An Interview with Marco and Nik of NONEXISTER
1. I think it's always helpful for readers to get some background information on bands they're listening to in order to understand their music better. Can you tell me about how you all met each other and how NONEXISTER came to be?
Nik: Marco and I are the core of the band, the founders and bandleaders. We started the whole thing and still write the songs and take all creative decisions. We had known each other for many years and were fans of one another. Marco was successful with dark wave, dub, trip hop with bands like Swandive and Division Kent while I was making punk and hardcore in the subcultural DIY scene with bands like Catchpole and latest I voiced one of the robots of Compressorhead, working with John Wright from NoMeansNo.
We both knew that either of us had a longing for an industrial project and that this could be a possible match for us. After having lived in Spain for some years I came back to Zurich and finally asked Marco if we should try this industrial thing and he was happy to do so.
We matched from the first moment on incredibly and inspired each other. So more than half of the songs for Demons was written within just a few months.
2. Your debut album, Demons, will be released on March 15th. What was the writing and recording process like? Does the band get in a room together or do you work individually and share things as you create them?
Marco: Most of the time I create the basic structure, and sometimes the entire rough tracks, in my studio. A song usually starts with a sound, an atmosphere, which develops into a loop and then gradually gains structure. When I have an element that inspires me, Nik gets in, improvising different vocal lines. And then we develop the layouts into the actual songs. When the demos are ready, we invite our other band members to join in and put the finishing touches to the songs - this step then takes place in the larger recording studio when we record them for the album.
3. You just released a new music video for your latest single "Where Does Your Mind Go?" Can you tell me about the concept of the song and how the video(with actress Martina Momo Kunz holding her breath under water) was filmed?
Nik: The concept came from director Elias Ressegatti and convinced us immediately. It expresses the topic of the song, loneliness and anxiety, perfectly and very radical. It was filmed in one take and completely real. Since both her struggle to hold her breath and her suffering are real, we as spectators feel it ourselves almost physically, we’re with her. Luckily, with Momo we knew the perfect actress for the role as she is also a free diver. It would have been impossible for someone without the right training to do the job.
4. What do you think sets NONEXISTER apart from other rock bands?
Nik: On the one hand, we're not so easy to categorize. We don't stick neatly to one genre but oscillate between several and are still stylistically stringent, are always NONEXISTER. Secondly, the videos are very important and part of our art, reflecting the lyrics in a different way. And thirdly, we have something to say, the lyrics are very important to us, are our reflection on society and on our inner abysses.
5. You've all been in other bands and creative projects. Do you get nervous or excited before releasing new material? How do you manage your thoughts on how listeners and fans will react to your music?
Nik: Definitely excited and a bit nervous too. I mean, it's your baby that you're putting out there, your art that you've put a lot of work into. You love it and hope that others will love it too. And you're also exposing yourself to a certain extent, you're showing parts of your inner life.
But the fear of rejection should never influence the art. We are convinced that art can only be good if it unfolds freely, intuitively and with full risk. So we write our songs independently of any commercial considerations.
And of course, it also becomes easier to deal with such thoughts over time. It's like love, the first time you love, you almost die of emotions, both good and bad. Later on, you already know these situations - that helps.
6. What are your thoughts on the current state of the music industry? I know Marco wrote his doctoral thesis on contracts within the industry. How do you feel those impacts artists today and what is your advice to new bands coming into the industry?
Marco: This is a complex topic that we could probably philosophize about for hours. On the one hand, the big players in the music industry are still very powerful. And every artist who is signed to such a company has a starting advantage - at least if the artist has a certain priority with the company.
On the other hand, you can still get very far with the DIY mentality if you are committed and build up your own network and fanbase and use social media skillfully. On social media, a song can go viral overnight and change everything. All in all, I think it's still an exciting time to be active as a musician or artist in general.
7. Do you think streaming has had a positive or negative impact on the music industry?
Marco: I'm originally an album person. I love the idea of a complete work that reflects the work of a certain creative period. On the other hand, from a music lover's point of view, it's also great that I have the world repertoire of music with me at all times, and for just $12 a month - that's actually ridiculously little compared to what I used to have to spend on vinyl and CDs and then just got 10 new songs. All in all, the positive aspects of streaming outweigh the negative for me, even if there is certainly room for improvement in terms of the "fair" distribution of income, but a lot is currently being done in this respect.
8. Do you plan to tour in support of your new album or do you have any live shows coming up soon? What can the audience expect from your live performance?
Marco: Definitely! Although the songs were created in the studio, the live performance is an important element of artistic expression. We are currently planning the release shows and then shows in the fall/winter. It will be very intense, dynamic and full of energy.
Nik: We have a great and very motivated team working on the light show and other visual elements. A specialty of us will be that we want to play both the “normal” venues as the small, intimate ones. This is a challenge in terms of the live set up, but it’s fun as well to sort it out.
9. Is there anything else you'd like readers to know about NONEXISTER?
Nik: Stay tuned after the release, for the live shows, but as well for some non-released stuff coming right after as the cherry on the cake. Especially to mention is the video for “Kater”, the most insane video we made so far and a really wild ride through Berlin and its characters.