MNGLXMPLR interview: ‘We have no interest in pretending it’s 1982 again’
Düsseldorf and Electronic music have been inextricably linked for decades. The city has produced a distinctive musical legacy in which experimentation, electronics, minimalism, and a fascination with the future have always been central. It is a history that stretches back to the 1970s and 1980s, when electronic music, with Kraftwerk as its pioneering flagship, was not so much regarded as an exercise in nostalgia, but rather as a way of looking towards the future. It was within this tradition that Mängelexemplar emerged in 2011, simply abbreviated as MNGLXMPLR. The Düsseldorf duo, consisting of Lilli B. and Joa H., found their place in the international underground with a distinctive blend of Minimal-Wave and Electro-Pop. Their name — stripped of its vowels to become the almost cryptic MNGLXMPLR — seems perfectly suited to their musical universe: sleek, unconventional, and just a little elusive. Over the years, MNGLXMPLR have established themselves as a familiar name on the scene, performing at numerous festivals and venues both in Germany and abroad. With their new album, “Neue Zukunft,” released this spring on Infacted Recordings, they continue their exploration of Minimal-Wave, delivering an opus that feels darker, harder, and more intense. I spoke with both protagonists about the album, their musical journey, and the future of MNGLXMPLR. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q: MNGLXMPLR has now been active for more than ten years. Looking back, what are the first thoughts that come to mind? What have been the defining moments or biggest highlights so far, and how would you say the band has evolved over the years?
M:More than ten years… that’s quite a statement. The funny thing is, there was never a ten-year plan. We founded MNGLXMPLR because we wanted to make music. One year became five, five became ten – and suddenly here we are.
There have been intense phases, quiet phases, great shows, frustrating moments, and countless ideas that never made it anywhere. That’s part of it.
The biggest change is probably that we’ve become much more confident in our own musical language. In the beginning, there was more searching and experimenting. Today, we have a much better sense of what feels right for MNGLXMPLR. But we don’t want to turn that into a formula. The moment you know exactly what the next track is going to sound like, things become boring.
There have been many highlights over the years – releases, concerts, travels and encounters that happened through the music. But the biggest highlight is actually very simple: we’re still here. And we’re still curious.
Q: It took several years for “Neue Zukunft” to finally see the light of day. I imagine that period brought about changes – not only in terms of your studio setup, but also in your songwriting and creative process. Could you tell us a little about how you have evolved and how that development shaped the album?
M:“Neue Zukunft” took its time. A lot changed at Carismastudios during those years. The studio evolved, new equipment was added, different projects emerged, and we experimented with different ways of working. Some of those experiments eventually became part of the album. There are tracks that existed for years before they found their final form. We kept coming back to them, changing things, removing things, and sometimes simply leaving them alone for a while.
Our songwriting has become more intuitive over time. We don’t sit down and say, ‘Today we’re going to write a minimal track’. A song can start with a beat, a sound, a voice, or simply a certain mood. The emotional side has also become more important. We wanted the emotion to already be present in the music, rather than being added later through production.
The result has become harder and more direct in some places, but the minimalist foundation has remained. And we have no problem with a few rough edges. For us, perfect doesn’t automatically mean interesting.
Q: What can you tell us about “Neue Zukunft”? What is the central idea or concept behind the album, and how do you look back on the composition, recording and production process today?
M:“Neue Zukunft” is about change and movement. It’s not a concept album in the classic sense. There isn’t one single story that you have to decode. It’s more like a collection of different moods and sides of MNGLXMPLR. Minimalist structures, darker atmospheres, harder sounds and emotional moments. We wanted to preserve these contrasts.
The visual identity also became an important part of the album. For this, we are working with Düsseldorf fashion icon Ela Holscher, fashion designer Michaela Reinhardt-Beron and photographer Thomas Stelzmann. In Düsseldorf, music, fashion, photography and art have always been closely connected. So for us, this connection felt very natural. But we didn’t want to turn it into nostalgia. We have no interest in pretending it’s 1982 again. Düsseldorf has its history. We’re interested in what we can do with it today. This idea is also carried onto the stage. Sound, visuals, fashion and performance should become part of the same atmosphere.
