songs existed mainly with a drum computer before ERIC, our present drummer, joined the band. The challenge was bringing it all together. We tried to be as open as possible to his input and ideas, refraining from imposing our mindset onto him too much. In some cases though, we convinced him to adopt his style to the computer generated earlier version. Out of about 15 songs we recorded, seven finally found their way on the CD. How did the band begin? NIELS, BJORN and me founded the band in the early nineties. We started covering songs mainly from JOY DIVISION. Soon we developed a particular style and wrote our own music. The first concert took place in 1993. After the band split NIELS and me continued playing and writing together. We discovered the computer as a new tool for generating and recording music. Since the two of us were not able to perform our stuff live alone we brought BJORN back on board and had two other mates play the drums and do the vocals. Ultimately, the sound wasn’t moving in the direction we wanted it, so we began recording the vocals ourselves and replaced the drummer with a drum computer. But that sound was definitely lacking feeling and flexibility. Then ERIC, a local drummer, who liked our demo for ‘the good man’ agreed to record with us. He wasn’t quite sure about doing live dates, but after we offered him the post of “boss of the rhythm section,” we “negotiated a test drive and jointly felt that this constellation was working for all and actually is moving us forward until today. Explain the title of the band. It sounds similar to OK COMPUTER by RADIOHEAD. Any connection? No connection at all. I don’t own a record of RADIOHEAD and as far I know nobody in the band does or listens to them frequently. We got our band name rather accidentally, when we used to hang out in a nearby pub spending endless hours playing music and watching soccer. We often stared on the muted TV screen with the underlying phrase “audio->ok” while playing grotesque glamour rock music and thought, “well, audio would be ok.” Moreover the band name turned into the initiating slogan when we are recording: “AUDIO OK – Press button!” What drew you to music in the beginning? I grew up with it because my parents were listening to music all the time. After developing my own taste I spent a great part of my time in front of the radio and a great part of my money for buying records. When I started English lessons in school I became bored by the schoolbook stuff and in order to enhance my language skills I translated the lyrics of my favorite bands as I discovered English radio shows like JOHN PEEL Music on BFBS. BJORN my younger brother and his class mate NIELS discovered my extended record collection and listened to it when I was not at home. As we shared the same musical taste we decided to found a band when we were teenagers. What were your musical influences? There is broad spectrum reaching from JOY DIVISION, THE FALL, the B52’s, BIG BLACK, SONIC YOUTH, FUGAZI and SHALLAC to CHRIS WHITLEY and the ESBJORN SVENSON TRIO. Talk about the other members of the band. What do you think each of them brings to the project both musically and personality-wise that makes it work? I’m very much the “father of the band” and the driving force. I’m calm but determined. NEILS and I are the creative nucleus of the band writing most of the songs, and in charge of the public relations matters of the group. NIELS is the “mother of the band” and by far the best looking and best guitar player that I can think of. BJORN is “Mr. Reliable” and a very leisurely musician. It’s a little strange but he is a good team player. ERIC is the boss of the rhythm section and a freak. He’s very strange, but he is a fucking good Drummer. Explain the creative process. How do songs get written? When we started out together a lot of songs and ideas already existed. It was a good base to begin with and we were able to give ERIC a concrete idea of what we wanted. Now we create new songs during extended jam sessions while we are recording. After reviewing the outcome we continue working on the song structure and rehearse until there is a song that can be performed or recorded. What songs on the album resonate for you the most and why? It is the title track, which has been transferred from the original recording with acoustic guitar and computer generated drums to a band version and ironic lyrics that define who we are: good men, not taking things too seriously! Moreover the guitar driven “daily routine”, which has lyrics based on a poem written by NIELS and “gush” which creates a live feeling and suggests the intended direction of our musical process: more improvisation, more emotion with a distinct notion of distance and coolness. What are the future plans for the band? Besides the recordings of our next album we are going to organize gigs in Germany and Europe. If there is a possibility we would come to the states as well, who knows. Finding a matching record label would probably helpful but it’s not our main goal. Are there any plans for music videos for any of the songs? Honestly, we are of no interest for any kind of video producing industry and we have no interest in catering to such industry. We want to play concerts but make no shows. What you like a person to come away with after hearing the album? We want the listener to be left with a strong feeling. This has not to be necessarily an elevating and thorough positive feeling but a strong one. Yes, it might be anger or it might as well be a positive energy. All that matters to us is to leave an impact on the listener and an urge to listen to the album a second and maybe third time. Well, and of course, given the fact that we are rather a live band, listening to the album should grow an interest in seeing us on stage. |
