Date: 11/1/25

Mood: stressed

Listening to: Starfuckers, Inc. - Nine Inch Nails

Translation excerpts: Achtung wir kommen

Achtung wir kommen

"Ich such die DDR", that song is something I couldn't take listening to anymore. When it happened, it was a joke. "We misplaced it", it was fun for about half the year. It was a joke. "I'm looking for the DDR nobody knows where it is." And then after six months passed, the joke was ruined. Then the song became more connected to the moment in time. You can't say after three years "I'm looking for the DDR" which nobody seeks anymore. Because I already know where it was. It's gone. (laughs)

You're made into some scapegoat because they can't all cope in the West. And you do have to cope. It's like someone's in shit knee deep and saying — never mind stupid comparison. (laughs) At some point you have to just buy some rubber boots and then keep going.

Aljoscha said, "I'm going to the USA. I'll go a month earlier. Do some concerts there, a tour. You come after. Then we'll play there." And I said, "wonderful. we do it." Aljoscha arrives but he doesn't go alone. He goes with cutie Jeannina and then goes on a vacation. Attends some English lessons, and goes to a sauna at a fitness center. And when we arrive, he was very refreshed and could speak some more English. But I wasn't at the concert, obviously [unknown words to me] We arrived like that. Sat there like this. It's been four days. Then five days. Then we bought a car, a band car which is what we always did. So he was always the head and we were the feet. We had to get the band car. Which we've now bought and made sure the stuff like the amps, guitars, and whatever arrived. We invited him to join and then we set off. And then slowly he became Aljoscha again, like after [words] day. [I don't know it sounds like "ims" or "emsee" which makes no sense to me I wondered if it was Hiddensee but it doesn't seem right for how he says that in the f&S footage.]

(music from cassette)
Paul: This cassette is called idea-[nie? knie? nee?]-test. So that's what we take in the room (pats thigh), what we take [words I don't know]. (music plays) I understand the pressures. To come back from vacation after some months [words I don't know], so we say we've already finished the record. And the mind had to say, "no that can't be right." I don't get it. [words I don't know] to think, "okay then now we'll get this record going." That's what we're going to do and what we're thinking. But it wasn't — it was so... ugh [trails off]

Flake: It's like when you're gone for a year and then you come back and your wife says, "I'm having twins."
Paul: Good songs. (takes out tape, puts on table) [In Berlin dialect lmao. Maybe that's why his previous words are so hard on me.]

Paul: I just want to say, it looks like we left Feeling B. Not true. They [he? er?] left Feeling B.
Flake: They/he was fed up with the world. Thought it was all over with. Thought something was happening. (overlaps Paul speaking)
Paul: That we're going to play with Rammstein, that —
Flake: They/he didn't know things about Rammstein yet. (overlapped with Paul who stops)
Flake: That Feeling B ended, and that everything is collapsing. Oh please, what kind of people are they? (Paul laughs) What's going on with them? (laughs)
Paul: This is perfectly normal.

Flake: If I had my choice, I'd do that type of thing. Now comes "Porno." (moan noises on cassette)
Paul: This is so disgusting, Flake. (noise plays)(laughing)
Flake, laughing: I find it disgusting too.

Even I can't listen to something like that for everything in the world. I'm getting rendered fat. (they laugh harder)

Like butter in my hair.

(Paul listening to cassette having a good time) (turns off tape)

So that's that. (takes out tape) That's Paul alone. Did you notice how [words I don't know]? But each one, counting by hand: Till is for example strong. Alone (I) prefer it really strong. Scholle prefers groovy music (makes noises to be Richard). Schneider is into heavy metal. Olli is more into funky stuff. (makes Olli noises) It's entirely different.

I'd say that [Feeling B] was funny and innocent. And Rammstein is not innocent nor funny.

Let me explain. Rammstein is like a table. Everyone eats something. It's something different that they really enjoy. And then they shit it out. It's the best shit. Rammstein is the best.

Oh, yeah? (imitates keyboard) That's half tempo. (listens) It's wrong. Believe me.

Someone else: (something) it's correct.

Paul: That's at half tempo. (keyboard noises) (unintelligible back and forth) These aren't the only violins (?), right? The others are (unknown words). Join in with the others. (he leaves chair)

(Flake speeds up. Now Paul is happy. Till drinks his coffee realizing it's too early in the morning for these clowns.)

Flake: We're playing slower than before. (laughs) It's hard yeah, in our old age. That's a difference. It's won't be chaotic anymore. Take it easier, everyone.
Paul: That's ridiculous whatever that's about.
Flake: (hard words) it's slower.
Paul: Yeah, so that makes it louder. So the notes have more time, you know? (unknown) the notes never jump ahead (?) to the speaker. The next comes, and you push it aside. (this part was hard idk)
Flake: It's like shoving a bunch of French fries in your mouth. You can't chew. (they both laugh)
Paul: Exactly. You have to eat them one after the other anyway. And after you eat one, eat the next. That's not an issue.

The band reaches a point when they play for more than a few people. They reach the point of having to consider: do we play in the band now, or are we doing this on the side? There's two choices. You can do it amateurishly, on the side. You have purpose in life, and make music on the side. Or you have purpose here [in music] and make music here. Is that incorrect?

Guy: No. Correct.

It's extremely rare that each individual in a band is what they portray themselves to be on the outside. Whenever people see a strong band like us, they'd think (unknown word). Maybe someone who had spent years [unknown words] would be tired of it.

Paul is the kind of guy who takes initiative. Who takes care of arrangements. He's a harsh critic for example, especially when it comes to lyrics. And I usually sing with Paul, for example.

"The thing is, right now we realize I am more talented in writing music, and he’s more talented in producing. Right now, his biggest talent is telling you when you’re shitty. When I bring a song to the band and he hears it, Paul will just say, “It’s not good. Try it again.” He is real good at finding your weakness. We’ve been together for years, so we all know each other’s strength and weakness."

"I worked with Paul, when I did my first band. He was the producer and engineer. I liked how he thought about the music. He was my other part."

When I met Paul twenty years ago, I thought he was a very rude guy. He joked about everyone, regardless of whether he knew them or not. He immediately noticed the weaknesses of a person and ridiculed that. It was like being shot out of a cannon, and I didn't like it at all. Now I think he is a good guy. He is always ready to help.