1. Hi! I’m really glad that we found common speech without problems and TODTGELICHTER will be placed on Mortem zine. Which mood is in a camp of TODTGELICHTER before the coming date of official release of your new record “Angst? Do you feel big tension and expectation about the first reactions to a record which moved into yet unexplored waters? How are you satisfied with the sound of “Angst” with a distance of few weeks after the recording?

Well, we are indeed feeling quite some tension. Let me answer the last part of your question first: We are more than satisfied with the sound, Eike Freese of HAMMER STUDIOS has done a tremendous job to record "Angst" and give it a massive, monumental and epic sound which must not fear comparisons to international top-notch productions. In fact we´ll dare challenging any of the recent outputs with that sound anytime, haha. Honestly, this is everything we could have ever hoped for: The sound is crystal clear and yet etheral; it is powerful, yet calm when needed. Now, the album and everything is finished for over half a year already and I still find myself gladly listening to it, so we must have done something right. The last half year has been filled with a lot of work, the least of our problems was finding a label. There is so much work in the layout, in the PR-campaign, in the whole coordination of this album that the tension is really high, because the last and most important reaction is missing. Sure, our new label Code666 has been highly enthusiastic and so is the press so far as the first reviews prove. But what we really looking forward to is the reaction of our fans - the most important reaction, because this will be the most honest one. And it is clear to us that we challenge the listener and our old fans very much with "Angst". But we await their reactions with confidence, I think we have much to offer with this album.

2. Three years passed since you have released your previous album “Schemen”. When did you start to compose new songs for the new record? Was the process of composing slower considering the change of the way of your expression? Time of looking for and trying all of pro and con?

I admit it may look like we took three years for it, but nothing could be more from the thruth. When we released "Schemen" in summer 2007 we had only one new song - the one which would later become "Phobos & Deimos". We played and rehearsed for gigs until mid of 2008 approximately, then Frederic left Hamburg to make his master as stonemason in south germany. We continued to rehearse and write songs without him but discarded them in the end. It was only when he returned in August 2009 that we started to write again - as we had set a studio date for march 2010 and seeing that we were hungry to write new material, we created the other seven songs within four months. The last three months were spend with vocals and pre-produktion. This was quite hard, because after Mort left we had no idea really where to go with the new vocals. And it was only in the studio that Nils´ potential was fully unclouded, we didn´t even knew what a fuckin´ vocal monster was hiding within him until Eike made him discover his talent! So you see, the whole composing process was rather speeded up than slowed down.

3. I feel and I am glad that you reached the state, which you present on “Angst”. The record is more layering, more progressive, but not overstuffed. The record is adherent to a break through the borders of several styles and distant from TODTGELICHTER’s roots. Was the main goal of “Angst” to show the band as experimenters and able to get over its “own shadow”?

The main goal of "Angst" was, simply speaking, to record music we´d like to listen to ourselves. We don´t set a goal like "let´s sound more like this or that this time", we like to go with the flow. Everything felt right, the difference is that we have grown as musicians and composers, so we were able to integrate our various musical influences better. We have always been very open-minded concerning our musical tastes, you can find us visiting Black Metal concerts as well as Jazz concerts and our tastes range vast, from ANJA GARBAREK to VOLBEAT to PINK FLOYD to EMPEROR to THE PRODIGY... We like music. Well done music with soul, and that is what we aim for. At the time we recorded the two previous albums we were just not able to integrate other influences properly, so we didn´t. If we had, it might have sounded, well, wrong. The most important thing is that music feels like a unity, and that can´t be achieved by forcing elements into it that do not fit or you are not able to express, even if you feel them. As for our roots -Yes, they are more distant, but not severed. To stay with the metaphor, we are still rooted in our BM-foundation even if we have grown much larger than that. We didn´t rip out everything we were and planted it somewere else, so to speak - it was a steady development. We like roots, but we like growth as well.

