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'Our noise' is the first Herrmann und Kleine album. Can you tell a bit about the album?
"Christian Kleine: Well, it's a collection of our work from the past year. The problem with the Herrmann & Kleine project is that we don't meet often. It's very difficult to find time to work together. I have a solo project that takes a lot of my time and Herrmann is also very busy. Usually we meet on a sunday afternoon. Then we have time to do some stuff together. We've already done a few 12'' together but now we finally released our first album."
As Herrmann & Kleine you did two remixes of the Bomb the Bass/Lali Puna track 'Clearcut', but you don't seem to do a lot of remixes?
"We did a few other remixes but most of them appeared on limited 7'', so you probably haven't seen them. They were mostly very small things whereas the Bomb the Bass track was a bigger thing. We also did a remix for His Name Is Alive, a 4AD artist, but that only appeared as a promo. It was never properly released. We also remix our fans. There's a remix of a Skanform track. It's on a 7'' on Skanform."
On the cover of 'Our Noise' is a picture of an outdoor field. Why did you choose that picture?
"Well, first of all because we really liked that picture, because it's such a wide view. But also because I believe in having space which is good for the soul, so I thought that picture would be great for the cover. We really like a sense of harmony and peace, not only in our music. We didn't feel the need to do some experimental cover filled with designer things. That's already been done enough. I really like the result because the picture makes the album look like you're holding a book instead of a cd (laughs)."
How does the collaboration with Thadaes Herrmann work. Who does what?
"I'm more the technical guy so I usually take care of the beats. I'm more interested in the programming. Herrmann is often just playing the keyboards, doing the melodies. But I wouldn't really draw a line when it comes to dividing the work. We do it together. But I really like to experiment with sounds."
You were supposed to be on the European Notwist-tour with your solo project, but that didn't happen. How come?
"I was supposed to be on the first part of their tour, doing the warm-up. But after the first gig I got really sick. I stayed in the hotel on the second gig, but decided to go home after that, because I felt like I would die if I continued (laughs)."
How was that one gig with the Notwist? It must be a bit strange playing for an audience that's there to hear guitar music.
"It was great and a lot of people came to me and told me they were glad to hear electronic music before a rock concert, because basically the Notwist are a rock band. Lots of people told me they were glad they didn't hear two rock bands that night. That's typical about the Notwist audience. On the one hand you have the people who are into indie music, but on the other hand you have people who are into electronic music and that makes for a good mixture."
The track Blue Flower on Our Noise, with singer Ariane Hensel, almost sounds like a rock track. Is that something you would like to do more?
"Well, if we would have more possibilities then maybe we would like to do that more often. But it's all about the mixture of things. We like mixing everything up, using vibraphones together with samples, stuff like that. That's also why we did 'Blue Flower'."
It was the first time you worked with a singer. Was that difficult?
"The singer is actually my girlfriend and for her it was also the first time. Working with a singer is something completely different from what we have already done, but it was fun to do."
One of your older tracks is called Kickboard Girl and now it's also the name of the official album website. One of the tracks on Our Noise is dedicated to her. Who is the Kickboard Girl?
"Well, she only exists in our minds. Actually I can't remember how it got started but it is something that got to lead a life of its own. It has to do with keeping it simple. We don't like the way a lot of electronic music is presented as something very intellectual. We don't like the whole aura that was created with the 'IDM' thing. We just don't want to keep it too serious. And we thought it was a cool name for the website."
Can you talk about your solo work?
"Well I did a solo album last year, called Beyond Repairs. And I did an ep on Morr Music called Valis. My solo work is a bit different from the Herrmann & Kleine stuff, but it has a lot of similar elements of course. Otherwise I would be a schizophrenic. I spend more time on my solo work, because I can do it any time I want. When I come home from work I just switch on my gear and do some music. For the Herrmann & Kleine work it's sometimes difficult to find time to meet Herrmann and work together on the music."
What are the plans for 2002?
"We're planning to do a tour with Herrmann & Kleine, together with some artists from the City Centre Offices label. Static will be on that tour also. Me and Herrmann will also be doing some things together. For instance we will play at the Ten Days Off festival in Belgium."
What are your current favorites?
"That's a difficult one. I really like FND, it's a small project that's really good. There's also Bomotic from France. Very unknown but definitely worth checking out. I also really like the Burial Mix series with that reggae sound. But it's a difficult question. I like a lot of things and it changes from day to day. There's a lot of good music around and when I listen to music I look more at the tracks then the artists. It's like 'I really like that track and that track', it's not like i'm into that artist or that artist."
You live in Berlin, just like a lot of other electronic music artists. Is it right to say there is something like a Berlin scene?
"No, I don't like the sound of that. Everybody just works on their own. Here in Berlin there is also a lot of music that we don't like (laughs). I also believe it's better to have a few good friends instead of being able to say that you have a hundred well-known friends. For my music it's not important where I live. And I don't think you can talk about a 'Berlin scene'. When you say Detroit, people immediately know what you are talking about. But that doesn't go for Berlin because there are so many different things happening here."
http://www.kindamuzik.net/interview/herrmann-und-kleine/herrmann-und-kleine/1546/
Meer Herrmann und Kleine op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/herrmann-und-kleine
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