After years of burning and copying your CDs by yourself the d.i.y. extreme style, your last release was no CD but a 7" and it was released through a real label, the Hamburg based Audiolith. Is this the end of the d.i.y. era in Krawallaland or was it just an exception? Which way will you release future recordings? And just as important: When will the broad public get access to new glam bleep stuff?

Audiolith is nearly as d.i.y. as the usual Megapeng releases, I think it's quite cool to have the 7" there. Lars has very rad stuff on his label, so I am proud to be part of it. Even though I am the only lady there... As u say, after years of burning heaps of cd´s by myself it's good when u have someone who is a helping hand, because it's getting a little bit to much and I have to burn cd´s nearly everyday now. This is a question of time, too.
It´s not like i am against "labels" or so... I just never cared. so, the next release will probably be audiolithed again. I am busy working on "something". CD or vinyl. We'll see. I hope I have enough songs soon for a full length to go in the studio around october. Definatly there will be awesome remixes by Saal- schutz and Juri Gagarin on it. So maybe it comes out around christmess... What a great time to earn money ;)

You've been on tour in Australia early 2K5 and the tour was sponsored by the EU in some way. I know from your weblog that you hesitated quite a bit to take this invitation. What did finally make you taking this opportunity? And did some people react on it a negative way like you sold out or betrayed your ideals?

I was invited to play at a "multicultural festival", which was one week with different music from all around the world. On saturday they had this thing called "eurotrash". Me and 2 other bands (1 from Finland, 1 from Sweden) were invited to "represent 'the growing together europe' without forgetting our own nationalities". This was of course like a red rag to me and i had a lot discussions with the organiser. I don´t feel like I have a relationship to a national or european collective, and at least I never wanted to represent Germany. so I asked in my blog "what would you do?". The same with the ppl i know. Mostly everyone said: "go!" and the best argument for me was "if u don´t go, maybe Mia. or DJ Ostdeutschland... might go... and represent germany in the naive nationalistic way they are famous for. So i made a special puppet show against the happy european identity and the ppl of the German embassy were "not amused". That was cool for me, bad for them to be blamed as assholes on a party they´ve sponsored. The audience loved it. A lot of teenies came after the show and were excited cause they were not used to have this points on stage. The rest of the tour was "Germany free".
Negative reactions never reached me. I mean, afterwards I am sure it was awesome to do it, cause I had a lot room to say what I think about fortress europe in radios and interviews and at the shows. And free holidays in Oz!

Not so long ago you were the girl with the thousand projects at least your website www.megapeng.net offered this impression. Now after Minipli 550 split up it seems like the only remaining project was Räuberhöhle. Is this true or do you still some other stuff going on? What about the Bittersweet P's?

Nono, I still have some projects. But it always takes some time. Our singer of Minipli 550 moved to South America. So this band is dead, but Klops Venus, Cpt. Bernd and me are still practicing thursdays 7:30 p.m. - hoping for inspirations and new ppl to join the band.
The things on megapeng.net are mostly temporary projects. Like "The Smith Sisters" a grrrl-rap-project with me, Cutterina (the ex-singer of Minipli 550) and Roby (ex-singer and keyboarder of Milemarker) that we just did in 2 days (practice 1 evening and playing a show the next one).
We could be rich superstars with the Bittersweet P's, but I think it will never happen since the distance to Plemo is to far and there is to less energy behind it. So me and a friend started a new "hit-project". something between Missy Elliott, Usher and Snoop. but that's a little secret. I can smell we´ll get damn rich! ;)
The impression that it´s just Räuberhöhle who is left is because it's the only constant thing I do. and that's because it's my soloproject and I can do it when and wherever I want. (Hard to split up)

On their last release, the split12" with the Dance Inc., Saalschutz say they want to dance for us as like Krawallmächen. Okay, your dancing skills are really adorable but what is the secret story behind this line?

Well, MT Dancefloor is practicing since years to get my style. Not just musically. now he want to take over my morning program gymnastic style dance. But that's okay with me. I can share. I steal parts of their lyrics next time and we are quitt.

