Sonic Seducer, January 2024

► David Bowie did it. Nick Cave did it. Johnny Cash, Duran Duran and Iggy Pop, and even Ministry did it: They released cover albums. Lord of the Lost has also been itching to make a record with newly interpreted foreign material for a long time. Now it is available. The good piece is called “Weapons of Mass Seduction”.

It contains a pleasantly surprising selection of songs from various genres. In a detailed conversation, Chris Harms gave us details about the new release, but also talked about haters, memories of his youth and backstage visits to Scooter.

 

Because of the cover there was a few rants again. Why so androgynous again? “Blood and Glitter” also inspired a lot of haters in this regard...

 

There's nothing you can do about it. Unfortunately, there are always people who think something is shit and don't manage to keep their opinions to themselves or formulate them objectively and appropriately. They feel protected in the false anonymity of the Internet and react. I don't know if that has anything to do with envy. Maybe it's just a question of mathematics. In any case, as we  became more known, I noticed that for every fan we gained, there were two to three haters. What I can understand is that of all the countless bands that exist in the world, most of them you do not like. OK. But that has nothing to do with hate and you can just not listen to them. Seen this way, very small underground bands have it pretty good: hardly anyone knows them. Apart from family, friends and fans. There are no hate comments there. As soon as you become a little more visible, the first person who doesn't like it will come forward. And when you're televised around the world and 100 millions of people are watching, you might have a million who celebrate the music, but also 99 millions who just don't like it. I don't want to sugarcoat anything with this. The phenomenon doesn't affect us in particular, but rather all artists with a certain level of fame.

 

You seem to be quite relaxed about this meanwhile?

 

You can't let something like that get you down. For some people, hate speech seems like a sport, and spreading hate online is all that makes them happy - at least for a moment. Online hate is a serious problem in other areas. There's something pretty absurd about the whole thing in the band comment sections. Imagine this in a medium other than YouTube. On regular television, for example. You're watching a movie and there’s constantly comments coming through from people who are raging about the movie.

 

You already said something about the title “Weapons of Mass Seduction”. Is there also a wink towards those who accuse you of having become commercial?

 No. The title has been on the shelf for ten years. Gared, our keyboard player, came up with it and said it was a great song or album title. I said straight away that I really liked the idea, but was reluctant to apply the wording to us. Our songs as weapons of mass seduction? As I said, that was out of the question. I don't see any criticism in this title either. It is a show of respect to the original interpreters through a play on words. The commercial accusation... What can I say? Is Is it justifyable? Yes and no. It's a fact that we are commercial because we make money with our music. And when we are on ARD (German Public Television) and appear at the Eurovision Song Contest, then we are actually mainstream at that moment. The interesting question is: do you make an accusation out of this or not? It doesn't matter how well known an artist is if I like their music. Strangely enough, there still seems to be a growing need to own musicians more or less exclusively.

 

 

„"Weapons of Mass Seduction"

- you can’t name your own album that.

That would be incredibly arrogant.”

Chris Harms

 

 

 

 

Did it take a lot of tinkering to transfer the selected songs into the world of Lord of the Lost?

 

We are all experienced musicians. Also experienced in the studio and good at recognizing the idea even in the roughest demo version or being able to read the idea from such a draft as to what it could sound like as a finished Lord of the Lost song. It sounds a bit strange, but in that sense the originals became demos for our own versions. We didn't sit down and learn a song and then start breaking it down and adapting it. Our pieces are created in the studio. Someone makes a demo and an arrangement, which then passes through different hands and so the song immediately comes together as a Lord of the Lost number. It was no different with the cover versions. First of all, a lot of things are done on the computer. With synthesizers, programmed drums and demo guitars, which are then thrown away afterwards. Only afterwards do we think about how it can be done live.

 

With "Shock to the System" you chose a Billy Idol track from "Cyberpunk", which was received quite controversial with its synthesized vocals and technology themes. Just like “Turbo” by Judas Priest, with its guitar synthesizers. Did you want to honor misunderstood pioneers?

