Lang, Yogi (RPWL) (February 2005)

The RPWL Effect

Germany's RPWL released their fourth album, World Through My Eyes, in January and will be playing a short tour through Europe in March and April this year, with support from The Amber Light. It's been more than ten years since RPWL got their start, first in 1992 as Violet District, then as a Pink Floyd cover band, and then releasing their debut as RPWL, God Has Failed in 2000. They came into their own with the somewhat Floydian Trying To Kiss The Sun (2002) and then 2003's Stock. RPWL, as a name, was an acronym of the band members last names, of which only Karlheinz Wallner and Yogi Lang remain. It is with Lang that our own Joshua Turner spoke in mid-January, shortly before the release of World....

Joshua Turner: I want to start talking about ROSFest, because I saw you guys play at ROSFest in 2004.

Yogi Lang: Aaayy.

JT: I just thought you guys did just an unbelievable job.

YL: Aaayy, thanks a lot.

JT: I was just wondering, how did you guys get involved in the festival.

YL: It was, you know, it was wonderful. We have... I didn't... I still don't know how the contact was born, the idea to play there, because, you know, it's a long way; I don't have to tell you, you know.

JT: Yeah.

YL: It's just a little trip over the ocean, but it was such a warm welcome and it was so well organized and, you know, it's hard as a band, because we were very nervous 'cause we hadn't... When you, when you haven't got your instruments with you and you really depend on [the fact] that it's well organized, that you have good technicians... But all this we had and it was a wonderful festival. It was brilliant, you know, I've got such good memories on the time we had and it was such fun.

JT: I'm also wondering, do you have any other tours, concerts, or festivals planned.

YL: Um, I think so; but you know, I'm not really involved in that. I've got a computer and there are standing tour dates and so, [he laughs] but we will do a tour of course in March and April over [in] Europe and, um, I hope there are plans to, uh, to come to the US.

JT: I wasn't completely certain about going to ROSFest and then once I heard your name announced, that RPWL was going to be headlining the whole show, I immediately booked my tickets at that point.

YL: Yeaaah. [chuckles] Great.

JT: It was totally worth it, it was a great show.

YL: Yeah, excellent.

JT: I just want to talk about your albums now. Like, I've noticed that the style has changed from each and every album. I just wonder if there is an actual explanation behind this progression, like how the music has evolved from one release to the next.

YL: Hmm.

JT: The latest seems to be a culmination of the first three releases. Was this actually the idea?

YL: You know, it's always hard to say, because you've said, you've talked about... a progression and, and, a development, that was a... That was the idea, you know, when we... that when we made the Stock album, because we had in mind to do something new already in 2003 and the end of 2002 to do something new, so you have to... you have to see World Through My Eyes more as a consequence out of... coming out of Trying To Kiss The Sun, I think. But don't get me wrong, like the Stock album, we enjoyed the studio work and recording the album. This was a technical thing, we always liked to do and it was good for the World Through My Eyes album. Stock was important for the band, but I think this is... World Through My Eyes is a consequence out of Trying To Kiss The Sun and there's the development of the band. Trying To Kiss The Sun going to World Through My Eyes and, um, in fact we started in 2004 with discussing about what we... what is, what are the values that we should write about, what is worth writing about, and so World Through My Eyes was born and I think it was... Yeah, we did the first discussions in 2004, right at the beginning in January I think, so it took us a year to record the album. Hard work!

JT: Yeah. [he laughs] For the most part, your music is very unique, innovative, it sounds different from everything that's out there and I'm just wondering if you could explain your songwriting process, how you actually put these songs together and just how they come evolve?

YL: Yeah, you know, this is very interesting, because what we... this was the point what I was talking about, the consequence out of Trying To Kiss The Sun, because I think what is really, um, important for an RPWL album is the certain... subject we are writing about, the certain theme of an album. And this was a thing that started in 2004 and we... you know, the truth is that we discuss more than we played at the beginning of working on World Through My Eyes, because, um, it was my idea to write about this, um, what I would call the loss of spirituality in the thinking of the society that, that has been on my mind for quite some time and, um, so we really discussed a lot, and coming onto the lyrics, and this was the difference between Trying To Kiss The Sun [and this album] because Trying To Kiss The Sun, and of course God Has Failed was somehow music and lyrics coming together and now there were the lyrics, there was a theme, there was discussions and now the music came to it and... You know, it's somehow... I'm really happy, because it really blew together and there was things happening that we didn't expect it, you know; you could say that, um, all was in...

