Chris Pohl - I think the bands I signed are quite good but don't understand the business

Somewhere in the midst of the nineties I got a few demos (tapes) from a new Berliner project called Terminal Choice. I remember the way I immediately got enthusiastic about the dark electro sound of this band, which I highly recommended in my reviews. Terminal Choice got rapidly signed (on the Finish label Cyberware Productions) becoming an instant success! 15 years after his official debut release Chris Pohl definitely belongs to the most famous and recognized electro-underground artists from the scene. Next to Terminal Choice he set up a few more successful projects like Seelenkrank, Tumor, Miss Construction and of course Blutengel! Having always been a very prolific artist I got the idea to make a kind of 'retrospective' interview asking Chris about all his projects and experiences. It became a quite interesting and informative quest where we went in search about all these projects... and also about a few less famous projects Chris has been involved too (like Waldgeist and Pain Of Progress). (By Stéphane Froidcoeur)

SL: What did you keep in mind from the years before your first official release (cf. Terminal Choice: "Totes Fleisch"-MCD) in 1995?

CP: Oh good question.... Collecting money for buying expensive equipment... Producing some Tapes.... Going to DJs with my own burned cd and asking them to play a song... Going to some labels, but everybody told me that there will be no chance for my music.....

SL: I already mentioned you very first official release under the Terminal Choice moniker. "Totes Fleisch" directly became a kind of club-hit so how do you look back on this first success and what did this song mean to you?

CP: When I hear it today, it's really strange cause my music has changed dramatically.... The sound is sooo bad and my voice is kind of shit... BUT it was my first hit and it brought me into the big business... So I am thankful I produced this song.

SL: In a very short lapse of time Terminal Choice became an established name in the dark electro scene so according to you what made the success of this project?

CP: I really don't know... Maybe the fact, that I always did what I liked without looking to all the other bands... Not copying other bands.... I've been always true to myself and to my music.... And there is no other band sounding like Terminal Choice. All new bands try to sound like other established acts... They want to fit in a genre like hellelectro.... If u wane fit in there, there are so many restrictions and you can not be free... That's why all new bands sound the same. I never did this and maybe that's the reason for my success.

SL: The new album of Terminal Choice (cf. "Ubermacht") comes after nearly 4 years of silence. What makes this long silence and Terminal Choice being your first band, isn't it always a bit different and special to release a new Terminal Choice-album?

CP: Well I had a lot of work with Blutengel and Miss Construction. And I had a time, when I did not know, how to go on with Terminal Choice. The last album was ok, but it was so different. I produced it with Louis and he had a big influence... It was not me... I liked it and it was cool, but it was not really me...

So I was thinking about a way to make a new album and we tried, writing songs, but it was crap... So I decided to do it the 'old way', writing the songs myself and just giving them away for the guitar parts. So no one had a big influence on the songs. To achieve this release took a long time because I'd to be free of mind to start writing the songs. It was not just because I had to produce a new album...

SL: Just after the debut-CD (cf. "In The Shadow Of Death") of Terminal Choice you also launched the debut-CD of Seelenkrank, which was like the first side-project! This project revealed a kind of fetish/SM image while musical wise a more melodious approach! Why did you feel to express these themes and why did you finally stop Seelenkrank just after 2 albums?

CP: I liked this fetish thing and so I created Seelenkrank cause it was only dealing with this subjects and it was melodious, yeah... Not that hard as Terminal Choice. I stopped Seelenkrank to get out of the bad contract. It was easier to stop it instead of fighting for my rights. I also took the chance to change my style because at this point I was fed up with the fetish scene. It was a good time but I did not want to carry on with this subjects so I only had to change my name into BLUTENGEL and I also changed the style. It was perfect to me and a new beginning....

SL: I noticed in a way you brought Seelenkrank back alive in 2006 featuring the "Meister Der Verbotenen Träume" on the "Enemy Territory"-sampler. I guess a lot of younger fans this way discovered Seelenkrank, but what was the main reason for this 'resurrection'?

CP: It was no resurrection at all. We just released the cd's again on my own label and I thought it was a good idea to make a new version of this song. Yeah, indeed I thought about reanimating the project but... no, this would have been no good idea... not at this time... J

SL: I guess Tumor was your 3rd project, the debut "Neues Fleisch" being released in 1998. You here walked on a more electro-industrial sound, but what have been the main influences and musical ideas of the early Tumor period?

CP: Bands like Dive and Klinik! I liked to have a pure industrial project without vocals, a kind of club music... the music I like to play as a DJ.

SL: "Welcome Back Asshole!" released in 2005 was the ultimate Tumor-album, which I personally experienced as taking some distance with the 'brute' and industrial influence from the early releases. Did you feel it was like time for a change and why did you finally stop this project?

CP: Yes, I was finally bored by this kind of music so we did this album. It was different, but more successful. I stopped it because Blutengel took so much time. I didn't want another electro project with vocals even though the people liked it. But I kind of reanimated Tumor with Miss Construction. Gordon is my singer and I just have to do the music, which is cool!

SL: Musical wise I experienced Tumor as your 'easiest' or 'less complex' project to date and maybe the most different one in your career (being used to hear more elaborated stuff from you). How did it feel to you?

CP: Yes, you are right I feel it the same way! Just fun and dance... easy... tumor!

SL: Another project you've been involved in was Waldgeist, but we only get 2 releases (cf. 2 maxi's "Rumpelstilzchen" and "Der Schläghter" released in 1999 and 2000). What was Waldgeist all about?

CP: It was a big shit^^ I think I was drunken! I never told some one that it was me... I never appeared on pictures, but they get me^^ man, it was crap but maybe the idea for Miss Construction!