 

In both cases it is coincidence. I first heard “Shock to the System” in 1993. In the back seat of a red-orange Opel Manta convertible. I was 13 and on the way to the pool and the car belonged to my sister's boyfriend. Both were 19. He pulled out this cassette that had just been released, shoved it into the cassette compartment, turned it up loud and there it was! "Shock to the System" was the first time I heard such industrial sounds with guitars. Before that I had listened to Roxette, which also had a lot of electronics in it. Suddenly there were these hard guitars together with electronic elements. I have never forgotten that feeling and that song. We would never have thought of covering "White Wedding." Not just because it's covered to death. With Judas Priest it's similar. "Painkiller"? Everyone's already done that. "Turbo Lover" appealed to us because of the imagery. Basically it's a total sex song, but it's all about analogies from the world of motorsports and machines. We found that exciting. And the song was so beautifully punchy. Our bassist Class had suggested it. I hadn't even had it on the list, listened to the original and thought: Yes, man, that's exactly right. Also because there are still tolerance problems in both the gothic and metal scene. That's crazy when you think about how much there is talk about freedom and being different. But there are, for example, in still very homophobic strands in both scenes. Rob Halford from Judas Priest was one of the first metal singers to openly come out as gay. That's another reason why it was nice to cover this band.

 

 

 

 

The step to “Smalltown Boy” is not a big one then. Bronski Beat have achieved a lot as an openly homosexual band.

This is another example where we only realized afterwards how appropriate the song was. We just love it. It is very sad and very beautiful at the same time. I didn't initially have in mind what it stood for, nor that Paradise Lost had already covered it. When I thought of this, we were already working on our version and I asked everyone not to listen to the Paradise Lost version so that there would not be an unconscious overlap.

 

Now I need to ask back again. Can you empathize with the story of “Smalltown Boy” and “Shock to the System” equally?

 That's two pairs of boots. Personally, I don't associate anything with a riot in LA like in "Shock to the System". But I can like the story and empathize with it. Before you ask: There are other reasons why we don't fight with police officers in the streets in the accompanying video: it's a spontaneous performance clip. The plan was to create a video for "The Look", as the song is something of a link between "Blood and Glitter" and "Weapons of Mass Seduction". Unfortunately, that got postponed so last weekend we spontaneously shot a video for “Shock to the System” in DIY style. So there was no time for street battles anyway.

 

Unfortunately, the classic Billy Idol lip that you showed in a selfie teaser on Facebook didn't end up in the video...

...which was not intentional. My brain must have been spitting out that Billy Idol trademark simulated through the music. In this case, the comment function was helpful. It was only through Facebook comments that I discovered what I was doing. Unfortunately I did. Actually, people should read lips in a completely different way and guess what song we are playing. The telltale facial expressions were an unintentional additional clue.

 

Let's talk about "(I just) Died in your Arms." I never liked that song. Somehow I always found the original irrelevant...

I have a huge soft spot for everything that moves somewhere between 80s pop and wave and have a corresponding playlist on Spotify. There is also “(I Just) Died in your Arms”. I can't really say why, but I just like the song and never found it superficial or irrelevant. For me it always had great depth and sadness. This shows again how different perception can be. It's like "River" by Bishop Briggs - I don't associate any particular story with these songs. But they are phenomenal songs for me. Sometimes it's enough for music to trigger a certain feeling that gives you goosebumps. As for Anica Russo as a duet partner: She was part of the German ESC preliminary round. She sang this pretty dark ballad, "Once upon a Dream," and for me she was the favourite at the time. I thought her voice was great and we quickly came up with the idea of recording a duet. The next regular Lord of the Lost album is not scheduled until summer 2025. That was too long for us. On "Weapons of Mass Seduction" there was only this song that lent itself to being a boy-girl number. “Give into me” by Michael Jackson would have been too nasty. And we really wanted to do the duet so we could have Anica's voice on the album.

 

There is a third CD with further cover versions in a box edition. These are completely different things. Also a lot from the 60s.

This is primarily my own story. My first encounter with popular music was through my parents' vinyl single collection. There were hundreds of records and since they were born in the 40s, many of them were from the 60s and 70s. The songs selected are full of childhood memories. But it felt wrong to cover them with the full band. Instead, I recorded them in their natural state: acoustic guitar, cello, piano, a vocal take. No backing vocals, no frills. Very dry and very personal. One selection criterion was that they had to have been published before I was born. "Starman" by David Bowie, "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed, but also more unknown ones like "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night" by the Electric Prunes. Overall, this third CD shows a completely different side of Lord of the Lost.

