Almost A Dirty Dozen with NILS SINATSCH of NEON INSECT – September 2019

According to a recent press release: “German electronic/industrial artist NEON INSECT is pleased to announce the release of their highly-anticipated full-length release, New Moscow Underground. NEON INSECT is an alias of the German industrial musician, visual artist and audio engineer Nils Sinatsch.  He was born in 1987, on January 30th in The Hague (Netherlands). As a young child, Sinatsch received lessons in playing the trumpet and french horn. He played in several orchestras before he started composing industrial music at the age of 17 in 2004.” We get Nils to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

I wished someone had asked me this question on my previous release. Which was full of hidden nuggets. Glitches was the prequel to New Moscow Underground and had indeed hidden messages on there. With New Moscow Underground there is nothing hidden. The concept is presented very obviously with audio dramas, the topics in my songs. If you pay attention to the vocals and samples, you’ll find out a lot about life in New Moscow – the dystopian version of New York after World War 3.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realize you wanted to be a musician?

Hm… the moment I realized is tough to define. It was a sneaky process. I learned the xylophone, the trumpet and horn, played in the school band, sang in the choir and at some point I was a bit fed up of playing music I haven’t really been attached to. So I started to mess around and do my own thing.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Not really. More a movement, that I exposed myself to very early. When I started to go clubbing I felt very attached to the local goth scene. And the favorite music has always been any branch of industrial music. So that’s where I felt at home most.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Very experimental soundtracks, such as Killzone Shadow Fall: Stuff like this is really inspiring and influential to me; everything Wax Trax! ever released: Just a massive label to the industrial scene; Woodkid: This might be a bit off, but I really like his use of orchestration and his voice. And his shows are massive; Trent Reznor: It would be a lie if I would not single him out as an influence. He is such a versatile and yet consistent musician; and Maynard James Keenan: Crazy dude, multitalented. I have yet to taste one of his wines. But the music is just amazing. Whatever he does, it’s for sure brilliant.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

I split this question up a bit, if you allow. Because I want to make a realistic call as well. A thing I really could imagine to do, is a track with Grimes one day. I love her creativity, the way she sings and the range of styles she is capable of. She is also indie, so I should reach out and ask her maybe, if my name has become a bit bigger. A less realistic call would be Skinny Puppy. I love this band to pieces. But I think, this won’t ever happen. They never seemed to be open to collabs. I also want to single out Claus Larsen from Leaether Strip here. Because he is a big name to me, he is one of the dark electro pioneers in Europe. And he was just all out kind, when I asked him for vocals.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I would describe my music as a blend between old school industrial and modern cinematic sounds. Sometimes even ambient or experimental. Occasionally a tad of IDM here and there. It’s really difficult to describe to be honest, if I look at my entire body of work so far. A comparison I disagree with is one I got a couple of times already: Combichrist. I feel honored, because Combichrist are great. Especially the older, electronic tracks. But I think we’re so different in sound and style. Occasionally maybe the voices are alike. But we branch out in different directions from there.

7. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Being able to start things, develop ideas and finish them. It’s probably like raising a child. I don’t have any, so maybe the comparison is a bit vague. Expressing myself and eventually also being able to cope with mental struggles. Being able to vent and put out emotions is a great thing to do with music.

8. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

Edward James Olmos. He portrayed William Adama in Battlestar Galactica. I love his role and the way he acted. But I’m even more impressed by him as a human being. He once gave a very powerful speech at the United Nations where he spoke up against the understanding of race. There is only one human race. I live by his words. Skin color should not divide us.

9. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

Audio Engineer. Simple answer!

10. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I wasted a lot of time as a soundtrack composer on projects that never saw the light of day. Usually I came in too early, where important things weren’t decided. But I didn’t know better. However, I wasted years on unfinished projects, which really hurts me, because I made some really cool tracks that will never be heard.

11. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

There are quite some amazing records out there that I would have loved to be part of. Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral or Year Zero are two massive records. They both mean a lot to me, because I heard them so many times, that I can’t tell how many days I needed to go back to normal.

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Category: Interviews