German synth-pop/electro band Solar Fake, founded in 2007 and fronted by the talented Sven Friedrich, renowned for his work with Zeraphine and Dreadful Shadows, has established itself as one of Europe's most influential dark electro acts. The band unveiled its latest studio album, Don't Push This Button!, on 24 May last year, marking a bold new chapter with its release under Sven's newly founded label, Pointless Music. Sven Friedrich takes full creative control of Solar Fake, serving as its sole songwriter and producer at his Rosa Falke recording studio. He meticulously crafts every element of the band's music, from compelling compositions and thought-provoking lyrics to intricate arrangements and high-quality recordings. As a multi-instrumentalist, he plays all the instruments featured on Solar Fake's studio albums, further solidifying his distinctive artistic imprint. There is hardly a dark music festival that hasn't showcased Solar Fake - a band widely recognised as one of the genre's leading forces. Solar Fake continues to captivate audiences with frequent live performances, particularly in Germany. We had the privilege of witnessing its breathtaking set at the M'era Luna festival in 2023 - an experience that was nothing short of exceptional. Don't Push This Button! is more than just an album; it stands as a landmark achievement. The album also secured second place at the 2024 Terra Relicta Dark Music Awards. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask legendary goth icon Sven Friedrich a few questions. Here they are - along with his insightful answers.

Interview with: Sven Friedrich
Conducted by: Tomaz, Jerneja
Edited by: Jerneja

Jerneja: Hello, Sven! First of all, congratulations on your latest album, Don't Push This Button!, and on its runner-up finish at the Terra Relicta Dark Music Awards 2024. Let me say that throughout the contest, the album traded first place with Dero Goi's 1984, which only gained a significant advantage on the last voting day... Don't Push This Button! was released at the end of May 2024, and you've already toured quite a lot with it, starting again more intensively in March. Which song from the new album has garnered the most enthusiasm from the audience, especially at live performances?
Sven: First, I want to say thank you for even nominating us; second place is really fantastic for us. I think this is the first time we've ever been part of any sort of award. But back to your question. The songs from the last album are received incredibly well live. Maybe "Not So Important" stands out a bit because it became clear right from its first live performance - people were singing along to that hook line... That's always a total goosebump moment for me.

Jerneja: When I looked at your live playlists, I noticed you never play "I Won't Let You Go". How is that?
Sven: This song is very difficult to sing. Especially live, since I perform without many effects. It might work with a shorter set list, but at a concert that lasts over two hours, I can't manage to sing it.

Jerneja: I find the album cover very original; it's simple but intelligent. Since the button and its base (by the way, is it a part of a machine?) remind me of some other (socialist) times, I thought you were referring to Putin, who is known for threatening to push buttons. So, were you?
Sven: That would actually fit quite well with the current times and not just apply to Putin. But actually, I was thinking more about the situation where you can't resist doing something you know very well you shouldn't do. And when people tell you to stop, you want it even more. There are countless examples - that seriously endanger our civilization right now, but everyone surely knows it on a smaller scale from their own lives - often with less severe consequences. And yes, it's supposed to be a machine, but I designed it myself and only implemented it graphically on the computer...

Jerneja: What would happen if someone pushed the button?
Sven: Well, I think the news is full of people pushing the button. In that sense, I think we're already feeling the consequences heavily. But if you mean THE button, I hope I'll be close enough for it to be over quickly...

Tomaz: Could the machine you designed work somehow, and what would it do?
Sven: Hahaha, no, I just designed the design. This machine does not exist in reality.

