Since 2009, the following six questions in our interview series have been answered regularly by interesting people who have "something to do with books" or "something to do with books". Make publishing, and published here on the blog. This results in articles that, on the one hand, draw attention to book people and publishers and, on the other hand, make changes and challenges in the most diverse areas of publishing visible. Our goal with this is to bring people even closer into contact and exchange.
Who are you and what do you do with books?. with publishing?
I’m Schwartz, actually a rapper for the Berlin label Hirntot Records. Since 2006 I’ve been making what you could call "inhuman underground music" with Funny van Dannen, and over the time I’ve thrown together quite a considerable number of solo and colabo albums.
However, I have also always written, mainly poetry, but also prose. Published so far the two poetry collections "In the U-Detention of Another Evening" and "Vantablack", the former by KRASH: New Edition and the latter by Ach Je Publishing House.
Currently I’m working on another book of poetry, which should be published at the end of April, and on several novel projects. On Valentine’s Day, my story "When the Blue Bird Went Blind" will be released as an eBook; a social horror story set entirely on Twitter.
What does a typical working day look like for you??
After the bread job, I usually work on song lyrics or on the books. From the outside it’s completely boring: sitting in front of a text document and hacking in words. In between, I click through the Internet, Wikipedia for information or for inspiration, and on Twitter land unprocessed thought garbage. When I have a blockade I usually go for a walk.
How has your work changed over time?
I have become much more professional. I used to be an absolute "L’art pour l’art" guy who only cared about the artwork itself. I didn’t care about how you could or had to present a lyric or song to make it work. That’s changed: when I work on new stuff, I also think directly about the best way to present it and think about possible marketing. I like digital and analog equally. It’s interesting how different z.B. a song works, if it does not appear digitally, but only on an old tape. The same goes for lyrics. The texts in my poetry collection "Vantablack", which I have inspired by Instastories and marketing typographies, can only be read in this look.
Conversely, marketing aspects also have an influence on the artwork. This becomes interesting when you include it as an artistic meta-aspect: We live, after all, in a time of wanting to present oneself and be perceived.
What is a problem for which you are looking for a solution??
Related to the literature business: that I am not taken seriously as an author because I make rap music. Although this is now absolutely mainstream music, people still have completely cliche-laden ideas (behind which, by the way, there is usually an interesting educated bourgeois contempt for certain social classes).
When my publisher offered review copies of my book, he was literally told "He’s not a real poet, he’s just a rapper". So it would be nice if people could free themselves a little from such personal prejudices.
Who should take you if necessary. contact? What kind of contacts would be helpful?
German teacher. My book of poems "Vantablack" is used in some schools in the subject area of modern poetry. This goes down well with the students. A rapper is probably more interesting there than dead poet lords.