Interviews
Solar Fake, an electro project out of a gothic heart | Interview
Sven Friedrich and Solar Fake will be back in Athens on March 14th and we had a chat about it and about a lot of things.
Sometimes there is this thing that a talented person is destined to succeed in any step and new project that he wills. For us, that we knew Sven Friedrich from the 90's and his legendary, and one of the best goth rock bands, Dreadful Shadows, it had been really difficult to imagine this person and this voice, playing and singing something other than goth rock anthems. But Solar Fake were created to prove us wrong.
Sven has always been a human with many different music influences and inspirations. He loves to experiment with music, with song-writting. He is an artist and as such one he had never stop to listen to a variety of music styles, experiment with the most of them and always manages to bring all these influences into his music projects.
With Solar Fake, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Sven Friedrich, gives life to his love to the electronic side of music. Started in 2007 with an extraordinary debut album, "Broken Grid", forcing media and fans to give a warm welcome and feedback to Sven's new band.
As a result to this reaction, Solar Fake started touring with major electro acts and paying live in the greatest underground festivals in Europe. During these years and among several live appearances and head-lining tours, Sven had never stop creating music. Four more full length albums were released, with the latest, being the "You Win Who Care?" out via Out Of Line, in 2018.
Sven Friedrich is one of the beloved artists to the Greek audience and this resulted Solar fake to perform in Greece a numerous times and an official Solar Fake fan club was created. This year, Solar Fake will visit Athens for a live show in Death Disco, on March 14th. It is going to be another night like the ones that the experienced artist and Solar Fake gives to their fans. Full of emotions under dark atmosphere and electronic paths. On the occasion of their live performance in Athens we had an interesting chat and talked about their work, their chemistry with Greek people and many more...
ES: Hello Solar Fake. I’d like to thank you for this interview. I am really happy to speak with you after so many years and with all this progress and success for you. Before asking all the details for the band, would you like to introduce yourselves to the fans and to our readers?
Solar Fake: I'm Sven, singer of Solar Fake. I've been in Zeraphine and Dreadful Shadows before... At least DS seems like ages ago ;-) With me on stage is André, we know 
each other from DS as well, since he played guitar in that band. And there's Jeans, our drummer. I met him when he was drummer for Rabia Sorda. A while after he left the band I asked him to join Solar Fake. He also plays the drums for "Fliehende Stuerme" and "Die Art".
ES: Well, I am going straight to the upcoming show in Athens. How do you feel about being back to Greece?
SF: We're always very happy to come to Athens. The gigs are always exceptional and the people are so very nice! We enjoy our stay in Greece everytime a lot. We really love the city and many Germans do, that's why there are always people from Germany coming to our gigs in Athens as well ;-)
ES: There is a big fan-base for Solar Fake in Greece. A Solar Fake fan club is active for a long time now. What is your relationship with the Greek fans?
SF: Well, thanks to Nikos and Antonios (the guys who run the Greek fanclub) it's possible at all, that we play in Athens quite regularly. Because they always organize the gigs, take the financial risk and this is really a fantastic support. They really make things work and give us and the fans the opportunity to have a great time together.
ES: What can we expect in Solar Fake's concert at Death Disco Athens, on March 14th? Any surprises?
SF: Maybe no real surprises, but it's going to be the first time we bring our drummer Jeans to Athens. In the past we only played gigs without him... So this is gonna be something new.
ES: Let's go back in time for a while. Solar fake was formed in 2007. Sven was already known for his legendary gothic rock bands, but Solar Fake is a completely different project. Can you tell us which facts led you to create a project so different than the previous bands? Can you remember something of the media and audience feedback, back then?
SF: I actually loved electronic music for a while and I always wanted to run an electro project, so I started writing songs without knowing where it would lead me... When we released the first album the response was really great. I was quite surprised. Still it's hard to believe that we've made such a development...
ES: Solar Fake made some big music steps throughout all these years. Including 5 full length albums, several other releases, and many more live appearances. How do you feel when you are looking back in the band's history? Would you change something in any of the decisions you've made, all these years?
