Interview- Suicide Booth

Stefan Fenzel and Spif Anderson are Suicide Booth, a band from beautiful Germany, whose talents are immense and whose music is painted in the vivid and shiny colors of electro and new wave sounds; music which will wake your soul and have you dancing to their lush, unique and energizing sounds and captivatingly cool lyrics. A fabulous genre of music, which Suicide Booth master. Their debut album, “Terror From The Sky”, is AMAZING! Get to know more about Stefan and Spif and their excellent, excellent, music, throughout their interview. Gentlemen, this was such a super-wonderful interview had. May beauty, darkness and creativity follow you always. Many thank-yous again Stefan and Spif for your time, and we here at the grave, look forward to your illustrious career. (:

Grave concerns: Dark and fabulous greetings Stefan and Spif, this is such a grand pleasure to have you with us at the grave. How are you gentlemen doing?
Spif: Thanks a lot – we are doing fine, because with our first album on its way we just started working on new songs, which is always fun.
GC: You’re both so welcome---and glad to hear things are going so smoothly and with creativity

Grave Concerns: You live in Munich, and Bayern Germany---how lovely it must be there. I’m also so fascinated by other countries, plus I’d love to visit yours one day. Please share some of your favorite places with us.
Stefan: We have a lot of nice places here: On the one hand very nice lakes and the Alps and on the other side Munich offers a lot of nightlife locations.
Spif: Actually Munich has, compared to its size, the most clubs in Europe.
SG: Sounds beautiful, peaceful and a lot of FUN! (:

Grave Concerns: How did you guys meet, and was this an immediate connection toward your relationship in regard to music?
Spif: We both met the first time in the Munich dark wave club “Nerodom”.
A place you would love (www.nerodom.de)
Stefan: We were dj-ing for the monthly event “Wave Total”, providing our taste of music to a wider audience than in my living room.
Spif: Disappointed with the fact that this kind of music is produced less and less, we shared the idea to revive the spirit of new wave synthpop music.
GC: Yes, I bet I would love it—thanks for the website. SO glad you gentlemen are keeping this kind of music alive--- because it NEEDS to be! Thank you BOTH…VERY, VERY, much!

Grave Concerns: When do you find you’re most creative; and do you have a special place to help bring out that creativity with more clarity?
Spif: This special place is definitely my music studio called “The Labor” which is in fact more a mad scientist sound lab.
GC: I like it already. (;

Grave Concerns: What comes first in your creative process of song making? Do you hear the melodies or feel the lyrics? Or do you go back and forth?
Stefan: Right from the beginning we found our modus operandi:
We try to transport the feeling we have with a certain movie (like for example “Near Dark”), in musical ways. Which mostly starts with a basic beat and/or melody.

Grave Concerns: Hey guys, so cool to know that you’ve done some remixes for Lia Organa & Electric Prince and Eisenfunk---how did that come to light? Any more remixes planned?
Stefan: We met “Lia Organa And The Electric Prince” (LOEP) via MySpace; “Eisenfunk” are label mates. So things came together very quickly. Actually we have a special MySpace remix site for that purpose. Check it out, it gets updated regularly:
www.myspace.com/suicideboothremixandextras
GC: Nice!

Grave Concerns: As team collaborators, what have been the most difficult compromises to been made, regarding lyrics and music? How do you move forward, when something you’d really wanted to be considered, is not mutually felt?
Spif: Our primary rule is to produce hits and nothing else - no compromises. If one of us dislikes any idea we drop the song immediately.

Grave Concerns: You’ve got a quite a provocative sounding band name---how did you come up with it?
Stefan: (laughing) Here we go again.
Spif: It’s taken from the animated TV series “Futurama”. It should show our favor for sci-fi and fantastic stuff.
Stefan: It also demonstrates our sense for crude humor.
GC: Love the humor guys…must have humor---it’s a plus in my book!
 
