Interview with Gesangs Stimmgewalt
There are more things in common between me and Stimmgewalt than I realised before. A love of music, for example. But also the marathon. We were all together at the Lacrimosa concert (of course), but also at the ASP concert and at the Berlin Marathon (even if not ‘quite’ the whole of Stimmgewalt, it’s still cool). I hope you enjoy this interview. It’s all about music, and they’re also looking for a new member. Or shall we go for a bit of clickbait? Tilo Wolff is joining Stimmgewalt?! - M
For those of you who, cheekily enough, don’t know, who is Stimmgewalt?
Stimmgewalt is a Berlin-based dark a cappella band. We blend metal, gothic and classical influences, using nothing but our voices. That means: no instruments, but instead polyphonic singing, solo parts, vocal percussion, soundscapes, growls and all manner of sounds that the human larynx is capable of producing. We’re particularly interested in just how vast, dark and multi-layered music can become when you essentially have only one instrument at your disposal: the human body. But why not see for yourselves – or rather, hear for yourselves? You can find us in record shops and on all the major streaming platforms. (web links below)
Stimmgewalt performs without instruments – but can you play any instruments?
Yes, some of us are certainly capable of playing instruments. So we didn’t choose a cappella simply because we had no other options :) However, for all of us, the focus is quite clearly on singing. The voice is the instrument that brought us together as a band.
If you didn’t know Lacrimosa or Tilo Wolff, would he have made it into the band after the Berlin concert?
Voice: yes. Stage presence: yes. A penchant for darkness and drama: definitely a good fit! And as we’re actually looking for a bassist right now, the timing couldn’t be better. The key question would probably be whether he’d survive our group chats. But if he’d like to give it a go: the ball’s in your court now, Tilo! :)
How would you describe dark a cappella? What is it?
Dark A Cappella is basically what happens when you send A Cappella out alone to the cemetery at night. We work exclusively with our voices, but not just using classical singing: screams, growls, vocal percussion, etc. are just as much a part of it. The ‘Dark’ refers to our musical home, situated somewhere between gothic, symphonic metal and a certain penchant for beauty tinged with the abyss.
You’ve already played with the cream of the crop from the "scene" – which collaboration do you remember most fondly?
We’d really hate to have to pick a favourite! Whether it’s ASP, Lord of the Lost, Samsas Traum or others: each time, we’ve been able to immerse ourselves in a different musical world whilst also bringing something of our own to it. We still consider it a great gift that such diverse artists entrust us with their music and clearly think: ‘We could do with a few more powerful voices here’. And above all, we’re very grateful for all the encounters that have come about as a result.
How does the "Stimmgewalt sucht den Superstar" (Pop Idol) casting process work for you? How are new voices recruited?
It’s great that you’ve mentioned that! Stimmgewalt is actually on the lookout for its next superstar right now. To be more precise: a bass singer. If you can hit a reliable low note down to at least D, feel at ease on stage and can rehearse with us regularly in Berlin, you’re very welcome to get in touch. We’ll hold an audition, get to know each other and see if we’re a good fit, both musically and personally. If so, there’ll be a trial period, because in a band with so many members, getting on well with the group is at least as important as hitting the lowest note. If you’re thinking, ‘Hold on, that sounds suspiciously like me’, you can find us at stimmgewalt-berlin.de or on our social media channels. And yes, Tilo: that still applies to you too :)
You’ve played everywhere from churches to festivals – how do you find these very different soundscapes and crowds?
Churches, clubs, festivals and concert halls naturally have completely different atmospheres – and that’s exactly what we love about them. Right now, though, it’s hard not to think straight away of the Admiralspalast when asked this question, because that evening still lingers in our minds. The venue is beautiful, no question about it. But what really blew us away was the atmosphere amongst the Lacrimosa fans. That mix of euphoria, rapt attention and deep connection to the music was incredibly palpable from the stage. You got the feeling that it wasn’t just an audience sitting there, but a huge number of people sharing an experience that really meant something to them. And being allowed to be part of that for one evening moved us deeply.
You’ve sung in various genres already, but is there a particular type of music that would make a collaboration seem impossible?
Musically, we’re quite open-minded and wouldn’t categorically rule out any genre. After all, it’s often the unexpected combinations that can be particularly exciting. Our boundaries lie less in the genres themselves than in the attitudes behind them: contempt for humanity, racism, sexism and similar ideologies are clear no-gos for us. It’s great to argue about musical tastes. But not about these things.
What was it like performing with Lacrimosa? In your blog, you mention that some of you were already familiar with Lacrimosa or listen to them regularly – how intense was the ‘stage fright’, if you experience that sort of thing? And would you say you’re proud to have shared the stage with Lacrimosa? (We Lacrimosa fans have been waiting and begging for Lacrimosa to perform with an orchestra and choir for at least 20 years.)
