Episode MnsNQ_TPXdQ

0:10HostWelcome to Interceptor Beyond Podcast. My name is Arthur and today we have Kugans Blau as a guest. The interview was recorded on 27th of January, 2024. Recorded at the arena in the green room as usual. The guys were awesome and are awesome and the gig was really great. So thank you for that. Julian, the photographer is also there. You might hear him in the background. What else? It was awesome. Don't forget to follow the podcast on any platform for choice, leave a rating, follow on Instagram at Interceptor Beyond.

0:40GuestIf you dig it. Anyways, let's talk to Kugans Bluff. Hello, here is Willy from Kugans Bluff and also Charlie is here with us and let's do it again. No. Why? I'm Charlie from Kugans Bluff. Yeah, exactly. Hey, and I'm Willy from Kugans Bluff. No cutting out. It's going to be all great. So guys, first of all, we're recording at Arena in the backstage. Your band members are here also.

1:10HostYou just came, we're fucking cold, drinking beer. First of all, congrats on the release of the album, which happened yesterday, right? What's the name of the album? Ballada is the name. Perfectly. So that I don't have to say the name pronunciation. Ballada, ballada, ballada. What's the translation again?

1:31GuestBallada is a word from the Portuguese. It's like dancing to have a party like this.

1:38HostWhat kind of party? When you say this word, what kind of party do you have in your head?

1:45GuestThe thing is, you can check out our album cover.

1:50HostI don't give a shit. No, no, no. Try to explain it with words. What do you mean?

1:54GuestYeah, it's just the music. You can dance. You have a good feeling.

1:59HostYeah, so I can tell you because it came out. No, but the single ballada came out earlier, right? Or it came out yesterday. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So when I was, when the whole album, because I had time from yesterday till today to listen to it, I was surprised because it was different from what you have, what you did before. But at the same time, it's you, of course, but it's different, right? Exactly how you describe it. Joyful, dancing, positive. I would say more 70s Captain Beefheart kind of stuff.

2:37?Do you think so? Maybe not.

2:42HostYes, I think so. What I mean is like, it's more confident. It's more confident and who you are. No?

2:50GuestNo, maybe.

2:50HostHave you thought about this? I mean, I know, for example, okay, I heard in the interview, for example, you have a cover, right? You have a cover of the song One More Time, right? Yeah, yeah.

3:00?Yes.

3:00HostAnd it was the bass, right? So you took the song and you used it as a bass for artists.

3:06GuestYes, it was the first song we prepared in the rehearsal room. And then, yeah, this was the beginning of the recording session. And then we tried to make more covers, but we were more and more bored during this covering songs. And then we started to write own songs. But the spirit of this One More Time was, yeah, the bass meant the basic of everything. I don't know why, but it came out that this was a strategy for this album.

3:44?All right. So why did you choose that song? What was about this song that you chose as a strategy for the thing?

3:52HostIs it the feel? Is it desperation? Anger? Love?

3:58GuestWe discussed which song we could make. And every one of us had a song he wanted to play. And Clement says, One More Time would be a good decision. And then we started to play the song. It was not so difficult. But in the end, it sounds like us. And it was really cool. And then we recorded during a rehearsal session. And then we put it aside. And then we made some more songs. And in the end, we've discovered this song new. We found it and said, OK, maybe this is a good idea to put it on the album. But when we listen to the song, more of the songs have this sound, this feeling and this energy. I think this was the thing with the song. And in the end, we made some more cover songs. But only this, what has it believed? Survived. Survived, yeah.

4:52HostYeah, but, OK, so, for example, the songs that didn't survive. We don't need to talk about them. But what, why didn't they survive? Because they were, like, not too energetic. For example, it was not enough for your, like, concept of what you wanted to play in this album. Well, actually, was there, like, a concept? OK, in this album, we will play happy, funky balladah songs. When did, and the question, when did Balladah come, came as a song and as an album title, in which process? When did you understand that you want to make funky music?

5:26GuestThe song Balladah was first and the album title was the last, I think. Also, we started with the song and with other songs. And this feeling from Balladah as a dancing, love, singing and such is more an accident, I think. It's not a concept album, is it? No, it's not a concept album.

5:48HostThe whole album is an accident, it's just a bunch of random songs.

5:52GuestThis feeling, the cover, it was, it was, how do you say it? A lucky coincidence.

6:01HostIt was a lucky coincidence.

6:03GuestYeah, that everything fits together with the title and the cover and the songs.

6:10HostWhat was the emotion, the bass emotion? Yeah. Because I feel, for example, if we take the previous album, there's a different emotion. I feel there's a little bit more sharp edges.

