Children of the Dark: Interview with Martin Engler (Mono Inc.), Tilo Wolff (Lacrimosa), Joachim Witt and Chris Harms (LOTL)

 

Moderated by Lotto King Karl 

 

Lotto King Karl: Well, cheers. Hello dear net community – Is that what you call it: “Net Community”?

Chris: Yes.

Lotto King Karl: Hello world.

Martin: We need to clink glasses again. *Points at Chris*: He did not make eye contact with me!

Lotto King Karl: What is it with the eyes? Do you want to explain something?

Martin: If you clink glasses without looking into each other’s eyes, you might as well leave it be.

Lotto King Karl: Ah. I thought you meant that story about having bad sex if you forget to make eye contact while clinking glasses. I’d like to introduce the round, for those of you who have switched on the internet for the first time - such a crazy new invention. It is a cooperation between four great musicians and bands. Martin Engler there in front is smoking his E-Cigarette.

Chris: E-Shisha.

Lotto King Karl: Really?

Martin: Yes. Without nicotine, just steam.

Lotto King Karl: Oh, like busses. They also go without nicotine. Then we continue with Chris Harms from Lord of the Lost - You also have one… Is that the same kind?

Chris: It’s the same kind, but mine is bigger.

Martin: Wait a second!

Chris: I take that back… I use mine to compensate for something.

Lotto King Karl: What exactly?

Chris: I don’t want to talk about this – Just as Martin doesn’t want to talk about the thing with clinking glasses.

Lotto King Karl: We can talk openly - The Internet is a totally private and intimate thing.

Chris: Private party.

Lotto King Karl: Then we have here Tilo Wolff from Lacrimosa, who came especially from Switzerland. Let me explain shortly: It may look as if we’re sitting in a local pub, but actually we are in Las Vegas - And you are the only one who came here in a scheduled flight, right? We once shared a drum kit for a while.

Tilo: Exactly!

Lotto King Karl: So, we already know each other as well. And this is Joachim Witt, we also know each other. We just noticed, I remember the occasion better than you do. And we have a first here: You said it’s the first time in your life that you drink coffee!

Joachim: No, not today, but two weeks ago.

Lotto King Karl: Really, you just started drinking coffee! Then you surely never served in the military.

Joachim: I have been there. I was at the border security, that’s when I started smoking.

Lotto King Karl: That’s normal, everybody does that.

Joachim: True that. But drinking coffee… Wait, maybe I did drink coffee back then, but stopped in the late 70’s.

Martin: But why?

Joachim: Because I was always completely beside myself, saw dazzling colours… And then the panic attacks started, so I just stopped.

Lotto King Karl: But why didn’t you give up on the other stuff instead and keep the coffee? *general laughter* We gathered here to talk about a song, “Children of the Dark”, which will be on the next Mono Inc. album, which will be out … When exactly, Martin?

Martin: In January. Late January.

Lotto  King Karl: We need to say “ January 2017”, because if in 30 years, when we have reached the 50 billion of views, people will all say: “How young they all looked back then!” …Except for Joachim, who hasn’t changed at all in the last few years. Ok, first the big question: How did this song come about? *Looks at Martin*: You must be the one to blame, without doubt.

Martin: Yes, I plead guilty. I did… When did I ask you, guys? Maybe six weeks, or eight weeks ago? Joachim, you were asked shortly before…  It was August, I think. Anyhow, we were mixing the new album. One of the first songs to be finished - Or at least we thought, it was finished - Was “Children of the Dark”. And as we were sitting there in the studio, doing the final mixing, we noticed, that actually WE are the Children of the Dark. So, it is a “WE”- song, which literally cried out for a collaboration. Then I started thinking who I'd like to do this with.

Lotto King Karl: And then you did NOT call me.

Martin: Then I did not call you.

Chris: *Laughs* And all the others rejected.  

Martin: Then I thought, ok, I want 3 people, whom I personally have great respect for. I never wanted to have so many people that it might get some kind of “Band Aid”-feeling to it, where everyone sings like one line. I wanted it to be something among friends, with people, that I’d also sit at the bar with, or drink a coffee in Las Vegas with, so there needed to be a personal connection. When I asked the guys, neither of us spoke about money. It was just, “This is the song, I’d be happy to have you collaborating - Do you feel like it?” I asked these 3 people, because I have a personal relationship with them – and these 3 people said yes. That felt like Christmas to me. And today we’re sitting here together – which feels like yet another Christmas, so I’m very, very proud of this collaboration.

