ELECTROGARDEN FEATURES

CURRENT FEATURED ARTIST
THE NINE | BNI | ESH | ESH-2008 | GANYMEDE | ABOD
MESH | RECOIL | ULTRAVOX | CAMOUFLAGE | RED FLAG | GARY NUMAN
DE/VISION | CAUSE AND EFFECT | IRIS | BERLIN | VENUS HUM

FEATURED ARTIST

CAMOUFLAGE

   

  With plenty of punch in the 80's with hits we all know, Camouflage has hung on.  Electrogarden takes a quick shot at speaking with one of the few bands still around with legacy hits from some 20 years past.

EN: How do you feel about the Camouflage comparisons to Depeche Mode?        

Heiko: At the beginning we took that very serious and felt that it was not fair at all. With the years and releasing some more records we didn't care anymore. The most people just knew Depeche Mode. No one was speaking about YMO , Gary Numan, Ultravox etc.

Oliver: I never felt, that we´re imitating DM. We´re inspired, yes. But we were inspired by the whole movement of the early 80ies. So before we knew DM, we found the human leagues early works very interesting before that kraftwerk, john foxx... Basically we speak the same musical language, but we got a different accent.

EN: Some of the critics of the past were very harsh on Camouflage. Voices and Images, lyrically and musically, was a very strong album. Do you think music critics, in general, have a hard time being objective?  

Heiko: Believe or not, we always did what we wanted to do, on every record. Sometimes you are lucky , sometimes not. Again, over the years you get more relaxed to that. It is very funny, when people who always hated for example "Love Is A Shield", coming today, saying something like "it's an all time classic!". I like "Bodega Bohemia" much more than our first record.

Oliver: A good song is a good song, no matter who wrote it or who produced it. I often think it´s more a question of beeing or trying to be hip or not. As a journalist you´re selling attitude for the magazin you write for. Beeing objective is in every situation a question you have to answer yourself. And yes, sometimes it´s hard but if something touches you, you shouldn´t hide. With V&I we just did the best we were able to do.



EN: How did Oliver Kreyssig's departure from the band influence the creative process, and work in the studio?

Heiko: Hey, this is 11 years ago! OK, I try .... After Oli left the Band the work in the Studio was like that: Marcus and I worked separately on ideas and songs. When we liked the other's ideas I started working on a demo. With Marcus and me there was no certain way to write songs. Sometimes Marcus came up with full composed song, sometimes he just wrote a lyric, and so on ..... Yes, except of the lyrics - this was always Marcus part. In the studio I was working mostly alone, or with some co-producers. But at the end both of us had to bee satisfied.

EN: It has been rumored that the "Meanwhile ..." album came about as a result of a falling out between Oliver Kreyssig and the other two members of Camouflage (hence the harsher, angrier feel to some of the lyrics). If this is so, could you elaborate on this? Also, how is the band relationship these days compared to the Meanwhile era?

Heiko: The only reason "Meanwhile" sounds like it is, was the taste of Marcus and me at that time. We wanted to have a more acoustic and less soft album than on "Methods Of Silence". Today we have a great relationship. Better than ever.

Oliver: Coming out of voices and images into methods of silence we started to work with guitarists and rarely with acoustic drums. Coming out of the recordings of MOS you could here the evolution into meanwhile on the single version of one fine day...

If I didn´t leave the band at that point, i´m sure we wouldn´t be together today. We had a big break but within we kept the chance of being friends. Now, with this friendship, we´re making music again, which is great and a good formula.

EN: Who do you think are the main influences for Camouflage? 

Heiko: The main influences? All the best song on this earth, but of course mostly with a big electronic influence. In the early days we were very excited about Bands like: Ultravox, OMD, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Gary Numan, YMO, New Order , D.A.F., and a lot of really unknown electronic stuff. Of course we now like a lot of more bands, "new" and also from totally different styles. Stereo MCs, Massive Attack, Leftfield, Sneaker Pimps, Underworld, U2 etc

EN: What is the stylistic direction for "Sensor"?

Heiko: To see it from a "Spice Crackers" point it will be much more song oriented. A lot of electronic pop songs. Our idea about sensor is: Good old bastards, still can write great songs, this is the way synthesizers should be used! 

EN: What is Camouflage doing these days? What is new and upcoming?

Heiko: We are still working on the new material. After the release of "Sensor" we want to play live with our material. In 2003 there will be the 20th anniversary of Camouflage. It would be great theme coming to a lot of different citys and countries.

EN: What is your opinion on the current state of electronic music and music in general?

Heiko: Except of some rare records like Madonna's "Ray Of Light" or Depeche Mode's "Ultra" the most interesting electronic stuff is happening with more "Dance" oriented bands. Having interesting electronic sounds and good songs, you can't find a lot of them. For music in general I see big problems getting the possibility for big records. Loosing so much of money because of CD burning and internet, it is hard to get enough money to work with other people and take you time writing just good tracks. The world is full of cheap and quick done projects. Trying to find a good record company, which believes strong in your project, not just for a single, it's not easy today. I hope that one day all the "older" people starting to buy records again. All the charts are just an reaction of what some 14 year old girls and boys are interested in. This is a joke! 

Oliver: I only see clicks and cut music³ as the latest movement in electronic music nowadays. It´s cold, urban, and it´s atmosphere is moody sad. The essence reminds me very much in what people felt, when they heard the first recordings by the human league. I like some ideas and sound elements of bands like console and mouse on mars.

When i think about the industy i would prefer more quality-releases, less quantity. Less cover versions, less casted marketing driven projects, more a&r work.

EN: What music do you like to listen to? Favorite bands? 

Heiko: See above!

Oliver: Basically what heiko wrote. I´d like to add Ampec twins, Archive, Millenia Nova, NIN...

EN: Anything that you would like to say to the fans?

Heiko: Don't give up! You waited for such a long time .... The only thing we can do: we promise you a masterpiece!

Oliver: I´d like to thank everybody for his believe and pacience in the last years. I guess we wouldn´t be right before a new album release, without the live resonances plus all your comments on the websites. In a certain way, these people also worked on sensor.