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So, catching up with the man in a hotel in Germany, mid press feeding-frenzy, I threw a few questions at him. There have already been enough articles written about him, filled out with little more than a few quotes, so for a change here's the full uncut transcript. See the actual words exchanged, the whole context of the answers, see us both trip over words and sentences, try and think on our feet and end up falling over.

(all bold 'O:' bits are my main questions, the 'AE:' bits are his answers, I'll drop comments in brackets between sections, it's an interview with him, not an opinion piece by me. He might seem to ramble, that's because of the language barrier, not German to English, more that he's trying to put into words what he really thinks, not compromising the meaning by using the wrong words, no matter what the language, he really does think before he speaks, not too common with some sound bite-personalities...

This is the longest interview you will ever read, lets go!

O: Sorry err..., I'm from Drownedinsound.com.
AE: Ah-ha, OK.

O: Have you ever heard of it?
AE: Err.. not really... I think somebody phoned me a link with a review or something like that? Did they review the record already?

O: Yeah yeah, we've got the album, it's just...
AE: I haven't checked it yet

O: ...It's just there are some people claiming to be you on the message board...

AE: (#laughter)

O: ...In various ways
AE: Classic Internet stuff

O: Yeah
AE: (#laughter) OK

(The first question's a blatant Essential Festival plug, but it also draws him out on previous/future live show questions, how the new material will be received etc... )

O: Right, well we've only got 10, 15 minutes, so I've got a few questions lined up. right, to start with: you're over in England in the next couple of weeks to, obviously, album promotion, and also for some live dates...
AE: Yeah

O: ..some, err.. In London and also at the Bristol Essential festival
AE: Yeah

O: how do you think that Alec Empire, you, your live show will go down in a... essentially a festival environment? Do you think it'll work?
AE: yeah, I think so, err.. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't, I mean it's like err.. especially the material from the first CD of the new record works really well actually, erm, like straight away when we came out of the studio we played a show in Japan at the Fuji Rock Festival ...

O: Yeah, yeah
AE: ...and nobody knew any songs, you know, and you know, like thousands of kids freaked out, so it was like err.. the best kind of feedback really we could of had, you know, like straight coming out of the studio after 2 years recording and then like testing that stuff infront of, you know, 20,000 people so it err.. It, I think it probably, probably works for that, but, lets see you know, we can't predict what the audience is like, but err.. we're all waiting for stuff like that to see if I can, err.. win them over (#laughs)

O: Yes, I was just...
AE: So it doesn't matter, you know, like having everybody around all day, that sort of stuff (#laughs) that they will remember the show...

O: Yeah
AE: ...for a long time (#laughs)

O: I suppose one problem would be that in a festival there could be thousands of people watching you who have almost never heard of you, or never heard any of your music, just seen an interview or some press on you...
AE: Right, but I think it's good , I mean like that's what we want. I was always looking for that kind of stuff to confront people who don't know that stuff that very often people sometimes realise that, hey, that was something I was never exposed to that's why I didn't even know about it, and I really like that challenge, you know, I'd rather play festivals and shows like that instead of, you know, playing to a crowd of fans or something (#laughs)

O: Yeah, yeah
AE: ...you know, for the rest of my life, so it's I think, I mean the two things are cool, also like playing the total opposite, playing a smaller club show or something, it's all so tense and stuff, but I think it would just be a routine to stay on the same stuff for ever, so, you know, I like both things.

(you'll soon see just how little I need to say to get him talking for ages, with the odd 'yeah' from me, to show I'm still listening more than anything I'm afraid, hey, breaks up the text tho. Now, on to more specific record/fame questions, a lot of the laughing here is more than a little ironic I think..)

O: One thing that I've been seeing on some album reviews, a lot of people are, err.. seem to be tipping you for the, one of the, next big things , you're being compared to, obviously, Nine Inch Nails, and also now Marilyn Manson...
AE: (#laughs) oh, ha, really?

