Lucem Fero | Interviews | Gotthard

Domino Effect - Gotthard bassist Marc Lynn discusses why the music business resembles a game of dominoes

By Anthony Morgan

Rising like a star in ascendancy, Gotthard's eponymous 1992 debut effort stormed into the Swiss top album slot and marked a decade of supreme dominance within their homeland. Following years of national success, the group opted to split with label BMG in favour of a new home. This saw the band's label G Records handle home affairs with German Metal label Nuclear Blast handling international distribution. 2005's Lipservice which saw the band notch up yet another Swiss number one album, not to mention peaks of 31st in Germany and 58th in Austria respectively.

Domino Effect has been described as a continuation of its predecessor Lipservice which expands upon the 2005 effort's musical stylings while adding something fresh to the mix, and the band hopes it successfully initiates the chain reaction desired. With eleven number one albums, a diamond award for one million albums sold, three triple platinum, four double platinum, and one golden single under their belt in their Swiss homeland, perhaps it's time to translate this national success into the international arena. The album was composed within the band's home studio in Lugano under the production wing of Gotthard guitarist Leo Leoni with Ronald Prent (Rammstein etc.) acting as co-producer, and following this saw completion at Belgian Galaxy Studios. The songs even took full shape within a mere six weeks. Fate?

Bassist Marc Lynn returned to the fold following a 2005 motorbike accident, a tragic event which saw him receive an artificial shoulder. Lucky to see himself still handling the strings, the bassist recently caught up with Lucem Fero to tell all as regards the mechanics of the music business and their 2007 album, its musical bearings and its possible success in the global markets.

Could you tell me about how Domino Effect came about?
The new album? Yeah, of course. Domino Effect spawned in a really short time; we spent three months building it, writing it and recording it. It was completed rather quickly in the studios because the songwriting went so well - from the beginning it went pretty ok, and we had a great time recording. We've seen that the record gives a real energetic, fully loaded sound - yeah, here it is right now (laughs). We've already had initial reactions; we entered the German charts in 22nd place, and went straight to number one in Switzerland again.
Are you happy with twenty-two in the German charts?
Yeah, of course. The German chart isn't a Rock chart, so everything else hitting that chart isn't Rock; we are the only Rock band in the German top 50 for that week.
Is there a reason the album was recorded so quickly?
In one way yes, sure. We had a long tour last year. We wanted to bring out a new album in the Spring so we could have a few shows and then go for the open air season. We want to really aim for the big tour in the Autumn, so that's why we've made it that fast.
Are you happy with the way the album turned out?
Oh yeah, really happy. I think it's the right follow up to Lipservice - Lipservice was already a great album, sounding especially clean and really powerful. Now we have even fresher songwriting, maybe even fresher than the big Summer hit we had on Lipservice which was “Lift U Up”. With the song “Lift U Up” maybe there's pieces missing, though we have more great songs on this album than we had on the last one.
Do you like the clean or powerful sound?
I like both; it depends on the song.
Could you tell me about the album name?
We chose the Domino Effect name to be regarding something which always “comes back”. The album title deals with the chain reaction - we go ahead making great albums and people love them. We've had a great response, so even the fans really love this album a lot. For us Domino Effect just means staying behind in the studio to work at making great records, and at constantly “coming back”. It's like rumours generally; somebody makes a comment, and then the whole world knows in one way or another about our album.
So it's a comment on the music business?
Yeah it is. We entered the charts at number one in Switzerland for example, and I think that's the best reaction you can have in your home country.
In what ways is the music business like a game of dominoes?
Sometimes it is, yes. Just one concert at the right moment gives you headlines through the whole music scene, so then everybody is talking about you and everybody loves you also. Additionally, just one open air concert can really get the stone rolling so to speak; a little stone starts, and then at the end you have an earthquake. The music business is everything - it's wild, it's crazy, though now it's changed with the digital market, so we will see. Maybe we'll have a domino effect on the music business, because it's the same as the fashion industry - everything comes back.
Do you get tired of the music business sometimes?
No, though I sometimes get tired of the industry. From a musician's point of view I don't get tired of the music business, but as a businessman I would get tired of it.
How do you feel about the industry then?
I feel good, because they're trying their best. I think in these days though it's not only the industry, but it starts by your parents and then bypasses the industry to the politicians.
Do the politics annoy you then?
