21. 2. 2005UNLOVED - band from Germany - interview

1. I think you are competely unknown band for Czech fans, so at first ? could you introduce your band especially important points of history of band and actuall members?

Rika: the first lingering steps were made in 1997 when we all were in school. but we play with the de facto actual line-up since 2003 and for a year we are complete, since our drummer rené and bass guitarist felix joined us. like allmost every band, unloved had to face some changings on the long hard road to homogeneousity.

Markus: well, rika allready introduced the rhythm department. i want to supplement the other guys: matthias is the violin player, sascha and myself, we are the guitarists and rika plays piano and synthesizers. last but definitely not least, there is shya, as our singer the voice of unloved. we found each other by making music. we love it and looking back it seems to me this is the only important thing in our history.

2. The record ?My way?? is your debut I think, so why just only 4 songs?

Markus: it is even less than a debut. it is a sign of live. more than a demo indeed, but it isn't a real debut.

Rika: as we didn't get a record deal these days, we had low financial limits. on the other hand, we wanted the four songs recorded as good as possible. we wanted to spend as much time as necsessary. it wasn't the quantity which seemed important to us. better to record less songs than to compromise on quality.

Markus: yes, the lack of quality has become such a matter of course these days. just turn on the radio and you'll know what i mean. we didn't want to produce another immature long player. the music buisness is in great danger, most of the kids grow up today while listening to some kind of soundtrack made out of advertising tunes and radically reduced dance-music. they believe, the techno-cover of "san francisco" is a new song. they lose the general knowledge of music. Show them a twelve tone tune or an altering rhythm and they won't understand. the lack of quality in main stream music will substitude listeners with cultural zombies. our mission has to be refreshness of the mainstream. not just the bands, also labels and broadcasting stations are due. we do our part, and i suppose, you and your readers do it as well.

3. Why was the CD recorded with different members than with members that are now in band?

Rika: quiet simply - while recording "my way to run", we hadn't any drummer. also we met the bass player just after the record was finished. we didn't want to halt until we are complete and we are very gratefull that jens maluschka from disillusion played the drums in the studio. but the next record on which we allready prepare will feature rené, of course. we are looking forward to that in joy.

4. In booklet is mentioned violinist as concert player. It is a pity, that he didn?t record some parts of album, I think it could be more interesting. Why did you record without violin? Do you plan use the violin in the next recording?

Rika:on the new record, the violin will definitely participate...

Markus: on "kanto rubuso" there are tunes which have been played by the violin, but we haven't had the possibility to record them at last, because matthias had to work hard and we didn't find the time, so we did it by synthesizer. it is a thousand pities, you're right. but we must earn money, sometimes.

5. Your instrumental and vocal performances are more than good. Did you attend a music course or school?

Markus: dekuji srdecne!

Rika: most of us learned by doing. it has the good effect, that you become simply more curious while discovering the instrument. me personaly, I had once lessons in keyboard playing and today i take some for classic piano. also rené had lessons.

Markus: well, shya pulls us, because she is a realy gifted singer. her talent needs a solid base and so the band is forced to write good songs. these are our real talents - the extraordinary voice and the good songwriting. beyond that, we aren't better than most of the musicians i know personaly. we just know our strengths and use them.

6. MCD was released by label or by yourself (in

Rika: yes, we haven't got a record company. "empirial publishing" is our publisher.

Markus: we do the label-work by ourselves. it's a hard work and we hope to find a qualified partner someday. but we are particular.

7. Album has got a very untypical booklet, which is divided into three parts. Is it work of bandmembers or profesional graphic designer?

Rika: it's the work of denis hafner. he studies toy-design on the university of halle, germany. and he created the booklet out of idealism. we are enthusiastic about his talent, too.

Markus: it's amazing! and he didn't want any money!

Rika: he will also design the layout for the next cd.

8. Wherever I look in booklet I see blackberry ? e. g. recipe of blackberry pie doesn?t missing too. Blackberry has some deeper meaning for you?

Rika: listen to "kanto rubuso". it means "blackberry song"... that`s it. blackberries are good looking, but they can cause hurt.

Markus: personaly i like the taste and especially the scent of blackberries. but the decision was made while the layout was worked out. we looked for a common link between the songs. and we found even more. The blackberry thing is just one of them. well, the booklet is full of hidden things.

9. What do you think about your music? I mean your style? I feel it like melodic doom ? rock, modern crossover.

Markus: we just lean back and let the others decide... no, just kidding! It is difficult to answer, because we aren't part of a special music scene. we even have no common idols. indeed, we just concentrate on the floating of our songs, while we create them. and in the end, there stands some kind of multistyle. the gothic-scene loves our music, but we don't fit that genre. to metal, we are not extreme enough or on the other hand, we are not "classic" and "pathetic" enough to mess with nightwish or within temptation. but we are to hard and progressive for rock. it's something own. not something new, but the mixture is different.

Rika: blackberry rock! from sweet till prickly!

Markus: yeah. that fits. though no one can handle it. ah! in the end you have to listen in every way, if you want to know wether you like a band or not.

10. You are from Liepzig ? is there a function rock/metal scene? How often do you play gigs and where? How many people come to your shows? Have you ever played abroad?

Rika: yes, the music scene in leipzig is big and grows steadily... look at bands like disillusion or dark suns. also think about mutation were from here.

Markus: but i don't think, the scene does function. there are lots of bands, but the community is not very efficient in my opinion. but on the other hand, it is very hard for bands in east germany. The concert-scene seems to be dead. we are considered a good live act, but we had just less than ten gigs last year! and most of them were casualities, we just did them because we are horny for playing live. this year seems to be better, we try to organize a tour through germany. we didn't played abroad but we hope to do it soon.

Rika: the number of vistors on concerts depends on the location, but is steadily growing.

11. Just only theoretical question ? when I want to invite Unloved for show to Czech rep., what I have to do and what is your conditions?

Rika: first i want to say: we would be very pleased to play the czech republic! you just had to contact us via booking@unloved.info.

Markus: our conditions are very low. we want to play a good concert, so we are interested in locations with good sound engineers. and we want the traveling be paid. it would be good, of course, if we earned some money above that, but we do it for the music in general.

12. At the end ? could you say us your view of band future? Plans for forthcoming months, your whole musical aims and when could we expect new record?

Rika: in july we are going to record our new cd. it will be published in autumn. there will be also just four songs. but let us surprise you!

Markus: I hope, we'll visit the Czech republik someday. Theoreticaly

thanks for answers?

www.unloved.info