LEON GLOCK

INTERVIEW:

1st Question:
What does the name Leon Glock mean?
Marcel: Henning and Gerald can answer this question better than me, because I have not been in the band when the name was chosen.
Gerold: Some years ago I have been in Poland for a holiday. There I prowled around an ancient, deserted cemetery. Such places have their own, strange atmosphere. However, there I saw the name on an almost overgrown tombstone. Since I already made music then, I knew I might need a bandname some time. At that time I didn’t know Henning yet.

2nd Question:
How did you start making music and what made you form a band?
Marcel: As a child I already was a member of the school choir and later I made music with school mates. During vocational training I continued making music with one of the mates mentioned before. We covered songs of our big idols, Depeche Mode, Camouflage, etc. But we had some songs of our own, too. Of course they were made in the same style.
Gerold: As long as I can remember I made big eyes when I saw synthesizers on TV or in stores. It almost did not matter, which kind of music the guys on stage made with them. I just thought it fascinating, what was possible with this machines. Guitars and other instruments never were that interesting for me. But it lasted another couple of years until I had my first synthesizer.
Henning: As the youngest of three brothers, I was already confronted with music in my early childhood, thanks to the two hippies. This raised my curiosity and a kind of fascination. Later I realized, that listening to music was not all. Music became more and more important to me, in contrast to my attempts to be a soccer player or a hobby boxer. Making music was the right thing for me.

3rd Question:
Closely listening to your music, your preference for electronic music becomes obvious. Do you have idols?
Marcel: For me as the lead singer the voices of other Electro bands are of importance. For instance, I like Martin Gore’s style of singing.
Henning: Idols? Well, I’m strongly influenced by the 80s. I don’t want to deny it. But real idols? Everything was exciting and new. But I think I can say that Camouflage were and still are the highlight for me!
Gerold: I see it like Henning. I especially liked Alphaville. Concerning sound and songs they were far ahead of their time. Last summer I visited one of their concerts and in my opinion songs like “Sounds Like A Melody” or “Summer In Berlin” did not lose anything of their unique charisma.

4th Question:
As a band of four it is surely difficult to do everything together. How does the band divide everything? Is there one of you who has to say more than the others or do you decide everything together?
Marcel: We decide everything together. The tasks are well divided. Henning writes the song and mixes the sounds. Gerold writes the lyrics and cares for the organization. I’m singing and I help Gerold with the organization.
Henning: I am responsible for technique and songs (songs in close collaboration with Gerold). That was clear from the beginning. Everything is really democratic. If someone vetoes a decision, we are voting. But usually we have the same opinion.

5th Question
Your music style is Electro / synthiepop, a kind of further development of the 80s music with modern elements. How do you see your music?
Henning: Great, that someone realizes that. Thanks! Of course you can stick to the old sounds, but where does it get you? The sounds of the 80s fill me with enthusiasm, but the 90s are fascinating, too. So it is obvious that we try to combine both.

6th Question:
You have released 3 CDs yourself. “Follow The Rules” is the current CD. Why don’t you still have a record deal?

Marcel: If you do not shake your tits like Britney Spears or grab your balls like the Backstreet Boys, if you only make music because you just have to do so, you almost have no chance to make the “big breakthrough”. Honestly said, I think it is better if everything goes a little slower and if we become successful with our own strength. The shooting stars, who are pushed to success, mostly are burned out really soon
Gerold: We just have the problem that we do not meet the right people at the right places. Listen to many songs from the charts. At least they are not there because they are so good. They just have a giant marketing strategy behind them. Well, in my opinion, we are not that keen to enter the charts. There is not a single song of us that we produced with the thought “The masses will like it”. It is great if the masses like it, but if they don’t, it is no problem for us. A lot of people seem to have forgotten that music - and other things - primarily means art and not making money. With those people I mean artists as well as consumers. Those who want to hear rubbish will get it. The best example are numerous radio stations like Radio ffn or Radio SAW, etc. What they offer us is really ridiculous. If they would only one hour a day play music that is different from the constantly repeated stuff, where one song sounds exactly like the other, other unknown bands would at least have the chance to get people interested in their music. Sometimes I ask myself, whether the majority of listeners is really that stupid. The ratings seem to show the radio stations that they their programs are right.
Henning: Good Question - next question. No kidding. My home Magdeburg is state capital, but concerning cultural events and possibilities it is the last station before nirvana. The so called cultural life in our city mainly consists of pompous asses, that would at once vanish in any city that really has something to offer. But for Magdeburg it is enough.

