Die Optimale Härte interview: These questions were given to the band by their manager, Paffy. Thank you, Paffy & thank you to the band. Although I had to translate it from German I think it came out good, right? Well, if it's not right, I'll fix it, I know the intent sounded good anyway! Thanx again! :) -Mikki 7/03

DML: How did Optimale Härte get together and what bands were you in previously?

Olli: Our band has been around since 1995. We had our first appearance in 1996 and I am the last band member from that time.
Doc: I think I joined in 1999 and have been singing since then. Others have come and gone with time, other than our manager, Paffy, who, as well as Olli, has been around since the beginning.
Micha: I am the newest and joined in the beginning of the year.

DML: For anyone unfamiliar with your music, how would you describe it for them?

Martin: I think we make a type of old school punk that, with time, is becoming ever more melodic.
Olli: One could also say it's a mix of Britney Spears, Metallica and Harry Belafonte.
Micha: I find it simply brilliant.

DML: Is Die Optimale Härte everyone's only band right now or does anyone have side projects? If so, what are they?

Popel: Achim and I are still playing in another band but it has nothing to do with punk.
Achim: That's right. Sometime one had asked for more people to play and then we simply ended up joining.

DML: Your music can be found on a couple split albums, one with the UK's Nobody's Heroes and the other with Germany's (I think they're German) Schimmelbrot. How did these come about? Did you ask them or did they ask you or did someone else make this decision?

Martin: That is a good question, one which none of us can really answer. Paffy takes care of everything & we don't really care. He does always tell us but in regards to that we never listen.
Olli: I believe that the Englanders came to us since the split also came out on their label. The split with Schimmelbrot was initiated by Palme Records and uptil now we have never played with them.
Micha: Didn't Paffy say at our last practice that a tape label in the US should be releasing us on a split with a US Grindcore band?

DML: How are your songs usually created? Does everyone help to write songs or is there one main person for this?

Martin: With us everyone writes songs. One time someone brings in a finished song and we work together to write the lyrics, next time a complete lyric is brought & we work together on the music.
Olli: The lyrics from our first CD all came from my father.
Popel: I think that everyone is taking more part in the music and the sound but the music from the last 3 years doesn't have to do with that.
Achim: Two songs came from my old band, Cremation.

DML: Can you tell us about your songs? What message are you hoping to convey?

Martin: Our songs deal with society, it's problems and things that make us really sick.
Micha: We want to encourage our listeners, and prompt them to think about things themselves.

DML: I think it's great that you sing in German! Is there any reason why you, now and then, write in English?

Martin: As we previously said, as the years went by we have found and lost some musicians. In that time the language has also changed so that we will, in the near future, have almost all songs in English which are also more melodic than before.
Olli: Also, if you hope to achieve in a foreign country, you simply can't sing in German because almost no one in the other countries is interested in that.

DML: Who is the "Beautiful Bitch" of whom you sing?

Martin: All of them.
Micha: There was never a Beautiful Bitch. The song was just made & it happened to be correct. Doesn't matter which woman.

DML: Your site mentioned that a second CD was planned for 2001 but it seems to have never been released. Why is that and are you working on it now?

Popel: We have Doc to thank for that because he said in the middle of 2001 that he was no longer having fun and wanted to quit. Then we placed an announcement and asked people if they'd like to sing for us. We tried about 10 singers but none of them were really to our liking. After almost a year without a singer, we were about to give up but then Doc said he'd like to join back on.
Doc: Right! I also insisted that most of our songs should be in English.

DML: It is mentioned on the Interpunk site that a US east coast tour was in the planning. Could you tell me more about that?

Olli: We'd had a few enquiries from US bands we'd played with here in Germany (Hillside Stranglers, River City High, Boss 302, Forgotten Rebels) if we'd like to come to the US.
Martin: Paffy has a few contacts in the US, amongst others he manages the excellent band, The Damaged, from Adams, MA, in Europe.
Achim: The bands wanted to support us for a US tour but we shied away from the financial risk because we would have had to sustain a loss of at least 5000 US dollars.
Micha: I think that we should sit back and wait until our second CD is released in the US & we can think of a tour there. It's senseless to do so now.

DML: I understand you have a song ("Waiting 4 U", I believe it was?) submitted for a Wizo tribute CD. How does one get on a project like that? Who is making it & when is it planned to be released?

Olli: We recieved an inquiry from a German label by mail asking if we'd like to do a song for it.
Achim: We decided on "Waiting For U" and plan to record it w/in the next 4 weeks.
Doc: The tribute sampler should appear in the beginning of 2004

DML: Can you tell us something about what you like and/or dislike about the music scene, punk or otherwise, in Germany? What do you think would make it better if anything?

Micha: Here in Germany it's very hard at the moment because there aren't many punks, shows have small audiences and the only real concerts are with bands that sell out in the first hour.
Olli: Besides that, everyone is crazy for American bands and no one wants to see or hear Germans with German lyrics. Here there are only two mega-known German bands that began as punks but have not been punk for a long time (Toten Hosen and Die Ärzte).
Popel: The result of that is, the labels have no money and thus the bands and records aren't made. I hope that things change and punk can rise again against all hope.

DML: What are you favorite bands to play with and who would you like to play with someday?

Doc: I like the Misfits. I think they're so excellent that I have their logo tattooed on my arm.
Popel: Beatsteaks and Donots. It was the greatest for me to play in Köln with the Beatsteaks in front of over 1000 people.
Martin: I actually laugh at everyone, but I like amongst the others, Santana.
Doc: Grindcore
Achim: Hardcore
Micha: Also Hardcore
Martin: I think it'd be awesome to play a tour here in Germany with The Damaged
Doc: We have already played with everyone I'd like to see and have wanted to meet, except the Misfits.

DML: What do you do when not making music? Jobs, hobbies, etc...

Doc: I work in a shop that deals with PC's and love my Playstation.
Olli: I'm an electrician in a hospital and like role playing.
Achim: I also work there but am a sort of custodian. Besides that I'm into kids, I have 3 kids at the age of 24.
Martin: I'm back in school, training as a chemical lab technician.
Micha: Tattooist, I have my own shop.

DML: What can we expect from the band in the future?

Micha: Lots of fun
Olli: More fans
Achim: Everything that can be earned without money.

DML: Anything else you'd like to add?

Martin: We thank our Paffy and our girlfriends for joining in the fun.
Popel: Greetings to my new band.

More at:

• Official site
• DML bio