 

 

How did you get it all together? Tours, ESC hype... Do you work on the road?

This is a question of planning. We started arranging the cover songs in late summer 2022 and recorded the record until January 2023. We knew a second tour with Iron Maiden was coming. It was clear that we wouldn't have time to make the album later. It wasn't yet clear what would happen to us with the ESC, but luckily we still thought ahead and didn't give ourselves too much time after "Blood & Glitter" before we got creative again. Otherwise it wouldn't have worked.

 

We can't end here without talking about "Ordinary Town" by Celebrate the Nun. You have unearthed a largely forgotten piece of German pop history.

You could say that. Celebrate the Nun: The 80s Band by H.P. Baxxter and Rick, who later founded Scooter! The two of them wanted to become the German Depeche Mode. Look for pictures. It is worth it .. H.P. Baxxter with eyeliner and The Cure memorial haircut. The music can actually be roughly described as Depeche Mode with a German accent. Celebrate the Nun made two or three albums that weren't successful. But there are really good songs on them and we definitely wanted to create a little memorial for this band. Let me add one more thing. I was at a Scooter concert with our guitarist Pi. Afterwards we were backstage and met H.P. Baxxter. All I can say is: I have great respect for this man. He's not fooling anyone. He doesn't go on stage and play a role that he laughs about afterwards. H.P. Baxxter is just like that. He feels and lives what he presents. This man is the epitome of TRVE!

 

Anica Russo - Follow Your Heart

 

A morning at the hotel. It is the day on which “Our Song for Liverpool” is to be decided. At the breakfast buffet, five men in LOTL shirts load their plates. This is how Anica Russo describes the initial situation for what would lead to a duet on "Weapons of Mass Seduction". Shortly afterwards, a very nice feeling of a school trip set in, says the singer. You can find out more in the following interview.

 

 

How did the collaborative version of your song “Once Upon A Dream” come about?

That was weeks before we met and it was a very spontaneous event. I was on my way home from working out when I saw the notification on Instagram: "Officiallordofthelost tagged you in a post." I was impressed with the band's version. As soon as I got home, I sat down at my laptop, connected the interface and microphone, set up the camera, made a duet part and simply uploaded it. It was also during this time that I had my first contact with the Lord of the Lost community, who welcomed our actions very warmly. It got to the point where I was able to meet Lord of the Lost fans in my shows again and again this year - it was simply overwhelming.

 

How did you perceive the band musically?

 "Blood & Glitter" is an ultra-catchy tune! Although I was never a part of the metal community as a pop artist, I grew up listening to bands like Linkin Park, Green Day and Billy Talent thanks to my older brother and have always preferred the band sound to electronic music. During the rehearsals for "Our Song for Liverpool" I saw the boys on stage for the first time and that completely convinced me: they live the music and it shows!

 

In a YouTube video from March 13, you ask about recording a duet with Lord of the Lost. Were there already concrete plans?

In fact, even before the preliminary round, I received many, many messages requesting a duet between Lord of the Lost and me. The wish has now been fulfilled. Not in the form of the longed-for "pickle jar song", but I hope that's okay (laughs)

 

How do you feel about the original “(I Just) Died in Your Arms”?

I associate it with a funny little story from my childhood. There was a radio show that featured songs where someone got the lyrics wrong. My home station presented the song there with the misheard lyrics, "Du must besoffen bestellen” (You have to order drunk) - since then I couldn't hear the song any other way anymore. I hope I sang the lyrics clearly enough that you can understand the lyrics correctly. I especially love the last third of the song in our version, where it gets a bit harder and rockier musically. That's fun!

 

As I understand it, you left Universal to be able to go your own way more?

Exactly. And I couldn't be happier. I could no longer identify with the sound of my teenage years and wanted to work with a variety of musicians, writers and producers. I also realized that it shouldn't be about pleasing labels and business people, but about making music for yourself and your fans. I now speak publicly about topics that were previously rather taboo. This all feels right.

 

Musical openness often triggers skepticism...

 

If you ask eight people their opinion of a song, you'll hear eight opinions. That's why I listen to what my heart and gut feeling say. Skepticism and lack of understanding exist always and everywhere. As long as you follow your heart, there will also be people you touch, inspire or even motivate. That’s what counts.