You know, just as we finished the album, you could say it was all planned, but in fact nothing was planned. All what was planned was the theme, what we are writing about and the music came to it and, um, as we opened our eyes to it and... uh... as we opened our eyes, you know, and opened our mind to see what was going on in the world, we came to this, to other civilizations, coming to their values, so the India thing came into [it], then it came to the music and, um, we thought about not realizing the instruments as I think many of the others do. Um, realizing it in an electronic way just using samples, so we had to book a studio in India just... um ... and then the same process went on again, because I have the feeling, I have really to discuss with the people, because they have to get the theme that we have and I found a nice studio Delhi that we worked with and... and talking with the musicians and... when I was sure that they are, that they know what we are talking about, they played on the album. It was amazing, you know, but it... many things of the album were fate, but they were leading to a certain end and now that we are standing with a finished album, it's somehow... yeah, it's just like it had to be, you know, that's the feeling I have.

JT: Okay.

YL: But the songwriting process, as you asked, was really coming up with the lyrics and then the music came together. The lyrics develop, music came to it. The idea developed and the music came again to it, and so it was... it was very, uh, coming together in harmony. I'm really happy about it and as we see to the history of this album developing over the year of 2004, we are all very happy and very satisfied with the album.

JT: Now when I was listening to the album, I came across a track and I said to myself, wow, you know, Yogi really sounds like Ray Wilson on this track. [he laughs uncontrollably] Yeah, and it wasn't until last night that I was reading some article that mentioned that he was actually involved in the project. So, I was kind of proud of myself, that I was able to pick that out. But I'm wondering how did Ray actually get involved in the project?

YL: Yeah, this was just another thing of what I would call fate, because it was never planned to have... the first guest musicians that came to it were just instrumentalists and because no one of us can play Indian violin, sarangi, and no one of us had ever... was ever singing in a religious choir or something, and the same was with Ray, because... I was standing in the studio for the first time in my life I had... after a vocal session, I had the feeling that I'm not the one that can add this certain emotion to the song that I knew had to be on it and so I remembered when I saw the Calling All Stations tour of Genesis, I was very, very impressed by Ray's voice and Ray's ability to transport... emotion. When you listen to songs like "Shipwrecked" and to songs like "Not About Us," he's... it's not only a wonderful voice, but he's got this certain ability to transport emotion and... "Roses," this was the fact that, if you're reaching another state of mind, another state of yourself, you'll be alone and nothing will be the same again and your friends won't be your friends anymore and so you're alone, and [in] this loneliness I thought of Ray definitely to transport this certain emotion, so I went to a show of Ray's in Germany.

Ray was playing with this acoustic band I think and I went to him and gave him a CD and said, man, listen to it, it's, it's, I think you'll be the one that has to sing it and listen to the lyrics and... if you know what I mean, and if you get the song then I think it would be perfect, and he said he'd listen to it and I thought, okay, yeah, yeah. He listened to it and.... but, when I met him three days later at another show, he went to me and he said, hey, that's a wonderful piece of music and I'll try it. I get what you mean and I'll try. I... and when I heard it in the studio, you know, I was... it was amazing and it's, you know, even now that I've... that I heard the song so often, it's... it's so amazing what Ray did with the song and this was a good... this was, you know, he's adding this, this emotion of loneliness to it like no one ever could do and this is amazing, in fact; Ray is a wonderful singer, you know.

JT: Yeah. I think it adds a nice dimension to the album 'cause it's a little bit different from the other songs. It kind of adds some balance. Have you actually heard Ray's latest album The Next Big Thing?

YL: Yeah, I heard it.

JT: What do you think of that?