Let's talk about the past! You ware not born in the Räuberhöhle. As your tattood arms alude you have a hardcore background. Tell us about your days in the pit and the bands you were in! And tell us why you pretty much turned your back to this scene and moved on into electro wonderland!

I didn't turned my back to the music, but to the macho habit... I still mostly listen to hardcore and the only reason why i do electrocrap is, because it's so easy. If I could play better guitar, drum and bass... Räuberhöhle would sound totally different... (and if this stuff were not so loud...)
I started to sing in some emo and hardcore bands at a time when bands like "Ashes" and "Copper" popped up in the "scene". For some reason it became cool that girls sing sweetly to boys music. Later I thought that it's quite unsatisfying to be "just" the singer...
I tried to learn guitar (powerchords! but i failed, because i am to lazy) and I tried to play drums (which i did in Prinzessin Prolo)... It wasn't good, anyway. It ended up with toys, synthies and drum computers...

You got stickers that say: "Räuberhöhle - X-straight-edge-glam-bleeps-X". This is pretty much extraordinary as I don't know about any other sXe-electro project. How important are straight edge and veganism for you and what do these terms mean to you? Don't you feel like an outsider quite often in this world full of smoke and meat and alcohol?

It's not really like I am the vegan straight edge preacher. The stickers are more fun, cause it´s the only way I can pose around. I am vegan and I do not drink or take any drugs. I hate smoke!... But it's my decision and not the most important thing in my life. I am to old for this... ähem.

You are often labelled with terms like "electropunk" or "riotgrrrl". Do you find yourself in these terms? Are you feminist? Are you punk? Are words like these important for you?

No not really... It depends where u are. Sometimes it's good to show off with such terms. When u play a show in front of stupid macho dudes, I am an offensive feminist (I guess, I hope), but when i play in front of feminists I don't feel the need to label myself like that. Punk... eh, I don´t know. maybe in some way, but it always gives me the imagination of sitting at the trainstation with tons of dogs around and singing Toten Hosen covers... nah, I think I am not a punk. Not even in an electrified way (I am not sitting with my casio at the s-bahn playing songs of the Mediengruppe Telekommander ;)
I am me.

On your website you link some antideutsch sites like the one of the Sinistra group from Frankfurt/Main and your site contains the Egotronic-Fanclub. How important is the antideutsch stance for you? And do you consider Räuberhöhle to be a political band or act?

Surely I am a politically interested person. and iIfeel close to the antigerman movement, because I feel to alienated to the rest of the "leftys" and their "easy point of view". On the other hand I don´t like to identify to much with any movement. So i try to keep the critical distance to any drawer.
Sinsitra is one of the best infopools for politically interested ppl I think. That's why I've linked them.
The Egotronic fanclub started cause I liked their music.

Let us finally get back to the music! Räuberhöhle is very much identified via the puppet theatre thing. Can you imagine to one day perform as Räuberhöhle without the theatre or would that just not be Räuberhöhle any longer? Don't you sometimes think the theatre idea is limiting the music in some way or another?

That's what I think over and over. I started all this just for a funny gig for some friends and I've never planned to do so many shows with this crap. I came up with the idea of doing a puppetshow to explain the story why this lady in the supergrrrldress is alone on stage with playback music (because I can't play all intruments at the same time. specially since I can´t do anything else, when I sing and dance like Krawallmädchen) I never were interested in puppet stuff. But for my show it was great to explain things. After some time the theater is a little bit like a millstone around my neck, cause u always need to go by car (impossible to take the train or the plane) and u always have to find someone who can lend u a helping hand. On the other hand... even Eminem copys puppet style now (hihi) and I can´t imagine of just doing this nerdy laptop shows. No way.

Last question: Now that yellow is the new pink, will you change your on stage outfit to the new trend colour or will you stick you to yesterday's fad ;) ?

I stay pink. I don't dress in the color of peepee!

Allright then. Any last words, best wishes, good advices?

Best wishes and sorry it took so long ;)

[jan]

www.megapeng.net