Q: The title “Neue Zukunft” immediately catches the eye – particularly at a time shaped by increasing geopolitical tensions, social uncertainty and war. At the same time, we are entering a new artistic era in which algorithms, AI and digital technologies are increasingly influencing how music is created and consumed. What does the title “Neue Zukunft” mean to you, and how does it reflect your view of the world today?
M:We deliberately wanted a title that looks ahead. There is already enough dystopian language around us. Of course, we see what is happening in the world. War, political conflicts and uncertainty are part of the present. But “Neue Zukunft” is not about resignation. It’s about movement. The future is coming anyway. AI is obviously part of that future and is already changing the way music is created and consumed. We don’t use AI to create MNGLXMPLR. For us, the human process remains essential: writing, playing, recording, making mistakes and changing things.
Electronic music, however, has always been closely connected to technological change. Synthesizers, samplers and computers changed the way musicians work. AI will be another major shift. We don’t think it makes sense to simply accept it blindly or reject it outright. You have to question it. You have to decide what you want to use from it and why. “Neue Zukunft” doesn’t mean that we know what tomorrow will look like. It means that we’re ready to find out.
Q: These days, many listeners focus more on playlists and individual singles than on complete albums. I personally still believe that an album represents a comprehensive artistic statement. Do you think the album format remains relevant in an increasingly fragmented and fast-paced musical landscape?
M:Absolutely. A single can work on its own. But an album gives it context. You can build an atmosphere, create tension and connect tracks that might work very differently as individual singles. That’s important to us. “Neue Zukunft” was made as an album, and the sequence of the tracks matters.
And then there’s the album on vinyl. We like the physical experience. You take the record out of the sleeve, look at the artwork, put it on and listen. Then you turn it over. You can’t really speed that up. And maybe that’s exactly the point. In a world where everything is instantly available, a record forces you to slow down. You can even hold the music in your hands. Artwork, photography, design and music become one shared object. That still has value.
Q: MNGLXMPLR is also very much a live band – you have even played in Belgium three times already. How important are live performances to your identity as a band? How do you transfer the atmosphere of your studio recordings to the stage, and what touring plans do you have in connection with “Neue Zukunft”?
M:Playing live is extremely important to us. The studio is controlled; the stage isn’t. That’s exactly why we like it. We don’t want to simply reproduce “Neue Zukunft” live exactly as it sounds on the record. The live versions are more direct, more physical and sometimes even harder. But the atmosphere has to remain intact. The audience also changes the performance. You can prepare a set, but you can’t prepare a room.
We’ve already played in Belgium three times, and every concert had its own character. That’s one of the reasons we enjoy playing abroad. With “Neue Zukunft”, we want to play a new series of concerts across Europe. Looking towards 2027, we also want to move beyond the classic minimal scene, discover other Electronic scenes and play larger stages.
The visual side will also become more important. Not as decoration, but as part of the performance. Sound, light, fashion, photography and movement should belong together. We don’t want people to simply hear “Neue Zukunft”. We want them to experience it.
Q: You come from Düsseldorf, a city that will forever be associated with KRAFTWERK. To what extent do you still feel this artistic legacy among Electronic artists from the city today? Has Düsseldorf’s musical heritage directly or indirectly influenced your own work?
M:Kraftwerk is unavoidable. If you make Electronic music in Düsseldorf, you grow up with that history. But Düsseldorf is much more than Kraftwerk. DAF, Die Krupps and many other artists developed completely different forms of electronic music. What connects them for us isn’t necessarily a particular sound. It’s an attitude: experimenting, reducing, making music physical, questioning things, and not caring too much whether someone has already invented a genre for it.
We can relate to that a lot. But we don’t want to sound like Kraftwerk, or DAF, or Die Krupps. They’ve already done that – and pretty well.
So our connection to Düsseldorf’s musical history is more indirect. You grow up surrounded by music, art, fashion, photography and clubs. You absorb that environment without necessarily realizing it. And years later, you realize how much of it has stayed with you. So yes, Düsseldorf has influenced MNGLXMPLR. But we don’t want to become a heritage band. We respect the past, but musically, we live in the here and now. Look back. Take with you what matters. Keep moving forward.
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