Featuring Mike of Digital Factor | Interview by Ruud Dreessen aka ebm-industrial.nl | 5 january 2009
An interview with with Mike of Digital Factor. Thanks Mike that you have found time to give answers to these questions,
Hey, how are you doing?
We are very busy today,because there are only some days before our new release “Look Back To Go Forward” will start.So most time we have to give interviews and have to work on the promotion for the album.
So how did you first get into the EBM scene? Do you think the electronic scene is more and more regaining interest in EBM again?
We jumped into the scene in the earlier 90s.Before this time we made different music-projects.So I made music with a punk and later with a so called wave-band.Torsten and Tino made at this time their own electronic-project.And Guido played in a synth-pop band and later in a alternative rock group.But anytime we all worked with electronic equipment and we liked the sound.So this was the base for starting with Digital Factor in 1993.So we were one of the first East-German EBM-Electroacts ever.
How is your music different from a lot of other electronic artists?
Oh this is a question You should tell all the fans of our music.But maybe You can hear the longer experiences of the band.
How and why did you come about starting Digital Factor?
As I told You,we all made music for a longer time before entering Digital Factor.But at this time we all looked for a very hard electronic-sound, based on the older Depeche Mode or Front 242 stuff.After we met on a music store we became to Digital Factor and started with live concerts.In 1994 we signed by the Danish label Hard Records.The deal came over a arranging of Klaus Larsen (Laetherstrip)..
What else inspires you to create?
Anytime it is our own life that inspires us.You can hear this differences if You check out our CDs.So the search for a hard electronic sound was the base for the first CDs.On our 1999 and our 2006 LPs we experimented with other styles and sounds.But on the new CD “Look Back To Go Forward” (Lukotyk/Prussia) we thought,it is time again for a good hard Electro-EBM-sound.And by the way,it is one of the most aggressive CDs we ever made.
Can you give an introduction of Digital Factor?
Anytime it is the hardest part in making a band,to find a name.So our aim was,to find one which includes the digital factor of the music of the band. Well and so we thought if we are looking for the digital factor,it could be the name.
Can you tell us a little bit more about your personal life,what do You do on a daily basis?
Well we all make different things which have consequences for our music.Torsten works for a company which develop music-software.Guido designs rooms and I work as a producer for Film and TV.So it is a fact,that Digital Factor is connected into these jobs.
Tell me about the debut EP “Falling Down" (1994) of Digital Factor?
Oh well, it is such a long time ago.We worked on the EP during our time we studied.So whole parts for the CDs where composed in a old hostel in Dresden.What should I say,we worked on our first CD,it was a really great time for us.Our Label financed a studio-session in the Elsterpark Studios in Leipzig.So this was our first professional production we ever made. “Falling Down” was one of the first EBM-CDs from East Germany and the EP is a rarity in the scene.Up to this time,You can’t buy it,because it is sold out.
Can people buy your music on-line?
Yes all the new stuff,You can buy online as download.But of course You can buy it as a CD online.One good partner for international selling of the new album “Look Back To Go Forward” is
www.poponaut.de
Your first record deal was on a Danish label (Hard Records/Indigo 1994) and only relatively recently were you given a record deal by Hyperium/Hypnobeat 1995. Why do you think that it took so long to be signed on a 'home' label? and signed by Lukotyk / Prussia / Rough Trade records? Tell me more about this labels?
As I told You,we signed by the Danish label Hard Records.But Hyperium/Hypnobeat was the licence partner for Germany.At this time Hyperium was one of the biggest labels for such a kind of music (Project Pitchfork,Evil’s Toy, Calva Y Nada,Die Form etc.) For our 1996er CD “On Demand” we got an offer from Hyperium/Hypnobeat to sign direct on the label and we start a very good work together with the guys in Nürnberg.In 2002 the labelmanager Oliver Rösch had a motorbike-crash and died. In 2005 we start a good work with Wannsee Records which owns one of our friends and partners Nik Page.So we also planed to release “Look Back To Go Forward” there,but Wannsee changed the distribution to SONY/BMG and we didn’t believe that this could be the right partner for our EBM-Electro-release.So we found in Lokutyk/Prussia a good label for our music.And by the way we worked with Leo von Leibnitz before,so we knew each other.
And tell me about Promofabrik?
We worked for the first time with Promofabrik,for our online-single “Dein Herz”.The main thing was,to find a partner which promote the single there where it takes place,in the internet.Promofabik made us an offer for that.For the new LP “Look Back To Go Forward” they also made a very good strategy,and I would say it is at this time also a friendship with the girls and guys.
