Escape With Romeo interview: ‘It’s The Melody That Creates The Magic’
For over three decades, Escape With Romeo has been a cornerstone in the realms of Dark-Wave, Post-Punk, and Melancholic-Pop. Founded in 1989 by Thomas Elbern, the band has masterfully crafted a sound that seamlessly blends melancholic melodies, driving rhythms, and heartfelt lyrics. In this interview, we explore their enduring legacy, their creative process, and what the future holds for this iconic German band. When they released the album “After The Future” in 2015, followed by a final tour, many believed it marked the end of their remarkable journey. However, by the end of last year, Escape With Romeo made a triumphant return with their latest album, “Suspicious Bliss”. This fresh and invigorated opus showcases a revisited, dynamic sound, proving that the band’s creative spirit remains as vibrant as ever. Inspired by this incredible comeback, I reached out to Thomas Elbern to learn more about the band’s evolution and the story behind “Suspicious Bliss”. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q: The 2015 album “After The Future” was, for a while, thought to be the final chapter for Escape With Romeo. Thankfully, that changed with the release of your latest opus, “Suspicious Bliss,” at the end of last year. Looking back, how do you view the journey from that apparent conclusion to this new beginning? What sparked the band’s resurrection?
Thomas: I was fed up with the whole music industry and all the stress that it brought. Also I did not see any perspective in playing the old songs again and again and was not very content with the “After The future” album, that came out in 2015 in the end. So we did this ‘final’ tour that ended in the summer 2019 at W-Fest in Belgium.
Then corona came and changed everything. I had a lot of time to rethink my musical past and what I really wanted with my music in the first place. So the idea came to rethink a lot of the Escape With Romeo songs and put them in another form. That turned out to be the compilation “Based On A True Story” which was more or less arranged like the versions we play live. For me and the band there was a new wave of motivation to return to the roots somewhere in-between electronics, guitar driven Post-Punk and Indie. And after that worked, there was a new spark, that enlighted the flame of “Suspicious Bliss”. An album where the guitar has a strong role in the sound and that is also the consequence of a harder and more direct sound, that speaks much more for 2024.
Q: With “Suspicious Bliss,” many fans might see this as the start of Escape With Romeo 2.0. How does that feel to you as the creative force behind the band? What sets this album apart from your earlier work, both musically and personally?
Thomas: The sound is more rough, unpolished and pushed to the edge. Maybe that is because I was listening to a lot of Metal-Core and Post-Rock at the time of writing. I’ve discovered the band Sleep Token and they became an influence as well. Also I’ve discovered that there is an important transition possible: I’ve written and released a couple of tracks with my other Electronic project Dirty Vocoder. I found a way to transform some of these songs into the Escape With Romeo Soundscape by adding a lot of guitars, real singing, but also computer-generated voices, as I did with Dirty Vocoder. That was a breakthrough in the whole production.
And lyrically it’s very much about the time we are living in: angst, revenge, artificial intelligence, poverty, war times and being alone in overcrowded world. Nothing is quite what it seems, that is the idea behind the album title “Suspicious Bliss”.
Q: Can you share some insights into the composition and production of “Suspicious Bliss”? How did the collaboration process unfold, and what roles did everyone take on? Did you have a clear vision for the album from the start, and how do you determine when a piece is complete or truly resonates with your vision?
Thomas: I did spent a lot of time in front of my Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Very often I begin with just a sample that creates a special vibe. I see the DAW as a big instrument, technique and songwriting work flawlessly together.
The real challenge is finishing a song, because you’ve got so many possibilities nowadays. But in the end it’s the melody that creates the magic, wrapped into a production that peels out the good moments. Frenzy (our drummer) and I were very busy in the end of the production session and we are very nerdy, when it comes to a distinct sound and vibe. Also singer Stella Tonon from Cologne, who I work with for years now, had a strong influence on the sound. She knew instantly what to do with her voice, to fit into the sound and the vibe.
And yes, I’ve rediscovered the guitar as a weapon of happiness.
Q: You already mentioned some of the themes that inspired you so it all looks like dystopian themes played a role in shaping “Suspicious Bliss.” How did these themes influence the music and lyrics? And were there any specific personal experiences or global events that left a mark on the album’s creation?
Thomas: There were more global events than personal experiences on this album. Looking the news everyday gives you a glimpse of what is going on in the world. The direction it is heading to is very frightening.
I personally feel sorry for the younger generations that have to deal in the future with the climate change and right wing governments and a lot of other crap the we humans did cause.
That is mainly the influence on “Suspicious Bliss”; songs like “Find Out The Hard Way”, “Evil Renegade” or “No Humans Allowed” deal with all this.
Q: In recent years, you’ve kept busy with side projects like Glitter & Darkness, Dirty Vocoder, all released on your own label Zeit.Klang Records. How do you reflect on these ventures? What have these projects taught you, and how vital is composing and experimenting with music to you personally?
Thomas: These project did not a have a big commercial value, but a strong one on my artistic freedom. I find it very important to experiment with sound and styles with no genre borders in mind. It’s like finding something, without searching for it, very inspiring. As soon as you put it out, it needs labels for people to find it and relate to it.
But I learned a lot from a project like Dirty Vocoder that had, as I mentioned before, a big influence on “Suspicious Bliss”, because some of the songs have been there already, but needed a makeover for Escape With Romeo.
Also working with a DAW like Logic, it’s always growing and gives you new possibilities, that were Science Fiction in the 90s.
Q: If you could speak to your younger self; the Thomas Elbern who founded Escape With Romeo back in 1989, what advice would you give him? Looking at where you are now, what has stayed consistent since the beginning, and how do you envision the future of the band in terms of new projects, performances, and productions?
Thomas: My advice to my younger self would be: ‘never lose that consciousness, that brought you to music in the first place’. At a very young age I was already hearing the music that I didn’t compose yet. Sometimes I was in constant dream state, where I heard the complete orchestra play.
Being without inspiration is hard, you should do something else, but not making music.
And when I learned something for the future: I’ll never do a ‘final’ tour again, you don’t know what’s coming.
For example; I’m working on a cover version right now, that idea came very suddenly on new year’s eve 2024 out of nowhere.
I always want to be open for spontaneous ideas!
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