Interview with Gerrit Thomas of Funker Vogt-By The Elektrobank on 12/10/2001
PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS INTERVIEW WITHOUT ASKING FOR MY PERMISSION!

Me - 1) Does Funker Vogt try to replicate the way the songs sound on the albums or do you guys try to make it sound different by choosing to play the live parts with different sounds than what is on the album?
Gerrit - Actually, live everything is different. Not even the sounds that play live but also the backing tracks for the songs is a completely different one compared to the CDs. Otherwise the people just could listen to the cds. And moreover we also have a guitarist on stage, which changes the songs as well.

Me - 2) How does you decide what part(s) to keep on a backing CD or tape and what part(s) to play live?
Gerrit - For live, I pick out the parts of the song which are possible to play live. Sometimes I just add some parts to a song, and othertimes I leave parts out on the backing track and play them live.

Me - 3) If you use different keyboards live than in the studio, do you program the synths for the live performances so the parts you plays live sound like the parts on the album?
Gerrit - I use similar sounds and I program the synths before the show. I almost never uses the same sounds as you here them on the album.

Me - 4) On the newer live pics, I have seen you play a Yamaha CS6x keyboard, is that used just for live or is it used in the studio? Also, from the Ravenous pics from the Orlando show, I see that Bjoern plays a Kurzweil keyboard too...is that used for live or studio or both?
Gerrit - That paticular synth is mainly for live. The kurzweil keyboard was just borrowed as all the instruments for our U.S. shows have been borrowed so far. Next time we will most likely bring our own. This should be march.

Me - 5) I downloaded the live mp3s that are available, I just wonder what parts of the song Under Deck were played live?
Gerrit - On that song only some effects, special sounds and chords are played live. No melodies or hookline are played live in this particular song.

Me - 6) How large is your studio? How much equipment do you have total? And, do you use all of your equipment on each album?
Gerrit - 15 synths, 2 samplers, 2 digital mixers, lots of compressors, effect modules and such stuff, Cubase VST. For one album all of the equipment will be used, certainly not all in one song, but spread out over all songs.


I would like to thank Gerrit for answering this short interview, and Kai for getting these questions to Gerrit.

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