Tilo: But this also is something special. I think, if any other band had tried to organize this in such a short amount of time, it just wouldn’t have worked out. I think the respect that you have just given to us – now as we sit here… Also reflects the respect we have for you and your band.

Martin: Thank you. The great thing about it is, it was not planned, but we also represent four generations of the scene here. Chris is the aspiring young star, as Lord of the Lost are on a speedy way up in the last few years, I am right in the middle, as we have been successful for a while already, Lacrimosa - Tilo Wolff is an epitome, an authority in the scene, one of the most famous bands in general, and then here we have my friend, the grand seigneur, who is enthroned above it all, Joachim Witt. That’s a nice side effect.               

*Knocking on the door is audible*

Lotto King Karl: I think someone wants to come in, but all good musicians are sitting here at the table already. *turns to the door* Whoever it is, fuck off!

As a complete outsider, I notice, the whole thing is about music, that I personally like also; now I noticed, that when I came back from the military, that music still existed, but suddenly there were also people, who dressed accordingly. *Turns to Joachim*: How was that for you, by that time you have already been a big star, wasn’t it fascinating, that suddenly music, that you always listened to, became a part of a particular scene, that also optically differentiated itself and expressed itself, based on specific fashion of the 80’s… How was that for you (still meaning Joachim), kind of like “as seen from above”, from a bird’s eye view, as a big star, that suddenly such a scene formed?

Joachim: That felt not so uncommon to me, as back in the 80’s it all began as underground, somehow dark, and I also was a part of that kind of scene, therefore this new scene did not feel unfamiliar to me. I just kind of slipped in there, to that extent it was not an alteration or an adjustment or a kind of “accepting something different” to me, but it rather felt like a community suddenly welcomed me.

Lotto King Karl: Definitely. *Points at Martin* Just last weekend I was with you on stage and also saw some other shows beforehand and I noticed that the audience there was extraordinarily well-behaved. It’s different from a standard rock music audience, so I can understand how they welcomed you… But back then I found it a bit surprising.

Martin: In my opinion you (Joachim) have shaped this whole scene significantly, as a lot of things that followed later on seemed inspired a lot by your style. You were a pioneer.

Joachim: If you know songs like “Strenges Mädchen” or “Ich fahr nach Afrika”, that have a quite dark touch, you can relate to that.

Martin: I think, bands like Rammstein just wouldn’t exist in the way they do without your preparatory work.

Joachim: Yes, it descends from the English Wave, but besides that punk attitude it also has something different to it… *Searches for the word*

Tilo: There also was this romantic thing back then… New Romantic.

Joachim: And in Germany it was bands like Abwärts and DAF, who also have already had a very heavy component back then. In the early 90’s there also grew a Dark Electro Scene in eastern Germany and from there it splashed over to the West a lot later, at least that’s how it felt to me. Correct me, if I am wrong…

Tilo: I can’t really tell - I was too young back then. It was basically a wave motion. From the 80’s till the early 90’s it was something that then completely collapsed. The English bands more or less just copied themselves or split up, while in Germany there hardly were any good newcomer bands. What you (Joachim) played earlier, was “Neue Deutsche Welle” (New German Wave) , while what we did got called “Neue Deutsche Todeskunst”(New German Death Art), which was actually a big misunderstanding of the whole scene. This came out of a joke… The editor of a magazine which doesn’t exist anymore actually wanted to make a joke about it and thus put that name as something negative about two bands – and everybody else just accepted it and so this “Neue Deutsche Todeskunst” has arisen. However, in the end it was 3 bands, namely “Das Ich”, “Goethes Erben” and “Lacrimosa”. And by that  time  the East (Germany) opened up and the people from the East got to know these 3 bands as German speaking/singing bands, that’s how this all got to the East and that’s how this new culture resurrected.

Joachim: The East particularly welcomed it. More than the West (Germany) did.

Lotto King Karl: They didn’t have anything beforehand.

Martin: But there also were some bands in the GDR – I only know Karat, Puhdys,… They’re all friends of yours (meaning Joachim).

Joachim: No, you can’t put it that way. Not all of them, but some.

Lotto King Karl: Coming back from the past, we always get to think *Gets interrupted by Martin*

Martin: As we mentioned Rammstein earlier… If you look at “Die Flut” or the “Bayreuth”-cycle, which Joachim did, you can tell, that it’s related.

