Posted by Braunschweig, 21 December 2001 Interview by Nadja “Kiss” Meyer
I was nervous—understandably. My first interview and with the self-proclaimed “Kings of the Minstrels.” I had prepared questions about their new album Mille Anni Passi Sunt, but also gathered a few that came up during my research on the band.
At the F.B.Z. Bürgerpark venue in Braunschweig, I was led into their backstage room. Stammering slightly, I managed to explain that I was the journalist here to do the interview. A shared grin spread across the room, and Castus quickly came to my rescue. He led me into another room, and after my warning that I had zero experience – whereas he clearly had plenty – he gave me a quick pep talk, and we got started.
As I asked my first question, I noticed how different Castus looked from his on-stage persona. Relaxed in his chair, wearing black pants and a T-shirt featuring Ernie and Bert, he came off more like the “nice guy next door” than a theatrical lord of minstrelsy.
First of all, let’s talk about the new CD. Whose idea was it?
Basically, it started when we were at a blood donor party in Berlin. Dracula throws those regularly, and that’s where we met him. From there, the idea to collaborate came up. The song already existed in the studio, so we sat down and thought about whether he’d be up for contributing.
The issue was – Dracula doesn’t actually speak Romanian anymore. It’s not his native tongue; he lives in Germany now.
In Berlin, right?
Yeah, just outside of Berlin, to the south. He’s got his castle there.
So we brought in Anke Tod, who used to live in Romania. She re-taught him his former native language. That’s how it all came together… It’s turned into a real friendship now. We can visit Dracula in the dark, totally chill, and we always make it back. laughter
I wouldn’t have expected he still had blood cravings anyway.
The story of Dracula is more than spooky – it’s also a tragic love story. Which part fascinated you more: the blood-drinking monster, the eroticism of the Count, or the tragedy?
We actually focused on the real historical figure, who was indeed bloody. Of course, a lot of that is exaggerated. And from that, Bram Stoker’s Dracula was born.
That tragic love angle – it’s beautifully poetic. But you need the horror for it to work. One doesn’t make sense without the other. If one element’s missing, it falls flat. Like a scale – if one side’s too light, it tips.
How did the Prince react to having to relearn Romanian? That’s not exactly easy.
I’d say “cool,” because he did it. He’s a mature gentleman, silver-haired, and he just went for it. He’s not a musician, and he didn’t have to sing—but he had to perform it. That wasn’t easy for him.
In the studio, he even trembled from nerves at first. He apologised for how long it was taking. But in the end, he was really professional.
Blood has erotic connotations too – and in other interviews, you’ve said eroticism is important to you. Why?
Why is eroticism important to us? Because sex without eroticism is just tragic. That’s what separates us from animals – and we’re quite proud of that. Castus laughs warmly
We’re fascinated by what you can express through body language, presence, and music. We embody that. It comes from the gut. We’re very erotic people – personally – and we love it. We want to live it and spread it a bit further.
Plus, let’s be honest – we’re all guys up on stage, holding these huge bagpipes. That’s a very masculine instrument. And from a woman’s perspective? It’s this massive pipe with a bag attached – basically a medieval phallic symbol. laughterBut let’s not go too far down that road.
Have you ever considered adding a female voice to your music?
If you listened closely to Mille, you’d hear two female voices. In the Dracula track, Anke not only helped with the Romanian but also contributed her breathy vocals. It’s meant to portray a woman entranced by Dracula, surrendering to him – “A thousand years have passed,” he says, “I want all of you,” and she replies, “I feel your kisses on my neck.”
We also had Theresa, who used to sing with Tanzwut, doing the high monk choir parts – because we can’t reach those notes.
But honestly, it’s not crucial to include women’s voices—we have band members who can sing in high registers that cover that range. Still, when we need to, we deliberately use female voices. Like in Bacchus, where the women sing about giving in to men after a few drinks.
Do you think the strong erotic element is why you often have more women than men in the audience? I saw that in Bochum and Nuremberg.
That’s always fascinating. At a typical rock concert, it’s usually two-thirds guys.
We just have fun performing, and yes, we’re not exactly fully dressed – that seems to appeal to women. They keep coming back. But guys show up too – I’d say it’s nearly 50:50 now. Maybe a few more women. We’re really happy about that and hope it stays that way.
Let’s circle back to the topic of sensuality for a moment – could it be that your larger female fanbase plays into that? At least that was the case in Bochum and Nuremberg.
That’s definitely fascinating. At your average rock concert, it’s usually the other way around – two-thirds men to one-third women, and even then you’re lucky. What can I say? We’re musicians, we enjoy what we do, and we happen to wear a little less clothing than usual – that seems to appeal to the ladies. So they keep coming back. But the guys show up too – it’s almost 50:50. Well, okay, maybe a bit more women. And we’re absolutely thrilled about that. Long may it last.
Alright, let’s talk general stuff for a bit. You’ve probably been asked this before – but how did you end up choosing the name Corvus Corax?
Actually, it was pretty straightforward. Way back in the early days, we had a crow, and then later a raven. Wim and I were wandering around the country and started thinking – what should we call ourselves? And when you’ve got a raven with you, naming yourself Corvus Corax just kind of makes sense.
