Name: Gewalt
Members: LinnDrum, Helen Henfling, Patrick Wagner, Jasmin Rilke
Interviewee: Patrick Wagner
Nationality: German
Current release: Gewalt's Doppeldenk is out via Clouds Hill.
Recommendations: Book: Hubert Weinheimer “Miu Miu”; Painting: Jody Korbach

If you enjoyed this Gewalt interview and would like to stay up to date with the band and their music, visit them on Instagram, Facebook, Soundcloud, and bandcamp.
 


Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in writing lyrics or poetry? How and when did you start writing?  

Definitely. When I was 12 I used to listen to Neil Young Harvest - 10 Times a day.



I did not understand a word what he was saying. But I somehow felt that every word is gold and I still know each song today.

It is sometimes said that “music begins where words end.” What do you make of that?

True - poems rarely make you dance or bang your head. In terms of Gewalt it is sometimes the opposite: “Words start where music ends.”

Sometimes Gewalt has a rave party-like concert and people cry at the same time.

Entering new worlds and escapism through music and literature have always exerted a very strong pull on me. What do you think you are drawn to most when it comes to writing?

I like the idea of what I would call hyperrealism - to really see what's going on and to find the most precise cutting-edge sometimes cold, sometimes emotional words for it.

On our new record Doppeldenk, I wrote a song from the perspective of an army drone. This might also fit to your idea: it reflects the thoughts of a free fall knowing that you will kill thousands of people (I just call them “small moving dots”), without any emotions. The song is called “Monolog einer Drohne” (Monologue of a drone).



That is definitely what you would call a “New World” in a very dystopian sense.

What were some of the artists and albums which inspired you early on purely on the strength of their lyrics? What moves you in the lyrics of other artists?

Sleaford Mods are really inspiring. Jason really nails it and has this very own flow of words.



I am moved when people mean what they sing. Most artists don't want to say anything. They just think: fuck, I need three more lyrics for our new songs. And then they write something - 99.9% of the time it is bullshit.

With Gewalt - I would never start a song without knowing what I want to say with it. It's like, damn Richard Wagner - it is a Gesamtkunstwerk. And not just coloratura.

I have always considered many forms of music to be a form of poetry as well. Where do you personally see similarities? What can music express which may be out of reach for poetry?

It's all about rhythm and expression. Flow. Meaning.

To Gewalt, music and poetry are all the same.

The relationship between words and music has always intrigued me. How do you see it?

It is pure magic - sometimes they lift each other to unexpected heights.

What kind of musical settings and situations do you think are ideal for your lyrics?

A good flow of bassline and beats. Very little but harmonic changes. And just loud sprinkles of guitars or synthesisers once in a while.

When working on music, when do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

I think I already answered this. It starts with the words and electronic beats - then bass, guitar, and synth follow. Then the words and beats do change.

We go in circles. Sometimes for ages - sometimes we are there from the start.

Do you feel like the music triggers specific words inside you? Or is more of a feeling or a memory? Would you say there is instantly an entire idea in front of you or does the story grow as you keep listening to the music?

It's a grower. We work on it until we get goosebumps all over our bodies while playing.

Guitar/ 303 player Helen Henfling (she is cool) might see that differently. But bass Player Jasmin Rilke and me we definitely come from this side.

More generally, in how far can music take you to places with your writing you would possibly not have visited without it?

I cannot cry in daily life. I cry on stage or watching stupid feel good movies (weird though).

In music you can scream and shout and fly.

When you're writing song lyrics, do you sense or see a connection between your voice and the text? Does it need to feel and sound “good” or “right” to sing certain words? What's your perspective in this regard of singing someone else's songs versus your own?

We don't do cover versions. I cannot really sing other people's lyrics.

In the writing process I really don't look outside - I do not think “well this could work for someone else”. I am not sure if I answered the question.

In how far are you consciously aware of the meaning of the lyrics you're writing during the creative process? Do you need to have a concrete concept or can the words take the lead?

Very often I don't understand what I am saying. And years later I realise why I did it.

What is the value of song lyrics or hip hop bars outside of the music?

It is a very different angle towards the songs. Can be strong, if there is something going on inside.

How do you see the relationship between harmony, rhythm and melody? Do you feel that honing your sense of rhythm and groove has an effect on your lyrics-writing skills?

Oh yes. If it all works well together - it is way easier to write and sing the words - it is inspiring.

It is like entering a room and seeing a carefully prepared bed you are going to sleep in.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of poetry is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

“Baker man is baking bread.
 Baker man is baking … bread. (Laid Back)”