O: Marilyn Manson's just been in the UK charts, I mean a really high chart entry, been played on all the daytime commercial radio and TV, could you ever see you doing that, or for whatever reason if you did get that, err.. level of fame or exposure, how would you use it?
AE: Yeah, I mean I think I could handle it (#laughs) but the thing is that, you know, like I don't see the danger that I would get into trouble and suddenly, err.. wouldn't know like musically, you know, how should I deal with that pressure of becoming successful and change how I'm doing my thing in my way, you know, a lot of people I've heard that's good, but I would never really get into that trap, you know, of success where people err.. find themselves under so much pressure that they... just compromise their music, you know, and I think that err.. I've got a way to go (#laughs) and, you know, people enjoy it and that's great I would never compromise to get there or something, but the time seems to be right, you know it's like a lot of people are fed up with a lot of commercial things and they want some energy again, I thing that's good and that's why the record's getting such good feedback

(This is a website, blatant self promotion really, 'aren't we great' etc., also turns into a general media, fame and responsibility thing, plus the answers prompted me to present the whole transcript, rather than do a hack job on it)

O: Yes, yes and as I was saying about the Internet, and how with the Internet you can have independent or unbiased, or even just fan reviews going around so there's more opinion and more chance for exposure by non-commercial means
AE: Yeah yeah, no it's true, like I think it can be used as a tool you know, one out of many, but as you mentioned before (#laughs) you know, when no one has a true identity, that people can make up anything

O: Yeah, yes
AE: That's one of the negative sides, but whatever, I guess that people read things and have to deal with that kind of stuff

O: I checked earlier today and I think Wallmart.com, the big American company's selling, they've got 7 different Alec Empire solo albums on their web site for sale...
AE: oh, really? (#laughs)

O: ...and just to the extent that you could be, that yeah, as you said, there are the two sides, that you could either exploit it, or it can exploit you, it can be used...
AE: Yes, I think err...

O: ...in so many different ways
AE: Yeah, but the thing is like, I think that capitalism err... would try to use anything, you know this thing is like err... to.. to do the right thing and, you know, not get fucked up in the machinery, you know, that is the real thing, I mean if they could and if they were allowed to they would sell child pornography, you know (#laughs)

O: Yeah
AE: But you know, I think that something we have to overcome, and to say OK, lets get in there and lets take it over #laughs you know, because otherwise there will be never a change, you know, I'm ready to do that

O: Yeah, because if.. like I said, the Marilyn Manson examples, to a point, someone like that who's seen to be such a public, a public media figure, the media will exploit them for essentially their own gains, simply take sound bites or press cuttings to endlessly reuse them, no matter what the originally meant
AE: Yeah

O: Could you see that as a problem, if you, would you continue to do interviews, continue to put out records if so many people were, I don't know, misinterpreting them, buying them because you were famous
AE: Err.. yeah, but I think, you know, with my records, I think there is not such a danger of misunderstanding #laughs a lot of the things, and listening to something like that would happen, I think I would have to clear that up, you know, I mean, seriously I think it's very sad that sometimes you would see a band that are like cry-babies, you know, they're like "oh, I don't even understand my own fans anymore"

O: Yeah
AE: I think it's like "yeah, then do something different" yeah OK, it's like if I make this record and it's coming out now and in half a year's time or something like that there are kids who don't really understand where we're coming from, or maybe misinterpret stuff, you know, I think it's down to me (#laughs) to show them, OK, this is where we're coming from, that's the next step now, so you know, you know, it's I think down to the artist to err... keep that control, because a lot of people are not that stupid, they know how the media and stuff works, I feel that that's no problem, I think you have to keep that control and you have to be aware of it, unfortunately a lot of bands sometimes, especially a lot of younger bands just don't know about it, you know, and they, you know, get into the machinery and get totally screwed up (#laughs) in there, you know, so err.. yeah, I don't think that will be such a problem, lets see what happens, I mean, we had some of that stuff in Germany, you know...

O: Yeah, yeah
AE: ...things were like, not only taken out of context, it was just, you know, basically lying about what I said, you know, turning around real facts, you know err.. that caused a lot of problems you know, down to the point that records were forbidden for a while, you know, Atari records and stuff like that, you know, and they wouldn't sell it in the bigger chains and stuff because of that, you know. So I think that some of the people in that system try to, you know, fuck up everything (#laughs) ...that is coming out because it's a danger...