YL: You know, Ray is... tries to... to do a very... I love his emotions that he has and it's still on his solo albums, like The Next Big Thing. I think that two or three songs where I think... where his voice is extraordinary in his transporting [of] this certain point of emotion and... I think it's the fifth or the sixth song where he really comes to the point where his home is when he's singing, you know what I mean? And his emotion is home and I... you know the... I'm... I like "Not About Us" and "Shipwrecked." I think they... these are two songs he never wrote [he laughs] on his own solo album [I laugh], but I like the stuff he does, you know. This is... but I didn't know it. I heard it when I was thinking Ray should sing the thing. At this time, we were at the same record label, of course; at InsideOut and I asked them to send me his project he's doing now and I heard it. I was really amazed about the... about the prog, the poppy influence he tries to fix on his album, because you always have the feeling, why do you stop after two minutes and thirty. [we laugh] That's the feeling I have, you know, because he's... he could do more or less. Yeah, he does a little bit less proggy approach, I don't know.

JT: Yeah, maybe we just need to give him some time, because now he's on a progressive rock label, so maybe things will change for him.

YL: Yeah.

JT: Anyhow, I want to get back to talking about your latest album 'cause you just put out an extraordinary album. I think you were kind of touching upon this earlier. You were saying that it kind of has a theme. Is this actually a concept album?

YL: I think I would talk about a concept album if you have a continuous story going on, but it's not a story. It's...we... I'm talking about a certain subject, about a certain theme and it's not a continuous story, so I wouldn't say that it's a real concept album. Also, it is leading you through, through what I call... I try to get inside myself and through this journey I'm leading to a certain point at the end of the album, but, um, you know, you could call it a concept album, but it's more for me, it's more an album with a certain theme and I'm talking about something and... this goes through the album and it's... it's as I told, what I call the loss of spirituality and the thinking of the society, so it's what we were discussing about when, at the beginning of the album when we thought... when I brought in the idea and we talked about how to handle [it] and I talked about this certain subject, it was clear that I was, I was thinking about the human race losing control over a thing that I would call very dangerous and this was... it's the money thing and this is what the album's about. It's, you know, the only song where I was really talking about this certain subject is and this is why I call... why I would say it's leading to an uncertain end and coming more to the point, to a point at the end is "Wasted Land" where I think everywhere the money is, it's always wasted land at the end. If you, if you look what... when you think about money and I can only... I have to talk about Germany, of course, 'cause I am in the German society, so this is what I see when I look through my eyes is rather here and I can see how money replaced our religion, replaced our ability to act and think natural and even if you look [at] what money did to religion, you know, it's.... money is the main reason for everything we do.

It's amazing, you know, if you really open your eyes and see what's going on. It's even responsible that we are having wars, you know, and it's... this was a certain subject about... in our discussions and I know that there's no alternative, because you could easily say, ah, why do you do music [he laughs] and I have to say, ah, okay, because I'm earning money, but, um, [I laugh] yet, of course you can always... but this is, this is the dangerous thing, you know. I'm not doing money because of, I'm not doing music because of earning money. I did... I do music because I think it's, it's worth doing it and it's... it's so good for myself and I, I can renew myself somehow with music; whatever I mean with it, you know, whatever it's called for you or whatever it's called for other people.

JT: Exactly!

YL: And it's a great gift to be alive and it's a great gift doing music, of course, and I don't think that the higher reason of living is money or earning money or whatever, you know. You can see it on a certain point, you know. It's a real shame that up to the 21st Century we learned to destroy a world that we still cannot feed. That's the afford of money, you know.

JT: Yeah. How did you actually come upon the title World Through My Eyes? How did you decide upon that?

YL: Yeah, because... this is only the world through my eyes if you know. What I didn't want to do is to teach people. I cannot teach people and I don't want to teach people. This is, this is totally nonsense, because what we're talking about is my world, through my eyes, and I can only show you what, what's happening through my eyes and how I see it. This is the first point, because... why the the album is called World Through My Eyes, because when we're talking about a certain subject and it could even be a tree standing there. You're seeing the tree and I'm seeing the tree, two trees, because my world through my eyes is another world than your world through your eyes, but it's the one tree in reality. It's an interesting thing when you think about it.

The second thing why it's called World Through My Eyes is... because I think when you... take it as a fact that the world is only the world that you see through your eyes, the only thing that is worth living for is to build up yourself. It's reaching another state of mind every... every time you can do it and, um, this is a thing when you're talking about loss of spirituality. It's not that far away subject, but it's when you, when you don't renew yourself, because you are always living in this pure reality of the world. The world is not that colorful that, that it could be and this is the reason it's called World Through My Eyes, because you have to look in yourself to see it. The reason why the... this is the reason why the... I try to keep the colors as colorful as possible, because the world is so colorful. This is a great gift to live where we live and to live in a world and to be alive, but, you know, you have to... you have to take care of yourself and this is what people are losing, this... the ability to see the world through their eyes how it is, the colorful world, the wonderful world even that it is.

