KMFDM: The Monsters, Madness and Magic Interview

In a time before I acquired the taste for the extreme styles of music that I enjoy today, there came a point where I felt that what I was listening to just wasn’t cutting it anymore. There were bands I liked but most of them were grown men making music that sounded like it was created by an angsty teen. Thankfully, I had friends that put me on to a genre that was well established and completely new to me.

Industrial was what I had been looking for. Much like Metal, Industrial has many different sub-genres and artists that all brought something different and exciting to a young Nihilist Penguin. While Metal brings to mind many different bands that, depending on who you ask, define the scene, when bringing up its cousin Industrial, there is only one band that is considered synonymous with industrial metal. I’m clearly speaking of the incomparable masters of '“Ultra-Heavy Beat” KMFDM.

Originally started as an art project in the mid-’80s, KMFDM has since gone on to become one of the most iconic and recognizable music acts in the world. The band is currently preparing for an upcoming tour with Ministry and both bands are celebrating the 30th anniversary of "The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste" tour which gave KMFDM invaluable exposure to a US audience. Founder and frontman Sascha Konietzko was kind enough to spend a little time discussing KMFDM’s history and creative process with me.

NP: Hello and thank you for the privilege of speaking with you. I'm sure you guys are very busy preparing for the upcoming tour with Ministry and Front Line Assembly. Would you be so kind as to share with us a little of what goes into those preparations?

SK: Hey there, pleasure's all mine! We're slowly gearing up, discussing set-list stuff, haven't played live since 2017 and are mega-excited. We'll do a European run in May for warm-up, a couple of festivals and some clubs, should be fun!

NP: The album "Paradise" was released last September and is the 21st entry in your discography that spans over 30 years. What was the creative process behind this record like and how has the creative process behind your music changed over the years?

SK: The process has been more or less the same as always. I am sitting in my studio banging bits of audio around for as long as some discernible structure emanates, then I pass it on to Lucia for creative input, perhaps some lyrics and melodies, then it goes to Andy and Andee, our drummer and guitar player, respectively. Once everybody has had their input I finish the mix and that's that. The only thing really different from older days is that we're never in the same room at the same time as a 'band', we're working in a modular and that saves a lot of time and discussions about what's not exactly loud enough ;-)

NP: As stated before, KMFDM has been making their unmistakable style of industrial for over 30 years. In a world where most artists are lucky to just get signed to a label, to what factors would you attribute to KMFDM's staying power?

SK: It's an interesting question. I believe it's a mix of a few things, firstly lots of luck, being at the right place at the right time, it's also a lot of hard work, personal staying power I mean, and it's originality to some extent as well. There's no other band that sounds like KMFDM, and that's a good thing, works for us. It all really got jump-started when Ministry invited KMFDM to open for their 1990 The Mind Tour, we got exposed to large US audiences, hooked up with Wax Trax Records and thus, instantaneously had the proverbial foot in the door.

NP: When not in the studio or on tour, what is life like for the members of KMFDM? Is there any modern music that you enjoy listening to?

SK: It's different for all four of us. Andee lives in NYC and is a very sought after musician, doing gigs with mostly local acts, Andy is in Florida, a parent and session drummer as well as a re-mixer, Lucia and myself are in Hamburg, parents of a teenager and I spend all of my waking time in the studio.

NP: Lastly, what can longtime fans of the band anticipate from your upcoming tour? Are there any songs you're looking forward to playing live?

SK: It'll be FEROCIOUS! I can only imagine how everybody's lid will be blown off on a nightly basis ;-)

NP: Once again, it has been a prestigious honor to speak with all of you. We here at Monsters, Madness and Magic wish you all of the best on the Industrial Strength Tour and look forward to seeing you live.

SK: Oh come on, we're all cooking with water here, aren't we? Thanks for the flattery and looking forward to meeting you guys!

Sascha “KMFDM"

KMFDM’s Paradise is out now on Metropolis Records. The Industrial Strength Tour kicks off this summer.