Grave Concerns: As musicians, how does the music in movies affect you? And if you were asked to compose a song for a soundtrack, which genera would that be in? Now let me take that question even further---actually backward; if you were to go back to the past, with your current music in hand, and were asked that same question, would any of your songs stand out as a good fit? If so, which song and movie would it have been?
Stefan: Good question. Honestly I would take “I Am Legend” for the end credits of “The Omega Man” with Charlton Heston. The new version with Will Smith sucks donkey balls!!
Spif: I would provide “Secret Agent” for any James Bond title sequence.
GC: Thanks Stefan! Sounds pretty great to me…and Spif, love Bond, James Bond. Ok, I had to it…how could I not?

Grave Concerns: So guys, back in January of ‘08 when you went to Rome, to perform at the Locanda Atlantide Club for the Amigdala party---how was that? And you never got to enjoy eating pizza in Rome? ): I LOVE pizza too.

Spif: It was great performing in front of really Italian behaving Italians. But we were always at the wrong time or place for a pizza. In Rome pizza only gets served in the evening and we didn’t know that…
 
Grave Concerns: Do you think you’ll ever come to Boston MA? I’d love to see you guys perform. Hey, I’ll even take you guys out for pizza! (;
Stefan: If you would get a gig for us – no problem, we will come.
GC: Well then, let’s see what can happen.

Grave Concerns: Very cool photos/album covers up on your MySpace page. You guys are so CUTE…so, so, CUTE! (;
Spif: Thank you we appreciate this!
GC: You’re so VERY welcome!

Grave Concerns: If you could have a movie director direct your next video, who would it be and why? And which song would it be?
Spif: Alan Parker because he did the movie “The Wall” but only if Gerald Scarf would do the animations. The song I choose would be “Back In Time”. I love to imagine how he would animate the time warp sequences.
Stefan: My first choice would be Guillermo Del Toro (“Pans Labyrinth”, “Hellboy I and II”) directing the video for “Green Eyed Monster”.
He would create for sure an extraordinary creature.
GC: Such awesome answers---I’d love to se how those would play out.

Grave Concerns: So my friends, I am infatuated with vampires---they are my dark love…would either of you become a vampire if asked? If you do, please come by my way…I’ll happily invite you in…(;
Stefan: In fact for me the most interesting point of being a vampire is not to be immortal, but to be more or less invulnerable (more or less) and have some kind of superpower.
Spif: Immortality sounds good to me!

Grave Concerns: Being a member of MySpace, how has it helped, or hindered your musical endeavors? And which countries do you feel have embraced your music the most?
Stefan: MySpace is our home base and our center of promotional activity. It helped us a lot getting in touch with other people sharing the same interests. We are surprised how many people in south Europe (esp. Greece) are interested in our music. We are very glad to meet such nice people like LOEP, Blue Works, De-Tech and all our other friends!!

Grave Concerns: You’ve been asked to write for a commercial. What’s the product, and what are the catch lines?
Spif: We would like to do a commercial for a time machine (as soon as it will be invented)- the claim would be: “Back In Time”!

Grave Concerns: What does the human race do to make you feel simply proud and amazed by?
Spif: Richard Branson and his space travel project. The first private space travel agency, which might open the door to space for everybody.
GC: Sounds intriguing.

Grave Concerns: You’ve been asked to create a new word defining your style of music. What is that word?
Spif: Nu Wave.
Stefan: RoboSpaceDiscoElectroInferno or just RSDEI.
GC: Sweet sounds to my ears guys! Yeah, the initials work for me Stefan. (:

Grave Concerns: What time it is right now? And what did you do 1hour and 18 minutes ago?
Stefan: It’s 9 PM and 1hour and 18 minutes ago we started this interview.