6:30?The Metronopolis. Yes.

6:32HostA little bit of more. This one is more softer. It's like even the album cover, you know, it's like more funky, dancey, you know. And Metronopolis was like, okay, Space Odyssey, 2001, caveman type of music.

6:50GuestI think it feels more serious. Now? No, the Metronopolis was more serious. Yes, yes, yes. And the ballada is more, yeah, it has a different, more summer feeling. But on the opposite, the lyrics are not so happy like the music.

7:08HostWell, the thing is, I heard that you said that in the interview before, I tried to listen to the lyrics. But it was not easy to listen to the lyrics, not because, but because I had to pay attention to it too much. I didn't have enough time to properly process it. What about the lyrics are like, for example, can you choose like a song that's like really different from previous album and this album that defines the difference between the freaking albums?

7:37GuestThe thing is with the lyrics, the best idea. Who writes the lyrics? Yeah, Clemens, and he's not here. He disappeared.

7:43HostSo you can talk shit about him, okay.

7:47GuestYeah, I think that are really personal themes, like depression on the one hand and to be with this climate activists, yeah, to be on this side and to say it's a good idea to go on the streets and demonstrate for climate that we could more, yeah, think about our nature and all this environmental stuff. And yeah, there are some lyrics and there are some about losing your home to go away from where I really like to live, such things. Yeah, but the thing is, I cannot say so much about the lyrics because Clemens wrote this. I don't know only the main topics and the main ideas, but I cannot go directly into it.

8:41HostHow does usually the process go? You write the music and lyrics come later or the lyrics go in the process?

8:47GuestYeah, first the music, we start with the music and in the end the lyrics come to the songs.

8:53HostIt's just really hard, actually. Or not, you wouldn't agree?

8:59GuestI think it's really hard for him.

9:03HostYeah, that's what I mean. I mean, if you have already a music with a rhythm that you need to put something, stuff in it, and especially if you haven't discussed any emotions behind the music, and you're responsible for the shit that you need to put on it, and make it really deep, so the people read into it, if they want to read into it. Super hard. Clemens, respect. Yeah.

9:26GuestBut we tried it. You always say it's hard. We tried it the other way around, to start with the lyrics and play the music hand in hand, but it doesn't work for this band. We tried it, but it doesn't work. So we started again to make music, and then the lyrics come next.

9:43HostYeah, well, like the band 2, they do the same thing. So, I mean, there's no right way. It's just, if it works, it works.

9:50GuestBut they have enough time.

9:52HostYou had four years since 2000. When? When did you?

9:56GuestWhen it was Corona, it doesn't count.

9:59HostYeah, but okay, okay. I mean, okay, let's talk about the production of the album. Okay, so the last album was in 2020, Metronopolis, right? So, of course, there was Corona, of course, there's a lot of shit in between, but what was, like, how did you decide to write it? What was the base, you know, like, the process, and where did you write it? In Berlin?

10:21GuestYes, the problem was... No.

10:23?Yes and no.

10:24GuestNo, we wrote it in... In Leipzig. In Leipzig, in my studio. I remember. It's such a long time.

10:30HostYou mixed it and recorded it. Yes, yes.

10:34GuestYes, the problem was, we released Metronopolis. We went on tour, and it was really good, and then came the lockdown, and we had this

10:42?album. We released it three months before the lockdown came, so we were not ready to do new music. So we waited for a while, maybe the shows, we can play more shows of the tour, and waited and waited and waited, and after, I think, one year, we decided to rehearse. I think one year, yeah. And then we started to rehearse in Charlie's studio in Leipzig, and during this first rehearsal, we wrote one song. This Norma Brothers, I think was the first one we wrote. And then we decided to make a cover record with cover songs, and yeah, and doing the lyrics in German, to take English songs and to translate it into German. And like we did it with a heart full of soul, so we made a German version, and there was an idea to make a little EP and something like this, and we met in the rehearsal room and

11:41Guestwe made this one song one more time, and not one more time, No One Brothers.

11:45HostThe one that didn't go into the album.

11:48GuestYeah, yeah. No, it is on the album.

11:51?Yeah.

11:52GuestWhich one?

11:53?No One Brothers.

11:55HostOkay, okay. It's also a cover, and who is the original?

11:58GuestNo, no, it's not a cover. No, no. It's not a cover. No, no. It's not a cover. No, no. It's not a cover. All right.

12:03HostThere's only one cover, right?

12:05?On the album.

12:06GuestYes, one more time.