4. Did you let people close to the band listen to the material you composed for the new record before you definitely finished it? Was it important to know the opinions of basic changes already at the beginning of creating your material or you just concentrated on yourselves and all was made in temporary secrecy?

People close to us did indeed listen to the new stuff. And for them, as much as for us, it was just the next logical step of a constant evolution. If you knew in which order we composed the songs, maybe it would be more clear to the listener as well... I can see how huge a step "Angst" must be to "Schemen", as was "Schemen" to "Was Bleibt...", because those albums can only serve as momentary snapshot, they can only provide the result of a two to three year journey without showing the route we took. Regarding the opinions, we love opinions, but for composing new material there is only one that counts - ours, haha. We only show finished ideas to our friends, and if they are finished, that means we like them as they are. Thus, even if someone does not like something we´re not going to change it. We believe in what we do, it is our music and way of expression. There are those who think they know how we should sound, and there are actually still people who think we should deliver a second "Was Bleibt...", I mean, what the fuck? That period is over, each album was and will be different, and even if I don´t know yet how the next album is going to sound I can assure you that it will be different. I guess who still does not get that we won´t copy ourselves should start listening to MOTÖRHEAD or AC/DC instead...


5. Record has a different atmosphere, its spread is really huge compared to the past. What is the concept of “Angst”, which way should it lead us? I couldn’t pass over the tellingly different change of image, where you appear as gloomy white characters with a futuristic background. How far is this visual site joined with a concept of the new record?

We wanted to deliver a "modern" album. We aimed to have an as modern as possible sound, and the concept should be a modern one too. The album title provides the leading motive, the lyrics show different facets of that theme. The artwork was masterfully excecuted by our layouter Y and resembles the "urban" character of "Angst", and although you most probably have not seen the booklet, let me assure you it is an important key in fully understanding the album. The fears of today mostly result from the life standard humanity has these days (an example from "Phobos & Deimos": "Spit Fear from the TV screens"), but have their roots in ancient instincts (from "Bestie": "...and behind a swarm of flies / gloats a grimace of fear and dead animals"). The artwork resembles that strongly. So you see, fear is a really broad subject. Now the thought with us in that visual context was that we serve as the canvas on and through which Angst is projected - we are the means to unite the visual and musical side of the concept. Fear is projected on the empty white void that is us and we throw it back at the listener. We aim in integrating this much stronger in future live appearances as well, as soon as we have the means.

6. On the other hand, animated album cover seems differently. If “Angst” should express some kind of anxiety or fear, so the motive of the boy on the cover could be illustration of lost in its own distress? In the sense of thinking – how big could be anxiety of child, swallowing it and embracing from all sides… there could be several explanations… or should the cover evoke something completely different?

The great thing avout the cover is that it offers vast room and thus vast interpretations. I mean, look at it and you´ll be amazed of how many things you can see in this cover. Is he drowning? Is he floating? Dead? Alive? Pondering? Sleeping? Resigning? Does the cover resembles catharsis or the stage before that - engulfed by fear? Is this inside his mind or is something outside forced upon the man? The cover invites to face one´s own fears. I for one am afraid of eternal and infinite stagnation, depending on how I feel I see this in the cover. It could also be eternal bliss. The cover is always only a part of the whole, the rest is provided by the mood the spectator is in. Only with that it is complete.

7. Thanks to these changes, I mean as musical, such ideological, TODTGELICHTER has opened new and undiscovered space, and it would be loss to not take advantage of it. Is “Angst” the way and first swallow of the band’s future? Is your new album felt as a first real TODTGELICHTER’s record where you have shown, who you really are, what are you capable of?

I don´t think we have already shown all that we are capable of. As I said, we are in a constant flow, and we´re trying to push the envelope a little further with each album. We have always shown what we were at the time of each release - “Angst” is no exception here, and the next album will not be, either. Who knows what it will sound like? Even we do not know, we have no “masterplan”, so to speak. What we do know is that we will evolve further, that the next album will again sound different, because we like to explore pathways we have not yet trodden on. But at the moment it´s far too early to tell.