And your albums 1995 relationchip / 1996 on demand / 1997 de facto / 1997 countercheck 1999 over one million times / 2006 one more piece
The older CDs are totally sold out.I’ve seen an offer for the “relationchip” on ebay and they sold it for 80,00 Euros. So maybe this is also one of the facts that makes Digital Factor a little bit to an other band, than newer ones.“One More Piece” was a mixture of different music-styles we dealed with,during the seven years,Digital Factor didn’t made an album.So it is not such a typical CD for the band.
And about your free for download single 2008 “Dein Herz”?
Well, at this time we prepared the new album “Look Back To Go Forward” and we thought about a single release. But anytime the labels doesn’t like singles because they don’t earn money with that. So we thought,if the label doesn’t make the money they need, but the fan has to pay for a Single-CD, this makes no sense.So we can also release a single for free.The label also makes no money but the fans doesn’t have to pay for it.
Have you already begun work on the next album? Your last single “Dein Herz” from 2008, what can we expect from an upcoming Digital Factor album?
We worked on “Look Back To go Forward” the whole last year.It is the first album,where we worked together with the new cast of the band (Tino leaves the band 2000 and 2002 Guido came into the band).Our aim was to make a connection between the “Look Back To Go Forward” and our success-CD “On Demand” (1996).We thought the fact, how this CD would sound,if we would produce it in 2008/2009.Last week we gave an interview for a big German magazine and the guy from the magazine means “Look Back To Go Forward” would be our most aggressive album, which remembers him on older days.This is the best thing,which describes the CD.
And tell me about your Tapes "Suiciety"93.. & "Evilisation" 94
Oh yeah, long long ago.I couldn’t say at the moment,which songs where on it.But “Evilisation” was the base for the CD “Falling Down”.
You have 6 songs available on your Myspace page, www. myspace. com/digitalfactor. Can you tell us more about those songs? How did they come about? Do you have a story behind any of those songs?
With those songs we wanna give a little bit a picture of the sound of the band in the past but also in the future. We also change the songs there.Well, any song has its own story,so it would be to much to tell them all. Maybe this is also the reason why we change these songs,because we like to much of them.
Can you give us some insight into the beginnings of Digital Factor a musical project? How did it initially come to be?
As I told before, we all made music in different projects.Tino,Torsten and me met over an advertisement in a music store.I looked for guys which want to make music in the style of Front 242 or DAF and Tino and Torsten came into the shop and looked for an old GDR-synthesizer there.After a short time we began to produce the first tape “Suiciety” and made our first concert with a big success.So we sold over 300 tapes during the first time and two concerts. Our seconds liveshow we made as support of Placebo Effect in front of 700 people in the crowd. So Digital Factor grow up.Anytime we where fascinated by technical equipment to make music.So we spend really much money into the music in the past but also today.
Can you tell us a bit more about the musical projects and bands you were involved with prior to Digital Factor?
I played in a Punk-Band called “Rostblock” which became later into the wave-band “Endless Stairs”.Both Band have never released a CD but there I got my first live experiences.Torsten and Tino had a studio project called “Digital Front”.There they worked with Electro-Sounds.Guido played first time in a Synthpop Band called “Broken Silence” and later he played Guitar in the alternative rock band “Noise in Barn”, a band which supported for instance “Subway To Sally”.
What are your views on the current state of the EBM scene in Altenburg/Dresden, Germany, in terms of creativity and audiences? And the scene in other countries?
Yeah, we had in 1999 the feeling that the scene have some problems.So we had the feeling of a stagnating development.This was one of the reason,why we made the break of seven years with Digital Factor.But at the last years we can see that there is new input and so (especially with an eye of the EBM oldschool campaign) we have much more fun to work inside the scene.I think You can hear this on “Look Back To Go Forward”.So we live near Leipzig and Chemnitz where the scene is very agile.Guido is one of the Guys who organize the Electroanschlag in Altenburg,one of the biggest industrial festivals in Europe.So the things here go well.Anytime we had this last feeling in other countries,so we made very good concerts in the Netherlands.But also in Eastern Europe there exist a very agile scene,and concerts there are great pleasures.
You have very nice numbers on your Myspaceprofile. What can You tell about the done work? How does your music creation process work? How do you create a song/musical piece?
The way to each song is very different.But most times the sound is the first thing,which is created.Than we start to write the lyrics.Those layout were created in our own studios in Dresden and in Altenburg.Most time works everybody of us on one song.The final production we make together in our studio in Dresden.After finishing the whole album we’re looking for a partner for mastering.Our new album “Look Back To Go Forward” was mastered at the Phage Studios.
