| Band: | Lifetaker |
| Release: | Herbsthunde |
| Genre: | Industrial, Noise, Sludge |
| Country: | Germany (Dortmund) |
| Release Date: | 30th of May, 2025 |
| Released via | Ván Records (Vinyl) Summer Darling Tapes (Tape) |
| Cover Artwork: | Lifetaker |
From the beginning of this blog, it has been no secret at all that Dortmund-based grinding noise machine Lifetaker has remained one of the most vibrant discoveries I came across. Having continued to follow this band, especially the recent progression urged to ask questions about the changes the band underwent. Because of that, we sat down and talked about the perception of Lifetaker’s former full-length Der letzte Raum, their line-up changes and what these new circumstances impacted regarding the songwriting and of course the writing process, release and label selection of their latest EP Herbsthunde.
Interview with Lifetaker
Greetings, Lifetaker! I’m really glad to welcome you at Transcended Music Blog for this interview. First things first, though, how are you doing?
Hi Roman, we should be the ones thanking you! Of course, things could always be better—like living in a world where it’s not trendy to be a dumb Nazi pig—but aside from that and beyond, we really can’t complain when it comes to ourselves. We hope everything is going well on your end too.
Before heading off, I just briefly want to recapitulate. Your last album “Der letzte Raum” – which I highly enjoyed – was released pretty much three years ago. Now looking back at this release, how did you experience its resonance back then and nowadays?
Honestly, it doesn’t feel like it’s been three years at all—time really flies. Still, judging by our listeners, there remains a noticeable interest in us as a band, in our work, and in our discography—especially in “Der letzte Raum”. The recent pandemic has definitely left its mark, but fortunately, interest in extreme and obscure music seems unbroken. Funnily enough, the world is so messed up by now that an album like “Der letzte Raum” might be comparable to a good wine: it ages with dignity.
One certain aspect that distinguished “Der letzte Raum” from “Night Intruder” is the fact that you had the possibility to promote your sophomore full-length release via live shows, which was not possible with your debut release. Did you enjoy presenting your new material on stage right off?
Performing live has always been something very intimate and special for us. The specific album we’re promoting doesn’t matter so much—it’s always about the bigger picture. That was just as true for “Der letzte Raum” as it has been for any of our other releases, even if the circumstances were different. Still, playing live is the ultimate experience for us as a band.
After the release of your sophomore full-length, you unfortunately lacked a drummer because of the departure of your former drummer Nico. When you knew that this was gonna happen, did you initially intend to find a new drummer to continue the former band constellation?
The only thing we really knew was that we would continue, no matter what—because our vision for what Lifetaker can be remained unshaken. Whether with or without a drummer, there was never a moment when we felt we had to find a new one in order to continue being Lifetaker.
At what point did you eventually decide to switch plans and continue without a live drummer – and what impacted your decision?
Interestingly enough, the decision was made on the same day that Nico left the band. Anyone who’s followed our work will have noticed that we’ve never released the same album twice. At that point, we already knew it would work out somehow—we just didn’t know how yet. Nico’s departure was ultimately the wake-up call we needed to fully reboot. We were simply curious to see where the journey would take us. Of course, it’s not great when a friend leaves the band, but we saw it as a rare opportunity to create something truly unique—and we believe we succeeded.
After the decision fell to continue without a live drummer, did you already have in mind how to implement percussive elements beforehand or did you decide to find out via trial and error?
Everything we’ve done so far has always involved a lot of experimentation that eventually led to final recordings—once we felt we had hit the core message, no matter how abstract it may be. What we did know from the beginning was that just playing back conventional drums from tape and carrying on as usual was out of the question.
On May 30th, your upcoming EP “Herbsthunde” will be released. After having finished, how do you feel about your upcoming EP right now?
We’re very curious to see how people will react—and we already know opinions will be divided. But we welcome that. That’s how it should be. Art that only receives affirmation has no real value. All in all, though, we believe people will understand it. Transformation is a constant and central theme for us.
As you mentioned yourself in the press kit, the sound that is present on “Herbsthunde” can be considered as a reinvention of Lifetaker. Admittedly, the progression is quite evident. However, the drive of Lifetaker towards elements of Industrial and Noise have also always been observable. Did this turn primarily take place due to the alternation of the band constellation or were you interested to evolve apart from your line-up anyway?
It was clear to us that we had, in a way, already completed the “metal” game with our previous releases. We had no desire to create yet another album “for fans of XY,” risking self-imitation or repetition. Everything we incorporated stylistically and musically into the new recording was simply a means to express what drives us. The actual band lineup was of secondary importance.
Especially the percussive elements are in forefront when trying to grasp what composes the forceful soundscape on “Herbsthunde.” How did you manage to set up these sounds and how did you record it? Feel free to go into detail, I’m very interested!
All percussive elements were essentially created using analog drum machines—like those from Roland—which we modified, distorted, combined, and recorded at home using a mix of pedals, modular synths, and resampling techniques. We didn’t just use boring, pre-made stock samples. In principle, we built our “drum kit” the way a real drummer might—except none of us is a drummer. We just love interesting and unconventional sounds. Sometimes that means running a real steel drum through distortion pedals to create a snare sound, and ending up with something unique without expecting it.
