1. How long has it taken to get the RE:POP label up and running?
First of all thanks for this interview, Richard. On the label – well, we have to differentiate between the musical thing and the process of getting it running as a company. We started off with both in parallel in April 2001. It was an advantage that all involved had the same vision on how it should be. We needed about one year including all the bureaucratic and legal things, which actually took more time than we expected.

2. For what reasons did you decide to start your own label?
We run it as a team of three in a democratic structure. We have several specifications and were passionate about the possibility to do it that way – it was the only way we could do it. And then it’s the idealistic view on music. There are many good bands and good songs around but often that’s not enough to make a good or even financially successful record. There is much music that sells well, but the reason why is mostly because there’s good machinery behind it that works for the artist. Our aim is to produce and market music that we would love listening to as listeners in private too, but it has to be sold to survive as a label - and deriving from that to release more good records. It’s no gap between philosophy and market, but there are dependencies we have to live with and they are very simple. As a start up record label we have to be aware of that much more than an established company – sometimes it’s frightening but that’s how it is when you start something new.

3. Which areas of the music genre will RE:POP specialise in?
That’s not that easy to say before we have actually heard it in specific. But it will mainly be from the `alternative´ sector with all its styles. To us `alternative´ mainly means `not boring´. We want original artists with a profile and good songs, but in detail it will depend on the music itself.

4. You originally worked as a member of staff for the Dark Dimensions label. What knowledge have you gained from this experience that will benefit the birth of your own label?
To call it `staff´ is maybe a bit too much. When I started helping out there I was studying musicology and was still quite naïve in thinking of the music industry. One of the easy lessons was that everybody’s cooking with water. Another I’ve learned very fast is that one or two persons cannot work with dozens of bands and market all of them properly at once. That’s impossible even if it’s passionate work. As I see it there should be concentration if you really want to move something, instead of just selling another cd. That’s the main experiences, the influential ones.

5. We have in recent years witnessed the demise of some good German alternative labels (Celtic Circle Productions and Zoth Ommog to name a couple). What actions will you take to ensure RE:POP avoids a similar fate?
There are many reasons that can bring down a label. One important thing is to have reliable partners because a label on its own is nothing if there’s no distribution etc. We simply have to follow our instinct, be reliable partners and shouldn’t make too many mistakes in business. As a record label you work with many different partners, manufacturing, musicians, engineers, graphics, distribution, promotion agencies, magazines, radio and much more – I think it’s easier for bigger companies because they have it under one roof and ways are short. For an independent label the networking between all partners is very important – and it’s our job to make it run. That’s teamwork (and good luck sometimes). RE:POP has a good overall concept and maybe some alternative in the backhand if ties get rough, but I don’t think that it comes to that bitter end - we do our best and will see.

6. There seems to be so many German alternative labels in existence, are you not concerned about the competition?
Yes, there is competition but our aim is to market original artists. If we do we are convinced and that’s important motivation. Musical quality and originality is a value itself and I am sure that listeners do recognize the difference. As a record label you also need a profile and that’s maybe the most difficult thing while building up one. You have to work step by step to develop a catalogue and that might be a progress of years. But competition is a challenge too and can be satisfying if your instinct was right – I hope so.

7. How many bands have you now signed to RE:POP, what are the qualities you look for in them when they confront you for a deal?
At the time it’s only Magenta but we’re negotiating and in constant talks with some more. It’s growing but at the time we concentrate on Magenta - their new single `All Over´ has climbed up the alternative club charts every week during a month here in Germany and so there’s still work to do, especially because of the album release on June 24th over here. The reactions are really good so far and we want it to continue that way. If a new band wants to join RE:POP they have to convince us with their music first of all. There should be sincerity in what they say and do because we are not joking around too. Music is much fun, but the daily business around it is as serious like any other and so they should have thought about their aims.

8. Is the management of RE:POP controlled totally by yourself, or is there a partner or hired hand available?
We three manage it by ourselves but we can’t do everything. Of course sometimes a specialist can do a better job, f.e. in legal things a.o., and so we have to hire him or her. That’s a necessity if you want the best for a band - and the label.

9. Onto the promotional side of the label now. What methods are you using to advertise the label and products, and how will the releases be distributed?
For promotion we have to use everything that gets recognized, no matter if press, club, online and radio promotion, anything we can afford and that is helpful to make our artists and their music known. In Germany RE:POP is distributed by Nova Media Distribution, but actually we are also looking for licensees worldwide. We have already had good feedback from some countries, a bit less from some others but the reviews on Magenta are brilliant and so we’re quite optimistic.

10. I know its early days, but looking to the future, do you plan for the label to eventually offer other services?
That’s a good question and we also thought about that earlier while making plans before we really started. I guess we will offer further services. That could be artist’s management, maybe booking services for live events or things like that – but that’s a thing to talk about a few months later. And I promise you’ll be among the first to get informed about in case we do.

11. What is it that makes the Electro and Gothic scene bigger in Germany than any other country?
Do you see it like that? It’s true that Germany is one of the biggest markets together with the US, Japan and also the UK – maybe that’s the reason why everybody wants to be in there and that’s what floods the market. My `continental´ view on it is that the Goth scene in the UK looks really stable and somehow fundamental from the outside. In Germany there is a very stylish scene around all the music. Electro, Goth-rock, Gothic metal, and however all those styles are called, they share one thing: Black clothing and the aim not to be part of the mainstream. This is the real basis as I see it. The scene might look strong here because there are some big festivals like M´era Luna, Wave-Gotik-Treffen a.o. and some bigger magazines who serve the scene. Maybe the mainstream audience might have opened up to the darker sounds too but it doesn’t change that much. The more bands try to be in the market, the harder it gets to be recognized for a single one.

12. Please feel free to add any extra comments.
One of the most important ones: Thanks for your interest, Richard! During the time we started building up the label we sometimes felt a bit like being stuck on an island and these days are over now finally - and it feels good to know. Even more so now that there’s interest from the UK where we also look for a licensee right now. If anyone’s interested in Magenta or the label, one should visit our website <www.re-pop.com> - that’s also for interested artists. All the best to you and Hard Wired.