Click Interview with Neuroklast: ‘We Do Not Want To Limit Ourselves To A Certain Genre Of Music’
Kay Schäfer (former Chainreactor) and Markus Horschig (former ReAdjust/Fractal Age) released two albums under the Neuroklast moniker in a very short lapse of time. Both albums released by ProNoize / Dark Dimensions reveal an ultra, hard, danceable, sound mixing influences like Industrial-Trance and Techno-Body music. The debut album “Beyond The Blackwall” (2021) was a solid debut while “Streetkid” (2022) revealed a serious progression in all aspects of the production. Time to get a bit more familiar with this German project.
(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q: Both of you have been already involved in other projects so how do you look back at past experiences? And how did you come to set up Neuroklast?
Markus: We have been acquainted for many years and have always wanted to collaborate on a musical project. On a personal level, we worked well together, but both had commitments to other bands and projects, and didn’t seem to have the time to start something new.
Kay: However, when “Cyberpunk 2077” was released, we were both inspired by the atmosphere and also music of this game and decided to launch Neuroklast.
Q: Did you follow explicit musical ideas and influences when setting up Neuroklast? How did the first songs take shape and who’s doing what in the project?
Kay: I am responsible for the technical aspects of the production and take on a producer role, while Markus is the composer, contributing to the arrangements, melodies, and development of the music.
Markus: We don’t focus on quantity of work, instead believing that without the input of each of us, the result would not be as great.
Q: Two albums have been released in a rather short lapse of time. How do you look back on the debut album “Beyond The Blackwall” and how did the transition happened from this album to “Streetkid”?
Markus: We are as confident in our new album “Beyond The Blackwall” as we were in our last one, “Streetkid”. We believe that “Streetkid” was a positive step forward and we hope to continue this progress in the next album.
Kay: But we do not want to limit ourselves to a certain genre of music, so the productions can range from ‘floor to the floor’ tracks to those filled with breakbeats. This is why we enjoy working together so much.
Q: What is “Streetkid” all about? What kind of album did you want to compose?
Kay: “Streetkid” tells the story of a poor and insignificant citizen living in a dystopian cyberpunk megacity, who is determined to become a legend. The album explores different facets of this narrative, such as mercenary jobs, overcoming inner demons, and making the most of a short life expectancy..
Markus: It’s basically a short cyberpunk story.
Q: Just as for the debut album you again worked on one track with female singer Annina Melissa (Razorchild) while another song has been composed together with Scott Fox (iVardensphere). Tell us a bit more about both collaborations and especially the way how “Urban Tribes” together with Scott Fox got achieved?
Kay: Annina and I have been friends for a long time, and we started Razorchild together. Neuroklast was then my second project, and we thought it would be great to do a collaboration. Scott and I first met at the Resistanz Festival 2013, and after he released his song “Ragemaker”, I told him how his track had inspired me. I showed him my raw material, and asked if he wanted to do a collaboration. And then we created this amazing track together.
Q: I noticed you’ll play live at Wave Gotic Treffen. What might we expect from Neuroklast on stage and do you’ve other ‘big things’ in the pipeline for the rest of the year?
Markus: We are really looking forward to our first festival performance and are still working on what to do on stage. Other big things like a new album are already in the works, but we don’t want to tell too much just yet.
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