Stage fright? Of course. Some of us have been listening to Lacrimosa for many years, and the thought of ‘I’m about to sing alongside Tilo Wolff, Anne Nurmi and the Leipzig Philharmonic Orchestra in the sold-out Admiralspalast’ certainly has the potential to make your pulse race a little unreasonably. Fortunately, the day was so packed with rehearsals, changes and music that there was hardly any time to dwell on it. By the time the concert came round, concentration was the main thing on our minds – along with that incredible energy coming from the audience.
Lacrimosa gets in touch with the Leipzig orchestra, and they ask you directly – how does this contact work?
Actually, that’s pretty much how you can picture it :) We’ve already collaborated with the Leipzig Philharmonic on several occasions for the ‘Gothic meets Klassik’ series at the Gewandhaus – in 2018 with Joachim Witt and in 2023 with Lord of the Lost. As a result, we’ve got to know each other by now, and it seems we’ve been noted as the go-to people there whenever a large orchestra needs a few dark voices. We’re therefore always delighted when Maestro Prof. Dr Michael Koehler gives us a call. Experience has taught us that this usually means something big is on the cards :)
How important is the city of Berlin to you?
Berlin is the natural habitat of ‘Stimmgewalt’: dark, loud, a bit odd and hard to pigeonhole :)
How do you stay focused when you’re on stage but have to "stay silent" during some songs?
No problem at all! We were practically in the front row, with an exceptionally good view of the stage and the audience. When you get the chance to just sit and listen to Lacrimosa and the Leipzig Philharmonic now and then, ‘having to be quiet’ feels like quite a luxury.
Would you like to go on tour with Lacrimosa (or another band) to Mexico or China?
Of course! We’re open to all possibilities when it comes to Mexico, China and other interesting places. We’d like to make it absolutely clear that we’re not trying to give the impression that we’re hard to persuade :) Is there anything you’ve learnt or taken away from Lacrimosa?
Is there anything you’ve learnt or taken away from Lacrimosa?
What particularly impressed us was Tilo’s friendliness and authenticity. Despite all the pressure he must have been under on an evening like that, he treated us with openness, warmth and respect from the very first moment. That’s anything but a given, and perhaps actually something we’ll take away from this evening. So if, at some point, we’ve been enjoying international success for over 30 years and playing to sold-out venues, we’d like to be just like that too :)
I spoke to lots of fans after the concert; they were often so overwhelmed with emotion that all they could say was ‘Wow’. What word would you use to describe this concert experience?
Echoing.
Do you have any role models or sources of inspiration, such as Callas or Pavarotti, for example?
There are twelve of us, each with quite different musical backgrounds, so our list of personal role models is likely to be very long – and probably a bit contradictory too :) However, Floor Jansen from Nightwish and Simone Simons from Epica would probably be mentioned with surprising frequency. Apart from that, each of us brings our own influences to the table, and it’s precisely this mix that you’ll probably hear in Stimmgewalt in the end.
So, do you have any pets, and when you practise at home, do they sing along? My huskies certainly do. (If you need some wolf howls, I can sort something out for you.)
Yes! We even have an unofficial band dog: Lulu, Lidia’s Corgi, regularly joins us at our rehearsals. She can sing in every register, from soprano to bass, and is also in charge of emotional support. It’s just that she still struggles with the lyrics from time to time. We’ll keep the offer about the huskies in mind, though. After all, you never know when you might suddenly need a professional wolf howl.
The Berlin Marathon is taking place on Sunday, and at the moment over 200 choirs are trying to sing for 125 hours straight – are you taking part, or would that be something for you?
What’s next for you lot? Dreams, plans… We think this is a brilliant project! Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to find a time when all the ‘Stimmgewalt’ members are available at the same time. However, some of us are involved with other project groups. So ‘Stimmgewalt’ is represented, at least in homeopathic doses. …?
What’s next for you lot? Dreams, plans... ?
Next up, we’re really looking forward to our new EP, which is due out in the spring – most likely as part of a release concert. And for the summer, we’ve already been booked for something pretty amazing, though unfortunately we can’t reveal any details just yet. That’s obviously a rather cheeky answer to a question about our plans, but we can at least say this: it’s worth keeping an eye on us :) Apart from that, we’ve still got loads of ideas, aspirations and musical grand schemes. If you want to find out which of these actually come to fruition, you can find us on our social media channels.
Thank you very much for the brilliant questions, your curiosity and your interest, dear Michael! I really enjoyed answering them. Best wishes from Heike (on behalf of Stimmgewalt)