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Featuring Frank Stienen |from EGOamp Interview by Ruud Dreessen aka ebm-industrial.nl | 16 september 2009 22:09

Thanks Frank Stienen that you have found time to give answers to these questions./For the first question will be - do you know /the Netherlands?

Yes i do. because I am living near the dutch border. My aunt was dutch and so I have spent a lot of **time in the Netherlands. I still have got a lot of relatives in this country and to do some shopping I often go to Venlo. :)

Please fill also a biographical resume about how, when and where... EGOamp was founded in ..... give us a more background information?

EGOamp was founded by me and the former Live Keyboarder of „Analogue Brain“ Mario **, December 2006 in Germany. In the creative break of „Analogue Brain“ I had the idea to write songs different to the AB Stuff.

How did you start to make music and what is electronic, indie, wave for you?

Well in the 80s I started doing remixes of my favourite songs with a recordplayer and a tape recorder. In the 90s I experienced with the Midi-Technology and wrote some instrumental songs. „Act of Seeding“ was the first band I joined and we had a small clubhit called „Cries of Rage“. After that I formed „Analogue Brain“.

What and who are some of your influences in /electronic, indie, wave?

Depeche Mode of course, Mesh, The Chameleons, Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk.

What are your top ten favorite /electronic, indie, wave /Club Songs of all time?

(in no particular oder)

Depeche Mode-Fly on the Windscreen

The Chameleons-Second Skin

Mesh-It scared me

:Wumpscut:-Thorns

Covenant-Stalker (Club Mix)

Alphaville-Forever Young

Ultravox-Visions in Blue

Killing Joke-Love like Blood

Jean Michel-Jarre-Oxygene 4

Kraftwerk-Metropolis

Tell one secret about EGOamp that you have never told to anyone?

We don´t wear underwear! gg

So tell me a bit more about yourself, such as musical?

I love to w**rite songs and lyrics, arranging, remixing other people´s songs and I love to sing live of course.

By the way do you like/ my questions? ;-)

What questions? ;)

You know there are lot of fans of ebm-industrial in the netherlands, we have organized a contest. and we have received hundreds of questions from your fans and if it is possible you will choose the most interesting one for you

*I**t will be a pleasure.;)

What is the main idea, the message you want to leave to people who listens to you? What is your motto?

The **main idea of my songs is actually, that the listeners feel comfortable by hearing the music and think about the lyrics and interpret them. The listeners should feel touched by the emotions I have put in my music.*

What’s the name of your band? What’s the origin of that name? Have you changed the band’s name before?

EGOamp is the name** of the band and it´s the name of an Amp. For us it means, that we use music to gain more self-esteem and to get telephone numbers of some chicks. ;)*

tell me about your cover jajaja?

We were asked to do a **cover for a „TRIO“-Tribute album, so we chose a title, that wasn´t so popular as „DA DA DA“. We liked „Ja Ja Ja“, because, in its original version, it was a Punksong. So we changed some lyrics, put in a hookline and it went from there. The audience likes the song very much and we love to play it live.

Tell me about your Soloproject Asmodi.inc. I like this style and the numbers a "grey in grey" and "new order" are very cool.

I always had the f**eeling, that the songs I have written for the new Analogue Brain album had an other quality than the older „AB“-tracks and I wanted to try how far I can go by myself, without any compromises and boundaries. This is a lot of fun and I hope I will finish the first album by the end of next year.

Tell me about this project Analogue Brain your first album Electroshock from label Out of Line - 2005 your vocals, lyrics and songwriting and about all this Remixes Agonoize "To Paradise" and "Sick" Suicide Commando", „Face of death", [:SITD:]"Laughingstock", „Lights of Euphoria" „White wall", „Icon of Coil "Shelter", Sero.Overdose "Wir", Solitary Experiments "Homesick" tell me about this work?

Where can I start? The first **album „Electroshock“ was a great experience and on this CD there are a lot of cool songs and I am still very proud of it. After we released our cover version of „Warm Leatherette“ on the Septic 3-Sampler we were offered to do a Remix for Suicide Commando and this track was very successful. After that we got a lot of Remix-requests and because we always loved this work, to experiment with other people´s songs, we made a lot of Remixes.*

When you start to record a new album, is all the writing done or does it continue in the studio?

All the **writing´s done by then. I don´t think, I could create a song with anyone else in the room. ;) We do a lot of sound experiments,effects and mixing, so there´s a bunch of work to do in the studio anyway. ;)

where did the concept come from? and whats planned now that your album is finished? or anything else you're working on? Tell me why this title

""the cabinet""? Tell us a few words about the concept of this cover from this band Das Kabinette Verenigd Koninkrijk?

One day M**ario came up to me and supposed to do a cover version of the classic „The Cabinet“. So we did it. Because I love german silent movies of the 20s and the original song is about „Das Kabinett des Dr.Caligari“ the concept was clear. The whole style of the silent movies was absorbed by us and the fans love our heavy makeup on stage. ;)

When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together? Do you have a record label? So tell me about the labels?

As** I mentioned before we formed EGOamp in 2007. Mario and I thought at that time, that we could create some cool music and we had a lot of fun doing it. Unfortunately our first label stopped its work early this year. But there´s another, more professional and nice label interested in releasing our Album. ;)

What do you think of electronic, indie, wave and about gothic scene,Our usual question - what is electronic, indie, wave for you?

