#*translation

[verstappenmaxie]

Max Verstappen talking to German media ahead of the 2025 British GP

My goal still is to stay with the same team

[winnythanawin]

one of the many reason i love them so much 🤍

[herrlindemann]

Metal Hammer - June 2019

Interview with Paul, Schneider, Flake and Richard

How did you motivate yourselves to record an album again after the long absence from the studio?

Richard: It wasn't that easy. If we want to go into the studio or write an album, it can't be done within a few weeks. That's why we always think very carefully about whether we really have the strength and stamina to do it. At the end of the day, you never know where we'll end up. It's always an adventure with us! In 2015, the idea of making a new album came up for the first time. I really didn't feel like doing it at the time because I thought it would involve a lot of controversy. But then we pulled ourselves together and said: Let's try to take all the pressure off. We are free from any contracts, our own masters. So let's just have a look. We start rehearsing and then when we have three or four songs that are okay, we put them out. And if we are not satisfied, we let it be completely.

Schneider: I understand the fans who might be annoyed after the long wait. But we need the time to be really good. That is always our aim: to get the maximum out of every note. Sometimes it's just a few percentage points that we improve within weeks, but they make the difference. But it's not easy: I wasn't always sure whether this record would actually exist. We have now spent three years in the rehearsal room and in the studio. The nice thing about it: In no other phase of the band's history have we understood each other as well as we do now, didn't yell at each other at work and thus survived musical crises.

Paul: But honestly, if I had known beforehand what kind of process this was going to be, phew my god. (Laughs) There really is a lot of blood, sweat and tears, anger and stress in this album.

You have decided to go new ways for the recordings. How did that happen?

Richard: We just wanted to try something new. And also in the way we produce — first we went to France with Tom Talget and Olsen Involtini instead of Jacob Hellner and Stefan Glaumann as before. Change is always a fragile thing: On the one hand, you don't want to change what you're successful with. On the other hand, you have the desire to develop as a musician. We then decided to leave our comfort zone. That didn't go smoothly either, at first we didn't really get along with Tom and Olsen. And Jacob Hellner has been a father figure in a way; someone who properly directs a production. Olsen doesn't do that and Tom doesn't do that. For me it felt like: Nobody knows where we should go anymore... Here you realize again: Astrologically speaking, Rammstein is fire, water and earth at the same time. What we lack is air, i.e. lightness. We tried to get air in. Olsen Involtini is such an aerial person.

Schneider: He managed to lead us through the difficult development phases of the album. We often have deadlocks: three of us are for one solution, three for the other. Then we just didn't continue, one idea fell by the wayside. That's where Olsen came in — he was in charge as producer, and you can feel that in the songs. Through him we came to new inspirations that we would not have found on our own.

Paul: This development was very important for us. We didn't want to make another album without challenges. We were about doing it differently just to do it differently. With Jacob it was like with a teacher on a school trip. The longer we were on the road, the more respect for each other dwindled. I love trying something where you don't know at the beginning what it will be like at the end. So it was a good idea for Richard to involve Olsen. When we have someone we accept—and that's not always easy for us—then it feels good to hear an informed opinion. With the six of us, everything is always very uncoordinated.

Did these new paths also encourage your creativity?

Schneider: On this album, I played my instrument very slowly in order to get involved in a way that served the respective song. It wasn't important to me to show what I can do — I only play what's really required on the album.

Richard, did you feel that ideas you brought up were more readily accepted by others?

Richard: Nah, I felt like my ideas were being viewed extremely critically. Of course, that's also because I've tried to push certain things through in the past. That sticks. Because I work a lot, there is sometimes hardly any space for the others. In addition, I have to make a sound. This time I worked with Till on some ideas and then brought finished demos to our meetings. But they were also picked apart, of course.

Is Till your first point of contact within the band?

Richard: It depends. He's hard to get hold of at times, then the others come into play first.

So in your case primarily Paul?

Richard: It used to be that Paul and I thought completely differently. Simply because we are different types. This time we often agreed. There was a change between me and Paul, which I find incredibly refreshing and also very productive. I don't even know how it happened that there wasn't any competition in the songwriting phase this time... Maybe because I thought: «Hey, if this is a good idea, it will eventually catch on. And if not, I'll take them to another project. » That worked for the most part, and it gave me a certain balance.

Paul: We had quite a long time off, after the break we got closer again. With an undertaking as intensive as Rammstein, you have to take a break from time to time, otherwise you'll eventually become stupid in the head. Richard and I first had to learn, in a creative sense, to be in one room again — Schneider helped us a lot with that.

But aren't you really good when you can rub each other?

Richard: Yes, that's true for me. But that meant that no one could stand me anymore. Lots of loneliness. I've learned. Whenever I thought it wouldn't work anymore, now I really have to say something, I consciously withdrew.

Have you ever thought about not continuing?

Richard: Of course! 100 times! Played through in any form... I'm definitely only doing Rammstein because I really want to. And I can still take the time to do other projects. They are and were very important to me. I probably wouldn't have survived without it. I recently asked myself the question: "What else should happen in my life?" I am a person who loves challenges. And, yes, Rammstein isn't everything in my life. It shouldn't be everything.

