‘Click Interview’ with Reichsfeind: ‘Art Is Supposed To Challenge Yourself’
Timo Revna set up Reichsfeind in 2011 somewhere in the hinterland of Frankfurt Am Main (Germany). He started to compose dark-electronic music and got in touch with the German label E-Noxe. The official debut album “Living In Space” has been released in 2017. Two years later Reichsfeind, which in the meantime made a few clips and remixes for other bands, released its new opus “Chasm Walk”, again on E-Noxe. It’s a fully accomplished work mixing elements of electro-pop, EBM and trance. The album sounds a bit out of the box, but it’s a great electronic experience. I talked about it all with Timo Revna.
(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q: I noticed you set up Reichsfeind already a while ago. What incited you to set up this project and what have been the initial purposes and sonic ideas you’d in mind?
Timo: That’s right, I already started Reichsfeind in 2011 by the age of
17. In the beginning there was no greater plan. All I knew is I had chosen
music to handle overwhelming feelings and emotions. Back then I didn’t care
that much about a high quality sound or reaching a bigger audience. My focus
was entirely based upon creating dense atmospheres and meaningful lyrics. Music
as therapy, nothing that special.
Q: I think the name ‘Reichsfeind’ is important to explain as it clearly says more about your perception of our society and the world we live in. Tell us a bit more about it and how do you try to transpose these ideas into sounds, lyrics, songs and finally albums?
Timo: ‘Reichsfeind’ signifies zero tolerance towards any kind of totalitarism, especially in regards to vicious racial ideologies. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel said ‘We learn from history that we do not learn from history’. As history repeats its darkest times over and over again, I find it of greatest importance to emphasize and preserve the inter-human qualities that make us equal in the first place. Through my music I try to reveal that behind all these walls we build around us, we’re still united by the same pleasures of love and friendship, similar joys and sorrows.
Q: Reichsfeind is a solo-project although you like to work with guest musicians. How does it generally happen and what do you see as the limits of working/composing alone?
Timo: Taking in advice and a second opinion has actually become quite a valuable habit for me over the last years. When it comes to producing I mainly work with KayFabe LaNoise (Wynardtage/Hydroxie). His long-standing experience contributes as a vital part to the sound of Reichsfeind. Lyrics however are all written and performed by myself. In general I would say that it’s quite important to be aware of the fact that no one can master every craft. So when it comes to making music, it is always a great advice to work together with people who grasp your vision and can bring in what they do best.
Q: About the music, it’s not an easy job to find the right description as
your sound rather sounds as the fusion between multiple influences! It’s of
course electronic, but I noticed different influences moving from pop to trance
to EBM. What makes this diversity and eclecticism and how did the writing and
production of “Chasm Walk” happen?
Timo: I simply make the music I want to hear without caring too much about
man-made genre limitations. On “Chasm Walk” you can clearly hear a
strong trance influence, especially regarding the spherical atmospheres and
rolling basslines which I always loved about this kind of music. I also like
the simplicity of pop so I always aim for a certain catchiness.
Q: One thing is for sure, you’re not what I would call a ‘copyist’ but
rather a visionary artist who dares to experiment with new ideas and mixing
different influences together. I can only, but fully support this approach, but
don’t you think it’s easier to compose more ‘fashionable’ music? What’s your
perception of the electro-underground scene?
Timo: Thank you for that! Sure thing it would be a lot
easier to just stick to whatever is trending and most prominent at the time. I
wouldn’t consider this approach being artistic though. Art is supposed to
challenge yourself. You shouldn’t make art to please others anyway. If you
really care for what you do, there will always be people who will notice and
value your work. It turns out to be quite difficult however to establish
oneself in this scene being a newcomer, speaking of playing live gigs in
particular.
Q: 2020 is just started so what’s in the pipeline for Reichsfeind this what are the further plans?
Timo: We are currently working on our live show and
looking for gig opportunities. Besides that there’re already a couple of brand
new songs finished and we are eager to give them a go in front of an audience!
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