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An Interview with Oliver Wand of Obscenity Trial
Posted: Monday, September 15, 2008
By: Vlad McNeally

"I'm a child of the '80s, so maybe that's the main reason I fall for this kind of music," exclaims Oliver Wand, the maestro behind the rising synthpop star that is Obscenity Trial. If he seems a bit giddy, it's for good reason. As of 2008, his band has made the jump for the independents to the majors, placing him in the same space as such illustrious acts as Ladytron and Gary Numan.

Even more surprising is that all of this fanfare began only two years ago, which in itself wouldn't be so unusual if its was for the fact Wand resurrected the band after a 10-year hiatus. Within a year, Obscenity Trial went from a long-deceased electronic band to hitting the road with And One across Europe, touting a new album produced by the legendary Olaf Wollschläger. It was quite a feat, but even now Wand has made the next step by taking over the production reins while transcending on from scene staple Infacted Recordings to Germany's Major Records for his chart-climbing sophomore work, That Night. Now, on the verge of an extensive U.S. tour, Wand spares ReGen a moment to fill us on the unique and fortunate history of Obscenity Trial.

It's hard not to notice that with your latest album, That Night, you have moved from independent label Infacted Recordings to Major Records. What has that experience been like, and did you worry about any sort of backlash from the synth community?

Wand: Since this was my first label change, I am unable to give you any kind of comparison how this experience differed from others! When I look back at the past few months, I can say that working with Major Records was definitely the right move for me to make. No, I didn't worry about any backlash, because Major Records has already earned respect and reputation within the community by signing artists like Ladytron, IAMX and Mesh, not to mention X-Perience.

Besides a label change, you took on the role of producer for the majority of the material on That Night. How was that experience, especially in light of the fact you were taking over these duties from Olaf Wollschläger?

Wand: It is quite unusual for an artist to stay with the same producer his whole career. In my opinion, it's no compliment to the artist if a producer says something like 'They cannot sound like this without me because I made him what he has been for the past 15 years.' Of course, I don't have such a long and deep experience in production as Olaf; he is a full-time producer and literally spends his days 24/7 in his studio, so I was aware that the new album would have a shift in production, but I wanted to approach some different directions that would also bring in more of the things I wanted, so I am glad I took this step. Of course, from working with such an experienced producer you learn a lot, and that definitely helped me!

What's the story and inspiration behind That Night?

Wand: When I write a song, it always is about the experiences I have had. When putting an album together, I don't approach it by choosing the songs only for their story. For me, that won't work. So That Night has no definitive story within it. Besides, I never explain the songs, nor the meaning of the lyrics I write. I could, but I think music is about emotions: the emotions you have when you listen to a song. I don't want people to already have my picture in their minds; I think it works way better if they paint their own while listening to That Night.

Your music videos have certainly been filmed in some interesting locations. How do you come up with their concepts? For example, 'My Mind Your Mind.' Why did you choose to film it in Paris?

Wand: Initially, we had a different plot for the video, but that required a bigger budget than what we had to work with. It's just a consequence of the times we live in. More and more, people tend to steal your music rather than support you, without thinking about the consequences for the artist, like having a smaller video budget. The basic idea of the video was not changed, and when we thought about a possible location that would fit into its story and the ideas we had, there was only one choice for us: Paris. It's just a beautiful city, and I think the result confirmed our decision!

There seems to be a very 'zen' feeling or philosophy behind your lyrics. As a lyricist, from where do you draw your inspiration?

Wand: Life is my inspiration. Life in general has a lot to offer if you're open enough to experience and see it. We should never forget that life is just too short not to enjoy it and try to make the best out of it. This is all that matters: here and now.

Beyond visually fitting with the acronym of your band, what inspired you to adopt the ankh as your official logo?

Wand: When we originally started back in 1993, I immediately had the idea that the ankh would be a perfect optic fit for the band logo. Aside from that, it's a strong symbol in Egyptian history, where it stands for physical life. That definitely is something I could identify with, and so we used it right from the start.

One angle of Obscenity Trial is your multimedia presence, with your site offering music videos and even live podcasts in addition to streaming music. Has it been beneficial?

Wand: Yes, definitely. We live in an audio-visual world, so it's highly important to combine both elements. The feedback from fans, especially about the podcasts, has been very good and shows me that it is the right way to do it.

Among your podcasts, the one from Kabul, Afghanistan is quite fascinating. What is the story behind that landmark performance? Were the troops surprised to receive a synth band?

Wand: The story is quite simple; we had been asked to perform there, and we said 'yes' within 30 seconds! I've never answered a request that fast before! By being guests of the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force), we wanted to make the experience of visiting the country in a rather safe environment, one which we as civilians probably won't be able to safely visit for the next 40 years. And I tell you, I'm still impressed. If you haven't been there, you cannot imagine the heat and the smell. In Kabul, the troops were surprised; they were more into guitar music. But in Mazar-E-Sharif, things were totally different for us! 1,800 German soldiers and one really, really big party we will never forget. A funny story about that: while preparing the 'stage', which actually was a truck, a soldier stepped up to us totally excited, telling he saw us on the And One Bodypop Tour in Berlin.