Grave Concerns: Other than musical inspirations, who are your favorite authors, poets, painters, or any other artistic creators whose work you respect?
Stefan: I love the work of Moebius and Bilal, who are awesome comic artists. My favorite authors are Clive Barker and Henry Selby Jr. (“Requiem For A Dream”).
The best movie directors in my opinion are at the moment G. Del Toro, David Cronenberg, David Fincher, C. Nolan. In the 80s I loved the work from John Carpenter, James Cameron, David Lynch (I dislike his new stuff…) and Ridley Scott – sure Stanley Kubrick should not be missed here.
Painters I like are Dali, Escher and HR Giger (the usual stuff).
Spif: I like watching good movies no matter who made them – esp. documentaries.
I favour books from Jack MC Devitt, Isaac Asimov and Stanislav Lem.
I hate poetry (esp. poetry slams) and I get bored to death when I am forced to attend a gallery.
GC: Such a wide scope of awesome responses---very impressive guys. Well then Spif, guess you won’t be reading any of my poetry…(:

Grave Concerns: If you had the power to live the life of any character in a movie for one-week after the end credits rolled, who would you choose and why? 

Stefan: As a child I had chosen Luke Skywalker because of his lasersword and the power of the force.
Today I would prefer Han Solo – he also travels through the galaxies and he gets the girl at the end!
Second choice would be John Murdoch from “Dark City” – superpowers and doing Jennifer Connelly sounds great.
Spif: To be honest: None. In movies the main characters are shown in situations of great conflicts. As I hate conflicts, I am glad to live the life I have.
GC: I love the movie “Dark City” Stefan, and I think John Murdock is SO HOT! Jennifer Connelly is gorgeous and sexy…but, whatever to your “doing” remark…typical, my friend. (; Wow, very enlightening Spif.

Grave Concerns: If you were able to put on a concert for charity, which one/s would you be supporting, and which artists would you like to headline?
Spif: After finishing my work on the album for Amnesty International (www.toni-jo-com) the decision is rather easy. I would be very proud to be headlined by Pink Floyd.
Stefan: As the headliner I would choose Front 242 which is my favorite live act.
GC: Very wonderful. Very caring. We need more people like you guys.

Grave Concerns: What makes you smile?
Spif: Hearing and seeing Peter Griffin (“Family Guy”) laughing.
Stefan: If he cries it’s even more funny!

Grave Concerns: You’ve been asked to create your own signature sandwich at your favorite hometown eatery. What’s your sandwich going to be called, and what’s in it?
Spif: The sandwich is called “Gravedigger” and it contains Stefan, You and me – just kidding, could not resist!
GC: Hmmm, I’m feeling hungry now…going to have to get me a “Gravedigger”! It better be good guys! (;

Grave Concerns: What is your drink of choice? And what are some of your favorite foods.
Spif: Red Bull and all kind of seafood.
Stefan: I like cocktails (Mojito, White Russian and esp. Russian Cadillac) and Thai kitchen – in particular Massaman dishes.

Grave Concerns: Are you having fun right now? (;
Stefan: definitely yes!
GC: Yeah Stefan---guess Spif isn’t…(;

Grave Concerns: If your were to write a short story or a novel based on one of your songs, which one would it be? And if it was to be adapted to the silver screen, who would be your leading actor and actress?

Spif: “Terror From The Sky” is the beginning of an ongoing story (“Aura” was the intro) with a lot of side stories.
Stefan: for example “Raumpilot” (from the “Aura” EP), “Spacemans Return” and “Son Of Spaceman” is a trilogy. I could imagine a movie directed by Ridley Scott back in old shape in the style of “Blade Runner” and “Alien”. Main actors as the first choice are Christian Bale and Jennifer Conelly. For the special XXX treatment we would involve Andrew Blake!
GC: I’m hooked! Christian Bale…YES! (:

Grave Concerns: Tell us two things about yourself that your fans would be surprised to know about you?
Stefan: Only two?
GC: Yes, only two…more for next time. So my friends, where are they???