How do the others think about it?

Flake: I noticed that I can do something at Rammstein that I couldn't do in another world, I would never quit there. It's not even important to me that I play. I could just drive around with the troops, that would be enough for me. For me, that's the most beautiful thing in the world, especially this walking feeling. I was lucky that it's a band and not a gangster gang. But I would have found it just as good from the heart.

Schneider: We always have those moments, especially before the production periods, when we ask each other what is important for each individual and what the future should bring for all of us. While we haven't actually talked about an ending yet, we recognize that Rammstein is a finite story, even if there's no plan for it yet.

Paul: As long as we feel that the ship is still sailing and that the port has not yet been reached, we will continue. Should we enter a port, I would not be sad. I'm very fortunate to have a life alongside Rammstein. My personal goals with the band have been achieved for a long time anyway: I wanted to play at the Huxley in Berlin once and get on the plane with my guitar case. (laughs)

After that you made a tick. It would be much more difficult not to repeat oneself, especially in terms of content. Was it difficult to work out the themes of the eleven songs?

Schneider: The topics only emerge towards the end: With us, the musical ideas always come first, then Till gets the tapes. He had some incredibly creative periods on this production where he would rush to write everything we came up with. That was a great pleasure for us — I personally didn't expect it in this form, after all these years.

Were you worried about failing with the album?

Richard: If you work on an album for three or four years, you logically lose the relation. You don't know anymore if it's good or bad. But because we said at the beginning: « We'll just do something and if it doesn't work, we'll throw it away », no such concern arose. It was important that we didn't put ourselves under any pressure.

The success, especially that of the first single 'Deutschland' plus video, proves you right. Do you think the song stands out?

Paul: Anyway, there were really long discussions about the song. We thought hard about how to make a song about Germany that isn't embarrassing. Especially with this song, every point, every word was fought for until everyone was satisfied.

Schneider: The song inspired everyone in the band. In the beginning there were two different versions, but thanks to Olsen we were able to collectively choose one. For me, the song is about the ambivalent emotional relationship to this country. People of my generation can understand that. First there were two countries, suddenly one was gone. There were also times when I couldn't get the word 'Germany' off my lips. There was the FRG and the GDR, not Germany. I'm getting better at it now. It's a topic that's been on our minds for ages. German lyrics with heavy music — that's what we stand for. And now we managed to make a song about Germany, it's a big step for the band. The video is also very special to me: a reminder not to forget what used to be — but in a Rammstein way. A wall full of emotional historical events that come together in one clip. Like a teaser for a monumental film that you want to see afterwards.

Aren't you afraid that the song might be misinterpreted? 

Schneider: For me, the song is an attempt to describe the state our generation is in. We live in a time in which many dare to express opinions that are no longer only propagated at the regulars' table.

Won't it feel weird when 80,000 fans on the stadium tour are chanting ‘Deutschland’ at the same time?

Paul: Our goal is for people who are as uptight as we are to shout out ‘Deutschland’ without feeling bad. It's very important that you can shout out ‘Deutschland’ once a year, at least at the Rammstein concert. You can go back to work the next day and feel ashamed. (laughs)

Flake: Playing in the stadium is actually something for opera. I've never seen a cool young band in the stadium, that's more for the half-dead, Rolling Stones or AC/DC. I would also never go to the stadium to see a band, it's not nice for either the performer or the spectator. That reminds me of the East with its cultural program. You see something, but you can't relate to it at all.

Will we hear explanatory announcements on the upcoming tour before you play the new songs, or will it stay with short and concise greetings?

Flake: I always scold Till when he’s too nice. (Laughs) I don't want to play in a band that's begging for applause either. I find that disgusting, I have to break up. I also think bowing at the end is stupid. The fans will clap if they want to, so I don't have to bow extra.

How does the new album compare to the earlier works?

Richard: I'm a big Mutter fan. This is 'our' album for me, that's why we play almost all the songs live. The new tracks also have this potential: I think that they are accepted live faster than the older albums because they are catchy. In hindsight, LIFAD wasn't our strongest album. I think the new album is much more interesting and musical, less controlled. Now we're kind of breaking out — at least that's how I feel about it. I'm often asked about the difference between the last album and the current one. I then answer: To me, the new album sounds like Rammstein in 3D. It has depth that we haven't had before.

And, still fancy another Rammstein album?

Schneider: You never know what the emotional set-up will be like in the next few years. We have learned not to limit ourselves too much on this topic. The desire is definitely there, but if not everyone wants it, then it may well mean the end.

Richard: There are five more songs that have already been written and mixed. Material is not so the problem. But another album? It's set in the stars.

[good-beans]

Watching the first few minutes of the stream and hearing Amami Yurina's laugh is so healing ;__; Closing my eyes and picturing happy Es.....

It's making me wish they released recording bloopers for the project lol

[maranello]

FORMU1A.UNO | Ferrari turned up the engine power in Australia while in Imola

by Giuliano Duchessa & Piergiuseppe Donadoni

Charles Leclerc celebrated his second win of the season in Melbourne today. Max Verstappen retired due to an engine failure. Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel also retired.