Joachim: But that was done some years beforehand. That was similar to as it was in the early 80’s, when you didn’t know at all, how others worked and then suddenly there were energies that then complemented each other. That’s really strange. You were not even aware that there’s something different around also. That spirit of the time just arose.

Tilo: That’s interesting and you can see it everywhere, take for example the invention of the Otto engine… There were two scientists, living like 50-60 km from each other, both researched and without even knowing of each other’s existence invented the same thing at pretty much the same time. Or in literature… Often you can put it as “This period deserves particular things” – and people like us as we sit here or others, we often are just the presenters or carriers; the ones who express those things and spread it across the world.

Chris: It often happens that something repeats itself unintentionally, that you do something out of a feeling. For example I’m an 80’s child, born in 1980. In my early youth I did not listen to dark music. I listened to Guns’n’Roses, Nirvana, Roxette. Then I started to write my first songs, at about 12 or 13, and that all was a bit melancholic and dark. I play Cello, classical, maybe it also has something to do with that, and suddenly I discovered all these dark bands, of course also Rammstein and Witt and many others. And then in the 90’s came Marilyn Manson, which was for me like “Wow, what the fuck, cool!”

Martin: Now I understand some things!

Chris: And suddenly I noticed, that I’m not alone and what I’m doing here is not really something new and without realising it, I was a part of something - and that exactly matched my spirit! Suddenly I felt understood musically. And then I didn’t feel like somebody had stolen away what I had thought was “my invention”, but rather I felt like “That’s exactly my world, I fit perfectly in there! That’s what I want to do, that’s where I want to be”.

Lotto King Karl: Where do you see the whole scene in 10… *Gets interrupted by Martin*

Martin: I like a lot what Chris said, that he listened to bands like Guns’n’Roses and Roxette. It’s very cool that he states it this way; just because you make music in this black scene does not necessarily mean that you exclusively listen to music from this scene. It was similar for me actually. When I was allowed to go to disco for the first time at around 14, they played Billy Idol and Depeche Mode there, but also Roxette - and when “Welcome to the jungle” was released, I also found that to be the new masterpiece and greatly enjoyed that. As a teenager you go back and forth constantly anyway…

Chris: I never lost that, I’m still the biggest Lady Gaga fan in the world, out of conviction - I love it.  

Martin: Now I understand even more things!

Chris: I feel “at home” with the music that I make myself, but I don’t necessarily have to listen to dark or metal music exclusively. A good song is a good song, no matter, in which “outfit” it comes. I like the song as such. What’s important about it is the feeling that it gives me. Even if it’s maybe an old one by Fanta 4 (Die fantastischen Vier, a German hip hop group) – that can give me a feeling as good as an old song by Sisters of Mercy.

Martin: Or “Ich war noch niemals in New York” by Udo Jürgens.

Lotto King Karl: I’m just a little shocked now, that you name a song by Fanta 4 as an extreme example. I’ll try to get my question through now. What will be in 10 years? Let’s be honest, considering lyrics, you also have a kind of “narrow circle”… It’s pretty unlikely that you might record, let’s say, eight accordions and a “Schuhplattler” (a Bavarian folk dance) group also…?

Martin: We did use an accordion on the new album.

Lotto King Karl: I mean an accordion as an orchestra, kind of.

Chris: I dare to claim that what usually gets seen as “black scene music” - The hits, the singles - these are just the peak of an iceberg. If you as a fan, dig deeper into the albums of various artists, you will notice that there a lot more happens - musically speaking; much more innovation and inspiration and openness. But of course the more known songs are often pretty constant and redundant. Dancing is redundant. So … I don’t think it really is as narrow as you as an outsider experience it. I don’t mean that in a bad way, I just think, that it is way more open downwards. That’s my personal experience when I listen to the music of my colleagues and friends.

Joachim: I think that music in the normal areas is emotionally limited, which is also a reason. The music that we make sets the accent on emotions, because we also allow the emotions that we have to show on the outside. And I don’t see why I should not let the emotions that I feel allow to be shown outside.  On one hand it is a kind of self-therapy to free myself from some things. I can also take my feelings in life to the outside and share it with other people and maybe it sometimes even is a help for the people, who can't get out of the clasp of limited emotions. And that’s why this scene is also something special, as this encapsulation doesn’t happen because you want to encapsulate yourself, but because people don’t allow this approach to emotionality.

