Featuring thanks Lars from Kant Kino Interview by Ruud Dreessen aka ebm-industrial.nl 23-06 2010 14:29

 

 

1.Hi guys, we are happy to get the chance to ask you a few questions For the first question will be Thanks Lars that you have found time to give answers to these questions,How are you doing?

We're doing fine, thank you. The album is finally out, and we are working on som remixes for other bands.

 

2.Hello Lars what noise do you make in Kant Kino?

Kenneth makes most of the music. We both sing, and arrange the songs. I'm also the designer/propaganda minister in the band.

 

3.How's the start of 2010 been for you thus far?

So far it's been really bussy! We have been working really hard on the album. To get it to sound the way we want, to get the songs as good as they can be, to get the design as clean and elegant as we wanted. We have also been remixing some songs for other bands. And as we both have day-jobs, there are really too few hours left for everything we want.

 

4.do you know the netherland?

Yes I do. I have been there a couple of times. In Helmond. As I follow cycling I also know the Rabobank team. I have always wanted to go to Amsterdam. Hope I get the chance someday!

 

5.For a lot of people, this is probably going to be their first full introduction to Kant Kino so how about you tell us a little bit about how you guys know each other and how the band came together?

Kant Kino started as a one off procject in october 2008. We were offered a free slot at the Norwegian electronic music festical Elektrostat www.elektrostat.com Kenneth already had som songs, originally written for his project The Film Inside. We sent a song to alfa matrix for the Bunker Tracks 4 sampler. They wantet som more songs to listen to, and offered us a contract. And here we are... Soon ready to relase our debut album. We have also remixed songs for Unter Null, Leæther Strip and Essence Of Mind.

 

6 Do you follow the electronic music dark elektro genre into their strong 80's EBM, do you have any other favourite bands?

Yes, I follow the scene. I have followed the scene for 20+ years... I have always liked and been a fan of electronic music. It has always been a big part of my life. I loved it from the first time I heard Depeche Mode, Just Can't Get Enough, 11 years old... As for favourite artists goes, I'm not gonna mention any here, but off course Depeche has had a very big influence on my life. KK-K: My first electronic discovery was Depeche Mode People Are People, quite a more industrial track than just can`t get enough... And then it evolved into harder stuff like Nitzer Ebb, Front 242, Leather Strip and Skinny Puppy, and the classic Zoth Ommog stuff. I am still a sucker for good quality synthpop, like Camouflage, Mesh, Nephew, Mind.In.A.Box etc, and also listen to a lot of electronic music in general. Also the norwegian scene has been a big influence. Although a very small scene, it has produced high quality acts like Apoptygma Berzerk, Icon of Coil, Combichrist etc.

 

7. How is your relationship with other electronic bands?

To the bands we know, very good! We have worked with quite a few bands allready. Either remixing or getting remixes from other bands, Andeverybody have been fantastic! And as the scene here in Norway is quite small, and we both have been a part of it for almost 20 years, we know most of the Norwegian bands, and we all get along very fine indeed.

 

8.Can you give us a brief run-through of Kant Kino story so far?

8: See question 5 for more details. Lars used to play in Industrial Heads in the mid 90's. They released an album on the US label Furnace, and also did a remix for Apoptygma Berzerk on the Mourn EP. In the late 90's early 2000's Lars played in Skin Disease. They never released anything, but was on a few compilations and played some good shows. Lars has also been involved as a promoter for EBM concerts, and in the electro festival Elektrostat, who has featured a lot of the major acts in the scene. He also was a founding member of Angel Productions, the label that first signed Gothminister and Code 64 amongst others. In the early 90's he also did a fanzine called Agony CyberMagazine which featured EBM/Industrial/synthpop/electronic music. Kenneth has worked on the project The Film Inside, and has over the years build a small studio, and is working on the production side of things. The Film Inside never released anything, but has been featured on a few samplers, and has done a few live shows as support band.