Tomaz: An interesting thing is that the album has three versions of the songs. The "standard" one, amplified and silenced, all released together on a special deluxe edition. The amplified versions, in my opinion, could easily be a Zeraphine album. So, why did you make such a decision, and how was it working on the songs from three different perspectives?
Sven: Well, we've been doing the piano or acoustic versions since Another Manic Episode, but the "amplified" versions are new. It was a kind of experiment. I've already received remixes from all the artists I wanted to have remixes from, and I wanted to try something new. And since both my live colleagues have a rock or punk background, I thought we could give it a go. We also played songs like that at the release shows, which was really fun. But, of course, this won't be a stylistic change of direction. It's just fun to think about and arrange the songs completely differently. Our fans didn't take this experiment badly either, on the contrary. You've hardly ever heard anything like this from an electro act before.

Tomaz: The album's sound is definitely Solar Fake, but there are still elements you haven't used before. How would you compare Don't Push This Button! to your previous works?
Sven: It's hard for me to say. I think stylistically I leaned towards older retro synth sounds, and some songs seem a bit more synthwave than synthpop. But honestly, I'm not the best person to ask... I do what feels right in the moment, and that's what defines the sound and the production.

Tomaz: While we're on the subject, what's going on with Zeraphine? Nothing new has been done for a long time. Do you have any plans to pick up where you left off?
Sven: Not at the moment. It's also relatively difficult, as everything and the musicians have continued to evolve. We only meet a few times a year, when we play concerts and rehearse for them. We still get along very well, but I think continuing this project, in terms of creating new music, is very complex and complicated. Therefore, we don't have any real plans for that at the moment.

Tomaz: And to continue in the similar waters... Dreadful Shadows were for me and many others back then, especially the Buried Again album, one of the first bands that made gothic rock familiar to metalheads. But it's interesting that besides some live shows in 2007, you never considered making a reunion. Is it that when you are done with something, it's done for good?
Sven: Hahaha, yes, that's really over. But we had a kind of reunion between 2007 and 2013. At least we played a few concerts then and even a tour with Zeromancer in 2013. But it never turned out to build a bridge between the latest album and now, and we preferred to be honest with ourselves. Well, one guitarist, André, has been playing live with Solar Fake since 2014, and the other guitarist, Norman, is also with Zeraphine and at the live acoustic concerts of Solar Fake. So we still get along very well - only on a different artistic level.

Tomaz: What was the main reason you decided to move from guitar-driven rock/metal music to synth-driven electronic music?
Sven: I always loved dark electronic music. Discovering Deine Lakaien, Project Pitchfork, and other acts in the 90s made me feel a real connection. Actually, I had originally envisioned Zeraphine as my solo electro project, but for some reason, I started adding guitars. But then, in 2007, I finally did it... It was a dream come true.

Tomaz: When I saw you performing at the M'era Luna festival in 2023, there was only one other musician beside you, even though Solar Fake is considered a trio...
Sven: Oh, you must have missed Jeans, our drummer, on stage. He was definitely there playing with us. We usually play with three people on stage, but since our recent tour, Elliott Berlin (Combichrist and others) has joined us on stage as well, so we're either three or four on stage now.

Tomaz: Hmm, I looked at the photos of your performance that I took there, but I still didn't spot him. It's true that there was a lot of artificial fog, so he was probably inside it somewhere. By the way... do you prefer playing festivals or club gigs? And how do you like touring and spending time on a tour bus and in hotels?
Sven: Trust me, I know Jeans was there, hahaha. No doubt :-)... I love both festivals and club shows. Festivals are great because you can reach new listeners; the sets are short, you don't have to worry about anything, and you meet other musicians. Generally, it's less work and still a lot of fun. On the other hand, club shows are great because only dedicated fans attend. You can play a really interesting set, and the vibe between the audience and the band is usually intense. You're fully responsible for the night (which can also be cool) and can make it really special for everyone. Touring is wonderful for me. I like everything about it, mainly because our crew is like a family, and everyone respects and actually likes each other. We enjoy being together, so everything about touring is great.

Tomaz: Where will your fans have the opportunity to see you play live this summer and later this year?
Sven: Our website has all our tour dates. We're playing some festivals in Germany, like East Side and M'Era Luna. In the Czech Republic, we play at the Sever Synth Festival, and we also have some more tour shows in Germany and Athens. So, except for January and December, we play at least one show per month this year.