JT: That's a real profound and poetic way of putting it. Anyhow, this might be kind of unfair to ask, because your album is set to be released in a week or so...

YL: The 24th of January.

JT: Right. So maybe this is too soon to ask, but I'm wondering do you have plans now for another album at this time?

YL: Oh no, there's a lot of work coming up and... we've thought about, you know, it's a... "Roses" developed to a wonderful song; I'm... we're thinking about releasing it as a single even... Of course Ray Wilson sang on it, but as I, I had doubts of Ray singing there, because I thought maybe it's no RPWL song anymore, but as we saw... we're coming, and this is a thing that we're very satisfied about, I think we're coming more... coming closer to the heart of the songs than we ever did before and maybe this is a reason why the songs are more RPWL as I ever... uh, feeled it and... so even "Roses" is still a RPWL song, of course, I think. And we're thinking about doing it as a single. We're doing the tour in, in March and April. We have a TV show in... in March [that] maybe we're doing. It's a live concert on a in Germany that is called Rockpalast and... even we think about doing it as a DVD... then we, then it would be a great... this would be great to work on a DVD, on a live DVD this year. [I think that's an excellent idea] This could be a good plan for 2005 and, you know, we haven't released the album yet, so it's no time of, of thinking of the new album.

JT: Okay. I'd say that Pink Floyd is an obvious influence, but I'm wondering if you could talk about maybe some of your less obvious musical influences.

YL: It's always hard to talk about musical influences, because it's... When you as a musician, when you're in the studio, you always try to be very open-minded. You try to have open emotions and, and, so it's, you know, more or less, you are losing all... musical influences that you have found, too, obviously, but... of course you're always influenced by the music that you [have] grown up with and, and for my part this is the music of the late seventies, because also I'm a kid of the early eighties. I was never into the music of the eighties, so, it's... I'm coming of [age] when I, when we were leaving the seventies. I just covered all the old stuff and, and it's great going back, you know, from the eighties to the seventies, so I'm still into this music of Pink Floyd, you know, and Genesis and... and brilliant bands. For me, even if we talk about... bringing lyrics and music together is... of course [it's] Yes that, that did it. They do a brilliant job with the lyrics of Jon Anderson, and their music coming together like, like one emotion. This is a thing I always liked and I always loved with the music of Yes, but, you know, I heard through all the bands of the seventies and it's... I still do it, you know. I'm doing the music that we do with RPWL. Yeah, I think it's strongly influenced by my musical youth, if you want to say so.

JT: When would you say your involvement with music began and how did you decide that you actually wanted to become a vocalist?

YL: When I wanted to do music, and I think I was... eleven or twelve when I decided that I have to play an instrument and we lived nearby a church and so I learned organ in the church. It was very, you know, it's, it's a very strong emotion when you're playing organ in a church choir. This was about two or three years when I get the first... I think it was a Manfred Mann LP called Glorified Magnified. I was so surprised what you can do with a single instrument, how you can transport emotions with a single instrument - the Moog synthesizer, of course. But I didn't know that at this time and so I discovered the music of Manfred Mann, more or less. Manfred Mann was the reason why I was playing keyboard anyhow. I... when I heard the first Pink Floyd, I think it was... the Animals album, with wonderful keyboard parts and Wish You Were Here with [these] wonderful Moog sounds and I was so impressed that I... I knew I have to play keyboard and this was my beginning of doing music, playing, playing keyboard. I bought with all the money I could get... and I remember that my mother said, okay, I'll double it, but this is my last one, and I got a Moog synthesizer, um, on my... carrying it on my bike fifty kilometers [that's 31 miles by the way], because there was a guy who sold it and this was an amazing thing I will never forget.

