The first album you bought?
Denzel :: Since my parents plus two elder siblings were listening to quite a lot of stuff from rock to classical music I started with a tape collection…quite late I was buying my own stuff. Directly after moving to Berlin in 1988 I bought all the stuff I could get from Nick Cave & Co, I was a huge fan, almost a stalker… that was the cornerstone of my record collection.
Huhn :: My childhood was filled with classical music and Erroll Garner but the first album I bought was The 2 Live Crew’s “As Nasty As They Wanna Be”.
The last album you were addicted to?
Denzel :: I guess “Gregor Schwellenbach playing 20 years of Kompakt” was rotating the most on my turntable over the past 2 years.
Huhn :: I think it was Chilly Gonzales’ “Gonzales Über Alles” on Kitty-Yo, which was released in the year 2000 (under the name “Gonzales”).
A movie you can always watch?
Denzel :: Quite a few, but if I have to choose only one “Once Upon A Time in the West” would probably be my all time classic. It was the first deep experience of the impact of a score.
Huhn :: Jacques Tati’s “Mon Oncle” I probably watched 20 times. And every time I love the score.
A book you couldn’t stop reading?
Denzel :: Mmm, the last book that strong was “A Short History of Nearly Everything” by Bill Bryson…I just discovered it last year.
Huhn :: The german writer Hans Fallada wrote a few thrilling books, my favorit is “Every Man Dies Alone” (Jeder stirbt für sich allein)
The weirdest thing that has ever happened to you on stage or in the studio?
Denzel :: Together with Erik? I guess that was the last show of our trio called “triplum” at the “Empty Bottle”, Chicago. Erik’s sampler, the heart-piece of the band (we had no backups at all!), was stolen after a concert a few days before and we freaked out completely with an E-mu Drumulator that somebody borrowed super-friendly enough. We were playing some spacey drum&bass with that typically 8bit-80ties-drumsound – wearing saris. no underwear.
Huhn :: Well, more the badest thing on stage: once upon a time we were members of band called “Ornament & Verbrechen”. Maybe because of our myth-enshrouded east german underground background we were invited to play on the official funeral ceremony of the famos german dramatist, poet, writer, essayist and theatre director Heiner Müller. Because we were unable to cope with that job but thirsty for adventure and beat-up too we bought butt ugly 80ties clothes at a thrift store befor we entered the stage. Our front man wore a black baggy pullover with a big red strawberry on it and we played a braindead dubby cover version of Madonna`s “Secret”. But at least we wore underwear.
A favorite piece of equipment?
Denzel :: Hard to say, it’s so much depending on what kind of sound I’m searching for…So, my microphones?
Huhn :: Fender Rhodes Mark I “SeventyThree”
A description of your music you’ll never forget?
Denzel :: For me it was a review of “Paraport” in “spex”, an important german magazine: “A mature album that can become at least a time typical reference album”. Who doesn’t want to read something that flattering about his own record?
Huhn :: : I’ll never forget the words of Das Filter’s Thaddeus Herrmann: “In other words: Denzel + Huhn are THE SHIT. Put that on Facebook. You’ll have my like in no time.” He put that out in a description/review of our new album “Brom” 2015. He got my like in no time.
Denzel + Huhn’s latest album, Brom, was released last September on Oktaf. For more info visit Denzel + Huhn’s Facebook page.