Everyone: Exactly, that’s it.

Lotto King Karl: But that is what it’s all about. For me as an outsider it is hard to imagine that, if as a musician or songwriter you are working with such high expectations, you will just say in 10 years: What about a black version of “Go to the cemetery, you  old piece of shit” – That is certainly not conceivable. I’m not saying that I’m planning to do this and that in this very moment I am considering to just run away and call Micky Krause (a German musician for party music) to tell him that I have had a monumental idea. What I’m trying to say is, that in the whole big field of entertainment, which also has its limitations and where it’s also always somehow about picking people up emotionally, no matter if at a drinking game or really into depth; it’s clear that there’s different limits with the music that you guys make, than in other parts of the entertainment field.

Martin: But I think I can speak for all four of us here: We all allow emotions.

Lotto King Karl: To be honest, it would be strange if you didn’t. I’m just trying to figure out what that would look like.

Martin: When we release an album, we don’t go and check if it really is for example sad enough or if it is dark enough. We also have a sense of humour.

Lotto King Karl: I just wanted to admit, that we also have been working together already (meaning Martin). There we were working on lyrics and you showed me a lyric line, about which you said: “This one needs to be altered”.  Then I added something in the next line also, which you then commented with: “Now that’s almost too much gothic-style”- While I just considered it a great line. I wasn’t really aware that I had crossed a boarder, sort of.

Martin: You’re a secret Goth.

Chris: Club of the secret Goths.

Lotto King Karl: We *points at himself and Joachim* have almost lived to see the original gothic age.

Martin: It’s all about emotion - That is the essential thing.  Again, I think I can speak for all four of us… We only release things, which move us… In whatever way.

Lotto King Karl: Now I have a stupid question: It’s the 9^th album… Are you always moved by the same things? It’s no mistake though, to now say “Yes”.

Joachim: Basically it’s really always the same things, yes.

Martin: Sadness, thoughtfulness, critical aspects…

Chris: But it’s different stages of life. You always experience things differently; I surely often say the same things over and over again, but it’s always from different points of view. Therefore it’s always a different form of expression.

Martin: We all are able to cry when there’s a Happy End coming up in the movie.

Chris: I even cry at Disney movies.

Martin: That’s also something: We’re four men, who represent this scene, and all four of us say, “Men do cry!” – Just imagine this to happen with Rappers.

Lotto King Karl: I just imagine it with Carmen Geiss (wife of a German self-made millionaire) and… What’s his name? - Kay One (a German rapper).

Chris: Hasn’t there even been a song called “Rapper weinen nicht” (Rappers don’t cry) - Or was it “Rapper lügen nicht” (Rappers don’t lie)?

Lotto King Karl: I don’t know. Considering your age that’s something you rather know, than me.

Joachim: But also in that scene there are so many different behaviours…

Lotto King Karl: Wouldn’t that be a really cool band project: “The permanently crying rappers”…  But I get what you mean. That distinguishes you. It is something special to this genre.

Martin: Well, you could either say, you’re a cry-baby – or you can say, I’m a strong man who doesn’t need to hide his feelings.

Lotto King Karl: I have often been to gigs of a band called “The Chameleons”. There was this saying: “If you are in a really bad mood, go to a “The Chameleons” show at Markthalle”.  And then there was such a rich and full sound, it had power also; they were one of the most underrated 80’s bands – and you really liked going there. But after this era, there was a kind of scene that we called “Depression music”. Therefore it was interesting for me to see, how you define yourself; and how grief and sorrow are real topics for you. We for example, have written like 3 songs about people who have passed away - But looking at the number of songs that we have released in total, that is almost nothing.
But as you just said… For you it’s the 9^th album now…

Martin: Yes, the 9^th studio album.

Lotto King Karl: Within which span of time?

Martin: 12 years or so.

Lotto King Karl: That’s a lot already. That’s how you start in the first 10 years.

Martin: Yes, at first it is just… Full speed. Now the 9^th album will be released in January, then there’s a big tour in April, then we’ll slow down a bit.

Lotto King Karl: Which means?

Martin: That you can’t expect the next album in 2018 already.  

Joachim: Cool, then I’ve got a chance to release something then.

Lotto King Karl: We split that up here a bit - You in January; us in May *points at Chris*: What about you? When will you release something next?