7th Question
„Gefühl der Nacht“ from the current CD is sung in German. Usually you sing in English. Why is this song in German?
Gerold:
„Gefühl der Nacht“ is an exception. I guess I didn’t really feel well, when I wrote it Otherwise I could not explain the quite sad lyrics. Some things I can express better in German, there are harder and more catchy words for certain things. On the other hand it is unbelievably difficult to avoid embarrassment. It’s treading on thin ice. But there are enough ridiculous English lyrics, if you listen closely. (Of course not from us!)
Henning and me were making music together for some years. The songs we recorded were all instrumentals. After a while we got fed up with that, so we started looking for a singer. It was not that easy. The lyrics of “Gefühl der Nacht” were written a long time ago, the instrumental was ready, too. Then one day Marcel called and asked, whether he might sing with us.
Henning: „Gefühl der Nacht“ was a kind of test for Marcel: „Just try it, if it works out, you are our new singer“.

8th Question
Another question about „Gefühl der Nacht“. The song stands above the rest of the album, like a signpost. Does it describe the “Leon Glock” feeling?
Henning: Concerning the text: maybe; concerning the music: rather not. From today’s point of view, I think the song is kind of dusty. It means that I don’t want to do songs like that again.
Gerold: „Gefühl der Nacht“ surely is something special. In my opinion it still has a very strong expression. But probably we would not record a song like that again. We can not disregard that there are some years between this song and the songs we produce today, and a lot of things have happened since then. It has a reason, that the song is the way it is. We can not easily repeat it. But there were many people asking us about this song, so we decided to mix it again and to give it a more modern sound. But it is still uncertain, where it will be released, on a new album or on a maxi.

9th Question
Your music is very independent. You can hardly be compared to other bands. How important is that for you?
Marcel: Very important. It is okay to find some similarities to other bands, but we don’t want to be a copy of someone else.
Henning: Again, thanks for the compliment. After a while we have developed a kind of our own concept. With this concept we want to stand above the monotony of chart music. For me it is a sign that I still can reach something in a world of tedium and “making money at all costs”.
Gerold: Maybe it is because we never think “the song should sound this way or that way” during songwriting. We just make it the way we like it without imitating so called idols. Of course there are similarities to other bands to be found. Maybe we can not totally avoid that, since we grew up in the 80s. However, we try to sound as independent as possible.

10th Question:
How is your music created? Whom do you want to reach, the broad masses or a special target group?
Marcel: When we have written a new instrumental, I listen to it and try to arrange vocals for it. Occasionally we have to change parts of the instrumental again, of course. Sometimes Henning and Gerald already have it in their imagination, how the vocals should sound. Of course I try to consider this in my work. In general it is a long process until a song sounds exactly as we want it.
Henning: Sometimes the songs are created in the middle of the night on the dark railway network in total loneliness. Only the machine (locomotive) and me. A wonderful opportunity to think things over and to collect ideas for new songs. I would like to take the synthesizers with me, that’s unfortunately impossible. A target group? Sure! The Viva Kids, of course. Just kidding. I have no target group. Those who like it, shall listen to it and enjoy it.

11th Question:
What do you want to reach with your music, which aim do you have?
Marcel: fame and honor, lots of money, Number 1 in the charts (just kidding). A little bit of all that would be enough. Above all, only the fun of making music is important
Henning: I want it to be fun and to entertain others. Aims - I don’t know, I guess I don’t have any.

12th Question:
How is a Leon Glock live performance like, and how do you perform your complex music live?
Marcel: I sing live, by all means.
Henning: As far as our technical means and possibilities allow, minimal and without grandstanding.
Gerold: There are lots of things we can do, especially with light effects. In connection with the music they can create an unusual atmosphere. But at the moment we have a lack of possibilities.

13th Question:
Do you have plans for the future?
Marcel: More live performances, compiling a new CD, etc
Gerold: First we want to test, whether the various labels we sent demo CDs to, are interested. Furthermore, we will invest in new technique, soon.

14th Question:
Finally, is there something you still want to say to the readers?
Henning: Don’t ever become a typical consumer!

contact:
(0391) 7 31 84 22
e-mail: info@leon-glock.de
www.leon-glock.de

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