Yeah of course. They issue the laws for copying or against copying, and similar such things - they can never really decide quick enough though. We've seen that many people are losing their jobs because the music industry is shutting down due to the fact everybody is copying CDs. The young kids make bands in their own areas for the future, yet the politicians show no reaction.
Ok. You said you did you did a tour prior to recording the new album?
Yeah we did.
I'm just wondering how that affected the way the album turned out?
Yeah yeah. It was really perfect, and I'm so happy that I just can't tell you. It's definitely a Rock album, but with say a pound more of energy in it - there's especially freshness in that it all sounds like it's recorded live, and that was really important for us.
In what ways do you feel this is a continuation of the Lipservice album?
It sounds different of course, and doesn't sound the same. We don't wish to record the same album twice, but take one step more in a positive direction. Domino Effect doesn't have to be the album Lipservice, but just has to be equal in terms of the quality and sound. The sound on this album is really different than the last, but the energy is still there; especially the live playing, the feeling and the magic.
How do you feel the sound is different then?
We have a higher sound than Lipservice, more definite bass frequencies and now we have a more guitar style of mix range power.
Do you like that direction?
I like both. Of course I'm the bass player so I like cleaner bass frequencies (laughs), but if I listened to the album like a normal regular consumer then both would be great. Really, I cannot say one is better than the other.
Will the follow up to Domino Effect be a continuation yet again?
I hope so, though I really don't know (laughs). Right now it's important for us to live Domino Effect and really to live it - the next step where we're going to travel to we'll see; I don't know, I can't say (laughs). Maybe we'll issue another live album like we did with Made in Switzerland, or we'll issue a second unplugged album, or maybe we'll bring out Domino Effect II, or even The Effect of Domino Effect; I don't know (laughs).
(laughs) Is there a direction you'd like to go in?
We've done directions for eight albums. The direction is Rock; sometimes it goes a little bit left, sometimes a little bit right, but the main direction is the Classic Rock we're doing.
Is that where you'd like to go?
Yeah of course, we were born that way. We were born in the 70's and grew up with bands such as Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, and the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal - it influences things in our lives and in our way of playing, which of course will be the target where we want to stay. We will never change anything with our direction.
Do you feel an affinity and an association with those 70's / 80's bands?
Yes. We aren't in fashion and aren't one of the fashion bands, of course not. We're out of fashion, but the new bands are doing great music. It's just we were born in another music era and another era of time - we were born with more melody and harmony, yet which still has power. These days there's more rhythm or too much melody (laughs), so I think we aren't a hit band in that way. We're a band which really makes great songs and great sounds just to listen to.
How do you keep it fresh?
A good question. Maybe it's because we like to play with each other; we've been together now for maybe eighteen years, and this formation has never changed. Maybe it's just the fact we're playing with friends and having a good time.
How do you keep it different then though? The band's been around for so long, so how hard is it not write the same songs over and over?
Ok (laughs), a good question. Sometimes I'm asking myself the same. I think it's the will to do something new and to try to change, and not to have one riff and say “Ok, that's the riff for the whole album”. We really research the music - sometimes we even sit down and say “What we've never done for example is music with a basic groove or a basic loop” or something like that. We then start to get the ideas of what groove we could jam with and how it could sound etc. It's really creative material which is really important, with even B-sides being deep. Freddy the new guitar player who we've had since Lipservice is also of course a new influence. He comes from the Punk direction a little bit more, and we even have co-songwriters who are good friends of ours from Sweden who help us in writing great songs; on Lipservice they wrote four songs together with us, and on this album there were just two songs. It's a great team, and I think if you have a great team and every time a slightly new aspect then that brings you new ideas.
Is there a Punk influence on this album with Freddy being more involved?
Yeah of course, a little bit. You hear it with the guitar playing, even in a ballad like “The Call” - you hear the chorus and it's just like “woawrr woawrr woawrr woawrr”; open playing chords which you just go into.
Is that like The Sex Pistols or something?
Yeah in that vein; The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and bands like that.
All the albums these days then are carefully planned are they?
Yeah. Yeah they are.
How would you describe your bass contributions to this album?
