Febuary 1st, 2003 * In between albums and finding a new label, how did you spend your "down time"? Reading? Movies? Cliff diving?
VAS: We never perceived it as "down - time " We had no idea that the waiting hell would last so long-- --we kept writing lots of musik--and yes -- i felt like jumping off many cliffs. !!!
LOOPY: Sometimes my mom let me out of the attic to watch wheel of fortune!
* Machines good, People bad. Where did the phrase come from? And what does it mean to you and your music?
VAS: The phrase came from the realization that you cannot depend on humans to be there for you--- machines will always do the work, without an attitude or a drug problem.
LOOPY: It should read "machines bad people worse". we were too nice back then.
* When did you first realize you were meant to be a rock star?
VAS: Ach du liebe!!!! When i knew that screaming non intelligent emotional psychotic nonsense into a microphone would be the only way i could survive on this planet as a human.
LOOPY: When we played shea stadium in '65.
*I'm going to assume you haven't always been in a band. What did you do for work before becoming a musician?
VAS: bartending, door security , djing , construction , de-contruction, demolition (my favourite),a dishwasher and tsatsiki maker in Berlin , an Air France ground hostess, coatcheck chick in germany, flea market crap seller, telemarketing, dog walking, a gargabe picker for an empty lot on the lower east side, painting apartments, department store window dressing, and did some time as a room service waitress, where i served, Sting, Prince, and Pete Townshend, just to name a few ,wearing an official little french maid outfit ---- oooooohhhhlalal !:)
LOOPY: very little.
*What do you feel most influences your music and lyrics?
LOOPY: For this cd, i'd say Hogan's Heroes, history channel, "the producers" , "THE SOUND OF MUSIC"rammstein, wolfenstein, beer stein, anything "stein"...oh yeah, and like space aliens n' stuff.
VAS : ANGER!!!! and cosmic telepathic communication with my celestial brother and sisters.
* Has a live touring band been recruited yet? If so, how did the rehearsals go? What criteria do you and loopy use to pick the "right" one for the job?
VAS: As of yet we do not have a defenite line-up for upcoming touring this year 2003. We had Acey (dope/murderdolls) rehearse with us for a while which was fun -- And we might have Nadja from Coal Chamber play bass with us if she is available. We are STILL looking for a drummer -- ACK!!! The right band member for HUG is someone who just simply fits into the slot. No posers, no drug addicts. We need someone talented enough who understands our vibe and loves to tour and who is extremely happy to be in this band. AND-- anyone reading this who fits this description, please contact us at :hanzelundgretyl@aol.com
LOOPY: To be specific, no facial hair, (except for vas kallas), no smoking, and a curfew... same as george STEINbrenner.
VAS: .....regarding facial hair..... loopy's just jealous cause he can't grow any !! AHAHAHA!
* What factor(s) helped you decide to go with Metropolis Records? Any chance of touring with KMFDM, your new label mates?
LOOPY: We chose metropolis because they have lotsa this stuff (rubs thumb and first two fingers together) they offered us lots of money, but we said no, we want this stuff (rubs fingers again)... kmfdm?...JAWOHL!! smells like schnapps und clapps!!!
VAS: Metropolis Records was the only label with IRON balls to sign a band like ours during these times of a fluctuating and unstable musik industry. And YES Of course!! We would love to tour with KMFDM-- that would be great!!!
Exploration of the future gave birth to Hanzel und Gretyl in 1993 as Loopy and Vas Kallas fixated on a machine approach to music that has since popularized the infamous HUG quote "Machines Good People Bad." As the human element of musicians fell apart from former band projects, Vas and Loopy were left in the deep black forest and it was only natural to take on the personas of the fairy tale "Hanzel und Gretyl." On their first demo Kindermusik in 1994, HuG worked along with Bryce Goggin, (Ramones, Space Hog...) and distributed it labels receiving a great response -- but the music industry was not daring enough to sign an act that sang in German and fringed on experimental ideas. At that time Vas and Loopy were living in their rehearsal studio in Manhattan actually on the same floor that Madonna occupied back in her struggling artist days. Conveniently, across the street from their studio was Energy Records, where HuG deposited a demo and were immediately signed. In 1995 their first album, Ausgeflippt, was released. The duo then formed a live band, recruiting Ginger Bread on bass and the Pat 5000 on drums. Having only five live shows under their belt, Marilyn Manson took an interest in HuG and invited them on tour as an opening act for his 1995 and 1996 tours. This opportunity catapulted HuG into the public's eye with great admiration. At the same time Ausgeflippt (which translates to "flipped-out" in German), received nothing but great reviews, while their dance single "Shine 2001" reached the #1 position on the Alternative Press Dance chart. Immediately following the success of Ausgeflippt HuG returned to Kinderland Studios to create their next opus -- Transmissions from Uranus which was subsequently released in 1997. This CD focused on Astrological, Sci-Fi, and futuristic influences incorporated with a more Techo/Metal vibe. Once again, receiving a plethora of positive reviews, HuG were coined as the Industrial band with a great sense of humor who stood out amongst all the rest. "9D Galactic Center" not only played on K-Rock Radio Stations during station ID's, but was also used in the movie Mortal Combat-Annihilation, as well as played during the 1997 MTV Music Awards. During HuGs 1997 Transmissions... tour, Seven was inducted as a new live member on drums. The tour took them throughout the US as a headliner and as openers for bands such as Prong, Sister Machine Gun, Slipknot, and Rob Halford. Also around this time HuG played with US newcomers, Rammstein, at the CMJ music Festival in NYC, solidifying the Deutch-American Fruendshaft and opened the doors for them to tour successfully with Rammstein in 1998. Shortly afterwards, Hanzel und Gretyl's Energy Records gradually went out of business and closed its doors. This gave way to a long legal situation which unfortunately halted the progression of HuG. Finally in 2002, a new day dawned for HUG leaving them legally free and signed with Metropolis Records. For 2003, their much anticipated third epic album, Über Alles will finally see the light of day, as well as an entirely new live band line-up. Über Alles is served up in the style of a misplaced Wagnerian space-metal opera lost in time, chewed up by distorted synth filters and pummeled by a million homicidal robot drum machines manipulated by the reclusive (but lovable) scatterbrain mastermind known as Loopy, and the much feared (but also very loveable) Vas Kallas. HuG has once again created the epic of all possibilities. No longer innocent on the deep black forest but powerful and sturdy in sound and message -- HuG survives and continues to bring pleasure and pain amongst a HuG World!
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