Grave Concerns: A fictitious record company (you can even name it too, if you like) has the tough decision of choosing only one band to sign, out of four possible ones. The bands are ALL fabulous, the decision then---is to choose the band based on their name.
1.Questionable Logic.
2.The Bliss of Doubt.
3. Bleak Visions.
4. Rashin-Blue.
Spif: None, put all of them in the garbage can.
GC: Hey! I spent a lot of time coming up with those names…(;

Grave Concerns: What movie character’s name do you think is cool? And if you were to be cast in a movie, what cool name would you go by?
Stefan: “Slurm Mc Kenzy” (the party slug from Futurama) is the coolest name I know. As a name for a movie I would choose Spif.
Spif: I go for Stefan Fenzel in his autobio pic.

Grave Concerns: Have you drunk bad milk?
Spif: No.
Stefan: More than once...
GC: Stefan…ick, poor baby. ):

Grave Concerns: You have five balloons you got at a carnival...pink, red, purple, green, and yellow. Two of them slipped through your fingers…which ones?
Stefan: Pink and Yellow (yellow sucks...)
Spif: The black one.
GC: Yellow doesn’t suck…I like yellow.

Grave Concerns: You were born with eyes that weren’t human---what do they look like?
Stefan: They would look like the eyes of a fly.
Spif: Like sunglasses.

Grave Concerns: You’ve just opened your fortune cookies---what does it read?
Spif: “Help me I am enslaved in a fortune cookie factory!”
GC: LOL!

Grave Concerns: You’ve discovered a new planet---what kinds of life are on it, and what will you call it?
Stefan: We would call it “Planet Suicide”. Its full of extraterrestrial vampires, labyrinths, dungeons and sinister secrets and conspiracies.
The smell of death hangs in the mist.
GC: Ooh, I’m likening the sound of this place…can you get me in?

Grave Concerns: What are some of your favorite American expressions?
Spif: “This is our ticket to easy road”… I watch too much “Ren & Stimpy”.
Stefan: “Douchebag” and “Sideboobs”… and I watch too much “South Park”!
GC: You guys ARE funny and raunchy…LOVE IT!

Grave Concerns: Here’s another game I like to call “Would You Rather”…
1. Be a visitor, bringing 10 guests along on another planet for three years, or have them visit us?
2. Attend a Renaissance or a Medieval Fair.
3. Be an apprentice for a  “Mad Scientist” or for NASA.
Both: 1 sounds interesting.

Grave Concerns: If you were able to change one scene in a Sci-Fi movie from the past or present, which one would it be and why?
Spif: The beginning of “Alien 3” – why building up these fantastic characters in Part 2 just to destroy them in the beginning of Part 3…
GC: Good point Spif…very good.

Grave Concerns: If you were able to remake a favorite B movie of yours, which one would it be and why? And also, whom would you like to star in it?
Stefan: It would be “This Island Earth”. To keep the B-Movie spirit it has to be cheap and nasty. So it would feature Jean Claude Van Damme (cheap) and Jessica Alba (nasty).
The original movie was one of my first B-Movies and as a child it gave me the chills.
GC: Sounds cheap and nasty to me---very cool. (;

Grave Concerns: When are your birthdays?
Stefan: 10th of May 2134
Spif: 7th of December 1692
GC: (; Ok, mine is June 16th…1782

Grave Concerns: What can we expect to hear from Suicide Booth in the future?
Stefan: Soon you will hear the first songs from our next CD. Which will continue our story we started with “Terror From The Sky”.

Grave Concerns: What would you like to say to your fans right now?

Stefan: Thousand thanks for your support and may the force be with you!
Spif: buy our records, buy our records, buy our records, buy our records, buy our records……NOW!-please!!!
GC: What do you want us fans to buy, Spif?????

Grave Concerns: Stefan and Spif we here at Grave Concerns (and I, the vampire obsessed lady) wish so much positive influences and huge amounts of creativity within your work---may it simply shine on you both. We salute your debut album, “Terror From The Sky”, and hope it will be a massive success---because you guys are SO brilliantly talented and deserve the recognition! Please keep in touch! Cheers!

For more information on Suicide Booth check out
https://www.virb.com/suicidebooth and https://www.myspace.com/suicideboothmusic