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1.) We’re super-excited to be speaking today with acclaimed Berlin-based rock band Off Lights; greetings and salutations, gang! Before we dive into the proverbial Q&A mosh-pit, could you each jump in and say ‘hi’ and introduce yourselves to our ever-inquisitive readers?
Hello, since I’m the one who answers the interview here I take over this part for the other two. We are all in our late 30’s and are from the Frankfurt area in Germany.
Thorsten, Sascha and I (Julian) got together during the pandemic to create an outlet for the music that had built up over the years. We all played in other bands for many years before and are happy to unite our experiences in this project.
2.) Major accolades on the freshly-minted Off Lights debut single Man Or Machine! Julian, what was the inspiration behind this amazing new song?
Thank you! We are happy to hear that. After “Into The Night” we wanted to release something more positive and hopeful with “Man Or Machine.” The song deals critically with the topic of artificial intelligence and reflects in everyday situations, symbolically the inevitable conflict that manifests itself in the question, “are we man or machine?”
Through the interplay of melancholic lyrics and positive sounding music, we wanted to reflect the ambivalence of the subject in the song and encourage through the hopeful message, despite the increasing mechanization of the world, not to lose faith in the truth and in our own humanity.
3.) Thorsten, the music video for Man Or Machine is striking and quite cinematic – Bravo! How much creative control did Off Limits exercise behind the scenes while shooting the video?
The video was directed and executed by Off Lights vocalist Julian. In real life he is a commercial director in Germany but is also doing music videos for bands like Within Temptation. That’s where his experience comes from and therefore the band has full control over every aspect in the video.
4.) Who was the producer on Man Or Machine and what did the collaboration between band and producer look like in the studio?
The song was produced by Dino Medhanhozic (Imminence, Smash into Pieces). We chose him because he is known for producing great rock and metal records as well as clean mainstream pop music. We wanted someone who understands both sides of these music genres well, since that’s what we aim for in our sound as well. With Dino we found the perfect match for this EP.
5.) Julian, word ‘round industry campfire has it that Off Lights will be debuting their premiere EP Back To Life this coming September; congratulations! Can you give fans a hint or three as to what they can look forward to with the premiere Off Lights EP?
We will release one more single in September from this EP and then there will be two more songs additionally to the singles, on the EP which haven’t been released yet. In general the EP reflects which direction we want to go with our sound.
6.) Thorsten, how did Off Lights come together as the tight band which we hear on Man Or Machine? Is there a Behind the Music origin story you could share with readers?
We all have played many years in several band projects and never stopped making music since we picked up the guitars as teenagers. So I guess it’s mostly experience from all of us which we unite in this project. It’s also very helpful to have only two songwriters in this band. Thorsten writes the instrumentals and Julian the vocals. We found out that this makes working very easy and leads to better outcomes for us as a rock band.
7.) Off Lights is based out of the beautiful city of Berlin. How do those roots inform the sound of the band?
To be honest, It probably doesn’t really affect our sound, as we tend to draw our influences from a wide range of musical styles that we try to combine into a rock corset.
8.) A question for all of you: Who inspires you musically?
A lot of different acts and probably it’s a different answer from each of us…but I think you can say that we all love and listen to everything from great pop music like Michael Jackson or everything from Max Martin to new exciting hardcore bands like Thy Art Is Murder, Knocked Loose, or Get The Shot.
9.) Julian, on the heels of the release of all of this incredible music from Off Lights, can fans look forward to catching the band on the touring/performing circuit in the coming weeks and months?
It looks like we are supporting Written by Wolves on their German Tour dates this November 2023 in Germany. Once its 100% confirmed well share the dates on our social medias…it would truly be a perfect wrapping for our first year of existence and releasing.
10.) Thorsten, what differentiates Man Or Machine or the upcoming Back To Life EP from the 2023 music landscape?
I feel that with our sound, which is often compared to the sound of the early 2000’s but with a modern twist, we serve an area that is not yet as saturated as some other rock styles and hopefully will gain more and more listeners.
11.) At the end of the day what do you hope listers walk away with after giving many-a spin to Man Or Machine and the Back To Life EP?
I just hope that people have a good time listening to the songs and that they enjoy the sound and meaning as much as we did when we wrote them or when we get to perform them.
Stream “Man Or Machine”: https://ffm.to/offlights-manormachine
Check out the music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE-odi_YJis