But the point when I said I will sing was very late, because RPWL, we... the band was.... we came together in 1996 and this was the first time I've... I really thought about singing, because we felt we have something to say, because we just came together to jam along with old Pink Floyd songs, because we... we felt we were all professional musicians and I was producing music. Kalle was playing guitar and we came together and just to jam around and we never wanted to copy Pink Floyd, and so we always played it in our own style, on a... what I would call now a, more or less, an RPWL style and, and we did the first songs together and I really felt we have something to say and so I, you know, I know I'm not the best singer, but it's... when you feel you have something to say, you know, it's another thing. I don't want to... I don't want to be the best singer. I have to say something and so I came, I came to the singing thing and with the first album we said, okay, we'll just try it and, and did the first album, the God Has Failed album, and we thought about that, that the message is coming, you know... I'm not trying to sing the best or something. That was a simple... that was a simple decision about transporting what we have to say. That was the point when I said, okay, I'll sing it and that was the point when we came to a an external keyboard player and this was Andreas Wernthaler joining us during the God Has Failed tour, because I, I couldn't play and sing at the same time. I always felt that I, that I'm losing the ability of really focused people on the thing I, I want them to... that I want to say and so we're getting... this was the point when we get... when we turned to a five piece band.

JT: I'll have to disagree with you, but you're probably not going to be unhappy with this. I believe that you're a heck of a singer and you've just got a real passionate way of singing that really nobody else does and just watching you in concert, it was really amazing.

YL: Oh, thanks a lot. That is... yeah, that's, [he laughs] it's very good to hear, so thanks a lot.

JT: I want to ask you more about your bandmates. How did you actually meet them and then how did some of these line-up changes come about?

YL: Yeah. The first time we ever met was in 1991, I think, when I met Kalle playing in a band called Violet District and it was a funny thing, because I had a studio and Kalle had this band going on and, um, Stephan Ebner, our bass player at the moment, and Chris Postl, our first bass player when we formed the band in 1997, they all were members of Violet District. So this was a certain start without knowing that it's really a start of RPWL. This was the first step. I produced the album and because I really liked, loved the music that Kalle was doing at this time and... We did this one album and they split because the singer, um, didn't want to make music anymore and so we... after five years, and this was the funny thing, we met and had this certain, um, passion of playing live, you know. It was such a great time we had, and at this time with Violet District playing some gigs, I was the technician and I mixed them doing the front of house sound and it was a great thing. And this was a thing we... missed really, and this was a fact that we got when we met and so this, this RPWL thing was born out of a... [out] of this passion of playing live and we knew we had to play live again. And so we met again and [began] doing these jams of old Pink Floyd songs and doing a lot of little festivals, you know, just without practicing.

It was great and always improvising, and this was a great time, you know, and the first split we had [was] with Chris Postl, for example. Um, he married. It was just a very normal thing when you.... it's, well, he wanted to stay, because he got married. He had a little child. He couldn't manage doing music and his profession. He did some work in computers... and so he left the band. But when you to the cover, he's still a member of the friendship of RPWL that is going on, that is writing songs, so he is still writing songs. With Chris, it was really just a matter of time and I think there are more musicians that are coming to this border where you have to decide, okay, this is so much time I invest in music. I have to make a decision and I can understand if you have a family and you have to earn this money that we talked about. [he laughs]

JT: Yeah.

YL: You have to make a decision and this was the decision Chris Postl made and this was the decision also that Paul [Rissettio] made, because he wanted to make a development in his profession as a... he's a electrician in normal life and without... and when you... do music and want to... to make a progression in your profession, it's... hard to do. But all this... [these] things that were going on, they were all in... and you know this ... were all things in harmony going on, because we're still friends, we're still working together. They are still part of a spirit that is going on when we are composing, when we are working in the studio and this is a thing that I like, that I really like, that it's... because it's... it's so great to work with Chris, with his ideas that he has and he has the same spirit that we have and I would really miss it. So it was never a real split. The split that was going on was always in playing live, because it's so much time rehearsing. It's so much time. The gigs were more and more, you know. We did... after doing God Has Failed, we did a little tour, but with Trying To Kiss The Sun, we did our first European tour and this is quite a difference when you're three or four weeks in a bus going through Europe. Who does the work? [he laughs]

JT: Yeah.

YL: You know, this was the question Chris had and it was... yeah, but it's... it was a good thing, you know. He's just... he has more time, he's still a member of doing songs together, of working together and, and the same is with Paul and the same of what's with Andreas, uh, playing the keyboards, because he had the same problem after doing the Stock tour. He said, I'll marry, probably I'll have one or two children, this will be in the near future, there will be a problem and, and let's solve this problem right now when we have time. It was... the Stock tour was over, we were composing for the new album and this was the best thing he could do and... still the same thing is going on. We're still friends and it's still okay.

