DER KLINKE We have grown into a very strong band live, which means that the demand for performances also grows. Der Klinke has released a new album: ‘Facing Fate’. We have been following the group for a long time but especially since the masterpiece ‘The Unexpected’ from 2017, followed by the strong compilation ‘Decade’ that was to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the formation in 2019.We always looking forward to what Der Klinke does. And yes, ‘Facing Fate’ is also an excellent record, which we wanted to knowmore about. Let's go back to 2019,when you celebrated Der Klinke’s tenth anniversary. You thought then about stopping the band.Nowyou are backwith a verystrong album:‘Facing Fate’.Tell me,why did you want to stop then and why did you decide to continue? Oh, the thought of quitting only occurred for a brief moment. It was more of a thought to change the band name. That would then become … ‘Facing Fate’ but then we ultimately mutually decided not to do that and to use that title as the new album title. ‘Facing Fate’has become a verydark record,even though it contains several danceable and energetic songs. I feel like grief and isolation are important topics. Is there an overarching theme on the record? No, there is no overarching theme but we do ensure that all the songs fit together.We like variety in our music. I find a record where every song sounds the same boring, not to mention groups where every record sounds the same. (laughs) But we think it is very important that everything forms a whole. Songs and ideas that ultimately do not fit may appear on a later release. In 2019, the single‘WhoTo Deny’was released on limited edition vinyl.What was the idea behind this single? And whywas the JohnWolf remixof‘WhoToDeny’included on the newCD, albeit not on the vinyl edition? ‘Who To Deny’ is a song that was finished shortly after the release of‘Decade’.As a vinyl lover,I alsowanted to release a real vinyl single. That’s why it was released as a single. There was no point in putting this or the B-side of that single on the new LP because vinyl lovers already have it. When pressing a vinyl record, you also have to take the time duration of each side into account. On CD, it's a different story. Those who only buy CDs didn't have ‘Who To Deny’ yet. I thought the regular version didn't fit in as well with the whole of ‘Facing Fate’ but the John Wolf Remix fitted perfectly. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 16 - ‘The Shallow Shadow’, a song about saying goodbye to a friend, is also an older song that had already been released to theworld.That also fitted on the newrecord? It’s not really old. It was recorded in 2021.For us, it was the first song for the new record anyway. We announced this to the world with a video clip, in the run-up to a new album. It's always more fun if several songs are already known when the album is released. We work on a new album for an average of two years anyway. The song ‘Dark Night March’ was inspired by a poem by Baudelaire.What made you drawyour inspiration here? The musical basis, the demo, of that song was recorded ten years ago.I rediscovered it by going through old hard drives again. I don't remember how I ended up with that poem by Baudelaire but I do read a lot of poetry. It must have automatically come back to me when I heard the music. I understand that ‘Dance of Liberty’ is about the corona pandemic. Does it describe the yearning for freedom during the tough months of lockdown? No, that's a misunderstanding. I didn't even make that song until October last year. It's more about the feeling that when you dance, go to a party or gig, you are momentarily freed from the maelstrom, from the incessant whirlpool of thoughts and emotions that often dominate me and probably many others as well. I see that the albumhas beenmastered byMartin Bowes of Attrition again. He also recorded some lyrics on ‘Closing In’.You’ve had a long relationship with the man, if I'm not mistaken. How has that collaboration evolved over the years? Indeed, I have personally been friends with him for a long time. I even went to his wedding – in 2011, I think – in Coventry. He married Kerri, who died on 8th January last year. They have both been at my house often, and I have been at theirs too. The story of our friendship could be a book... It started when Der Klinke was on a bill with Attrition at a festival in Portugal, around 2010 or so. The festival turned out to be a scam, orchestrated by someone from a mental institution. ‘The Great Goth'n Roll Swindle’, we called it. Together with the other bands, we started a group on Facebook to share our doubts and do some research. That ‘organizer’ had supposedly released a compilation LP a few months earlier but no one had ever seen it. People who bought these never received them either. Anyway, that's how Martin and I became closer. The
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