8. There are two guests on the album – Eike Freese and Nihilaz. Was there anybody else, who participated on the record too? Whose is the clean vocal in “Oblivion”? It really evokes some kind of vocal dramatics of my loved band < Code >.

Yes, Eike provided the second voice at the end of “Subway” while Nihilaz screams the last part of “Neon”. Frederic has a few parts as well, but only screams. The clean male vocals were done by Nils. It´s great that you mention < CODE >, Kvohst has one of the most memorable extreme metal voices out there so I guess Nils should feel honoured, haha. We definitely will integrate his clean vocals more on the next album, when he entered the studio for “Angst” he has never done this before, he is just developing his talent. So you can be sure he has much more up his sleeve which will make the next album another step forward.


9. With new record you changed the label. Were Folter records too small for you? The way from the pagans’ traditions to the “Angst” today’s visions is very long. Do you feel dramatic changes in interests to your band by media? I guess even promo-action was made in a different level compared to the past…

There has been no bad blood between Folter Rec. and us. But we naturally wanted to evolve further and Folter Rec., well, didn´t. They do what they do within their boundaries, and they do it well. But they have been very honest about that they can´t and won´t do anything to push us further, so naturally we shook hands, said our goodbyes and looked somewhere else, so to speak. We´re still in contact, and concerning the older albums we´re still doing business, there is no problem. Yes, Code666/Aural Music is doing a completely different job, has done a quite huge campaign and worked their arse off to promote this, it´s great. Furthermore, their enthusiasm is unmatched, haha. And they mean business, they are working on a much larger level which is great for us. The personal component is important for us too, and so far each contact with each representative of Code666 has been more than sympathetic. We really feel at home there. Dramatic changes? Yeah, The press is much more attentive, and what´s important, the international press has us on the radar now, it´s not only germany. So far everything is going as it should, even if the most important reaction is still missing - the fans. But that is going to change in two weeks and we´re really looking forward to their opinion.

10. I should not forget the theme “TODGELICHTER as a live band”. Are upcoming gigs challenge(s) for you? Aren’t you afraid of possible compromises you should have to do thanks to wild palette of atmospheres on the new album? Are you prepared to take or invite your guests to the gigs, or you resigned to that and live versions will be more metal and cut off against to studio versions? I know you are not too huge band in so far, but some kind of visual accompaniment in the form of projection would suit to TODTGELICHTER… another challenge?

Oh yes, we definitely look towards the new gigs as a challenge! The first one we did in the new outfits on the Barther Metal Open Air this August was quite a premiere, we felt like we were giving our first gig, it was great! The only downside was the daylight of course. Concerning future gigs, we shall have to make compromises, yes. And I believe that although we try to implement as much elements from the album as possible we will sound a little rawer, a little more "Metal" when playing live. But a huge part of the atmosphere will be there - believe it or not, there are actually only a few synth elements on "Angst", a huge part of the atmosphere is created by the guitars. Now that we have Marta on board, she will take care of the synth elements as soon as we have the means to reproduce them on stage, and she will take over the guest vocals from the album (except for Hamburg, when we actually have Nihilaz and Eike doing their parts of course). Yes, that means Marta will do the end of "Neon" as well, she is able to scream that like Nihilaz did! Oh and good that you mention the visual style: The projection is the next step we will take as soon as we can afford a beamer. It will be much in the style of the promo fotos, at least that´s the plan. But whatever the elements will be, you can always excpect an intense show!

11. Thanks for your time you gave to answering this interview and I wish you many achievements with “Angst”, many new open minded fans and many appreciations by critiques. “Angst” should be certainly supported! Have a good time and once again hello to Hamburg.

Thanks for the interview and your support! We hope that "Angst" appeals to our Czech neighbours, and if any bookers or promoters are interested, contact us so we can bring "Angst" to your country as well! Cheers!