Besides, it’s a bird that bands together in winter, in times of need, and can accomplish quite a lot. All that talk about ravens pecking out the eyes of live sheep is complete nonsense, by the way. That mostly happens with stillborn lambs or animals that had already died. Ravens go for the eyes first because they’re soft. That’s why you see them in medieval drawings perched on skulls and ripping out eyeballs – makes for good imagery, but it’s a bit misleading.
And how did you end up with your stage names?
They’re given to you – by the other members. In my case, Castus Rabensang fits the band name well. I sing a lot, and loudly. Ravens are loud singers too. “Castus” means “pure soul.” So there’s a bit of irony to it – a Raven’s Song with a pure soul? Something’s fishy there.
Black feathers, pure soul – got it. Ironically. What’s Corvus Corax’s main goal, would you say?
Above all, we’re here for the fans.
We’re based in Berlin, working in the studio. And of course we’ve got the other project – five of our bagpipe players are also in Tanzwut, so there’s a lot of overlap. Our drummer, Norri, drums for both bands. The lighting guy for Corvus Corax is the keyboardist for Tanzwut. And the other two drummers? They’re guest musicians for Corvus Corax.
So basically a family business.
Yeah, exactly. And now I’ve completely forgotten the question. [laughs]
What’s the goal of Corvus Corax?
Oh right! Well, like I said – it’s about giving our best for the fans and making a living through music. You’ve gotta live off something. We don’t want to go running to the welfare office – forget that. So, using every tool we’ve got to keep up good vibes until the end of days – that’s really the core goal. Ideally, through music. But if one day we don’t need to do that anymore, we’ll just chill on an island and keep those good vibes going. The ultimate goal? Stay happy.
At some point, you also mentioned a “fiefdom”…
“Ick hab’ mi’n Lehen,” as Vogelsang once put it. That’s kind of the dream of every minstrel – a little bit of land, your own place to call home. Me personally? I’d love a small castle.
You’re not the only one! [laughs]
Do you see yourselves more as artists, storytellers, or history teachers of a different kind?
Artists. Corvus Corax takes medieval music, reworks it, and turns it into something original – and over time, that’s become its own style. I couldn’t even list how many bands are out there now copying that style – sometimes with their own spin, sure – but before Corvus Corax, that kind of sound didn’t exist. With pounding drums, bagpipes, and structured arrangements of medieval music? We started that. If you listen through all our albums—ten or so by now—you’ll get a sense of where the other bands are pulling their material from. But hey, no hard feelings.
What do you personally think of In Extremo, Subway to Sally? You’re often mentioned in the same breath.
Well, we know each other from the Berlin scene. But musically, they’re different.
More similar to Tanzwut than Corvus Corax, right?
Exactly. It’s a matter of taste. Their music doesn’t speak to me personally – but again, that’s just personal taste, nothing against them at all. I do love going to their shows though. They’re fantastic live performers.
And why do people call you the “Kings of the Minstrels”? Is it because you were the first? So, it’s not really about you being the first ones?
No, that’s not it. That whole “Kings of the Minstrels” thing came from the audience and the press. The fans picked it up at some point – can’t even say exactly when – and then one day it appeared in print. We just went: “Alright then!” So we ended up with that title and a lot of people still bring it up. Since it came up so often, we just started using it ourselves. It’s like an honor to us, and we’re proud of it. And now it’s up to us to keep earning it. Just watch the concert and decide for yourself.
And I did – and decided they truly live up to that title. (See concert review.)
How did you personally experience your early days, back when you were busking and hopping from one dive bar to the next?
Relaxing, honestly. We made a good living from it. None of that bureaucratic crap we all hate – like dealing with the tax office. We didn’t have to bother with any of it. We even had this weird old insurance from back in the East – it was a housewife policy. Cost 10 Marks. It was amazing. Later it crept up to 30 or 40, but still. That time was cool. We had this beat-up car, drove all over Europe, played wherever we landed, with zero planning – just full-on party mode. Of course, we miss that sometimes, but it can’t go on like that forever.
Still, you did end up in jail a few times.
Yep! That came with the territory. Street musicians occasionally end up in the clutches of the law.
I heard you’re the one who works with the old music notation – like square notes?
Not just me, there’s also Meister Selbfried. We spent a lot of time in libraries gathering material. Back then, Lynn helped us too – he studied trumpet for twelve years and piano for three. He really knows his stuff when it comes to modern music theory, so he can translate things beautifully into modern notation. I play more or less straight from the originals. That modern stuff’s not really my thing. Selbfried is great at both, though – we kind of collected all this material together. Later, when Brandan joined, he brought in some new stuff, and now even Teufel adds his finds. These days, all the bagpipers take part in selecting material. And the difference between us and other bands? We don’t rip from CDs. We go back to the sources – to the Neumans, the originals.
What’s the story with you doing “folk-Russian” music as a kid? What does that even mean?
Did you get that from some old fanzine?
Let’s just say I did a deep dive. [shared grin]
“Folk-Russian,” huh… If that’s wrong, feel free to clarify.