JT: You actually decided to keep the name. How did you come upon that decision?

YL: Yeah, keeping the name was a thing of keeping the spirit, you know. There's a certain spirit going on when RPWL is working and this spirit was found when we worked together for the first time, but this spirit is still going on and it's still there and due to that, I think that is the reason why we called it RPWL even if... it should, uh, I don't know where we are now, I think we are at R, P, no, without P, you know, it's... [we laugh] It's not something to think about, but, you know, the spirit is still there and the spirit is RPWL and it was... maybe it was a strange idea of ours, because when we did the first album with Dick, who is still our label manager at InsideOut in Germany, we said, we don't have to have... we don't want to have a... this silly name like, I don't know, Blue Ocean or, or White something with horizon. I don't know what you... what you could imagine as a name and... um... but he said, okay guys, you have to have a name, because we're doing an album. It's hard to do an album without a name and so we said, okay, take the initial letters of our names, and maybe this was a strange idea, but, yeah, we have to deal with it, you know.

JT: I have a question here that usually musicians either find they have something off the top of their head or they get stuck, but there is usually never anything in between. But I'm wondering, can you recall any Spinal Tap moments that have occurred with this band?

YL: Um... um... you mean positive or negative?

JT: Just kind of like just strange or quirky or just weird things that have happened, you know, while you're in the middle of a concert or on tour or just recording?

YL: I can remember... I can remember when we were... it's, it's, ... it was a moment full of emotions, because... therefore, you have to know that our booking agency, the guy who is working at our booking agency is a very, very old friend of mine and he was a member of my, of our first band that we had when I was a, you know, a kid and dreaming of the wide world and the open sky and, um, this guy was planning the second tour when he came over with the bass and, um, I was looking at him and it was a real moment of... of emotions, because I sort of... When I was 15 or 16, you know... when you... look at the tour dates we had at this time or even now, you know, coming to the states, this is a... you know, it's only a word, states, but we're coming there, we're... we are playing music, we're playing a gig, we're coming to a venue full of people, we have a warm welcome and this was a moment... It was in between being, feeling blessed because ... people are listening to you when you say something. This is something very, very extraordinary and... and I've always felt something like, uh, this feeling when I'm coming to a venue and... when I'm standing, when the show begins, because you're coming out and, and you feel really blessed, because they are watching you and... and god who I am, I'm only a... I'm, I'm Yogi and, and telling them and they're listening and this is always a high emotion. I... and I remember for the first time I had this emotion when we were discussing the tour and, and I looked at the dates and I looked at them and I remembered when it was when we started making music. I would never... I dreamed of it, you know, I dreamed of doing a tour, but I never realized how it is to be in a bus, waking up in Spain, going out, being in another country, coming to [the] stage, and there are people who know you. [I laugh] This is amazing, you know, and it's still amazing and I think it will, it will ever be to me.

JT: Yeah, that is something else. Um, I've actually got about seven questions here that are kind of short answer, so if we could just kind of run through those really quick. I'd first like to find out about some of your current musical tastes and I just want to find out like what's the last CD that you purchased?

YL: Um, it was Nursery Cryme, yesterday. [he chuckles]

JT: That's easy.

YL: [he speaks as he laughs] I have to say that it's lying there beside me.

JT: That's cool. And what would you say is the last concert that you attended as a fan?

YL: As a fan? ... In fact it was, uh, it was the Calling All Stations tour.

JT: Very good. And then I just have a few here to ask you about some of your favorites. These are kind of difficult, so whatever pops into your head or if you want to name a few of them, but what would you say is your favorite album?

YL: Uh, depends on the mood I have, but, um, definitely one of my favorite album is... Soul Of Mann from Manfred Mann's band.

JT: Okay, and, like, what would you say is your favorite band?

YL: [he pauses] I think it's still Pink Floyd.

JT: Okay, yeah, [we both laugh] and I've got a few favorites here that aren't specifically related to music, but what would you say is your favorite movie?

YL: It always depends on the mood you have isn't it...