It's hard to say, because this is the sound Leo currently has. You don't hear the bass so much with what he's doing on many many licks, and so the bass sound gets a bit lost which is a little bit of a shame in one way because there are really great parts on it. That's the way it goes sometimes though; sometimes you hear the bass more, and then sometimes less, but I play really interesting parts on it. “Domino Effect” is fantastic to play; there you have really great parts, dancing rhythms, and the dancy grooves, while “Come Alive” is based on a loop and the bass lick is going over the song. We have more bass rooted songs.
In what ways do you feel they're interesting to play?
Yeah, to play interesting bass is great. Usually when you're playing in the Rock sector you have to play less than you're able to, and then sometimes do a little bit more than the normal four four groove (laughs) which is nice too. At the end of the day it has to fit with the songs - I'm not one of those quarter of an hour solo players. I'm a team mate, I'm playing with the best and I want to have success with the band and not success as a soloist. That's even if I could play a solo album in half an hour, as it would make me famous but not the band.
So it's a team effort?
Yeah, right right. I would say this is one of the main elements in our band.
So you feel that's what keeps the band together? The team aspect?
Yes yes, I feel like that. Together you shoot the goal.
Like a soccer team?
Yeah, exactly, like a soccer team. The defence plays the bass, the goalkeeper hits the drums, and then up front in midfield is the rhythm guitar player and the keyboardist. The solo guitar player and the singer are then up front and have to shoot goals.
So you like your football then do you (laughs)?
Yeah, right (laughs).
You said the bass gets lost in the sound. Does that annoy you sometimes?
Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. After roughly ten albums and over 1500 shows in this formation, it's just an album (laughs). You know what I mean? I don't care so much about it. It would disturb me if I wanted to be a solo player, but I'm not so ambitious that I want to be known as a great bass player or a fantastic bass player. I just wish to do a great job for my band, and that's it. Sometimes I've said “It's a shame, as if you heard this in the song a little more..”, but I think everybody must have this issue; maybe the drummer doesn't hear his ghost notes, or maybe the guitar player doesn't hear his middle lick. Everybody at everytime has their issue, so in the end it's a mix between everything.
Do you discuss this with the your producer / guitarist Leo?
Yeah of course. We've discussed this a lot; we've said “we have to make this better next time”, or “we have to make this different”. This is sometimes even while I'm in the studio as I'm recording parts which can't change, but it's an experience for the next album.
What influences did you have on your contributions to the album?
Hard to say - I would say Gotthard (laughs). It's really hard to say. In terms of direction, we used Queen somewhat, and sometimes we even used English influences such as Brit Pop. This Brit Pop influence is on tracks such as “The Call”, which is a rock ballad, so all the influences are really different; there's also some Matchbox Twenty present. The way Thin Lizzy used to do things influenced the double solos, the guitar solos and the direction. We had many influences.
Could you tell me in what ways you like those bass players, such as John Deacon (Queen)?
Yeah, and mainly I like even Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy), and I like Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) who wrote great songs. Do you mean why I like them, how I like them, or what?
How do they influence you?
Of course, they influence me a lot; you listen to other bands, and then you learn. When you're young, even these days, you're learning all the time so you have to listen really carefully and discover that not every bass player is covering something new with their music. There are great bass players which aren't the finished article, and need to discover new things, new things and yet more new things. They tend to use a lot of a certain influence because they need some teacher to get better, or to discover new things.
So you feel it's important to discover new things?
Yeah, it's really important. If I never studied other bass players and other bands as concerns how the bass is played, then I would never have new fresh ideas to write other songs which are different.
How do you feel you've personally improved over the last few albums?
Myself? What's really interesting is the basic bass songs we are playing such as “Come Alive” - the whole song is based on the loop and on the basic lick. We never had something like this on the last two albums, or the last five albums even, so that's really something new.
Is it important to do something new?
Of course. Like I told you before, I think if you don't try new things and you don't discover new things then I feel things stay at the same level, whereas we want to go ahead. We don't want to stay at the same level, and to me being at the same level is losing. You have to make something better or different; you have to try, otherwise people will say it's the same recycled album every time.
Do certain journalists write negative reviews saying the band does the same music over and over?
Of course. With journalists, some are positive while some are not so positive. Some say “It's always the same music” even if you've changed a lot. I think it's all a matter of taste, and that's why we have so many different music styles, bands and directions. It's hard to fight with a journalist because at the end of the day he's writing about his tastes, and every journalist these days has their own fan group so they're even trying to write the right thing for their fan group. I remember that years ago I used to read this monthly Rock magazine and would just look at the reaction of this journalist and what he wrote; if he wrote positive reviews, I went and bought the album because I knew I could trust his judgment. You then have other journalists that change their minds every two seconds (laughs).