Chris: We have just released an album, and the next studio album definitely won’t be released before 2018.

Lotto King Karl: Good, we don’t get in trouble here then. What about you? *looks at Tilo*

Tilo: I just released an album with my side project Snakeskin. The next Lacrimosa album will probably be released in 2018 also.

Chris: *sighs* Great.

Tilo: We can compromise here: You release in spring, we in autumn or something.

Joachim: I’ll take 2017 then.

Lotto King Karl: About what time then? *Everyone laughing*. You also already did a duet together (Martin and Joachim).

Joachim: Yes, we worked together. We created an album together. Martin produced it. “Neumond”, a nice, independent thing; with nice songs on it. That’s what albums are about.

Martin: Beforehand Joachim’s manager had the glorious idea to set his house on fire, so he finally makes it to the title page of the papers…

Lotto King Karl: I thought you just went to live in a container then… Or did you flee from the fire and ended living in a container?

Chris: He didn’t have a house anymore then.

Martin: Actually Joachim lived less than 5 minutes from my place and so we spent much time together… Thinking about it now - We spent more time with a glass of white wine at the Italians’, at the Greeks’ or at the barbeque than we actually spent working.

Joachim: Martin is a very efficient worker. It all happens very quickly. At the same time he works very thoroughly. He hardly ever wastes any time while at work - That’s how we ended up having enough time in between working sessions to have a coffee or tea together.
Martin: It all started as on our second last album we recorded a duet, called, “Kein Weg zu weit” … That was the first touch point with singing in German for my band. A duet with Joachim Witt in English just felt like nonsense to me. Because of Joachim I had the idea to record one or two albums in German. He was the reason that I dared to sing something in German; wrote songs in German - And since the “Nimmermehr” album we often have worked together. Sometimes more, sometimes less intensively. It’s great to work with Joachim, as he really is a master of the words, as everyone knows, and he has one of the most outstanding voices. When he opens his mouth at the microphone, you immediately know it’s him. That’s something that always amazes me. When we did the first recordings together, whenever he left the studio, I was like: “Holy crap, I have samples of Joachim Witt here on my computer!” – I was really flashed.

Joachim: That’s funny, as you of course don’t perceive it that way yourself.

Martin: I know a few stars, but with you it’s different - You’re both a star and a friend. That’s something really special. You’re a really, really nice guy.

Chris: I think it’s a good thing that you don’t perceive it that way yourself. I also always find it kind of strange, for example when Martin earlier addressed me as an “aspiring young star” - I don’t really know how to deal with that, as I don’t see myself like this. Or when I read something of that kind in articles or interviews, I often think: “Strange, that’s actually me they’re writing/talking about there”.

Martin: I can afford to call you that, because I was there when you guys have not been anyone yet.

Chris: You have a big part in the fact that we made it to where we are now. The support tour with your band was the first kick-off.

Martin: And our conversations in the night liner about how to optimize things…

Chris: These are still helpful to this day.  

Martin: Seeing, that your recent album made it to the Top 10, I think to myself: “See, you had a good sense for that.”

Chris: That’s good. I’m happy about that.

Lotto King Karl: Martin, I’d like to ask you to smoke some more, as the smoke gives the whole situation some mystical touch.
You already mentioned it: Top 10 is a topic.  Your last 3 albums made it to the Top 10. How did it feel to make the decision to do something in German? Usually people describe that as something really complicated. With us it was the other way around, we did some songs in English because it just happened - It started with a benefit album, which was released in the US and thus it didn’t make any sense to make a song in German for that. How was it in your case then? Were you afraid that some fans might consider it as some kind of “betrayal”? Some bands failed, because they changed the language. This has happened with some bands in the whole rock and pop music scene, where they had to face sag because of that.

Martin: We always try to develop ourselves further with each new album. We already had released 7 albums at that point. Then I did the collaboration with Joachim, where I learned a lot from him about how you can also process German in a way that it sounds good - Because it is much more difficult to write lyrics in German without them being cheesy.

Joachim: But you had some really good ideas yourself already.

Lotto King Karl: I dare say, those who write lyrics in German, are close to being a genius.

Martin: At that time it was the right decision, because it was the 7^th album and it was fascinating to me to open a new gate. I was really excited, as I knew how to write lyrics in English, now I learned some new skills. But it didn’t last that long in the end. The 8^th album had German parts also - Now the 9^th one is completely in English.