12:07HostOne more time is a cover. The rest is original songs. All right. I got it. But it's all fresh. It's all fresh. It's all fresh. It's not written, like, on Discogs through the credits, you see? Really?

12:23HostNot yet. At least that's how I... Don't look like too much into my notes.

12:29GuestNo One Brothers. Yes. This is the one. Yeah. I know. It's your song.

12:35HostNo. Just copy-pasted the stuff from the press release from your label. And this is from Wikipedia. And I added one stuff.

12:43?Oh.

12:43HostAre you looking for mistakes? Everything's great.

12:45GuestNo, no. It's okay. But it's not the right...

12:47HostI forgot to mention that I like the album a lot. No, no. But really, like... And I also, like... Because the album came out yesterday. And I was working during my day job. And I gave it to my boss. And he liked it also. So... Oh, thank you very much. Like... At least two people... Like... Like it. So, officially. No... Without Spotify bullshit. Right? Streams, for sure. We got together, like, at least 40 streams. For sure. How was the process of the album? Did you change anything technically? Choose some different kinds of mooks? Synth? Analog tape? Switch the tracks upside down in the Cubase?

13:34GuestLess than on the previous records. It's really... Pure. The whole record... The sound and the sound effects... The aesthetic is pretty pure. Without any... Shiggy-miggy thing. Like... Tape loops and... Space. It's... It's... Mixed analog.

14:01?Mixed analog?

14:02GuestYeah. I mix it... I mix it analog.

14:05HostYou don't hear it often.

14:07GuestBut... Yeah. With... I have... Outboard equipment and mixing board... Mixing console. And... It's recorded... Not to tape... But to... D... D... D... A... Digital? Yes. Digital. Yeah. But you mix it on your analog... Mixing console. Mix it on my... On my... Soundcraft console.

14:30HostDid you do anything crazy? Like... Like playing the sound... In a... Space... And then recording it... From the space... In the end. You know? Like when you have a record... You play the sound on the big speakers... In empty space... In like a huge auditorium... And then you record it... With a super sensitive microphone... To make it as if...

14:52GuestI tried it once... In our rehearsal room... I... I... Use the... The... The floor... For... For... Natural... Reverb... But... Not on... An album... From us... What I did... Often... Is... The drums... To put on a... Tape machine... To distort it... A little bit... Or... Tape effect... Tape echoes... On... On tape... Something like this... Or... Flanging effects... With the tape machine... Not with the... Uh... Effect unit... But with the... Original tape machine... And then slow down the... Tape and...

15:32?By hand...

15:33GuestBy hand... By hand... Yes...

15:36GuestYeah... But on the new album... I... Didn't... Use... Much of this... Effect... It's really pure... It's...

15:46HostStraight... So how you played it... Pretty much... No... It's all in the freaking fingers... And...

15:52GuestNo... Yes...

15:54HostHumans... Humans for the win...

15:56GuestYes... Mostly record the basic tracks... As the three-piece... By his bass guitar and drums... And then we... Yeah... We rehearse the songs... Then we record it... And then we have the basic tracks... And after that we... Made the sandwich technique... And... Put all the stuff on it... But... Really important I think... For our records is... To... To... Play it in one room... And have this... Feeling... To be together... Making music... And I think it's really good... I think in the first... EP... We tried to make it as a sandwich... To make drums... And... All the stuff... But... It worked out that this band work... Works as in... Live... Yeah... Live... Okay...

16:37HostSo basically... As close to the live band you can get... The best in recording... And... Yeah... In recording and everything... Right? How did you celebrate... The release of yesterday's album? Did you celebrate at all? Like from yesterday... Did you... Because you came here from... Where? From München? From Munich... I mean... Yeah... So...

16:59GuestWe had a show... This was a second show of the tour... We started... One day before... The record came out... In Nuremberg... And then we had a really good show in Munich... It was crowded... And... We made a really good concert... Because the concert before was really... Strange... To... We had a lot of technical problems... But in... Munich... During this release day... Was perfect... Really good audience... We had a good sound on stage... And... Had a really good concert... And... After that we went to a disco... And had a lot of... Beer and... Dance...

17:31HostDisco? You went to a disco?

17:32GuestYeah... Went to a disco...

17:33HostThat's how you call it... The... The...

17:52?The...

17:53HostAll right guys... Uh... Don't want to bother you too much... Which song should I put at the end of the... Interview... From the new album... As a good introduction to your band...

18:03?Farewell...

18:04GuestTo the healer... Watching the stars...

18:43?In an open field... Of grief...

18:57GuestBy the sea...

19:55GuestOf... Has swallowed...

21:00GuestAs a knob...