A year ago, Rammstein was a worldwide hit with Reise, Baise, an album that was more heterogeneous than usual with, in particular, the emergence of popular instruments such as the accordion. After a united triumphant tour that took them to the four corners of the globe, the six musicians from East Germany returned to the studio to box Rosenrot, a name in reference to the poet Goethe.
If he is one of the pillars of Rammstein, it is above all thanks to his temperament. We often forget Oliver, who nevertheless took part in the 5 albums of the group. If he seems discreet at first glance, it is undoubtedly because this giant of two meters is like most bass players: shy and reserved. But paradoxically, he was first a guitarist, as he tells us a little further on...
Rosenrot's songs were composed at the same time as the titles of Reise, Reise. For this reason, do you see this record as a real new album or rather as a Reise, Reise volume 2?
Oliver: It's true that we can talk straight away, because 6 songs on the record date from the recording of "Reise, Reise".
Can you tell me which ones?
"Rosenrot", "Wo Bist Du", "Mann Gegen Mann", "Zerstören", "Ein Lied", "Feuer & Wasser".
I was surprised by the warm, almost groovy tones of Mann Gegen Mann's bass part. We're not used to hearing that in Rammstein...
Beware, we don't want to do "knee rock" (editor's note: he gets up and takes a pose of a 60-year-old bass player whistling a Bavarian song). We wanted something a little groovy but not too much, to change a little but without falling into the trap of variety. So it was very delicate, and if you found groovy sounds in Mann Gegen Mann's bass, I'm afraid I missed my mission (laughs).
Do you remember when you got on the bass, and why?
I started playing an instrument relatively late compared to other musicians, at the age of 19. In fact, I didn't start with the bass, but with the guitar. I did a lot of dumb classical guitar because I felt a bit isolated, because there weren't many musicians in East Germany. Then I met Richard. He wanted to start a band, but first of all he needed a bass player, that's when I started playing bass, the Rammstein adventure could begin.
So Rammstein is the only band you've ever played in?
Yes, the only real group.
Do you still play the guitar?
I have recently rediscovered the paths of the guitar, and I have recently been trying to learn flamenco.
Which instrument do you prefer, bass or guitar?
When I have free time, I have to admit that I prefer the guitar, because I find it's much more fun when you're alone, it has more possibilities to create ambiences. But when I play in a group, I prefer to play bass, it brings me more pleasure.
Since you also play guitar, can you tell me if you've composed any guitar lines for Rammstein?
In fact, each of us has a personal studio, so we can independently compose on any instrument and bring new ideas to the group. On my side, I sometimes found guitar elements that were later incorporated into some of the songs, because although I'm a bass player, it's the guitar riffs that made Rammstein famous! (laughs)
Yes, but still, unlike most metal bands, I find that the bass player is not relegated to the background in Rammstein. It feels like you're all on the same level...
It is true that in the majority of metal bands there is a hierarchical order that often places bass players at a much lower level of importance than guitar players. You have this impression, because with Rammstein we have a very democratic way of working, which gives everyone the opportunity to express themselves.
How do you create your bass parts?
In most cases, all I have to do is to double the guitar. So I'm doing pretty well (laughs). On the other hand, on the more melodic pieces, I have more work to do. If you listen to tracks like Seemann or [Klavier (song)|Klavier]], it's me who gives the main melody, so it's Richard and Paul's turn to adapt...
Exactly what kind of songs are you most interested in? When I saw you on stage, I had the impression that you sift more on quiet tracks like Seemann and Klavier...
Yes, it's true that Seemann is the one I prefer, I get my kicks out of it every time! Too bad we don't play it too much live anymore... Otherwise the new song Te Quiero Puta was a very good experience for me, I could try to place some flamenco chords. Afterwards, it all depends on my state of mind, fast songs are nice to play when I'm stressed!
Industrial metal bands are replacing more and more the organic bass with a synthetic, electronic bass. What do you think about that?
It can be pretty good sometimes, but that will never be the case at Rammstein. We like the electronic side of things, but we need too much human energy to replace living beings with machines (laughs). And finally, nothing beats a real bass. Although technology has progressed, you will always have a difference in sound between a real musical instrument and a machine.
Yes, but if you think about it, the technological evolution has eliminated jobs in many sectors, do you think that in the long run this can also happen in the field of music, in the sense that a lot of bands use machines?
We had already had fears like that in the 1990s with regard to new studio technologies. A lot of jobs were cut back then, because everything becomes easier with electronics, it allows you to use fewer people for a gain of money. But nowadays, however, we can see that the trend is gradually being reversed and priority is once again being given to natural instruments. We can take as an example the current comeback of garage rock bands like the White Stripes or the Hives. I think that bass players are not about to disappear!
Thomas Mafrouche