Speaking of recording – where exactly did you record Herbsthunde? Was your choice of studio influenced by the intentions you had regarding the specific tone of this EP?
Herbsthunde was recorded completely DIY, either in our rehearsal space or at home. As always, we worked with Tonmeisterei. That was clear to us from the start— they’re just great guys who mix and master with insane quality. That won’t change.
When getting deeper into setting up drum patterns, it is widely known that the dispute about the mere resonance of a snare hit alone can already lead to major discussions. Thus, it probably turned out quite difficult to work on those percussive elements. Did you have experience to work on this beforehand? Were there any major influences for percussive patterns you processed while writing the tracks to guide you towards these new spheres of songwriting?
Here too, everything followed the principle of trial and error. We’d already started reworking older songs to suit the new lineup during the demo stage. As for specific pattern influences—there were none. We just knew it had to be stripped down and precise, always in service of the song.
Going by the title of your EP I have to ask – what exactly can we understand by a so-called Herbsthund (autumn dog) ?
The word itself was discovered by our vocalist by chance in a Ukrainian poem and just stuck with us. It stayed with us throughout the recording process and somehow felt right for the overarching vibe—so it became the album title. We wouldn’t say a “Herbsthund” actually exists, but who really knows what’s real and what’s imagined?
As you already did on “Der letzte Raum,” you again chose to write the entire album with German lyrics – although your older releases were written in English. What were the considerations to switch languages? Did this rather derive from the tone of the language, the difference regarding the songwriting process or for another reason?
We’ve always felt that writing lyrics in English is a limitation. We did it for three releases and kept asking ourselves why we ever did it in the first place. Subjectively, it just feels more authentic and relatable to do it in our native language. Plus, we see it as a value-added component to the overall result of an album. We don’t think it matters to listeners anymore what language is being sung. Everything can be translated in seconds. Singing in German just because you’re German is an outdated concept. For us, it’s about what serves the music. We don’t care about national identity.
Reconsidering the writing process of “Herbsthunde” – did you repeatedly listen to any specific releases that might have contributed to a certain character of this EP – especially its Industrial and Noise foundations?
No, and it never has played a role in Lifetaker or our creative process. Of course, we all love different types of music, but when we become active ourselves, we shed our personal tastes.
In the past, your vinyl releases were taken care of by Black Omega Recordings. Unfortunately, this label does no longer exist. However, you succeeded to sign at Ván Records. How did this signing come into existence?
Us joining Ván Records was a lucky coincidence. Our bassist was at a festival last year and got introduced—through a friend—to Fabienne, the wife of Sven who runs Ván Records, without knowing at the time that she had already heard the Herbsthunde demo the day before. Later, they listened to it together and decided they wanted to release it. Something we never expected—but of course, we’re stoked it happened.
Regarding the deal you signed at Ván Records – can we expect further releases to come off this house as well or did you solely begin with this EP and observe what is to come?
We’re on Ván Records as artists, but there’s no formal contract or anything like that. It’s more of a collaboration with people who share the same vision. True to the motto: “Anything goes, nothing’s forced.” That said, we don’t see this as a one-off. That’s not who we are. We’re grateful for the trust placed in us and happy to be part of it.
Apart from the fact that John of Black Omega Recordings does not contribute with a vinyl release, he is nevertheless involved with the release of the tape variant via his new label Summer Darling Tapes. Going by the fact that this label actually only releases Post-Punk and adjacent genres – how did you convince John to release “Herbsthunde” ?
We asked John if he’d consider releasing our new record on his label, especially since we’d broken with old stylistic and sonic patterns within the band. After hearing the album, he was immediately on board—no need for us to convince him.
As a matter of fact, I have to admit that one aspect I always fancied about Lifetaker was your blasting sound. However, I am also strongly in favor of what your sound turned into now. I have to ask, though – can we ever expect a mixture of your ferocious former blast sound and the heavily crushing tone of “Herbsthunde” somewhen in the future?
The roadmap for the future isn’t set in stone. What we can say is that we don’t plan things out like that. But if certain elements were to naturally come together again, it would only be for the right and necessary reasons.
What are the future plans of Lifetaker after the release of “Herbsthunde” on the 30th of May? Are you already planning shows to bring your sound on stage or are you even working on material for a future full-length to come?
Of course, we’re already working on new material—just like we always have. Right now, we’re focused on arranging and perfecting everything in the rehearsal space for a live performance, because we’re itching to play live again. We’re also working on a planned tour toward the end of the year and are excited about every single gig request that comes our way. So don’t hesitate to get in touch—we’re grateful for every chance to perform.
Widening the scope of music has always remained a major aspect of Transcended Music Blog. Because of that I want to ask – are there any current musical acts that you wanted to recommend to our readers?
Just to name a few: Spike Hellis, L.O.T.I.O.N Multinational Corporation, Bombstrap, Vosh, Dis Fig, Endon, Aurat, Träume, Prurient.
Thanks a damn lot for taking the time to talk about “Herbsthunde” and Lifetaker as a band. As usual with any interview I set up, the final words shall belong to you!
To everyone else out there:
Look in the mirror every day to see the true enemy and the real obstacle to the future. One life is too short to get everything right, but not too short to make it better. They up there? They’re us. Awareness is the key to everything. There is only one room—every element is one.
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