SF: Well, sometimes I think I could have started to work with Out Of Line earlier, but on the other hand we maybe needed to be at a certain point in our career for it to work out so very well... So, when I look back now I don't think I'd change anything. You also have to make mistakes and learn from it...
ES: Solar Fake was a project brought up by Sven. However it has never, really been a solo project, since there are always other musicians involved as band members. Which is the process of your music creation and writing? How a song or an album is being created and completed?
SF: Actually it's only me writing the songs, playing all instruments on the albums, producing the albums, doing the artworks and stuff. So technically it really is a solo project. But regarding live performances we're a trio and I think the input of all 3 musicians on stage is really important and that's what makes Solar Fakes live sound. I like it to be more rough when we play live. But in the studio I want to keep as a pure electronic project.
ES: I know that perhaps, you have been answering this one, for several years now, but due to your more gothic rock past, what would you say are your main influences music-wise, when it comes to Solar Fake's sound?
SF: Oh, that changes all the time... But it doesn't really affect my style or the style I want to have for SF. The last iconic super album I've heard is "Art of doubt" by Metric. It's an album I can hear 30 times per day without it getting boring somehow... Everything about it is just fantastic. But at the moment I also hear Digitalism and She wants revenge... And a lot more... A lot of music inspires me, but I don't want to copy... I rather try to find out how other musicians realize their ideas and sometimes it helps me...
ES: You last full length album, "You Win. Who Cares?" was released in 2018. It has been characterized an album with some political influences. Can you tell us about your influences and inspiration in this album?
SF: Basically it's about humans and their absurd way of acting and behaving... It's hard to list everything about humans that drives me mad... In my songs I usually pick one little glimpse. But it's not only on the last album. And well, it's not only meant political... It's in every little thing people do...
ES: Speaking about influences and inspirations, I would say that not only in "You Win. Who Cares?", but in most of your work, someone could give a different meaning to some of your songs, rather influenced by social events and facts or including thoughts about the future of the world. Would you like to tell us something about those lyrics and these thoughts?
SF: Well, as I said before, I don't think human race was somehow good for this planet. People destroy everything around without even noticing. They torture animals for fun or because they don't think about it... They laugh about people who see clearer, who see the damage that is done... They deny climatic change, they just see their profit... The worst thing about humanity is, that only the most stupid and insensitive people get to a point of real leadership. And that causes so much damage all over... I don't feel sorry for humanity, as I'm sure it will fail. What I feel sorry for is the animals we'll take with us... They deserved better...
ES: Someone can say that you like to cover some of the songs and hits of the past. How do you choose which of the songs you will cover?
SF: Ha, brighter thoughts :-) I don't know... Sometimes I just hear a song or remember... then I think about it... if it could work for SF. Then I try and then I try to get clearance from the author to release it ;-)
But first of all I have to like the song and the original artist.
ES: As we said earlier, last album was released in 2018. Can we expect any new music and songs in the near future? Will we listen to any new material in the upcoming 
concert in Athens, in March 14th?
SF: Well, I'm sure we will play one cover version that will be on the next album. Speaking of which, I have already written 5 songs for the new record, and working on the next 2 songs at the moment. So yes, I'm on it. But we'll release a live album first, recorded at our recent concert in Leipzig.
ES: Would you like to share with us two highlights of the band's history? What would you say could be one of the best or not so good moments, in all these years?
SF: Oh, that's so hard... I would definitely name the Gothic Meets Classic Show, the last sold out tour in Germany, the US tour and so many more great gigs on the positive side... And as strange as it may sound... there really is no bad moment with SF... at all...
ES: It seems we could keep up this conversation for a long time! I’d rather stop asking now and just wait to see you on Death Disco's stage. Would you like to say something else to our readers? Any last words?
SF: Well, I hope it won't be 'last' words, hahaha... I'm very much looking forward to our gig at Death Disco and I hope to see a lot of people there and don't be too nervous about the virus... ;-)
ES: Thank you very much and I wish you the best for the future. Looking forward to seeing you in Athens.
SF: Looking forward to you there too :-)
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