Staatseinde Interview: ‘We don’t believe in borders!’
Staatseinde is a Dutch duo that released its first official record in 2010, followed by numerous singles, EPs, and albums. Over the years, their musical style evolved while also becoming more focused and consistent. The group famously describes their sound as ‘a club meeting between Kraftwerk on speed and The Sex Pistols on acid.’ Their latest album, “Artificial Renaissance”, is a perfect blend of EBM and Electro-Wave — a kind of imaginary sonic bridge between the 80s and today. Released on Wave Tension Records, it comes highly recommended. While preparing for this interview, I was surprised to learn that the group had split. The band’s founder, ‘Der Neo’ — or simply ‘Neo’ — provided more insight into this unexpected development. (Picture credits by Nice N Sleazy – Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q: You’ve been active as Staatseinde for several years now and released quite a few productions. Looking back, how do you see the early days compared to the evolution over the years and the different releases? What ultimately brought your vision together?
Neo: It started when pulling an all-nighter with a friend, playing on an old thrift store organ while pressing the record button on my cassette deck. A while after I was asked to do a live performance when telling someone from a festival about my idea to make this thrift organ thing a real act (in 2006). A few years later I got asked by Enfant Terrible to contribute a track to a compilation. That was “Ruimtevaart Vooruit”. The lyrics of that track shaped the whole concept of what Staatseinde is: an extraterrestrial entity conquering humanity with music.
Live, it was like a NDW project with a drummer, bassplayer, and screaming vocals over my complete guitar fx pedal collection. Costume change overs, lots of theater. It was pretty close to a gimmick.
After a few years Andy Dufter joined as a bass player and one day brought a Bass Station synthesizer, first heard in “Wir Gehen Nicht Mehr Weg”. From there, a few years later we ended up as a duo in 2015. I guess that is when the project started to really sound like what Staatseinde is today.
Q: Ahead of this interview, you mentioned that the band’s lineup will change after the upcoming shows. That’s a significant shift after so many years and the release of your latest album and new concerts you still did together. What does the future hold for Staatseinde?
Neo: After working together for 14 years it really feels a bit like a marriage break up. It took a while for us to find a consensus on how to end it in a good way and proceed doing the shows that were already planned. It did not really affect our live shows, actually those were maybe even better, more intense. It was a bit contradictive, but probably because of the situation it made it more urgent in a way.
The future is unforeseen **imagine a sci-fi movie overdub over dramatic synthline**. There was a Staatseinde before Andy and although he has put a big mark on our sound, our diversity in songs and the way we always have created our music, it is very flexible to adapt to new situations and made to explore new boundaries. Change has already begun and planned in the coming weeks to start recreating the live act for a show or two next year
Q: In the meantime, we can still enjoy the new album “Artificial Renaissance”. How did this work come about, and what did you want to express with it?
Neo: The world is changing fast, and artificial intelligence is a very great topic for our ethos. Following the rise of AI is fascinating, sci-fi is now reality. So we needed to adapt this in our music. It made us write about emotional manipulation, the consequences of ‘progress’ and artificial rebirth. But also about celebrating diversity and in the end it is also a call for unity. We are all humans after all and we want to spread hope in darkness. Working on these topics and lyrics with AI we still needed to review and rewrite a lot on what it gave back from our input, but it was a great way to get some more understanding of what AI is capable of and look at its potential.
AI is very progressive – maybe beyond what it should be – and will change our lives forever. The very dark side about it is creating a lot of fear. The line between truth and fake is fading, maybe even gone already. People cling desperately to values that no longer exist, increasing contradictions resulting in polarization. Progression is mostly unstoppable, in a way unpredictive, especially in the case of technique like AI. Looking closer we concluded that we are already living in a post-true era.
Q: Across the years and your various productions, you’ve consistently kept that authentic analog synth sound, instantly evoking the ’80s. What’s so magical about that era for you? Is it nostalgia for early EBM and Electro-Wave, or does your sound represent something more?