So there's some good and bad?
Yeah right.
What was it like recording in the band's home studio?
It's good in one way, though bad in another. The bad thing is that it's sometimes good if you go somewhere with the whole band, and you go to somewhere where you're completely by your own; just the band speaks in the studio when you're away from home. If you record at home though, you sleep at home and you're where you are, you're where you live, you know everything, you're in an area you know and you have more time because it's your own studio. You don't have to hurry up, and it's much cheaper which even warrants the time to try something. Alternatively, you have the time to say “hey, it's not my day today so I'll come back tomorrow. Let's leave it for today”.
Does that help the band feel more comfortable recording songs?
I think it's a lot to do with the fact you're playing at home because everybody's really close to each other. You can ring the other guy and say “Hey, would you come to the studio? Do you want to discuss about that part we've learnt? What do you think? Do you have any ideas?” Great ideas come up as a result, and it's really fast working like that. It's great.
So it's very comfortable then?
Yeah, really comfortable.
How does recording in the home studio help the recording process overall?
Yeah it helps a lot, of course it does. If you have really played a good style for example, and you have a really good track recorded via the demo, then you can keep it for the album. When we re-record the demo versions we see if we've already recorded a good sound because if something is really magic for one or two minutes, then we keep it. This helps us a lot to be free and to work however we wish, and in any direction you wish. You even have the time to try something, and this is great. You know everybody that lives nearby also, so you know where you can get help to and you can organise guesting for background vocals etc.
So there's lots of freedom?
Yeah yeah, right. There's lots of freedom.
Could you tell me how the band was introduced to Ronald (Prent, producer)?
Ronald? We know Ronald from Lipservice. He heard the band and came to visit us, and from the beginning we had a great feeling. He's a really nice guy, even when you're a band which is really difficult to produce. This is a band he can really work with - we are ready to try everything, are really open to everything and we want to work. I would say it was magical as everything went ok from the first minute; he understood what we wanted and we understood what he could give us.
Is there a reason why you chose him to come back?
Yeah of course (laughs). We did Lipservice with him, we did this album with him and I think we should do the next album with him. Why not? Why should we change a winning team? There is no reason to.
You feel it's very successful then?
Yes, the success even gave us the answer. We are doing interviews in England for the first time, we are playing in England with gigs such as the Fire Festival which we did last year and concerts like that. In Europe we are much more active also, especially in France and Spain - Spain has become a huge market for us. Now we're going to Japan again, and we're also going to South America again like we did last year. These days this really is a success.
How does Ronald keep the band's Hard Rock edge?
I think it's very important to talk to each other in order to know what everyone wants, and he is the guy who has to bring everything from the mix together on material. The producer has to do the job he wants, but then again the producer also has to do the job the band wants.
How does he keep the Hard Rock edge though?
I don't know (laughs). I don't know how he, Ronald, that's really hard... I think he's one of those guys who likes melodic, powerful music, and that's really his area. He has worked with a lot of Hard Rock bands, and I just think it's his life. You don't have to explain a lot of things to him about what you want, the energy that should come across and everything because he knows all this from the beginning. He cannot do this with many bands though because not many bands are playing the way we play, so he's lucky that we rock.
Does he find it hard to please every band member?
Of course it's hard to please everyone, which is like how things are if you're together with a girl - it's just hard to please one person (laughs), yet here you have five others. First of all though, we all know that we have to learn to talk to each other and know that nobody can do it alone. Everytime you need some kind of help or some kind of partner, you don't have to ask anymore for something after nineteen or eighteen years together. Everything is clear because you know each other. We've spoken about everything; if somebody has private problems for example then we talk about that as friends. Yeah, it's not just about band members so maybe it's a little bit more than that, though we'll realise this once it's all over. It's a long story.
So it's a compromise?
Yeah.
How does Ronald encourage you as a bass player?
Yeah, he has some great ideas. Sometimes the easiest ideas which he brings across are ones which I just forgot because sometimes I want to make it too complicated, being a musician. There's me being a guy which wants to make it too complicated, and then sometimes I'm thinking “Please alter this from what I've offered (laughs).” Ronald comes across with just simple ideas, and says “close your eyes and play it.” For me to record the bass with him is really important because he is a calm, quiet guy, and that calms me down. I hate people who work too fast as it makes me nervous, and if I'm nervous playing then my playing isn't grooving - it's too abrupt and there's too much in the back. I want to close my eyes and really feel relaxed.