 

Nik & Pi - Lord Of The Lost Variant, Trumpets In A Pickle Jar

 

Shortly before their rock show at Haus Auensee in Leipzig and the orchestra guest performance at the Gewandhaus there, Lord of the Lost drummer Niklas Kahl and guitarist Pi Stoffers came to share their thoughts about "Weapons of Mass Seduction" with us. Some humour wasn't neglected either.

 

 

As far as I know, you won't be playing an acoustic cover version at Gothic meets Klassik in Leipzig. Not yet? Would an acoustic cover album be an idea for the future?

Niklas Kahl: We've never thought about that before. It doesn't actually sound bad, but what's coming next isn't something to sneeze at either.

Pi Stoffers: Our planning currently runs until 2027. This includes the release date of the upcoming album and it is already clear what kind of album it will be. Of course, the plans are stored in a safe place and are highly secret.

 

Doesn't that pose a risk that things will change over such a period of time and on the deadline you think: "Oh no, we're somehow not interested in that?"

Pi: If that's the case, then we'll just do something different, namely what we feel like doing. But planning provides structure. It's important to have a grid to move within.

Nik: And an idea doesn't become bad if you discard it at a certain point. It goes into the drawer and can be brought out again one day. Some things also have to wait for implementation for other reasons. For example the cover album. We always enjoyed covering live. There were also cover versions on special releases. But the time for “Weapons of Mass Seduction”.had only come now.

 

Does that mean you were already scruffing your feet at times because you finally wanted to cover your favourites and see them published?

Nik: No. It's not like everyone put their favourites on the album. Our tastes are far too different for that. The reverse is true:  there are songs on the album that we all like equally.

Pi: The starting point was the band members' playlists with songs that they could imagine as a Lord of the Lost version. Imagine is a very broad term though. I also had things in it that I didn't know if it could actually work, but I thought it would be exciting to try. Chris was then the one who made the final selection. As a singer, he has to empathize with the songs the most.

 

Nik: I suggested “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” by Ultravox. Then we realized: The piece doesn't really work the way we play it. That was simply noticeable. Chris suggested using “Hymn” instead and it quickly became clear: that’s it! The song works much better! There were situations like that. But there was never a feeling that anyone had to back down. I didn't say, "Okay, then we do "Hymn" instead.” It felt better and so I didn't have the feeling that it was a compromise or that I had to give up on something.

 

Did you immediately have the Lord of the Lost version in mind when you heard the originals? Chris hinted at something like that.

Pi: That varied. In any case, each of us has a feeling for what suits the band. Then there are the key data resulting from the copyright: The melody has to stay the same. The length must remain the same. Which instrument plays which melody, on the other hand, can be changed. If there is a trumpet solo in the original, then I can transfer that to the guitar. And we already know what belongs to our sound.

Nik: Not a trumpet.

Pi: No trumpet? Are you sure? Maybe in "La Bomba"?

Nik: In the mariachi version.

Pi: Yes, as soon as we get into our Mexico phase!

 

Despite the restrictions in terms of changes, the whole thing shouldn't sound as if a band is primarily reproducing the original?

Pi: Of course not. That would bore us. Take "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane, which is a blatant pop ballad in the original. There's an incredible amount of piano. Since we have a keyboard player, that aspect hasn't completely disappeared. Nevertheless, the song has changed significantly. Or "River" by Bishop Briggs - that's become pretty damn heavy! (laughs)

  

Is the album something like a summary of what you've done so far?

 

Pi: Well. It's a statement that answers the eternal question: What are you actually? Patchwork! The cover is patchwork. We are patchwork. We are many. We are good at being artistically schizophrenic - and we do it with full conviction. What comes next will be completely different again. It's a bit like spinning the roulette wheel. Only that we know exactly where the ball will land. But I won't give it away. Not even on which color.

 

"Weapons of Mass Seduction": Was music a means of seduction for you at a young age? As a drummer it's more difficult, but as a guitarist...

Nik: Let me put it this way: I can't remember ever sitting at a campfire with the drums.

Pi: That doesn't mean you haven't done it.

Nik: I would still answer the question with a firm no. I haven't drummed in front of a woman to convince her.