Tomaz: How come you mostly perform in Germany, even though you have a strong fan base abroad? Aren't there enough offers from promoters in other countries? Where would you like to play but haven't yet?
Sven: We've played many gigs in other countries and even had full tours in the USA and UK. Still, it's not that simple to arrange gigs abroad. This year, we played in Finland, and we'll also play in the Czech Republic and Greece. We played in many countries before, but, to be honest, I think the pandemic has destroyed many businesses, and many promoters focused on more stable jobs, so it hasn't become easier. However, we're always trying to find gigs all over the world. I'd love to go to Australia if the flight wasn't so very long.

Jerneja: In addition to creating music and writing lyrics, you also produce for Solar Fake at the Rosa Falke studio. I assume you enjoy this role as well? Are you self-taught in this regard?
Sven: Yes, I totally love being in control of everything concerning Solar Fake. I have worked for several years in a huge pro-audio studio in Berlin. There, I've learned everything about audio engineering, recording, mixing and mastering. I didn't learn it in some school but in real life.

Tomaz: Is Rosa Falke your studio? Do you also produce for other bands/artists?
Sven: Yes, it's my studio. I mostly produce my own music, remixes and features there. The good thing is that I don't have to work with others,  so I can decide for myself what interests me.

Tomaz: You've had quite some guest appearances and collaborated with many artists and musicians. From Blutengel, Chris Harms to Project Pitchfork, Morphose, Faderhead and Scarlet Dorn, to name a few. Do you enjoy this, and how picky are you when it comes to offers?
Sven: On the one hand, I really love doing collaborations, but on the other hand, I need to have a good idea; also, I need to like the music and the person behind the music. If all that comes together, I'm really happy to work with other musicians on special projects or features. So, yeah, I'm picky, but not in a commercial way, more quality-wise.

Jerneja: In your long career, is there a song you are particularly proud of or one that is particularly close to your heart?
Sven: We'll, I guess, no. I usually like the newest songs most, because they're not so familiar yet. But I couldn't pick one song over the others. Of course, the Solar Fake songs represent me most, and I'm most connected to them. But it's also fun listening to older albums because you actually forget about songs you usually never play live. It's weird.

Jerneja: Your lyrics are very psychological, but while you deal with a specific case, you hold up a mirror to society as a whole, so the lyrics are also socially critical... 
Sven: Yeah, that's definitely true. I never planned this, but these days, it feels sort of right to communicate my thoughts and fears. I don't tend to judge people, but I do judge them if they're too lazy to engage in independent thought or if they're simply careless and don't consider the consequences of their actions or words.

Jerneja: Are you perhaps a psychologist in addition to being a musician, as your lyrics express a good understanding of human nature? 
Sven: Hahaha, no, I'm not. But many people around me struggle with such problems, and I absorb a lot from witnessing that – from problems themselves, the feeling of not being understood, and observing how other people thoughtlessly deal with these issues or don't. I don't know if I really understand human nature. Everyone faces challenges; it's just a question of whether they want to recognize them and take action or not, hahaha.

Jerneja: What do you think is "wrong with this picture" (meaning nowadays society)?  
Sven: Well, in my opinion, instead of fighting wars and dividing people, we should put all our powers and knowledge together to save this beautiful planet and to repair the things we've messed up. Instead, we fight and don't give a shit about saving the climate, the environment, and nature – basically, saving the Earth.

Tomaz: You released some albums via Out Of Line Music and the last two through Pointless Music, which, if I'm not mistaken, is your own label. Why did you decide to do it all yourself?
Sven: Let me correct you here; I only released the latest album via my own label. I think it was just the right time. I've always done almost everything myself, from songwriting and production to graphic artwork, music videos, and the website. So it wasn't much more work, but it allowed me to have complete control over the remaining aspects, such as marketing and promotion. And of course, it's also a bit more money for me, for more or less the same amount of work.