Lotto King Karl: Would it be an idea to say: “We make the darkest album ever in Latin?”

Martin: Enigma already did that.

Chris: …Also eNomine.

Tilo: Actually it is not that much about being “dark”. As we said earlier, this scene is ever so often seen as all dark. You (meaning Martin) also mentioned the sadness. It’s more about us humans - We have various facets. Everyone wants to party sometimes, but we all need to have the chance to withdraw from time to time also. Everyone needs to reflect themselves at times. Needs to find out, who he really is. And I get the feeling - And I think you also meant the same thing earlier (meaning Chris), when you said: You didn’t feel alone, as you heard “your” kind of music. Through making this music I can play with open cards towards myself. I don’t need to somehow hide my feelings away or completely suppress them. For example recently I was at a concert; there were a lot of bankers there. And it was absolutely awesome to see how these people suddenly switched. They all wore suits and ties, but suddenly they became different characters - They used faecal language, behaved badly, because they for a moment were able to let something out that they normally always had to suppress.

Lotto King Karl: One cannot deduce someone’s musical taste from their profession. I once got to know a banker, who below his basement and below a panic room; had another room, which was all clothed in leather. He asked me questions about music where I really wondered, what he was talking about. That was really surprising. So, I’ve been there, too. Short question to the end of this interview: Is there a chance that the four of you will be on a stage together?

Martin: As I never even considered that we might record a song together, as I never thought that we one day might be sitting here together, that the four of us record a video together, it would be really stupid to say “No.” now. Who knows?

Chris: I just wanted to point out, that over there there’s a stage. *points to a place behind Tilo*

Martin: So far nothing is planned, but there are festivals - Those big scene festivals in Germany, like the M’Era Luna or the Amphi festival, where all of us regularly play shows. So it’s not such an absurd idea actually. The foundation is set, so now I can say: “Guys, we’re all playing on the same festival, listen to the song and then – Let’s do it!” …Or maybe we can also just do it the three of us … Because at that moment one of us is driving around in Switzerland in his Ferrari. Who knows?

Chris: Lamborghini.

Lotto King Karl: Maybe he is on the way to his Ferrari – in the Lamborghini.

Martin: *towards Tilo* Are you living in Switzerland by chance?

Lotto King Karl: You are Swiss, right?

Tilo: I am Swiss. I have a Swiss passport. There have been times, when I wasn’t able to get my grocery shopping done unnoticed anymore in Germany. I don’t make music to be famous; I make music to express my feelings. I couldn’t cope with suddenly being the centre of attention.

Martin: Didn’t you want to be famous?

Tilo: No, not at all. Look, for 3 years I have been working in the studio and I refused to go on stage - I didn’t want it and I didn’t dare to.

Martin: When I was a child, I absolutely wanted to become famous. That was totally important to me, to be honest. Meanwhile I noticed that it can also be annoying sometimes, but back then that was a real compulsion for me.

Lotto King Karl: I want to close here with a compliment to you (Joachim) … You know, people often can tell, where they were when for example President Kennedy died, etc. And I still remember how I went to the record store back then to buy your record “Der goldene Reiter”. The shop owner stood there as I came in and every time he would say: “I’m sorry, sold out already”. Every single day after school I would ride my bike there, planning to buy that album - And again I got told: “Sorry, sold out.”

I wish every one of you, that all your records get sold out. Hmmm, how do you say goodbye in the internet? We’ll meet again soon anyway. Maybe we should all consider creating a YouTube channel with make -up tutorials?

Chris: We have that already.

Lotto King Karl: You have that already?

Martin: What’s the name of that channel? Chras Hirms make-up tips?

Chris: Exactly that, yes.

Lotto King Karl: Ok, well, then everyone go watch that channel as often as possible.

Chris: You need to watch at least 30 seconds, otherwise the click doesn’t count. You can use several tabs and several browsers at once though.

Martin: There you can notice that he’s young - He knows about that crap.

Chris: And thus we are back to where we started from - The circle is complete.  

Lotto King Karl: A good moderator tries to do it that way.

Chris: You did really well.

Lotto King Karl: Good luck to you all, many thanks that I could learn a thing or two here with you, it was very interesting.

Martin: Thanks to you.

Lotto King Karl: Any famous last words?

 

Martin: Maybe, if I get another coffee. Coffee break!

 

 

Translation: Margit Güttersberger

Proofreading: Sandy Bollig