O: yeah, yeah
AE: ...because it, err.. It means change, you know. But whatever, like I think that shouldn't like, stop us from doing it (#laughs) ...because then we'd just you know, watch TV all day, that's what I hate most, the apathy

(Alec Empire was often quoted on the Rammstein issue a few years ago, I say a few showing my age, it was back in '98 here's an MTV news link with a terrible picture with a few sound bites on it. It was an easy band to pick to get him to go into greater depth about it really... I'm sure not all Rammstein fans are Nazis... Oh, and Leni Riefenstahl is a director who filmed a lot of German/Nazi pre-war events and continued to work in film/photography after the war)

O: that was a problem a year or 2 ago with German band Rammstein
AE: yeah

O: was that a lot of people, saw them as, or even some of their fans saw them as a right-wing, an over-nationalist group, they imagined that they were, you know, singing in a very, almost classically German way and so they were both misinterpreted by their fans, and by people who were... rightly looking out for that.
AE: Yeah, I told you that it's err.. With them for example in Germany they have like, most of their fans are Nazi (#laughs) ...right wing, like Neo-Nazis and stuff, but I think with their last record they, they I think have a song on there that says they are not. So you know, I think it's down to the band, I mean you can't use Nazism as a tactic and images (#laughs) ...and then wonder that fans think "hey, cool, that's a Nazi band" you know what I mean?

O: Yes, yeah

AE: You have to then comment on stuff, you know, if you do a Leni Riefenstahl video, you have to say "OK, we've used this because..." Or something, but you can't put these images out there and wonder (#laughs) ...you know, it's like I think it wouldn't be a surprise to me if I walked down like, whatever, Piccadilly circus with a Swastika flag, if I would get into some trouble (#laughs)

O: Yes, yeah
AE: (#laughing) ... I mean its err.. but I think they reacted to that and with the following record and I think it's beneficial for the group

(Might sound like a stupid question next, but I was being blunt to get a strong answer, the bit later on explains the reasoning behind it a little more, and hey, it is a great logo)

O: What would you say, saying about imagery, would your current logo, the Alec Empire logo you're using...
AE: Yeah

O: ...the 'four circles' around the 'edged cross' because it, I mean I'm obviously not going to call you a nazi, but to me that does appear to be, a slightly cut down and changed version of a swastika, was that at all intentional?
AE: No no, that's not such a big deal, the Alec Empire logo is like four sixes, you know, 'one more evil than the devil' (#laughs) ...it's ah... yeah, it's more like a religious kind if, you know, it's kind of like this... I don't, I mean the swastika, that would be like OK, the cross and church looks like a swastika (#laughs) .. like Madonna's logo looks like it.. (#laughs) ...OK, maybe it doesn't (#laughter) I think that' it's more of a anarchy sign, I think it's a strong logo that err.. that has an impact on people, as very often the only things that people remember is like, stuff from the church, or from, you know, from very, like, like from dictatorships, certain systems and societies where people were using strong images to get a certain viewpoint across, so it's er... Yeah, I mean ATR also used the logo you know, the ATR logo which was all like.. kind of... err.. the same, it's, so you know, we are into that kind of stuff, but you know, I would say that just because it's a strong image (#laughs) ..it's like nazism, you know what I mean

O: Yes, yeah, it's like all, like you said, all communist or anarchist or fascist regimes all use the red black and white
AE: yeah

O: The colours, the symbols because they are symbolically powerful, it's an image that you can instantly recognise and associate with someone
AE: Yeah

O: as in your last video, where everyone had the Alec Empire logo, almost as a signifying tattoo
AE: Yeah yeah, I mean and the take on that, you know, I mean 'Addicted to You', that video you know, the whole cloning thing and the conformity of the modern fans that happens, you know, the whole rock star relationship with the fans, you know you say 'go', they go, you say 'stop', they stop, you know what I mean, I think that's a big danger

O: Yes, yeah
AE: So the whole video kind of plays with that, that's why we had all that stuff, so you know, we are aware of that stuff, that's why are things is to.. yeah, try and make people understand at the same time, but I think it's like.. lets see, maybe at the next shows there are, the whole audience looks like that (#laughs) ..the Alec Empire logo in their foreheads (#laughs)

O: That's the next thing, you'll be as big as Marilyn Manson, and all parents will be suing you because their 8-year old children are getting tattooed
AE: (#laughter) yeah! On the face!

O: (#laughs)
AE: That would be a change, like people can't work in banks any more when that have that (#giggles) ..OK...

(he loved the tattoo stuff, if you're going to the London gig at the end of the month, or Bristol Essential Festival the weekend following, get a face-tattoo, or at least an eyeliner version, it'll make his day. Note how I try to end the interview here, I was given 15 minutes, we ended up talking for almost 30...)