Is it important for you to feel relaxed?
Yeah, it's much important because otherwise you end up playing the track ten times. With Ronald I play the track, then I play it again and then we discuss everything. Following this, I play it two to three times and then we record it in usually one or two takes which by that time the song is done. We work really fast if I'm really quiet, and if I'm inside myself so to speak then I'm really relaxed.
So you're really really happy with him then?
Yeah (laughs).
So he'll definitely be producing the next album then?
I hope so, though he's a co-producer. Leo our guitar player is actually the producer.
Oh ok. Have you discussed the matter with Ronald, for him to be co-producer on the next album?
No, not yet, because the next album is so far away. I'll put it like this; why should he say no? He's had a lot of fun with us, so I think there's no reason that he wouldn't do it. For us there's no reason not to choose him because we've got a great team which works along.
What's it like working in Belgian Galaxy Studio?
Galaxy is a huge studio, is professional and you also have everything there. For us it was important because in this studio Ronald brings out his tricks. Ronald knows this studio; I think he knows it from under the roof to the cellar, knows every cable in this studio and knows what he can do with the gear and the equipment there. It's really important.
That's where he works best then?
Yeah. He's really a magician at the desk in this studio.
Is it harder to relax there than the band's home studio?
Is it harder to relax?
Is it harder to relax in Belgian Galaxy Studio than the band's home studio?
I've never recorded in Belgian Galaxy Studio.
Oh right.
I think it doesn't matter where you record it though, as I feel who you record with is more important. I notice the guy that is recording the disc, and he makes me nervous too. A guy who gives time to let me work, and at that moment in the quiet is what matters. We discuss everything, we work it out again, and then we shoot for it. It's the person you work with, not the surroundings.
Could you tell me about your favourite track on the album?
I don't even have all the album track names at hand. Do you have them in front of you?
Yeah I think so. I have the song names, yes.
The first is “Master of Illusion” which of course is a great opener. It's about an old friend, a guy who always thought we were blind. He spoke about things, and that's why he's the master of illusion. He was a guy who made us blind in one way through putting thoughts in our heads. “Master of Illusion” is a great opener, great Rock song and just really great overall. What's after “Master of Illusion”? Oh, it's “Gone Too Far”. “Gone Too Far” I would assume is about a relationship story. It's hard for me to explain as I didn't write the lyrics.
Ok, all I had asked was which is your favourite song.
My favourite song on the album? That's a great question, because nobody has asked me that.
That's what I asked originally (laughs).
(laughs) I would say “The Oscar Goes To...”.
Is there a reason why that's your favourite?
The reason why? First of all, I like the verse on “The Oscar Goes To...” because I like its implication that you're the guy and you're the winner, and everybody wants to be a winner these days. The second thing is I don't know why the song is that good, but every time I wake up in the morning, and this is two or three times a week, I'm singing the chorus of that song. It keeps magic within my head, and I can't go away from this. I really love to play this song, and it's maybe just a favourite really because I like the song. That's it.
Is it important to be a winner?
It's important not to be a loser (laughs). You know what I mean? My tour manager is coming so we have to do the last two questions, as my next interview should've began by now.
Ok, I'm sorry about that.
It doesn't matter, there's no problem.
Could you just summarise then what the album is and why people should buy it?
The album is fully energetic, with great songwriting and fantastic vocals. You get something for your money, as it's a positive album which has a really different kind of Rock style on it. It's fresh and I'm sure everybody will listen to it and love it.
Where would you like to take your career in the coming years?
Right now with the new album we're trying to take a step forward, and then another step forward yet again with the next album. I think for us it's great to be greatly, greatly known superstars here in Switzerland - it's doing well but maybe too well. We're trying gain a position like we've achieved in Germany throughout the rest of Europe as a whole, where we can make huge, great shows with many people coming together. Sometimes even you can play headlining shows in the whole of Europe.
So you want to break the international market then?
Yeah of course.
Ok, thanks for the interview.
Yeah, you're welcome. I'm sorry that where we are it's busy and people are in a rush everywhere.
Ok, take care.
Ok, you too.
Bye.
Ok, bye bye.