The underground s**ound of early 80s had a great impact on me and I´ve grown up with bands like Depeche Mode, OMD, Alphaville, Anne Clark etc.Later on in the 90´s I discovered heavier stuff like „Skinny Puppy“,„Frontline Assembly“, „:Wumpscut:“ etc. All these bands deliver a certain feeling and lifestyle. Dark subjects, pessimistic views of live...and that´s what it means to me.*

What was your best live experience so far?

The best live e**xperience of EGOamp was the gig at the „Soth 2“-Festival at the „Kufa Krefeld“ and of course our biggest concert at the „Wave Gothic Treffen“ in Leipig as Headliner in the Moritzbastei. We have had technical problems with the location´s beamer, but the gig itself was very cool! ;)

What are your views on the current state of this /electronic, indie,wave /scene in Germany in terms of creativity and audiences? And the /electronic, indie, wave /scene in other countries?

I feel a certain **stagnation in creativity of the german bands at the moment. A lot of bands want to sound like VNV Nation („Frozen Plasma“, etc) and it´s not easy to tell which band is played in the Discoteque, because they all sound the same. It´s very boring at the moment. I can´t say how the situation is in other countries, because I never visited clubs there. Maybe I should change that. ;)

you have very nice projects tell me about lyrical compositions what you can tell about the done work? How does your music creation process work?

How do you create a song?

First I start a s**ong by experimenting with harmonys and sounds, and I begin to arrange the track. While working on the music I know the subject of the song andIi start writing the lyrics. In my words I describe my feelings and thoughts, often in crypted words, so the listeners are able to interpret them for themselves.

What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

I would say „Electronic Wave“. The **major influences are electronic bands of the 80s, and the best bands of our time. I always try to insert modern influences in my music to keep it fresh and up to date. ;)

What do you do to chill out?

I never chill out! Just kidding. I **like biking a lot and when the weather allows it, I make a long walk by myself to clear up my mind and to get new ideas. „Somehow dissapear“ from Asmodi.inc tells this Story.

What are your favorite electronic, indie, wave music? and What is your favorite electronic, indie, wave band?/ So what are their main influences as a band at the moment?

There are lot of interesting new **bands at the moment. I like „Midnight Resistance“, „Final Selcetion“, „Leichtmatrose“, „People Theatre“ and a lot of other cool people and bands. If they are an influence to me I can´t tell, maybe you can say they are an inspiration. ;)

what is the key to making music from EGOamp? and what inspires you to keep growing as a musician?

The **key is to get chicks. ;) I find it very important as a musician that you are open to other music, doesn´t matter, where it comes from or who makes it. The main thing is that the music has to touch you deep inside your heart and soul. The goal is to get better and better and to make the perfekt record. The fact, that this is nearly impossible makes it exciting.

How do you see the future of download / Copyright in area of ebm 80`goth-industrial and /electronic, indie, wave /music? What are the best ways to develop it in your mind ?

People will keep downloading music illegally and yo**u can´t stop them.I think the solution is to offer download albums with special features like CD-Cover, extra tracks or cool remixes. To make it attractive to pay for an album.

If there was one thing you want people to know about your band what would that be? what do you do in your spare time?

We don´t wear Underwear. ;)

In my spare time I write CD-Reviews for „www.sparklingphotos.de“, make Webradio ( www.befriends-radio.de visit concerts and I do a lot of sleeping. ;)

What do you think of its intermingling with the /electronic, indie, wave /scenes? while electro is your main musical pallet, what other music do you listen to?

It´s always cool to mix your **music with all kinds of influences to keep it exciting. I like listening to Jazz, Motown, Swing, Ambient, Pop and Classic.

How long have you been in the music industry and how has it changed over time? Now I have to ask, what's the inspiration for the EGOamp story?

I´ve been in the **music business for about 10 years now. I think a lot things have changed. All the illegal downloads, the possibilty to present your band on Myspace, Facebook etc. It never has been so easy to produce your own songs at home in your living room. The labels changed too, they used to pay advanced money, now the bands have to pay for the production themselves. And it´s not easy for a small band to afford that.*

Please let us know about your upcoming plans, some new releases you like to confirm here

Black Leather Records“ a columbian Online-Label is going to release a „The** Cabinet“ Maxi Single with our version and some cool remixes done by other bands. Also we are planning some livegigs abroad.

Awesome! Tell me, are there any new bands out there lately that you're into, any tips for the future? Are you working on any current or future

projects?What is the future for your music?

As I** mentioned before, there are many cool new bands arround. Tips for the future? „Keep cool, and make music“! ;) What the future will bring I surely don´t know. But what I do know is, that I will continue do more and more on my own to be independent.*

How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Were you asked to play or did you have to ask for a slot?

Fans can listen to some **snippets at http://www.myspace.com/egoamp It depends, sometimes we are asked to play a show, sometimes we ask by ourselves.

It has been a pleasure to interview you on your musical activity, Well, any last words to your ebm-industrial fans? and what is next on Germany agenda?

It has been a pleasure for me, thank you!The next liveshow in germany will be on Oktober, 2*^*nd* * at the club „Se7en“ in Geldern. We´d love to see you there! ;)

To all r**eaders of EBM Industrial: Keep up the love to music and support your bands! :)*