O: Right, and just to err.. Finish off... I don't want to over run too much (#cough) just, now that you are Alec Empire the solo artist again, doing show, putting out records, is there ever going to be an Atari Teenage Riot, not exactly a come back or a reformation, but is.. Are you going, would you see that as going backwards if you started putting out Atari teenage riot material again
AE: Hmm... Not really because like err.. you know, it's not like we've split up or anything like that, I mean we decided at the beginning of 2000 that we should... yeah, take a break and kind of, you know, get our energies back and start up the band again, I want to do this record, I need to do a solo record you know, we'd kind of planned the next Atari record for 2003, you know, which is not that far away, err.. OK, like we had a 3... yeah, we released a record every 3 years and this is like the third year you know, so we had one year put in there to give us enough time..

O: Yeah
AE: But yeah, I mean we have 11 tracks for the record but unfortunately we.. Carl couldn't get to record his parts on that material so err.. yeah. We don't really know what we're going to do with that stuff, but err.. It can't really happen... properly.. I don't... at the moment I wouldn't feel like it was doing a step backwards, but err.. but on the other side, the Atari Teenage Riot side, I can't say there are exactly no... how the future looks for the band, you know, even soundwise, oh course it's with the... like a big... deal, like when we had to stop I think people who saw Atari Teenage Riot at the Brixton Academy...

O: yes...
AE: ...could see in what shape the band was at the end of, of the tour and err.. yeah, and we knew at that point that we got to do something about that situation, and then Carl Crack's death.. err.. you know, so many things changed in the band... you know... I would see it as a step backwards if you would try to... connect, kind of where we stopped and you ignore the fact that all these important things were happening in the mean time you know? But I can't really answer that properly at the moment, but in half a year's time or something like that I'll see if I can get some answers, you know, to the questions that we all have in the band, you know, but err.. Yes, that the fans have too, yeah, so I'll try to answer..

(this was the only point that he really was thinking about the answers carefully, I mean, Carl Crack died a few months ago and here he is talking to me about it? I had to ask the ATR question, he could answer it however he wanted to, he answer was basically "I'm trying" which is all I wanted, throughout the interview he keeps saying 'we' and 'I' both to talk about ATR and his solo stuff, prehaps almost one and the same to him?)

O: Right, right well, I'd better be off now, other people are probably queuing up...
AE: (#laughs)

O: This is, as I said for the web site Drownedinsound.com, you've probably got the address..?
AE: Yeah, yeah

O: so I'll err.. Well, we were wondering if it really was you on the message board or not...
AE: (#laughs)

O: ...making various comments on "is Israel the 'real enemy"and..
AE: (#laughs) I never, to be honest, a lot of people think that is my opinion, to be against Israel in that situation, but I don't really take sides so far, to be honest I think the information that we can get is not... err.. you know I have a lot of discussions with Hanin sometimes, from Atari Teenage Riot...

O: Yes
AE: Because she is from Syria of course her parents you know, know relatives who were killed by Israelis... and stuff, and it is like a heated discussion, but for me as a German... (#laughs) it is hard to get into that kind of stuff, to take a side or something, err.. or whatever.. I think it is bad that people are being killed, it's always bad.. But I would not take that standpoint (#laughs) but some people think.. (#laughs) you know...

O: Right, yeah
AE: So maybe you have to correct that (#laughs) but I mean nobody would believe that I wrote something like that... maybe I'll write something! (#laughs) I'll get the site address, OK good, yeah and err.. Yeah, I'll check it out

(Cheap website plug turns into international politics/war debate, well I never... The interview was at 2:30 on the 8th of April, if you're reading the comments board wondering who's real etc. Again, a bit of a touchy subject, but he answered it, even tho it wasn't a direct question)

O: Right, well thanks for that, I'll hopefully be able to get a copy of the album soon..
AE: Ah, you haven't heard it yet? Check it out, I think that would explain a lot (#laughs)

O: I'm sure it's going to be my record for the sunny summer...
AE: Yeah! (#laughs) good, OK

O: Right, well we'll be seeing you at the Bristol Festival
AE: ah, OK

O: I hope London goes well, and that the rest of the promotion is... Agreeable
AE: OK, good
O: OK, thanks
AE: Take care

O: Goodbye
AE: Bye

And back he went to his hotel room, doubtless to soon hear from some irate PR person about how I'd taken up some real journalist's time... What should I have done? Cut him off half way through? He wants to talk, not for self promotion or some little ego-trip, more that he knows he's a public figure, prehaps more in Germany than the rest of the world, but experience has shown him how easy it is to be misrepresented in the media, he has his stuff, and he wants it to go down on the record properly, just incase he gets through to one person, turns someone away from their Starsailor record collection and onto something else, stopping them reading the Daily Mail and watching ITV all day, and getting them to think for themselves...

You never know, it's just so crazy, it might work...