 

9. When did you form Kant Kino? What inspired you to make music together?

We have known each other for almost 20 years, and often talked about doing something together for the fun. When the Elektrostat festival had a last minute cancellation I (lars) asked Kenneth if he could step in an play as The Film Inside. Kenneth said yes, but only if you (Lars) join in and we change the name. The Film Inside had already made the 10th year anniversary anthem for the festival, and we made some songs in a hurry. Among them our theme song “We Are Kant Kino” and the cover of “Control I`m here” by Nitzer Ebb featured on the limited bonus disc on our album. We actually did meet each other on a bus over 20 years ago. Kenneth was listening to Depeche Mode loud on his old discman, and Lars commented “cool music”, as he was a die hard Depeche Mode fan (still collecting those different formats of all releases…). From there the music taste broadened to classics like Nitzer Ebb, DAF, Front 242, Frontline Assembly, Skinny Puppy, X Marks The Pedwalk, Borghesia, A Split Second, a;Grumh, LeaetherStrip – and the music on those classic labels like Zoth Ommog, Antler Subway, Wax Trax etc.

 

10.What are your top ten favorite dark elektro genre into their strong 80's EBM Club Songs of all time? Who are you influenced by? What would you consider your favorite cd's?

I have a lot of favourite cd's and artists But it change all the time. Depending on the season, my mood and many other things. I think it will very difficult for me to put 10 songs on a list. But I'm sure Masterhit (Front 242) and Worlock (Skinny Puppy) would be in that list. KK-K: I follow Lars on his listings, "Worlock" was a kind of track that I listened to exclusively for days in a row after first hearing it. Depeche Mode "Enjoy The Silence", Apoptygma Berzerk "Unicorn" and Covenant "Call The Ships To Port" are other examples of that, or even "Insomnia" by Faithless or "Voodoo People" by The Prodigy.

 

11.What are the future plans for Kant Kino?

We hope to play some concerts around Europe! And as soon as the summer is over we will start to work on new songs, and a new album. Maybe an E.P as well. But we really would like to play some concerts on the continent!

 

12.What is the main idea, the message you want to leave to people who listens to you? What is your motto?

The main idea is to make the music we like, and enjoy. We can only hope people like it as well. If we can make people happy, or move some people with our music we will be really happy.

 

13. What’s the name of your band? where did the name come from? or what's the story behind the band name?

Tha bandname is Kant Kino. When it was only Kenneth tha band was called The Film Inside. Kant Kino is a song by Simple Minds, and a movie theatre in Berlin. We just tought it sounded nice, and looked nice.

 

14. If people don't know what you and your music are about, how would you describe Kant Kino?

A lot of the review we have gotten for our new album have stated that we have that 80/90 EBM wibe with a 2010 sound - a mixture of old school EBM and endzeit electronics.

 

15.You Are Not [2CD Limited Edition] where did the concept come from? and whats planned now that your album is finished? or anything else you're working on? Tell me why this title, You Are Not Tell us a few words about the concept of this?

Many of the Alfa Matrix releases comes as 2CD limited edition with a remix album. Some of the remixes are from classic underground electro bands like Anstalt and Industrial Heads, some are from top notch scene bands like LeatherStrip and Ionic Vision, and some are really changed electro versions. We like it a lot. Many people have asked us questions about the album name. The album name is actually stolen (as a tribute) from the band a;GRUMH, who were a very playfull and funny band, who seemed not to take themselves to seriously. We are actually two very humble and silent guys. “We are Kant Kino – you are not” only ment as a funny name to our disc so that it stands a bit out in the crowd, with a big portion of irony and humor. The bonus disc on the release is called “We are Kant Kino – you are too” as a opposite pole to the name on the main disc.

 

16.How is your relationship with the fans like? Is it nice to meet fans or have you also problems with intrusive hysterical female and male admirers?

I hope we have a good relationship with our fans! We try to reply to all e-maails and messages we get. I also spend some time on our myspace and facebook site every day. Interacting with fans. No intrusive hysterical girls as og yet...