JT: Like, what's one that pops into your head?

YL: What pops up is Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas.

JT: Oh yeah, that's a good one. [he laughs] Like, what would you say is your favorite TV show?

YL: Wow; I haven't got a TV.

JT: You don't have a TV!?! [I laugh]

YL: No, I don't have. [he laughs]

JT: Yeah. I mean, I have one, but I never watch it. I just rent DVDs.

YL: That's the same. [we laugh]

JT: Would you say you have a favorite book?

YL: Oh... yeah. I think [he mentions one in German that I can't comprehend, sounds like Cidente]

JT: I also have a quirky question that I like to ask. It just helps me identify with the artist and it just kind of hits home with me, but do you have any pets?

YL: No.

JT: Okay, that's easy.

YL: No. [he laughs] For one moment, I...I wanted to, uh, but it's... I can't, I can't say my girlfriend. [we laugh] That was my first idea. No, no, I have no.

JT: Okay. And then just, like before we wrap up, is there anything you would like to say to your fans at this time?

YL: Yes. [he pauses] We hope we... we gave... we gave, especially our fans, but all people who are listening to the album a chance to look to the world that we see through our eyes and I think it's... it's worth to look into yourself and building up yourself, renew yourself, because the world is definitely changing and it's a wonderful world and.. that we live in... and it's, it's time to see it as it is in all its grace, you know.

JT: Okay. I just want to let you know that you are, I mean, RPWL is, one of my favorite bands and it's, it's just been... I mean, it's just been a great pleasure getting a chance to talk to you and also to get to see you perform at ROSFest and I'm just looking forward to seeing you guys play at some point in the future and I just wish you a lot of luck on your future albums, tours, and, you know, whatever else you guys pursue.

YL: Thanks a lot.

JT: You just did a great job on the last album and I hope it's well-received by fans, because I think you really did an excellent job on it.

YL: Thanks a lot.

JT: That's about all I have at this time, so just enjoy the rest of your weekend. [he laughs]

YL: Do you... did you get the special edition or just the normal?

JT: I just have the normal one and I'll be getting the special edition as soon as it's available.

YL: 'Cause the special edition, there's one more song, because the original last song was "New Stars Are Born" and that, that was the song that the album was leading to all the time when we made it.

JT: Oh, interesting.

YL: And we thought of a different idea and, and there was a song called "Bound To Reach The End" that we replaced it [with]... also due [to] the playing length, because we were at 85 minutes and "New Stars" was a 15 minute piece of music.

JT: Oh, really?

YL: Um, yeah, it was; it was amazing, because this was a...

JT: Pretty good bonus.

YL: Yeah, and, um, but, but we weren't satisfied with the... 'cause it's such a positive thing.. the whole album, that is what I feel when I hear the album and it's just... was to end it with "Bound To Reach The End" was... was the better decision, that was what I thought.

JT: Oh yeah.

YL: But, the original last track is on the special album. I had to edit it a little and so it's only, I think, eight or nine minutes.

JT: Interesting.

YL: It's a hybrid SACD. It's an SACD that you can read in every CD player, so this was a thing that we wanted to do, because it's, it's, um, when you can buy an SACD and can put it into your car CD player or something, wherever you want, you know.

JT: That's cool.

YL: Yeah.

JT: Okay. That's all I have at this time and I'll be checking out that special edition. You've got me real excited about it.

YL: If you have any further questions, you know, feel free to, to write an email also.

JT: Okay, yeah, I appreciate it.

YL: And... you can easily reach us through the world wide web, RPWL.de.

[As this was going to press, we learned that Ray Wilson would be joining the band for the first two March 2005 dates - March 8, Harmonie / WDR Rockpalast "Crossroads" TV recording, Bonn, Germany and March 10, Lindenkeller, Freising, Germany. -ed.]

RPWL (l to r:) Kalle, Stephen, Manfred, and Yogi

Discography:
God Has Failed (2000)
Trying To Kiss The Sun (2002)
Stock (2003)
World Through My Eyes (2005)
Live - Start The Fire (2005)
The RPWL Experience (2008)
Gentle Art Of Music (2010)
Beyond Man And Time (2012)
A Show Beyond Man And Time (CD/DVD) (2013)
Wanted (2014)

The RPWL Live Experience (DVD) (2009)