TRAUMTAENZER

Traumtaenzer recently released "Der Weisse Raum" on Echozone and it's a great album for people who like goth in many flavours. From club hits to darkwave, Traumtaenzer know how to deliver, and as we like such bands we decided to interview them.

Hello, can you please tell us who Traumtaenzer are?

Tom: Traumtaenzer are Marco (Vox), Eva(Vox), Sandra (Violin) and me (Tom) for the guitar, synth and programming stuff. 

On the CD “Der weisse Raum” were featured by two guest musicians named Sandra Happel for the additional vox and Lothar Holzschneiders for the cello.

Traumtaenzer were founded by Tom O’Connell who readers will know from Garden Of Delight. That's quite a big difference in genre?

Tom: The main concept when I started the band, was to create a modern gothic sound with open minded influences. With Garden of Delight, it was nearly the same when we started in the early 90`.

Only the times have changed and with it the style of gothic music. In 1991 there are bands like Love Like Blood, Cancer Barrack, Dead Can Dance, Christian Death and Tors of Dartmoor. Now there are bands like ASP, Unheilig, Eisbrecher, Rome and Subway to Sally who are “Gothic” (in the widest meaning of the word). The basics for me are still the same. The only thing that have changed is that the road we walk upon have become a little bigger and wider.

Even if I think your album’s great, I thought that you might be the kind of band who pick the best pieces from everywhere?

Tom: Thank you(laughs). I must say that you're right and not. We surely pick up the influences around us but basically the music came from our hearts. Everyone in the band favours a different kind of music and Traumtaenzer is the pool of all that.

There are definitely some club hits to be found on your album like “Stigmata” for instance. In fact, how things are going success wise?

Tom: You can't plan a club hit. If you try it, you'll never know what the people like and dance to. It won't work.

For example "No Tears" from the Band Tuxedomoon is the most "undanceble" Club hit I know. The same with "This is Heresy" from Christian Death. But the Djs love them. The only thing we do is trying to write good songs with catchy hook lines. "Stigmata" is a song we did a not-bad job with. I hope.

A song which really blew me away was the excellent “Eisprinzessin” darkwave-song. though beautiful it may be, is it not also a bit of an outsider on the album?

Tom: “Eisprinzessin” is a little bit of another side of Traumtaenzer. The mellow and romantic side that doesn't need big drums and beats but it's very important for Traumtaenzer to have this. This song based on musical stuff like Enya and Vangelis which is also an influence for us.

If I hear that whole album I must say that it feels like some fairy tale-world you’re living in. Is it your way to escape this world?

Tom: Yes, you're absolutely right. The main character in the story is a man who got lost in a fairy-tale world. I think dreams are very important for all of us and most of the people got too small rooms for dreams in their lives but it's also important to deal with the facts of reality, otherwise most of us are in the danger to get crazy.

I really want to ask you. Do you really think it’s sane that people escape this world or is it just the sole solution there is?

Tom: Living only in a dream world without facing the reality can't be the meaning of life. Do you know the film Matrix ? The first chapter showed exactly what will happen then. We all live in our personal dream world and stopped being human. So one meaning to be human is to be open minded and face the real life. Dreams are a gate to another world. We have the chance to change the world in us, when we listen to them closely. That's what the story "Der weisse Raum" means.

What’s your favourite record of all time and please state why.

Tom: Oh...a hard question.......hmmmmm.......I think “Strange Times” from The Chameleons, because it's one of the records who showed me how passionate and soulful music can be.

With whom wouldn’t you mind to be alone with in an elevator for 8 hours and what would you do then?

Tom: With myself. I'm afraid I'll start a discussion for what 8 hours are far to short and in the end I'll nearly kill the other me.

A message for the Peek-A-Boo reader could be something like….

Tom: Live your dreams, face the truth and always listen to your heart.

Traumtaenzer recently released "Der Weisse Raum" on Echozone and it's a great album for people who like goth in many flavours. From club hits to darkwave, Traumtaenzer know how to deliver, and as we like such bands we decided to interview them.

Hello, can you please tell us who Traumtaenzer are?

Tom: Traumtaenzer are Marco (Vox), Eva(Vox), Sandra (Violin) and me (Tom) for the guitar, synth and programming stuff. 

On the CD “Der weisse Raum” were featured by two guest musicians named Sandra Happel for the additional vox and Lothar Holzschneiders for the cello.

Traumtaenzer were founded by Tom O’Connell who readers will know from Garden Of Delight. That's quite a big difference in genre?

Tom: The main concept when I started the band, was to create a modern gothic sound with open minded influences. With Garden of Delight, it was nearly the same when we started in the early 90`.

Only the times have changed and with it the style of gothic music. In 1991 there are bands like Love Like Blood, Cancer Barrack, Dead Can Dance, Christian Death and Tors of Dartmoor. Now there are bands like ASP, Unheilig, Eisbrecher, Rome and Subway to Sally who are “Gothic” (in the widest meaning of the word). The basics for me are still the same. The only thing that have changed is that the road we walk upon have become a little bigger and wider.

Even if I think your album’s great, I thought that you might be the kind of band who pick the best pieces from everywhere?

Tom: Thank you(laughs). I must say that you're right and not. We surely pick up the influences around us but basically the music came from our hearts. Everyone in the band favours a different kind of music and Traumtaenzer is the pool of all that.

There are definitely some club hits to be found on your album like “Stigmata” for instance. In fact, how things are going success wise?

Tom: You can't plan a club hit. If you try it, you'll never know what the people like and dance to. It won't work.

For example "No Tears" from the Band Tuxedomoon is the most "undanceble" Club hit I know. The same with "This is Heresy" from Christian Death. But the Djs love them. The only thing we do is trying to write good songs with catchy hook lines. "Stigmata" is a song we did a not-bad job with. I hope.

A song which really blew me away was the excellent “Eisprinzessin” darkwave-song. though beautiful it may be, is it not also a bit of an outsider on the album?

Tom: “Eisprinzessin” is a little bit of another side of Traumtaenzer. The mellow and romantic side that doesn't need big drums and beats but it's very important for Traumtaenzer to have this. This song based on musical stuff like Enya and Vangelis which is also an influence for us.

If I hear that whole album I must say that it feels like some fairy tale-world you’re living in. Is it your way to escape this world?

Tom: Yes, you're absolutely right. The main character in the story is a man who got lost in a fairy-tale world. I think dreams are very important for all of us and most of the people got too small rooms for dreams in their lives but it's also important to deal with the facts of reality, otherwise most of us are in the danger to get crazy.

I really want to ask you. Do you really think it’s sane that people escape this world or is it just the sole solution there is?

Tom: Living only in a dream world without facing the reality can't be the meaning of life. Do you know the film Matrix ? The first chapter showed exactly what will happen then. We all live in our personal dream world and stopped being human. So one meaning to be human is to be open minded and face the real life. Dreams are a gate to another world. We have the chance to change the world in us, when we listen to them closely. That's what the story "Der weisse Raum" means.

What’s your favourite record of all time and please state why.

Tom: Oh...a hard question.......hmmmmm.......I think “Strange Times” from The Chameleons, because it's one of the records who showed me how passionate and soulful music can be.

With whom wouldn’t you mind to be alone with in an elevator for 8 hours and what would you do then?

Tom: With myself. I'm afraid I'll start a discussion for what 8 hours are far to short and in the end I'll nearly kill the other me.

A message for the Peek-A-Boo reader could be something like….

Tom: Live your dreams, face the truth and always listen to your heart.

Didier BECU
13/07/2011