The band's process of recording has become automated against time and space. "I live in Seattle," Konietzko said, "En Esch lives in New York, and Gunter - the guitarist - lives in British Columbia, so we have to send stuff around digitally. This just happened: I whipped out a bass and drum track, and sent it to Gunter in Canada. He worked on it for a couple of weeks. I got the tape back, and instead of guitar, he did some weird sequencing stuff.
"I said 'Wow, you were supposed to do guitar.' He said, 'Well I didn't feel like it, I felt like doing this other stuff.' Then I think 'Okay, I guess this song isn't going to have a lot of guitar.' But I am coping with it. The material always comes back to me, so I guess I'm the focal point.
"I 'produce away' when I get their material back: 'This is pretty cool.' 'This we're going to turn into the verse.' 'This is going to be the chorus.' Then we talk about vocal stuff, lyric ideas, concepts.
"Then it comes to the performance. 'Do I sing this?' 'Does En Esch sing that?' 'Do we sing it together, or is one the guest musicians going to be involved?' I have a small MIDI studio - a little basement-type situation. I use it pretty much for all the preproduction type of work, but then the real mixing and overdubbing happens at a big studio. You can figure that once an album is in stores, we are already working on the next one because it takes so fucking long," he concluded.
KMFDM has built a fervent world-wide audience by touring and by the steady release of consistent, yet surprisingly varied material. '95's Nihil even boasted a modern rock radio hit, the catchy "Juke Joint Jezebel." Each album has generally sold more than the one before, with Xtort topping the 200,000 mark - extraordinary for a genre band on an indie label.
Marvels Konietzko, "Our following has some really cultish dimensions that have been interesting and freaky at the same time. My phone number has to be one of the best-guarded secrets, but when I get a new one it pops out on the Internet in no time at all. En Esch is being shredded apart: we do a show - any show anywhere - and people frantically take pieces of his flesh and his garments as souvenirs.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Brady
Great piece on KMFDM!
I've been a fan for over 10 years and good to see they are still at it. Definitely one of the best live performers I've seen.
2 - Eric Olsen
Thanks very much Brady, glad to hear there are some fans out there. I think they're great.
3 - Brett
What, I used to know a guy named Brady that use to stage dive like Super Dave at the Houston KMFDM shows? That wasnt you was it?
Eric, great write up. I dont know where you got all that history, but it was a great read on a band that will always hold a place in my angst ridden teenage reflections. I personally think Naive was the most original and greatest album from KMFDM.
4 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Brett, I got the information from the interview with Sascha himself, and from having most all the records.
5 - Patrick
I am probly one of those assholes who would walk up to sascha and ask for a pic with him but still i find myself to be stupid as fuck, i've been a fan for two years and i'm obsessed when ever i see a band member name or meet someone else who knows kmfdm(they are not very known around were i live)i light up it's just fuckin stupid i don't have high selfesteem hate pity and seem to be obsessed with german shit and kmfdm
6 - Eric Olsen
Patrick, don't be so hard on yourself - it's great to be a fan, but remember they're just people too.
7 - Nick Jones
And I always heard that KMFDM stood for "Kill Mother Fucking Depeche Mode". Thanks for destroying one of my most cherished illusions, Eric.
8 - Misti
I liked your piece,, but it kinda portrays Sascha as this like Elvis/Michael Jackson type fan-hater.. And hes not hes super nice and will take as many pictures and sign as many autographas as you want, but of course it is rude to go up to someone and ask them for that kind of thing when they are in the middle of theyre family time
9 - Misti
I liked your piece,, but it kinda portrays Sascha as this like Elvis/Michael Jackson type fan-hater.. And hes not hes super nice and will take as many pictures and sign as many autographas as you want, but of course it is rude to go up to someone and ask them for that kind of thing when they are in the middle of theyre family time
10 - Dokumentarfilmer
Hey,
In German KMFDM means Kein Mitleid für die Mehrheit.
11 - bikeoff
Hi there, everyone who listens to KMFDM!I knew about this band but have never penetrate to it seriously, and haven't read texts(lyrics).I wrote my own lyrics and poems...but now i understand that i'm not alone with such thoughts!Great!i'm inspired more than ever!Sasha is great!i'm not a fan and i dislike fanatism,but i'm just very, very proude of him!...be yourself!we'll make our band too to rise people up, now it's the only way i know!
12 - bikeoff
great thanx to people who made and hosts this site! thanx!
13 - Douglas Mays
Oh goodie! A post that has a little flavor form this neck of the woods (Seattle, Van BC). Good of them to keep on kickin'
peaceloveguidance
14 - Eric Olsen
why yes, by way of Germany and Chicago
15 - Douglas Mays
Very true. I love the pathway taken by this band. Very modern and global...
peaceloveguidance
16 - Temple Stark
So what are these guys doing now. They were - or still are??? - one of the best of their era?
17 - Victor Plenty
Dude, it hasn't even been two years yet. The man did say it takes them a long time to put a new record together.
18 - Bennett
Fok! Great write up Eric. Love to see it draw in folks from the hinterland and beyond. You are so much more than just an MJ paparazzi!!!
Thanks for the inside view.
19 - Chris Beaumont
I covered a concert of theirs last Halloween:
here
20 - Bennett
Good shit Chris! If they ever hit Montreal (or Burlington, VT) I'll make an effort to check 'em out. Liked the dazed pov of your review. Honest, and powerful! Thanks!
21 - Eric Olsen
thanks Bennett, was anyone under the impression that I'm NOT anything more than a "MJ paparazzi"? I was unaware this was an area of concern for me
22 - Eric Olsen
in addition to Chris B's review, Chris Akin wrote about them here.
23 - Bennett
Heh... Twas a backhanded compliment for sure! Little doubt about it. Sounded funny to me last night, hope it made you chuckle.
Bennett
24 - Monster(‰ö•¨)
How do you do! Hello! He is Japanese KMFDM Hwang! A voyage is made from Japan for seeing the live of KMFDM of Berlin, Prague, and Wien in November! It is uncanny pleasure! Are you allowed to often carry out a blog look?
25 - Jim
Hello! This is my favourite group! KMFDM I love you!!! Thanks a lot for this interview.