Apparently your Moscow concert was quite a fabulous time, too.

Wand:Before we had our first concert in Moscow, my former label boss Torben, of Infacted Recordings, told me, 'They will celebrate you like nowhere else,' and I have to agree. They celebrated us like we've never experienced it before. It was just breathtaking and really hard to put into words.

If these shows were amongst of your peaks, what would you say was your worst?

Wand: Luckily, I have to admit that I haven't had that experience yet! Sometimes though, I do wonder what's happening! For example, going on stage for the first time in New York City. It was somewhere we had never been, where we have never had any contact with DJs, and not even having a domestic release, yet people knew our lyrics and celebrated us anyhow. Sometimes, those experiences can be really confusing!

So what advice would you give you fellow musicians before they head out into the unknown?

Wand: Ask someone who's been there before about what to expect, and most of all be sure to have your round-trip ticket in your pocket. That way, nothing can happen except for an exciting adventure.

Going through your log of previously played shows, I was rather surprised to see acts like Suicide Commando and Tyske Ludder sharing the stage with Obscenity Trial during the band's first incarnation. Since the music isn't available online, what was that first incarnation like? Is there any chance that this first disc, Intoxication, will resurface?

Wand: As for the first question, you don't want to know! But yes, maybe there will be a resurfacing someday, or maybe not, and it will stay a rarity! The music was not that much different than today. Of course, it was different in a way; years have passed, so songs change, but that's a logical consequence of time. Today within the scene, it's rather unusual to share stages with bands that have a different sound than you, but there was a time within the scene where it was quite normal, as you can tell from our live history. Damn, I'm getting to be an old man!

Why did the first incarnation of Obscenity Trial come to an end?

Wand: There were a lot of reasons behind it, but the main reason for me to step down was that I didn't enjoy it anymore. I cannot put myself into a project like this without loving it, and the love was simply gone. Maybe it was a result of that time in my life; school coming to an end, you start your first job, while some start studying and move. And of course after spending quite some time together, especially when you're young, it can be hard to not want to immediately start hitting one another!

In those years between Here and Now and Intoxication, you were still working your music outside of the public eye. During that time, were any Obscenity Trial pieces written?

Wand: No, during that time, I moved away from electronic music. I tried to do a lot of other things, like playing the leading male role in a musical or singing for other bands in different genres. During this time I learned most of all one thing: what I don't want!

How was the experience of doing theater?Did it have any benefits toward your role as a musician?

Wand: That was a very interesting experience. I am no educated actor, and that taught me a lot of respect for every professional in the field. It's unbelievably hard to switch staged emotions within seconds. Did it affect my role as a musician? No. As an artist in general? Yes. It deepened my understanding of being on stage and how the audience is observing me.

From the end of the Intoxication era, you sprung quite precipitously back onto the scene with Here and Now. How did the resurrection come about?

Wand: The resurrection and everything that followed it up until today was never planned! I lived in Berlin for several years, and I hadn't spoken to Frank for a long time. When I moved back to the Cologne area, we met up again and talked about all the past years, and at some point, we crossed the topic of music. I told him that I wanted to get back on stage again and get some live action as Obscenity Trial. That was simply it. No one ever talked about producing an album, signing to a record label, or even going on a sold out tour with one of the big bands of the scene: And One!

Considering this precipitous return to music, what would you say has been your biggest 'I've made it' moment as a musician to date?

Wand: I would not go that far, because we just have started! Of course, we work very hard behind the scenes, but you cannot plan success, however you define that word. On the other hand, we have some things going on at the moment. If they happen, that would be something I would consider an answer to this question. But still, would it give me the feeling of 'I've made it now I can stop?' No, that won't happen!

Speaking of this impending tour, it's an interesting to notice that Spetsnaz will be your co-headliners. Considering they're decidedly not synthpop, how did you decide to pair up with them for this tour?

Wand: Stefan and I have become friends over the past two years. I visited their show in Hannover at the end of April, and after the show, we partied a bit and talked about our first journey to the USA. That basically started it; it was that simple!

With That Night finished, what are your next plans for the studio? For instance, I've gleaned mentions of a possible DVD.

Wand: I am writing some new songs and there are some other plans going on, but nothing concrete enough to talk about right now. I don't like talking too early about these things, because they then might not happen. Announcing releases and then postponing them is not the best idea, as other bands already have proven! As far as a DVD, well, that is one of the ideas. Will there be a DVD? Probably. When? I don't know yet.

Finally, do you have any parting words for our readership?

Wand: First, let me thank you for the interview. Then I would like to thank everybody out there for their tremendous support so far. Make some noise!