Neo: It is definitely nostalgia I think. It is a way to look back in a mirror of the time we grew up in. It was an age where life started without mobile phones, internet,.. It was a time where things felt more real and simple. We played on the streets and parents didn’t know where you were and what you were doing.
Everything was new, a lot of revolutions were happening on all levels. The wall fell, it felt like wars were over and the world was finally going to be a good place, well… we all know that is far from reality. When growing up it was mainly about games, movies, music, then phones came, the internet. It was great at the time, but saying this it really feels like everything was more meaningful and real back than. And the sound of synths and electronic beats still feel urgent, or at least it feels like it is needed again.
Q: Speaking of analog sounds and synths, there seems to be a growing movement of artists returning to analog machines—or at least those kinds of sounds. How do you explain this? And what’s your personal take on today’s Electronic underground scene, especially in relation to AI, which is increasingly being used and which you also reference on the new album?
Neo: The 80s were the time when technique made it possible to make the greatest instruments and with the new technologies of today it somehow is the perfect moment to reinvent it. You see so many new synthesizers that combine the pure sound of that era with modern technology. It is much more affordable to buy a synth now as well, so maybe it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy that synth music is back!
We really like what is happening, mainly in the underground. From Minimal-Wave to more Electro (westcoast sound of Holland) artists. It’s a great and interesting time musically.
AI music, it’s sad and it is also funny in a way, copyright unfriendly as well. The problem is that AI can only work with the information it has in its ‘memory’ to give back a result. It ends up sounding very limited and without any inspirational intention.
For recording it could be easy helping in sound design and mixing jobs, EQ-ing, etc. But it is artificial, not having a will on its own (yet). I doubt if it will become really creative and something pure on its own. So for now it’s science fiction, but it’s hard to predict for the future…
Q: That brings us to the lyrics and overall sound of “Artificial Renaissance”. There’s clearly an opinion you want to share. What’s closest to your heart, and what does it say about the contemporary world we live in?
Neo: Staatseinde tells a story of extraterrestrials that landed on earth to conquer humanity with music. The lyrics we make are often written as if we are alien observers, looking down on humanity from our spaceship. We are amazed and astonished at how humanity behaves in both good and bad ways.
The past couple of years our lyrics got more intertwined with our own humanoid thoughts and made us deep-dive into the depths of our own mind approaching our tracks in a new way. You can’t repeat the same intergalactic space stories in every song for 20 years, it’s still a good concept, but there is a natural urge to push our boundaries. In general, that is what Staatseinde means. No more Boundaries. We don’t believe in borders!
Q: Your artwork and unique image often take us back in time. How important is that within Staatseinde, and what does it represent?
Neo: We can often make our own covers or be part of the process. It’s a perfect giftcard to add to the music and obviously we really like to flirt with nostalgia. It is also a way to question human progress. What is progress? What does it give and what does it take away from us? The artwork is maybe like a mirror.
Q: I read that the song “Tanzverbot” was inspired by a performance that couldn’t—or wasn’t allowed to—go ahead. Can you tell me more about that experience, and about Staatseinde as a live band?
Neo: Well, the experience was that we had to get through the day. We knew it up front, a few days prior to the gig. Its a thing in Germany, Karlfreitag, Good Friday. Politics, through the church (yes for real) made this day a day where it is not allowed to dance or laugh. So no parties, in like 99% of Germany. There are places where you can get a fine of two thousand Euros if you dance on the street. Ridiculous if you’d ask me. So when the gig was cancelled we made this joke to have a private party somewhere. It was a good night, bars were open. Inside people had good laughs, no problem. Outside it was grim and silent.
As a live band we found a way to bring all the different songs and genres together. By limiting our amount of gear and a theatrical energy bursting performance it may sound more towards Synth-Punk. Black and orange outfits to top it off. Someone after a show came to us and said it was like Kraftwerk on speed performing on stage together with The Sex Pistols on acid. We adopted that phrase, it covers what Staatseinde is.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
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