Page 78 - Classic Rock (January 2020)

CANNIBALISM,

DEATH,

RUBBER FETISHES...

These are just some of the topics covered on Lindemann’s compelling new record. But from the
men who are the main brains behind Rammstein and Hypocrisy, you shouldn't be surprised.

Words: Dannii Leivers

n December 4, 2018, Rammstein’s “For digestion,” Till says seriously, nodding. two halves. In 2016 the duo were approached by
Till Lindemann strode into “I’m like: ‘No, vodka maybe?’” Peter continues. the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, who asked them
a Moscow book signing “And he’s like: ‘No, it’s too much. Let’s do a couple to score the soundtrack for their modern adaption
accompanied by a gimp on a leash. of Jägermeister.’ It took a few hours, and then the of Hansel And Gretel. The five tracks they wrote and
O As he sat down to sign copies of his war was on.” recorded for the production (Blut, Knebel, Allesfresser,
poetry collection, Messer, his companion knelt “We puked, and then the same night we decided: Schlaf Ein and Wer weiß Das Schon) add much needed
dutifully on the floor beside him. let’s do music together,” Till says with a chuckle. depth to F&M, touching on cannibalism, death and
It takes him a little while to recall the incident child abandonment – all topics Till has explored
when we bring it up. “Ah, the bondage woman!” he ue to Till’s Rammstein commitments and with Rammstein.
finally remembers. “Book signings are so boring. It Peter’s numerous band and production “My whole history inspires me, good and bad
takes forever, standing in the cold and rain… so we Dcommittments, it took them 15 years to times,” he explains. “I take a lot from television,
brought something to entertain the people.” record their first track together. Once they started actually – from news, of course. Take cannibalism
Bringing a gimp to a bookshop is actually recording, though, the project snowballed, leading [talking about Rammstein track Mein Teil]. People
one of the meeker stunts Lindemann has pulled to smutty debut Skills In Pills in 2015. While Peter were like: ‘You crazy motherfucker.’ This is not
over the years. As a trained pyrotechnician, handled the music, Till’s perverse, ludicrous a story, it happened! There was a case in Germany –
his flame-throwing antics with German metal tendencies ran amok on tracks with titles like Fat, somebody ate the dick from another guy! You don’t
behemoths Rammstein have made him one Ladyboy and Praise Abort. New album F&M is no less have to be sick and crazy in your mind all the time.”
of rock’s most controversial characters. So on outrageous, with multiple songs about oral sex, as As fun as it was, at times the sheer silliness of
deciding that Russia was a long way to go just to well as Gummi, a track about a rubber fetish. Have Skills In Pills made Lindemann seem like a novel
sign some books, he used it as an opportunity to they received any complaints? concept, rather than something to properly plug
take Lindemann – Till and his bandmate, multi- “Of course,” Till shrugs. “The Christian groups, the gaps between Till and Peter’s day jobs.
instrumentalist, producer and “You set a standard with the first
Hypocrisy and Pain frontman Peter album, and then people think: ‘Oh,
Tägtgren – an equally provocative, this is how the rest of the career
pumping amalgamation of Euro- “We want to prove to ourselves that we is going to be,’” Peter, says clearly
synth and industrial crunch, on the can write different kinds of music. It’s aware of the questions surrounding
road for the first time. Lindemann’s longevity. “We want
“It was a new start, an important for us to develop.” Peter Tägtgren to prove to ourselves that we can
experiment,” he tells us today. write different kinds of music. It’s
“We needed to find out if it worked, if we had the they come of course. But kids these days, they’ve important for us to develop.”
right chemistry on stage. It was very crazy, small seen everything.” Accordingly, F&M feels like a more serious
clubs, small venues.” Dressed all in black and towering over his artistic endeavour, a far more varied record than its
Today Lindemann are back in Russia, shooting bandmate, Till has an imposing presence. Yet as predecessor – which, bar two ballads, was about
videos and conducting press for their second he repeatedly, perhaps nervously, removes and as musically subtle as Rammstein’s penis-shaped
album, F&M. We meet them in St Petersburg, replaces his dark sunglasses, he’s a contemplative canon. Ach So Gern is a folky waltz, Peter describes
in the glass-walled roof restaurant of the plush and quiet interviewee. And while Till procrastinates Platz Einz as “Pet Shop Boys on amphetamine”,
Kempinski Hotel. Just one block away, the brightly over our questions, Peter fills in conversational gaps while Mathematik – written by his son Sebastian,
coloured onion domes of the Church Of The with quick, sharp answers. Despite their differences, Lindemann’s drummer – features German
Savior On Spilled Blood rise into the air. It’s the though, the pair have an easy rapport that comes rapper Haftbefehl. Tapping into the unpredictable
perfect place for an interview with two of rock’s from decades of close friendship. personalities of its creators, it feels like Lindemann
most unique characters. As we drink it all in, the Peter, what was your reaction when Till brought have progressed beyond tongue-in-cheek laughs to
duo, tucking into plates of fruit and cold cuts, recall you a track like Gummi? something deeper and darker.
how they met at the MTV Awards ceremony in “Normal life at work,” he replies, unfazed. “I think a lot of people might have a hard time
Stockholm almost 20 years ago. Till starts laughing. “In the beginning, the first accepting it because it doesn’t go the way you think
“You were still fresh in the game. [Rammstein] song [we recorded] was Ladyboy, and he was: ‘Are it’s going when you listen to it the first time,” Peter
only had the second album out,” Peter remembers. you serious? Are you for real?’ He gave up on me says firmly. “But we don’t write for anybody. We
“You opened Pandora’s Box. You were like: ‘Do you a long time ago.” write for ourselves.”
have any schnapps in Sweden?’ Because Germans While six of F&M’s 11 tracks are right out of
always have apple Schnapps…” Till’s mental gutter, it is undoubtedly an album of F&M is out now via Universal.

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