Philipp Poisel on the ordeal of music – Munich

Soft was the new cool. tears were ok Philipp Poisel brought this to the Germans in songs like “Where does your sky begin?” at. He lived that himself, transparent, amorous, mumbled, frail. Maybe that’s why people were worried about the Ludwigsburg man when things got quieter after the number 1 album “Mein Amerika”. Especially during Corona: “How is a person supposed to endure that?” But one heard: He is studying. He models. He’s beaming – with his fourth album “Neon” and now, 39 years old, back on tour.

SZ: It’s been a long time since the last concerts. You said at the time that you were very keen on it, but also very afraid of it such large halls as the Olympic Hall to party

Philipp Poisel: I was a bit overwhelmed by the size, it was the first time for me in this dimension. It was also a challenge to create a party feel and let me go and put on a show.

At the end you stood in a DJ booth and everyone danced around you in the storm of lights and beats. How did it make you feel, you’re better known as a shy, shy fellow?

I’ll say it: I’ve shown myself more often in the “little pub” area than in a hall like that. You had to come up with a few things for that. I didn’t trust myself to do it alone with the guitar. A lot has been built around me out of insecurity, like a protective measure. On the other hand, it’s also fun for me to think: Where haven’t I been yet? And then to make mistakes.

Now you’ve arrived back at the Circus Krone, where you once recorded the DVD for “Project Seerosenteich” in an almost intimate setting. Is this a setback? Or a relief?

The main thing is that it will be good and that it is appropriate under the circumstances. Nothing is worse than a huge hall where no mood arises. One could now say: It is worse than planned. But the way I see it, I’m glad to have the opportunity to perform at all. It’s not like that for everyone after Corona.

“Project Water Lily Pond” had many guests like Matthias Schweighöfer, lovingly self-made backdrops, a magical atmosphere. That was exactly ten years ago. What do you remember?

From my point of view it was a best of. I already had the songs. I was able to concentrate fully on the interpretation, including how to illustrate the whole thing. I always wanted to be an illustrator. I enjoy describing things that already exist in a different way. The ordeal is always creating new music, once it’s there the fun begins.

What did you think about the tour for the album “Neon”?

It gets more sober than usual. Maybe not the opposite of the arena tour, but maybe the counterpart where I try to grab people more with the music. For me: back to the roots. What was too much in the Olympic Hall may not be enough this time. In the end I might find the balance.

“Neon” is a typical Poisel album, but with more variety. Where’s it from?

I didn’t think of a concept this time. I want every song to speak for itself. I didn’t think about consistency, it gives me a wider spectrum, so I have greater power.

The song “Benzin” stands out, it’s harder than usual. You also show a soft spot for Krautrock. Was that even before you met Michael Rother from “Neu!” at the Greenland label birthday party?

I knew his stuff beforehand. It’s a facet of music history that I’m following with excitement. Something like that is sure to flow in, albeit unconsciously.

Lyrically, the song is also more extreme, with the cocaine, the submission. Pretty radical for a love poet.

Some things may also have to do with frustration over disappointed expectations. Which in retrospect I rate as positive. When the wave of success ebbed away for me, in some places you thought … well, never mind … hm, how do I best describe it?

As defiance?

Yes, if you don’t achieve what you should anyway, you can dare to do other things and don’t always have to fulfill this role.

When the hype around you died down, you asked yourself: where is he? Then you could see candidates singing their songs on “Voice of Germany” again and again. The need for your vote was still there. How did you feel about being honored?

I’ll put it this way: If I’ve managed to have one or the other song that sometimes skips a generation, then that’s wonderful for me too. This means that even if I’m not on the scene, I still have a chance to show up bigger. I’m not giving up that hope.

Open detailed view

What did you do when it was a little quieter? Was music always there, or was it sometimes far away?

I started studying on the side, I don’t know yet if I’ll pull it off.

architecture, right?

Exactly. I wanted to change my mind. And that got me a little overwhelmed at times. But it was good for me and showed me that music is very, very important to me, but that I shouldn’t just focus on music in my life in order not to go crazy. Otherwise the cat will bite its own tail at some point. If the experiences from which my music is fed are always the same and you can only talk about the tour bus, then at some point the inspiration will be missing.

Inspiration is mostly love. What’s going on with you? You never say anything about your relationship life.

That’s the last bit of privacy I keep to myself.

In return, you have become more public, appear more political in “What remains for us”. You said in an interview that you have not made enough public appearances as an activist.

But then I also have to question myself: Am I doing this because it’s trendy at the moment? Or is that a belief? My values ​​are now being shaken up by the younger generation. Happily. But I don’t have a final assessment on that yet, because I want to be honest and don’t want to pretend to be a climate activist. That would be flirty.

What still connects you with the next generation is your collaboration with the hip-hoppers Juju and Chapo 102 on “Explain Love to Me”. What new things does the remix bring to your music?

On the one hand, you can bask in a fresher, unfamiliar sound. The video also looks very different from what you usually do. Something new is created, even if I couldn’t imagine it at the beginning. I’ve often been very drawn in, and it’s a gift when someone thinks of you and pulls you out.

You were on stage for Armin Petras as a musician and actor in the play “Love You, Dragonfly” at the Deutsches Theater Berlin. How does this environment make you feel?

I didn’t even have the theater on my screen, my best friend brought me into this scene. And it is also one of the greatest gifts of my life to be able to dive into a new world. I am still inspired by the experience. I’ll say that if I had the opportunity to do something like this again, maybe closer to home and not in a completely different city, I’d be there again straight away. I find it a pleasure to hear an actor’s voice, not amplified. The theater world has something original, which I sometimes miss in times when screens and a lot of technology have to be present at every show.

Reinhard Mey recently in the Olympic Hall had nothing but a black curtain, a mic and a guitar.

I met him once. He’s an incredible bundle of energy, he puts me in the pocket.

Did you last have contact with Herbert Grönemeyer, your sponsor? who had to cancel his recent tour because of Corona?

I have the utmost respect for him. Whether anyone would have heard from me without him is anyone’s guess. There is no one whose opinion I would trust as much as his. And yet, just as you don’t want to be your father’s pocket forever, I wouldn’t expect him to carry me through difficult times. We recently met and exchanged views on this. And what he says, these words resonate with me for a long time, like an inner law.

Philipp Poisel, Wed., Nov. 23, Munich, Circus Krone, Marsstr. 45