After his second position in Saudi Arabia, Charles Leclerc drove a flawless race at Albert Park, starting from pole position. After holding his position at the start, his F1-75 immediately pulled away from the rest of the pack, crossing the finish line an impressive 20.5 seconds ahead of Checo Perez.

Entering the weekend, Ferrari expected Red Bull favorite

Leclerc showed how to take the F1-75 to a different level. Although in qualifying the fight with the Red Bulls was very close (read more), at least until the penultimate attempt, in the race the Ferrari was absolutely uncatchable. The umpteenth family breakdown between the Milton Keynes and Faenza teams, rather worrying in terms of reliability, hid the real gap that would have been over 25 seconds, without the safety car and the retirement.

Charles Leclerc and the Maranello car, in projection, would have given an average gap of 6 tenths and a half per lap to Max and his RB18. Hardly predictable on the eve of the race, at least in these terms. A perfect pairing. "We were all surprised by our pace," admitted the Monegasque at the end of the race, who expected at least "on paper" going into the weekend to be behind Red Bull. "So it was a nice surprise," he then concluded.

But at Maranello they developed the car well in view of the race. What was missing in Arabia. The weekend started rather well, thanks to good work done at the simulator in Maranello. Ferrari started with a set-up that would mainly protect the rear tyres, then the FP2 long runs showed a possible graining on the front tyres, more accentuated on the Medium ones.

Ferrari: for Australia, a deliberate increase in engine performance estimated at 5 bhp

For this reason, two fundamental things were decided between Friday and Saturday. The first was to increase the front load in order to limit the onset of graining. The most loaded front wing of the two brought to Australia was chosen, the one with the last upper flap straight and not slightly cut. The Albert Park track was not only revised in terms of its layout but also in terms of its surface; Pirelli itself, through the mouth of boss Mario Isola, had warned since Friday that the sliding, despite the increase in grip, could have continued during the race, given the lack of high-pressure treatment of the asphalt to eliminate excess bitumen. In fact, the bituminous alloy continues to re-emerge in the newly laid asphalts, taking away grip from the cars, the 2022s, which intrinsically already suffer from understeer that needs to be adequately compensated for. Ferrari has played the card of increased downforce, despite the fact that on Friday it was already set up with a less efficient aerodynamic configuration than Red Bull.

The second is a technical consequence of the first choice, made possible by the results - so far positive - in terms of Power Unit reliability in the first two events. A small power increase of 5 HP has been deliberated in order to counter the better efficiency of Red Bull in Australia, which thus manages to generate more speed in the straights. It is not a foregone conclusion that this small gain will also be used at Imola, as Ferrari is also working hard on reliability with the first unit. "We are more interested in finishing the data collection program on reliability, at least until race 5 [Miami]" they had in fact let us know, before introducing a more aggressive and especially durable use of the Italian engine.

The small increase in performance, assessable around a little more than a tenth of a second, allowed to fight for Pole position with a better chance, as well as to generate more important speeds to defend themselves, in case, from Verstappen in the race. Moreover, indirectly it could have helped Carlos Sainz in his comeback, through a strategy that would have certainly paid off without the Spaniard's mistake.

The engineers agreed with the drivers to produce more porpoising.

As an engineer confirmed, the bouncing, as well as creating physical discomfort, creates an imbalance that can tend to generate greater degradation of the rear tires, reducing the stint. In this sense, Ferrari's decision to leave itself two sets of medium tires is clear, unlike Red Bull. If the degradation had been higher, Leclerc would have done two qualifying runs, however this was not the case.

"I don't know why, but I'm not very sensitive to porpoising," Leclerc said after his win. "If you look at it from the outside, it looks bad. However, in the car it doesn't bother me too much in terms of performance. Only on the entry to Turn 9," he continued, also stating that he couldn't have gone any faster without the bounce. "Of course, it's definitely something we want to eliminate, to avoid bouncing in the corners which can be a problem" concluded the Monegasque.

The F1-75 also went beyond expectations when it came to compound usage. "We were stronger than we expected," said Leclerc in the post race, who then continued, "We were extremely strong on the medium especially towards the end of the stint." The pace was "very strong" and there was very little graining. A phenomenon that had repeatedly slowed down the Ferrari of last season, unable to generate the right grip on the front.

It is quite evident that the aerodynamics of the F1-75 protects and never heats up the tires too much, especially the rear ones, in short, it has a wider window of use when it brings them to the right temperature. On the other hand, there is more difficulty in getting temperature into the tyres compared to the RB18, something we have seen with the double lap preparation in qualifying and restarts after the safety car.

Speaking in general, the tires offered a fascinating consistency. One stop, two or three has no importance in the economy of the race when there are competitive cars between them, indeed the mandatory stop could be eliminated if the prescriptions allowed it. Albon, in a Williams more than acceptable even after 57 laps on Hard, would have deserved P7.

[yeeosang-archive2]

someone save yeosang

[moritzseider]

translations provided by @rememberx ; via magentasport