Camera

You first got noticed playing Berlin train stations, do you still do that?
Compared to when we started doing this, we do it really rarely now, at least with our full band setup. But Michael and Kevin play still on the street, with two guitars, making noise. Last time we played on the street under a train line, it was the 1 May - a special day in Berlin where all the people make party on the street. 

What were those guerrilla performances like? How would the public react and how often did the police try to stop them?
These performances where really raw and there was always a magic feeling of the moment - because it was so spontaneous and not planned, so it just felt natural and open. I think people felt that, and the energy they felt they gave back to us. So there was no boundary between audience and us. Especially in the night at the weekend, people came together that had nothing in common normally, but the moment connected them. Police did most of the time stop us, but it was just a question of when - it could be 4 hours, or 4 minutes.  

You often get called Krautrock - are you happy with that tag and do you feel the band is in the same tradition of bands such a Neu!, Can, Harmonia etc?
The term is alright and it has some kind of appreciation to it, so that’s cool. But it is also a kind of historic term, so it´s sometimes hard to be not compared to these bands you mentioned; because Krautrock is not just a genre, but also describes a certain time or epoch. So we don´t want to stick to comparisons or labels, what can happen easily. But yeah, the approach to making music is definitely in the same tradition or direction of bands like Neu! or Can, just going with the flow. 

How did you get introduced to Michael Rother and what is it like when you perform with him?
We came in contact in Hamburg at a show of Michael Rother and when we performed with him we would either play his songs, which was rather planned and fixed in its process, but we also did a few shows where we just jammed and saw what happened on stage, I really like these few improvisation concerts. 

For a band who improvise a lot how do you set about writing and recording songs for an album? 
Recording an album is quite different to playing a live concert, but the basic track can evolve quite similar though. We just use all different approaches, at least we did this with our last album now. A studio offers a lot of possibilities that you don´t have on stage, you can go back to certain parts, overdub tracks and so on. It´s nice to make use of that to form a song - and for us, it doesn´t really have to be translated to the stage 100 percent. It´s two different mediums and we also treat it like that. 

How different was writing and recording Remember I Was Carbon Dioxide to Radiate!?
The process was quite different. We set up the recording equipment in our own space, so we were not limited regarding the studio time. We could experiment and record much more and take the best parts of it. It was also less spontaneous sometimes you could say. The first album Radiate! we just recorded in a few days with a few overdubs and edits and that was it. Now we could go back to material, work a lot on it, use the studio to reflect about stuff etc. So that´s why it sounds more widespread or complex than the first album. We also played with many different musicians too. 

Camera play The Chameleon on 1 October 2014

How do you feel the band has developed between the two albums?
Regarding the approach to making music, we didn´t change that much. We also play with another guitarist now, so that´s a development for itself and changes the sound too, of course. On the two records, there´s quite a change in the production and layers of sounds, I think.  

What can we expect from a Camera live show?
All or nothing. And sometimes something in between, too. It really can be good or also not so good, it really depends on the mood and so much more you can´t even name. But it will always be a special and spontaneous moment in the space of music. 

You are about to start a short tour of the UK. How often have you played in the UK before?
We just played a few shows with Michael Rother here, so we´re quite excited how it will go here. Is there anything you are looking forward to about visiting the UK? Hmm, we don´t have that much time unfortunately, but we´re looking forward to the gig in the Rough Trade record store in London.  

Have you ever visited Nottingham before?
No, first time for all of us.  

How do you stop yourself from going mad on tour?
There´s enough time after the tour for relaxing and nice walks in the forest. Besides that, I think it´s important to eat good while on the road, avoid junk food and look for nice spaces to feel good, wherever they are. 

Any final words for the LeftLion readers?
Words that are strictly true seem to be paradoxical. 

Camera, I Am Lono and Apalusa perform at The Chameleon on Wednesday 1 October 2014. Tickets are £5 adv or £6 otd and can be purchased at this link. Facebook event. 

Camera's second album Remember I Was Carbon Dioxide is out now via Bureau B. 

Camera website