Talk to Martin Tychsen!

Martin Tychsen in 1986

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Q:

Why did you call your band "Silent Circle"?

Why Silent Circle? We were sitting in the studio in February 1985 in Hamburg and were thinking about a name. Axel, Bernd Dietrich, Engelbert Simons and I. At first the producers wanted to call us "Aera" but in fact (what a luck) the name was covered. I had the idea of "Secret Circle" but it was near to "Secret Service" (a name, a Swedish band already used) and then someone said "Silent Circle"! That's how the name was born.

Q:

Were you singing backvocals on other songs except "Like A Burning Star" by Jessica?

I sung backing vocals only on "Like A Burning Star" and a song called "Go Go Radio" by Bernie Paul (he's more a 70'es singer).

Jessica was produced by B. Dietrich and E.Simons, the producers of S.C. She was managed by Peter Mueller, the father of C.C. Catch.

Q:

What is your own personal favourite song by Silent Circle? Maybe you love them all equally since all of them are pieces of your soul, but I think that even very good parents always have one most beloved child in family. What's your favourite "child"?

My secret Hit is "Give Me Time" 'cause this song is doing something to my heart.

Q:

What were your personal favs in 70ies and 80ies? Do you still remember the song (or songs) associated with your first or biggest love?

My favourites in the 70'es

Such as Sweet, T.Rex, Nazareth, Elton John of course, and do you still remember Gary Glitter? Furthermore Deep Purple and Jethro Tull. Cat Stevens was very important for me, I sung his songs very often. Did you know that "It's A Sin" from Pet Shop Boys was stolen from a song called something like "Wild World" (Ooh Baby Baby It's A Wild World) by Cat Stevens? The refrain was taken from the verse of this song. He was a great composer. Then a time followed I loved music by Carlos Santana (Boboletta!), John Mc. Laughlin (try to find an album called Visions of the Emerald beyond from I think 1967), Jean Luc Ponty, Paco de Lucia a.s.o. Later I found back to the commercialists like ABBA, Bee Gees, but also Commodors and ELO (I can't count the music I've heard, these are all just examples).

There are lots of songs I associate with first love was the 70'es version of "Candle In The Wind" by Elton John and a little bit "Massachusetts" by Bee Gees.

My favourites in the 80'es

Whhoo! Duran Duran, Talking Heads, Nick Kershaw, Gazebo, Thompson Twins, Spandau Ballet, China Crisis, Talk Talk, Depeche Mode, Real Life, OMD, Eurythmics, Howard Jones, Alphaville, A Flock of Seagulls, Tears for Fears, Paul Young............
and of course Modern Talking, Bad Boys Blue.........

Q:

Do you think it's still possible to make music like you did in the eighties and be a hit?

I am going to try this out. We are using compositions like in the eigthties and arrange them with the nineties basics (drums and bass). Not to use modern basics would be a fault. But melody ever lasts.

Q:

If you can give me any sources of information on synthesizers, studio equipment that Silent Circle used in 80-s, in 90-s too, if possible, it would be much appreciated by me.

The Album No.1 was created using the PPG Wave 2.2. hooked up with the Waveterm. If you want to know more about this, contact http://www.waldorf-gmbh.de. On one of their pages you can find a link to a Canadian (or US?) Home Page of PPG users. No other synth was used for No.1! Axel owned this machine. The System included FSK-Sync and Sequenzer on board. Reverberator Lexicon 480L. Console: Unknown.

Also Danger Danger was made with this sound generator.

For Oh, Don't Lose Your Heart Tonight Roland S50, TX 816, and some more Roland synths, such as MKS70 or JX10 were used. Sequenzer: C-LAB Creator/Notator on Atari ST. Console: Unknown

Coconut (I am your Beliver and What a Shame) used Oberheim Matrix 12, Roland S550, and DX7 / TX 816. Sequenzer C-LAB Creator/Notator on Atari ST. Reverberator Lexicon 480L. Console: Unknown

Back was made using Akai Samplers (such as S1100, S3000), Roland MKS50 and Oberheim Matrix 1000. Sequenzer C-LAB Creator/Notator on Atari ST. Reverberator Lexicon PCM70, LXP1, LXP5. Voices recorded on Tascam MSR16 dbx, sampled and played back on Akai S1100. Console: Mitec. Pre-mastered on Tascam DA30. Mastered on Sonic Solutions System by Guenter Pauler. (better known 'cause I was co-writer and coproducer).

I hope this will satisfy you.

Q:

Is it possible to re-release remastered 7", instrumental versions and B-sides of Silent Circle singles on CD? Including those four songs on "No.1" which appeared on "Volume 2" in alternative versions? "Touch In The Night" is not available from Fun Music and short "Stop The Rain", "Hide Away" and "Love Is Just A Word" were never released on any other CD at all though "Stop The Rain" from "No.1" is just a fairy-tale! Its intro simply takes my breath away.

All our songs from the eighties are covered by copyrights of the owners of the tapes. So we do not have any opportunity to re-release the different versions except to beg them to try it. But these owners have become wealthy and my impression is that they are no more interested to earn that money from the possible deals.

As we are still hungry we decided to release new songs! Wait a few months.

What are your future plans? When will the new Silent Circle album be released?

Perhaps in 1998. We're talking about this, but we can't announce it.

What kind of music are you listening to nowadays? Who are your favorite singers and bands? What do you think of the music of the 90's compared to that from the 80's?

I like dance music now. I listen to: Haddaway, 2 Unlimited, Culture Beat, Real McCoy, Masterboy, a.s.o. Melody of the 90's Euro Dance is very strong influenced by Italo Disco (1983 - 1987). In the late 80's "hand made music" was pushed, but Dance continued what was begun in the 80's. A newer process seems to me the phenomena of the loss of ideas and a retrospective to the music of the late 70's (in particular "Black Disco" such as Commodors)

What hobbies, besides music, do you have?

That's what my girl-friend asks me too.

We've been trying to find the Silent Circle singles on CD for years but it was impossible. Can you please let us know where we can get them from?

The old singles were published by Intercord. They are no longer produced. The new ones (Back) are distributed by FMP.

Are you married?

No

Are you going to visit your US fans anytime soon?

I didn't know that we have some. Sorry, but no one ever asked us to come to USA. "No.1" could not be sold in USA in the 80's and so we gave up to look for a ticket to America.

Are you religious?

Of course, something like that. My mother was a catholic and I am a catholic too. But I don't go to church every Sunday.

Which one is better: sex or music?

I think you can't compare. Sex is more intensive, and the feeling of music lasts longer. Both are a way to communicate feelings.

What are your favorite books? Movies?

There's no time to read. Movies: "Star wars", "Galactica" Enterprise". A film that impressed me wery much is called: "Brazil". Oh, and a Film called "Stalker" from Russia. Does anybody know where I can get a copy?

Where can we get Silent Circle videos from?

In three or five years, when I will have bought an MPEG-Card and the net will support realtime, I will give you some videos I own on VHS. You can't buy them anywhere.

Martin Tychsen in 1997

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