Tomaz: I've enjoyed watching Solar Fake's latest videos, especially "This Generation Ends" and "Not So Important." The first is like a short film with a psychological twist, while the second is more relaxing with pets. Both have a kind of 80s feel to them. You were also their (co)creator, so how do you enjoy this work?
Sven: I totally love this! I always work with JK; she develops the storylines and does editing while I handle the camera and post-production. We're a great team; it's a lot of work but also much fun. We sometimes hide Easter eggs in the clips and let fans find them, which is also much fun.

Tomaz: The video for "This Generation Ends" also features some notable figures from the dark music world, like Chris Pohl (Blutengel), Peter Spilles and Sue (Project Pitchfork), and Damasius Venys (Future Lied To Us). Was it difficult to gather all these people to shoot a video?
Sven: No, luckily not, because we're good friends, and they agreed at once. We just thought it would be fun to have some cameo appearances. We filmed with Peter outside the M'era Luna festival backstage area and with Damasius at our show at Königstein, where Future Lied To Us was opening for us. We shot the scenes with Chris at his studio.

Jerneja: Are the pets in the "Not So Important" video yours? I find the video very interesting, perhaps (also) because the lyrics are not directly related to the visual depiction...
Sven: Yes, most of the pets in the video belong to me, including the main dog, the rabbits, and the cats. There are two other dogs at the beginning that we just filmed over the fence. The dog at the end belongs to the woman who plays the final part and gives the main dog a new home in the story. I was really impressed with how well my dog did during filming. It was like she always knew exactly what we expected from her - truly impressive. And yeah, the clip doesn't follow the song lyrics, and I think that's the case for most of my videos. It still feels somehow connected - in terms of knowing what's important and what's not. I definitely prefer clips that only have a loose connection to the song lyrics or that perhaps open up another dimension for understanding the song.

Tomaz: You also have a podcast called "Let's Talk". Who cares? Since it's in German, I can barely understand anything. What is it about or what all you talk about?
Sven: We started this podcast in April 2020, during the first lockdown. We wanted to stay connected with our fans. And we missed our tour bus chats. So, the podcast was perfect and became quite successful very quickly. Some people have even found out about us through the podcast. Oh, and for those who don't speak German, there's a fix: the podcast is also on YouTube, and there's an automatic transcript you can translate. I'm not sure how good it is 'cause we all have a bit of a weird dialect (Berlin and Leipzig), but it's probably enough to get the gist. Well, we talk about everything: what's been happening and what's coming up from our point of view, making the albums. We answer fans' questions and do some funny stuff, too... It's more like an impro-comedy than a music podcast, really.

Jerneja: And when can we expect some new music from Solar Fake? Are you already in motion? Are there any new collaborations coming up, maybe even a slight departure from the style?
Sven: No, I'm not working on new music yet. Instead, I'm doing some collaborations first – another song with Morphose and some remixes. But I think I'll start writing new songs in the summer or autumn at the latest. I can promise that the general style won't change, but everything will continue to evolve, as always.

Jerneja: One more thing before we finish - how did the name Solar Fake come about?
Sven: That's actually a bit weird... I found something with that name on Amazon, and it was a fake solar panel for a few bucks to show off to your neighbour. I remember thinking back then that if anything showed what was messed up with the world, it was something like that. And then I saw it had my initials, so I made it the project name. I'm not sure if I'd do it that way again, but it also shows I never really follow smart plans but do what feels right or, at least, makes me laugh.

Jerneja: We've reached the finish line...Thank you for the interview, Sven! And, if you have anything else to add or say, the floor is yours.
Sven: Thanks again for the nomination and a big thank you to our fans for voting for us and getting us second! I hope people keep loving our music this much and keep making every show so special. And for anyone who's never heard us before... give it a try - it's never too late, hahaha!

Photos by: Annie Bertram Photoart

Solar Fake links: Official Website, Facebook, Instagram