SL: You say it was a 'big shit' but the MCD "Der Schläghter" got a honest club response, but we unfortunately never got a full length album from Waldgeist! Did you feel like everything was said just after "Der Schläghter"?

CP: Everything was said after these songs. I was not interested in a full length cd even though the label was interested.

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SL: In a way it was for sure a judicious choice to stop Seelenkrank to set up Blutengel at the end of the 90s! Musical- and lyrical wise it all sound like you went in search of something new and even more melodic than Seelenkrank, right?

CP: I am always searching for something new and yeah it was a good chance again to change the style and the lyrics as well.

SL: The input of vocalist Constance Rudert has been for sure contributing to Blutengel's success, but how did you met her and what's her real input in Blutengel?

CP: Hmm, well she was my girlfried and Blutengel was running with my ex-girlfriend. So I asked her to sing for Blutengel and it was cool so I put her in the band.

SL: In which way do you feel Blutengel as being more important than any other project and this because of a bigger success?

CP: Sure, it's a fact that it brings the money, but as a musician you need money to produce cd's. But it's not the main reason. Blutengel is my most intimate and private project. I can tell what I feel and what I think and it seems that people like it. It's a kind of therapy to me.

SL: I can imagine you get used with Blutengel to perform in front of a big crowd, playing at the biggest festivals, but how does it feel to see and hear all the fans singing the songs with the band and what have been your best live experiences?

CP: It's always unbelievable. I don't take it as a guarantee. It's cool when performing in front of 1000 people that are singing all together. Festivals are not that cool. There are more people, that's right, but it's better when 1000 people are coming just to see you.... It's a gift.

SL: Blutengel makes me often think to 'melodies and melancholia', 'vampires and sensuality', 'image and darkness' and last, but not least 'gothic and electronics'! What do you recognize here and can you complete by a few more adjectives?

CP: You already mentioned the important things. Melodies are important... catchy lines to transport the message. Always a little dark and melancholic. That's Blutengel!

SL: Probably your less famous and recognized project you've been involved to remains Pain Of Progress! It all sounded like you wanted to walk on a different style of music... a bit more 'rock'-like! What did you keep in mind from Pain Of Progress?

CP: It was an experiment in which I've been always involved as singer. All other things came from the band. But I had no influence so at least I skipped it. But with the Terminal Choice album "New Born Enemies" we did a rock album in the way I liked. So it was just an experiment with Pain Of Progress.

SL: From all projects you've been involved to I guess Pain Of Progress was the less successful! That must have been totally new and unusual to you? Any explanation why this band remained quite anonymous and would you change some aspects today?

CP: The musicians were good, but they were not into the gothic scene... so it was more college rock. We did not want to create the project around my person so it was not like 'Chris from Blutengel has a new project...' That was the problem and also the strange kind of music.

SL: Pain Of Progress was released on your very own label Fear Section! How was it you finally decided to set up a label and what are your favorite musical tastes?

CP: It's a hobby cause I can't spend that much time on the work. I only pick bands I really like, just a few ones, but they get my full attention. But at the moment I can't make it bigger. I like more rock music... Korn, Rob Zombie, Rammstein....

SL: Are you totally free and independent to do what you want on Fear Section or is there any deeper link and/or agreement with Out Of Line?

CP: We are working together. Out Of Line only gives some tips but no advices. They help me and that's cool so I can use their distributors.

SL: It seems like you always tried to sign new bands on Fear Section, but unfortunately less of them get international recognition! Any explanation here and how does it feel as label owner?

CP: Sad but true! I think the bands I signed are quite good but don't understand the business. They sell some cd's but they don't work hard. But they have to!!!! Just releasing an album is half of the work!

SL: You newest project to date (Miss Construction) has been released on Fear Section and I can imagine it has been the biggest success of Fear Section for so far! Any further plans for Miss Construction?

CP: You are right! Yes we are working on a new album, which should be released this year in summer.

SL: A noticeable song on Miss Construction album "Kunstprodukt" was the cover-version of Terminal Choice's "Totes Fleisch"! After all these years how was it to rework this song for a new project?

CP: Cool... I finally made this gift to Miss Construction. It fits better in the Miss Construction concept than in the new Terminal Choice style and it's a good song AND as u asked some questions before... It was the beginning of my success... J

SL: Chris, I've been always impressed by your huge productivity! Do you know how many songs you've composed for so far and where did you get this never-ending inspiration and creativity?

CP: I really don't know... Many, many songs. I get this inspiration out of life itself. Music is my life... I do music everyday and nothing else.

SL: So in a way music became your job and might we ask you how many albums you've sold for so far (for all projects together)?

CP: I needed more time for my music. After work I was not always able to be creative so I decided in 2001 to concentrate on music. I think all my projects have sold around 200 - 250.000 albums.

SL: Is there any kind of new project (and maybe music style) you still have in mind and what is it all about?

CP: No new project. New style... hmmm...no, but I will again do some experiments on the new album of Miss Construction!

SL: Aren't you really doing other things than only music?

CP: There is no day without music, but in the evening I play online games like WOW.

SL: Last but not least, how would you like to be remind in this underground scene?

CP: One of the biggest underground artists in the world... and one of the best looking J J

Bands: www.terminal-choice.de / www.myspace.com/terminalchoicemusic / www.myspace.com/seelenkrankband / www.myspace.com/tumormusic / www.myspace.com/painofprogress / www.blutengel.de / www.myspace.com/officialblutengel / www.missconstruction.de / www.myspace.com/missconstruction
Label: www.outofline.de / www.fearsection.de