My close friends and I were finally treated to something we have wanted
to see for quite some time on October 27. We went to see two of our
favorite bands, playing together at the same venue, and for once it was
not in Tampa. I heard about Haujobb and Hocico going on tour about two
months before the show date, so I had plenty of time to get all in a
fuss about when and where I was going to see them. So, after a fast
drive up to Atlanta and a mass of confusion trying to find our hotel, I
went down with my friend Lee to The Masquerade for a pre-show interview
with the industrial legend and front man of Haujobb, Daniel Myer.
Daniel Myer – Hey, what’s up?
Movement Magazine - Hey, wow nice Radiohead sticker [on his laptop].
Yes I like. Hang on one second [finishes writing out a song on his
laptop].
So, how is the tour going so far?
Well, this is only the third city right now. We’re just getting started,
but I guess it’s not too bad.
I was going through my catalog of all your releases and I just wanted
to see if I have them correct. Let’s see, I have Haujobb, of course,
Cleen, Cleaner, Clear Vision, HMB, Newt, and Architect, plus a couple of
various remixes and one release you did with Funkstorung and I was just
curious, for fans like me, if there was anything we might be missing.
Well, there are a lot of drum n bass things that I have done, and a sort
of dub house or minimal house thing called Activist. I also did some
work on form and function, more drum n bass stuff. I think that’s pretty
much it.
When is the new album going to be released?
I hope in March, I mean it’s done now; it’s mastered, so I think it will
be either March or April.
What’s the title?
It’s called Vertical Field.
Most of the people I know really like the transition you made from
the minimal song writing for the Ninety- Nine release to the more dance
oriented Polarity album. Is that what we can expect for the new release?
Yes, it’s a more dance album I would think. It’s not like future
pop…crap [whole room laughs]. It’s more like harder dance stuff, very
heavy, very techno, maybe a little bit like Underworld. I don’t know.
It’s very good.
I‘m going to have to skip questions, I was going to ask this last but
since you brought it up... how do you feel about the future pop bands
that do nothing more than write trendy songs over simple beats just to
make a buck?
I wrote a track on the Penetrations maxi, there’s a mix called "Future
Fuck". (laughs) It’s so simple to do .You just write an arpeggio line,
drop in a bass and a snare and… people dance to it. It becomes a fucking
hit. I just don’t get it. It’s the only thing that gets airplay in the
clubs.
Well most of the people I know really don’t like it all that much. It
gets a little old.
See I think most people do like it, because it’s so simple. I mean
people love VNV Nation, and everything that’s basically like VNV Nation.
Lee: How was the Tampa show?
Oh man Tampa was fucked up! Very, very bad!
Lee: Yeah I heard you guys didn’t have fun last time when you played
with VNV.
Yeah but this time was worse. We played three or four songs and there
was no response from the audience. And then I was begging them to tell
me what they wanted, so we played two requests. Then I just went off
stage and I was so fucking pissed I was trashing the back stage with
water bottles. God I was so pissed!
Alex: Yeah it can be like that in Tampa. When we went down to see you
on the
VNV tour it was the same. The crowd just kind of stood there waiting for
VNV to come on.
Lee – Yeah in the house of Ronan. (room laughs)
Alex: Are you planning on doing any more of your I.D.M. style of music
like
with what you did for the Ninety –Nine album?
Yes, the new Architect is done. It’s kind of like that style.
I’ve noticed a lot of drum n bass in your recent song writing. Are
there any tracks on the new album with that influence?
We always use the beat structure, but this time not so much to that
tempo. It’s more like 100 to 140.
So you use the standard break beat, just not at 180(BPM)?
Yah, pretty much.
Are you going to go back on tour as a DJ?
I hope so. Yes. I am going to start on the booking I think when I’m done
with this tour. If I see some places that I like then I’ll ask the
promoters if they want me to come back as a DJ.
Lee – So what kind of equipment are you using for your music?
This is it right here (holds up his laptop)
Lee – That’s all you work with?
Right now, yes.
Lee– That’s amazing.
Alex – Last question. Over the last two years it’s seems the every month
or so a new cd would come out with the words Daniel Myer in the jacket.
Do you plan this year to be as productive?
I think we worked pretty hard the last two years. In 2000 I had so much
going on between industrial and drum n bass labels that the people got
kind of tried of me. So I have slowed down. I did a couple of remixes
over the last few months. But I’m being more selective of who I do
remixes for. I did a mix for Stromkern and a band called Alpha Matrix.
But I’m definitely being more selective and making sure to only work
with the bands I like.
