PRESS - INTERVIEW

Pax et gaudium 25/2006

Cradem Aventure

The Ostrogoths arrive

Cradem Aventure - thus is called the band of the six which, with a program of brachial scene and, up to now, three discs appeals to their fans in Germany . "Cradem", a word from the high German, which means the noise, "Aventure", the adventure. P. Schlenter spoke with Don Shadan de Marco about the Ostrogoths, the dark Germany and the direction of the (musical) life

You characterize yourselves as Ostrogoths. How was it born?

Ostrogoths - first of all, because we come from East Germany - it is clear - and because we found our own style right before the fall of the wall, at least, we thought it. Second reason, and it is an important reason, we make Nordic music, and we mainly turned to an eastern Gothic image. It is known where the Goths come from, and, during the people migration, the Ostrogoths moved to the Danube , and "collaborated a little" with the Huns. It is as the image of our spectacle, namely the culture that, so to speak, we took as model for our spectacle, our music and our play. In addition a little bit of imagination. Thus the name was created. The last Ostrogoths.

What I now simply noted from a musical point of view, is that you are relatively "authentic" and that you do not sail on the vagueness of medieval Rock' Roll. Why be also Spartan?

During the first five years, during which we played in this distribution, we were relatively traditional. For the two last years, we have still incorporated a little imagination. Therefore, we are not completely medieval, but already a little free. We do not intend to play medieval music like morons but rather to divide and at the same time to let play our own imagination. On our next disc, which should be released in January, there will be German texts, our own texts. And then, there is a disc, for example, which is dunkeldeutsch (dark German). And that was very different as "medieval", but an absolute experiment. Therefore, we already play a little with the musical elements of modern times. But on the wave of rock'n'roll, and there, I give you reason, we are not, it is not our trick.

What does mean "dunkeldeutsch"?

It is also an interesting concept. "Dunkeldeutsch" was used at the time by the "Wessi" (people of the west). And right after the fall of the wall, the term was used by some friends on the Western markets - and that was rather thought positively - who said: "Look, the dark Germans arrive!" With a smile of invitation. And then we cultivated it, in particular on one of our CD "Dunkeldeutsch" in 2001.

I think that the simply medieval music had, at a time in GDR, a rather great importance, contrary to the country of the west ("Wessi-Land"). Was it, at the time of your youth, i.e. before the fall of the wall, simple to obtain the authorizations to play as a medieval group?

Quite to the contrary, to tell the truth. And that had nothing to do with the value of a higher position than in West Germany . There was another deadlock. In East Germany , the medieval music tended to be a little revolutionist. An authorization to play was not at all easy to obtain. It was precisely the revolution. We played, we simply did it. And we were young people, fresh and full with joy. That contaminated people, we did a lot of street music. And that was passably tolerated.

Let us have a word about the new CD, which is currently released. You said that there are more modern instruments. You sing German texts. Can you already reveal it a little?

I will not yet reveal it much. I can say a thing: there will be in any case a video clip. And the texts are at this point modern that they are not even reinterpreted medieval texts.

Do you carry on in fact civil professions or do you live now from music?

We already gave up the civil lifestyle relatively early, not by rejection, but by desire of leaving it. We live much with the air freshness, we have animals and if I am not on a trip for repetition, adventure or in studio, I am in any case at house and I take care of my animals, my wife and my children. In clear, of course, mainly in the winter period.

Well, you move like in the real tradition. The Ostrogoths were not out in winter neither.

We live - let's say - relatively relax. We enjoy the freedom on our way.

Is it also a model for many people in this sense: I embellished my stressing life?

Therefore, at least, more positive criticisms go in the sense that we are a relax group, who is pleased to live the old culture in a new way. And that also brings them back to their music, because they share it in their lifestyle. For the discs, we would like however to make the things differently from a professional point of view, in the sense that we already started to take in hand modern resources. For the technique of the scene program, you are right to say that we share in any event our way of living in music. It is what the critics say at least.

What happens during a concert of Cradem?

It is difficult to describe. I can, in theory, only say in a neutral way how our spectacle is built. We have two basic principles: We make the show on the scene and we make the show for people, for the public. We have on the stage a certain responsibility and the public should never be upset. Moreover, we want that people have fun. And in fourth place, I would say, comes the culture. In this case, we represent on scene the pagan culture, but that should not be taken too seriously. We play like Ostrogoths or, let's say, according to Nordic styles. There is a greater concept, which does not scratch as much. We do not want to represent a religion or a culture in a specific sense. The Nordic cultural heritage is quite simply the base on which we are moving.

My last question: if you use terms like "Nordic cultural heritage", then it is really free of value. Were you already troubled by the brown movement, which wanted "to devour you anyhow", because you diffuse a Nordic cultural heritage?

Not at all, initially, because we do not have the aspect in which they could integrate us. I believe that we do not correspond to the models of this movement. And, secondly, we also adopt a completely clear attitude: we are for freedom and for the cultural exchanges and against stupidity and intolerance! They are rather very simple people who are enthusiastic for our music. What we do is devoid of any political value and that also takes the top.

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