Pi: Maybe the songs on the album aren't just on there because they're supposed to seduce others, but because they seduced us.

Nik: You put that beautifully.

 

What about artists, musicians, known or unknown, who cover Lord of the Lost? There's not much to be found on the Internet.

Nik: We would of course be delighted to come across more. On the other hand, maybe it's also a compliment if you're not covered so much, even if a song like "Blood & Glitter" has been doing the rounds quite a bit. Maybe it even resonates a little that others have the feeling that you can't do the songs any better. I don't know if that's true.

Pi: There is an orchestral version of "Blood & Glitter" in Spanish. By Mariel Gimeno. This arrangement is beautiful. It doesn't have a great range, but we're very happy about it.

 

Lord of the Lost had a really wide reach around the Eurovision Song Contest. How do you look back on that time?

Pi: That was pretty intense. It was clear that it would demand a lot from us, but the feeling of being 200 percent involved and suddenly being everywhere was something I first had to get over. Not so much the time in Liverpool. The two months of press before and especially after, when we seamlessly resumed touring - it wasn't easy to process that and to realize what had just happened. I urgently needed a break to sort myself out. We had the last summer concert with Wacken as the finale, which was so beautiful and so blatant ... Then I sat at home at five in the morning and thought: What am I actually doing here? What am I doing now? It took me about two weeks to get back into a kind of calm mode and really start to review everything. The dose was insanely high. But I coped well and the bottom line for me is: it was wonderful.

Nik: There was this press phase before the ESC and it was brutal. We did a rough estimate and found out that we gave more than 900 interviews to the media worldwide in various constellations There were the days in Liverpool where we were treated really well and looked after by the whole team. That was great and before Liverpool, there were ten days of tour in South America. That was the best thing that could have happened to us at the time. Honestly! I can say for myself that I would have been ruined if we'd had to carry on like the weeks before. It was incredibly good to be out of the line of fire and out of the madness. I gratefully remember this very adventurous tour, which was sometimes really Rock'n'Roll”, as “Tourlaub”  (he combines the words “Tour” and “Urlaub” (vacation)

  

Next year the “Tourlaub” in  Germany will follow.

Nik: That's something else again. But also very pleasing. Ticket sales are looking good. We can play bigger venues...

Pi: We're playing Haus Auensee today and can return to Haus Auensee next year as headliners. There is a noticeable growth and that's always nice. Especially as we also realize that we are not everybodys darling.

 

Does the duet with Anica Russo now end the ESC era, so to speak?

Nik: No. Not at all. We also want to maintain the connection to this community and have decided that we will always have an ESC party from now on. Next year we will play a concert in Malmö the day before the ESC final. We still get a lot of feedback and support from this very special world of the Eurovision Contest and we would love to continue to have a good time with these people. If it works in Malmö, maybe we can make a tradition out of it and play a show in the city where the ESC takes place every year the night before the final.

Pi: And as for the duet with Anica Russo: We actually wanted to write a song about a pickle jar. But that didn't work out.

Nik: Now you’re wondering, aren't you? Do some research in the ARD media library. Maybe you'll find something there.

Pi: However, the ESC issue is closed visually. Simply because we were at a limit there. What should have come after the glittery look? The five disco balls? It was time to do something new again. The roulette table...

Nik: But "Weapons of Mass Seduction" is still colourful. The vibe isn't completely different. "Blood & Glitter" still resonates.

 

The press photos suggest otherwise. You love to play with expectations, don't you?

Pi: It's a lot of fun. Yes. But it often just happens on the side. After the ESC, we had people at concerts who didn't know any other songs and were a bit surprised. Above all, there are always people who only know us through the "Swan Songs" and expect something completely different. But that also speaks for the curiosity of our audience. Some of them think it's really cool. Especially live. Experiencing our music in concert is something else than on record.

 Nik: That also applies to skeptical metalheads, which we've noticed at Iron Maiden shows. The man in a battle vest might not necessarily buy an album like "Blood & Glitter". But we have received a lot of positive feedback on our live shows. And not only that. When we play here at Haus Auensee tonight, we'll see a lot of familiar faces. But also the guys who wear their metal hats with pride and are still there. They wouldn't have come to us four or five years ago. It's just great to experience that.