Solar Fake Interview

Hi all,

first of all, have a good week! I am very proud to present you an interview with Solar Fake! I'm a newcomer and discovered this band thanks to Another Manic Episode cd. It was one of those albums that hit me hard right away and, money well spent, had to order it right away after hearing one song from it. Now I gotta get rest of the albums too. 

Solar Fake has so far released 4 albums total, but Sven Friedrich has been making music since 1993 with Dreadful Shadows, a german gothic metal band. Band called it quits around 1999 and Sven moved on to Zeraphine as a singer. Zeraphine released their debut album in 2002 and 2004 they toured with Him. As for now, the status of Zeraphine is unknown, so who knows what future will bring.

Also I gotta mention that Solar Fake has an official fan club, which is cheap and price includes all kinds of goodies! That can be found at official web site (link in the bottom of this article).

1. How did Solar Fake start and what were your inspirations to become a musician?

>After years in rock bands where I was not only responsible for the vocals, but also for all synthesizers, I wanted to create an electro project. I wanted to do this all by myself. But I knew I wanted to become a musician very early in my life. At the age of 6 I started learning classical guitar, followed by several other instruments and
that really hit me...
2. Solar Fake is pretty personal name for a band. How did you come with it?

I had this idea of creating something unreal to provoke a look behind the so-called 'known facts' and to doubt everything... a fake sun is impossible, isn't it?

3. Where do you get inspiration for your songs?

Everywhere. In other music and in myself. It usually starts with a short melody in my head and within the next couple of hours it gets bigger and much more complex. I usually don't really notice the world around in these kind of moments... Of course, this always happens when I'm not in my studio... So I record the main melodies to my phone and give some more detailed structure hints as well and then, when I'm in the studio I start working on it.

4. In 2009 you toured with another heavy-weight in the scene: VNV Nation. How was that tour and how did that happen? That really got you noticed big time and it probably helped your second album to become a hit it was (8 weeks in German Alternative Charts)

Well, as far as I know Ronan has seen us at Blackfield festival. We were on stage when he arrived at the festival. It seemed he liked us pretty much. At least that's what other people told me. When they were looking for an opening act for their 2009 European tour we applied and got the slot. After that we could also play half of their German shows, because the original planned opening act couldn't finish the tour. Yes, that absolutely was a great step for us and I'm still very thankful for that opportunity. A few years later we were again touring
> with VNV Nation on their UK tour for the album "Automatic". That's also been a fantastic experience and a great time!

5. How much has the electronic scene changed over the years and has the change been to better or worse?

I'm not really sure, actually. In my opinion it became more varying and as a musician you can do so much more and people are hungry for new tunes... I think it's a good development. Another thing is music business of course, which became more and more a hard struggle...

6. Could you tell me of your side projects and what made you get them started?

I actually have no more side projects. I only have my other band "Zeraphine" but at the moment it lies very quiet. The both of us also played in Dreadful Shadows, but we quit in 2014.

7. My hat is off to you for not making compromises musically or on artwork. Did signing with Out Of Line, which is big label on the scene, have any affect on Solar Fake musically or otherwise?

Well, musically it had no affect, most of the songs were written before I signed to Out Of Line. And I'm sure it won't affect my music in the future. It's still an independent label, that sign his acts, because they are good or have potential. They go the long and uneasy way to build up an act and I like being part of that family. It feels> like everyone in the company knows who I am and is part of a team that works on your album. Feels really good.

8. Another Manic Episode is the first album I discovered by you and bought the box set version of it. And I just love that album completely and also the acoustic versions. There haven't been that many acoustic versions of electronic bands. Has this always interested you as a challenge or how did you come up with idea for acoustic versions?

Well, we needed music for the 3rd CD which is only included in the box set. Now I don't produce much waste during songwriting, because when I realize that a new idea doesn't turn our good I immediately leave my hands off that and focus on something more promising... That usually happens very early, mostly during the first attempts to get an idea from my mind to the computer. So there's usually no extra material left... In March 2015 we played 2 acoustic shows, exclusively for our fanclub. So I thought why not ask Dirk (the piano player at these
shows) if he could imagine to arrange some piano versions of some of the new songs. Well, he could and sent me amazing piano tracks to which it was so easy to sing... simply great.

9. You have toured quite a lot. How different are fans in different countries you've toured and do you have a favourite country?

Oh, I think that wouldn't be fair. I can say that I'm always surprised that we have such a fantastic audience all over the world. Usually, when you come to a country where you've never played before you don't expect much. But by now it always turned out to be so amazing... We haven't made one bad experience. It's unbelievable. We also played one show in Helsinki in 2014 and it was really great!

10. How did Another Manic Episode came to be? What inspired the album and creating the box set? The box set is just superb value for money!

I started writing the songs for AME in October 2014 already and I've worked on it until the last second, right before the deadline ;-) Regarding the box set... I did not want these usual items in it, a
> cheap T-Shirt that never fits or the obligatory military cap. I always loved half finger gloves so I asked the record company if we can take those with a broidery... And the metal pin is also very nice I think. It was their idea. I think for our next album it's getting harder not to fall a step back *lol*. But I'm sure we'll find something nice then ;-)

11. Why do you think electro pop is so popular in Germany? I understand you got very lively scene over there. When thinking of Germany, usually first musical genre that springs to mind is rock and metal. They both have bit similar darkness around them, but electro pop (in lack of better term) still is quite far from heavy metal. Eventhough it is dark music it isn't depressing as some metal is.

I actually don't know. Synthpop and all the other close genres have been famous here since Kraftwerk. Depeche Mode were (and still are) absolutely huge here (and all over the world)... But it's not only Germany. As far as I have experienced it's also very popular in Middle and South America and in Russia. But yes, I think Germany is THE country for this kind of music right now.

12. What you have store for us in the future? I heard you'll be touring in 2016, hope to make it to your concert somewhere in Europe

Well, first we go on tour in Germany, then we play some festivals, but at the moment our agancy is trying to book European and worldwide shows. In November we're part of this awesome event "Gothic meets
Klassik", where we will play at Gewandhaus Leipzig with a fantastic orchestra. And we also play at a festival in Vienna in November and we have some other plans which I'm not allowed to announce right now ;-)

Another Manic Episode is out now and can be bought from Out Of Line. Pictures in courtesy of Shadowplay / Solar fake.

Check Solar Fake videos out:
All the things you say
I don't want you here

Band website