Your new CD and for those who don't have, Your latest CD is called “Look Back To Go Forward”. Can you tell us more about how you went about writing this album.
In former times we planned an album with an lyrical concept.But “Look Back To Go Forward” should get a concept by music.We had an ear on our older CDs like “On Demand” before writing the new stuff and we want to make a power like this with an newer sound.At the end we got an a very aggressive electro-EBM album.Some influences to the CD were our live-concerts to “One More Piece”.There we also played older material,and it worked very great. Our aim was to put these power into “Look Back To Go Forward”.
What inspires you to keep growing as a musician?
The music, the fans and standing on a stage.
What ideas, movements and personalities would you say were crucial for the definition and development of Digital Factor as a creative entity?
Anytime,most creative entity came from other musicians,from music we hear or from musicians we worked together in the past.But one main thing for the development of Digital Factor is the friendship between the members of the band an also with the livecrew of the band.
While EBM / Industrial is your main musical pallet, what other music do you listen to?
We all are interested in any kind of electronic music.Electro-EBM includes a very powerful character we do like.But also Techno-Electro is an interesting experiment.These sound we took to experiment on “One More Piece”.But by the way,on “Look Back To Go Forward” we play an aggressive hard EBM.
How long have you been in the music industry and how has it changed over time?
Well, as we have started to make music,MP3 didn’t exist.Now the ways to get music are very different.You may get it as CD,Download,Internet Radio or via things like Myspace.The big industry realised it to late, in my opinion.So for instance,most labels sell not so much CDs than in the past,but the prices of CDs became higher and higher.This makes no sense,but it is the result of all these “marketing”-guys which came not from the music-scene but from a economic school.I think the musicians have to look for new ways to distribute their music and the CD will be only one way.
Can you tell us something about the beginnings of Digital Factor how and why did you begin to make music? Why various EBM styles?
Since we began with Digital Factor we experimented with our sound. Anytime we tried to change the sound and our main thinking about EBM.On “One More Piece” (2006) we stretched these thinking very far,maybe for some fans to far.So we looked on “Look Back To Go Forward” for our own source for our own past.
Tell us about your unique style of music and who are your major influences? Where do you typically get your inspiration for Your numbers?
Most ideas coming during hearing other music.But the major influences on “Look Back To Go Forward” came from older music like DAF,Front 242 or Nitzer Ebb.
One question about influences and inspirations about Altenburg/Dresden, Germany?
Altenburg is only some kilometres far from Leipzig, and Leipzig is one of the hearts of the scene in Germany.But anytime these cities are the cities,where we live and there is our home,our families,our friends and our inspirations.
How do you feel about the internet as a promotional? How has it helped your band's fan-base grow to the point it is now? How do you promote your music to the world? What is your ideas at downloading?
The internet makes also the music-world much more smaller.In the beginning days of Digital Factor we got fan-letters,for instance from Brazil and it needs so much time.Now we are direct connected with those fans via Internet.And it is the same thing with the music.I knew a radio-special from a US-Radiostation about Digital Factor from 1997.The guy told the crowd,that they should go to Mexico to buy the CDs of Digital Factor,because they couldn’t buy them in the south of the States.These days,this is no problem,the people can download the music,on a legal way we hope.
Have you worked with any other artists or do you do everything yourself?
Most things we do for ourselves.
Are you currently working on or planning any new releases? What is the future for your music?
At this time we only have “Look Back To Go Forward” in our mind.The European sale starts at January the 23 and we work on the promotion and the preparing of live concerts.For new stuff will be time in the future,the near future.
What do you think of its intermingling with the ebm/dark/goth/electro-industrial scenes?
We like any mix of scenes,most time there will be created interesting sounds.A good sample for this is the sound of the Chemical Brothers,Techno-Dance meets hard sounds which often remembers on EBM.
It has been a pleasure to interview you on your musical activity, Well, any last words to your EBM-Industrial fans?
Yea,well You should have an ear on “Look Back To Go Forward”.It will make Your body move.
What is next on the Altenburg/Dresden, Germany agenda?
Concerts,party and fun with the band.
In closing this interview, we'd like to thank you for your time. Do you have any final words or requests?
You’re welcome! Music is the message!
Any other comments you would like to say? and Any last words for www.ebm-industrial.nl
Yes of course,we hope we will meet us on a concert in the Netherlands. Anytime we had great concerts there.
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