 

17.How do you feel to hold the finished CD in your hands?

It feels GREAT! To holt it, smell it, feel, it, open the box and look at it, play it loud. A very special feeling indeed!

 

18.How is the current promotional tour going for supporting this album?

No tour as of yet. But we will play wherever people wants us to play!

 

19.What do you think of a modern Gothic and about dark elektro genre into their strong 80's EBM scene?

Sorry, we didn`t quite get this question. What do you mean here actually?

 

20. What's your favourite track of yours? a like this numbers  Stille,soulfood and we are kant kino'

I have a favourite track, but I'm not gonna tell you what it is. I like the album as a whole. The trecks fit very well together, and are varied in style and tempo.

 

21.What and who gets you excited about music today?

A good melody, and people who put their hearts into their music.

 

22. Our usual question - what is music for you?

Our hobby, our soul, our life!

23.What was your best live experience so far?

Elektrostat 2009

 

24.What are your views on the current state of this dark elektro genre into their strong 80's EBM scene in Oslo Noorwegen.in terms of creativity and audiences? And the scene in other countries?

We don`t know much of how the scene develops in much other contries. One of us were at the Kinetic festival in Montreal in may, and it was a very nice festival! Our neighbours in sweden has always had a much bigger electro scene than in Norway. But things happens here as well. Today Depeche Mode and NIN are mainstream, the really were not 20 year ago. We have some scene pioneers coming from Norway: Apoptygma Berzerk, Icon of Coil and Combichrist are among Norways finest, and I guess all in the scene in Norway are very prod of them. Dark Metal is more dominent, but also metal gothic acts like Gothminister and Theatre of Tragedy are well known names.

 

25.you have very nice numbers` tell me about lyrical compositions what you can tell about the done work? How does your music creation process work? How do you create a song?

It starts with a sequence or a beat/drum loop. Or a sample. We then start to chop up samples and try to build up a theme. Then we go for vocals and lyrics.

 

26.What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

Electro Body Music. See other answers for influences.

 

27. Since the music industry is more open now to purely electronic music has this made things easier for you?

Not really.... We are definetly not mainstream. But, we`re not considered that strange, that we probably would 20 years ago.

 

28.So what are their main influences as a band at the moment?

Many different things. At the moment I am looking at a restructure done in Ableton Live of some of Prodigys classics on Youtube. Man, did they turn the shit out of a lot of samples.... Fantastic stuff. Do a search on Youtube and enjoy.

 

29.What is currently inspiring your material as an artist? tell me all about the dark elektro genre into their strong 80's EBM, scene of Oslo Noorwegen?

See earlier answer a couple of questions ago.

 

30.Do you think that people from the music press didn't expect you to grow up musically?

We are Kant Kino - they are not!

 

31.what is the key to making music from Kant Kino and what inspires you to keep growing as a musician?

Just fun and a great hobby. Making a tune come togheter is a very nice feeling.

 

32.How do you see the future of download / Copyright in area of goth-dark elektro genre into their strong 80's EBM music ? What are the best ways to develop it in your mind ?

Making use of it as a marketing tool, and hoping that people will pay for music also in the future.

 

33.If there was one thing you want people to know about your band what would that be?

Check out our myspace site - or take a look at our promo video at Youtube (just search for Kant Kino)

 

34.Please let us know about your upcoming plans, some new releases you like to confirm here

A couple of live shows, remixes, and a couple of sampler apperances.

 

35.How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?

We have songs on bouth our facebook, and myspace site. And the album is available through the Alfa Matrix website, and on iTunes.

 

 

36.By the way do you like my questions? tell me what you think about it! ;-)

Great. But some are a bit alike:-)

 

37.It has been a pleasure to interview you on your musical activity,Well,any last words to your ebm-industrial fans?

We are Kant Kino - are you?

 

http://www.myspace.com/kantkino08 

 

 

 

 

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