I think what you mean is the stuff we did before Corvus Corax. That wasn’t in childhood – that was in our youth. We played international folk music, and yeah, some Russian-inspired stuff was in the mix. It was a total grab bag. Europe, Asia – whatever we could find. And we were kind of punks, traveling around, but also doing the occasional official gig. Wim played trumpet, Robert – who now fronts Die Inchtentoktables – played violin, and I was on guitar. We were a wild bunch. Definitely not your typical clean-cut folk group. More like amplified punk-folk chaos.
Okay, lost my thread a bit – so let’s move on to touring. Do you personally prefer touring or medieval markets?
Honestly, we’re not into medieval markets anymore – except for the big ones, like Kaltenberg. That’s important to us. Corvus Corax and Kaltenberg are kind of inseparable now. Even Prince Luitpold and the local organizers say that. But there are so many medieval event organizers now just trying to make bank under the guise of history. We want nothing to do with that. We don’t want to stand around while someone sells “medieval bratwurst” and we get a fixed fee – maybe even a decent one if the city chips in – but that’s not what we’re about. We won’t do that to our fans either.
And then some organizers don’t want to work with us anymore – because we draw too many people. Too many young people. And they don’t buy trinkets – they’re all lined up at the beer stand. So it turns into more of a medieval festival. Corvus Corax plays, maybe a few others too, a couple of jesters – and then this whole community shows up from all over Germany, parties for three days straight. Some organizers claim that our crowd takes up space meant for the locals. So we figured: forget it, we’ll just go on tour. The people who come are there to see us, and we like that better.
Of course we love playing castles too – it’s still part of touring. Venues like Wässerschlössle or Burg Finkenstein – we’re always scouting for more castles to conquer.
And how did you end up playing in churches? How do you even make that happen?
That was mostly handled by the local promoters. We just wanted to try it and see how the church reacted. Apart from one exception, it actually went pretty well. I won’t say more about that one time though.
I wasn’t going to ask further. [smirk, laughter] What was it like the first time, standing there in a church?
Well, that wasn’t actually our first time – we’d already played a church gig years earlier. But the funny thing was, that day our raven got drunk and threw up in the church. No joke. Right in the middle of the show, people started whispering: “Hey, your raven is puking.” He had this little basket, and he fell in headfirst. After the show we checked, and he was lying on his back with his feet in the air – totally still. We were worried – but turns out he was just smashed. We weren’t to blame. Someone had apparently left wine or beer near him. Someone must’ve been messing with him. [big laugh]
That’s a first – I’ve never heard that one. So why do you think medieval stuff has become such a huge fascination nowadays?
For us, the medieval theme is just a vessel – a way to deliver our music, our own style. We take medieval melodies and turn them into Corvus Corax. And we’ve definitely stirred things up. It’s not all dry, academic music anymore – people realize they can get into this gritty, raw sound. In a world of techno and electronics, folks want something different. Fantasy, Lord of the Rings – it’s not just about the Middle Ages, it’s the dreamy eras too: Renaissance, Rococo, even the ancient world. I mean, just look at Gladiator – that must’ve been a wild time, even grittier than the so-called “romantic” Middle Ages.
Right – nothing very romantic about it at all.
Exactly. The Middle Ages weren’t romantic. That’s a fantasy we’ve created.
What’s been your best gig on this tour so far?
That’s a tough one. There are different factors – how well we played, the venue, the crowd size, the energy, the vibe… Hard to pick just one. But Munich was definitely a highlight – the Muffathalle was sold out. Huge venue. About 1,400 people. We had to use ambient mics or people in the back wouldn’t have heard the announcements or vocals.
I was watching Castus as he told the story – completely unfazed – while Teufel wandered off toward the toilet, gave me a cheeky grin, then vanished behind the door… only to pop his head back out and grin even wider. I grinned back, naturally, and the moment I looked away, a hand (maybe even his own) snatched him by the throat and dragged him back in.
Rostock was great too – that was at St. Nikolai Church, I think. Fantastic acoustics. There haven’t been many bad days on this tour. Even the quieter ones – with “just” 300 to 400 people – were still good.
You’re definitely captivating.
Another high point was Bad Kissingen. The organizer didn’t really know us and promoted us as a medieval music act. So they set up rows of chairs – and sure enough, a bunch of elderly folks with walkers showed up and sat down. Next thing you know, there’s a guy in a suit sitting next to someone in full knight armor. One side of the room smelled like patchouli, the other like Hugo Boss. It was… a moment.
Then we started playing – and the younger crowd jumped up and started dancing. Suddenly crutches were flying – some old folks even tossed them away entirely. Four elderly ladies left during the break, but I’d say that’s acceptable. Everyone else was thrilled. We ended up doing a 20-minute encore.
Are you ever worried people are only listening to you because of the medieval hype – like it’s just a trend and Corvus Corax is the band to check off the list?
Not at all. We constantly do new things and keep influencing the scene. If you compare our last two albums to what other bands are putting out – well, they’re not exactly quick to catch up. [laughs] People don’t believe it, but we’ve ditched electronics completely. We amplify quiet instruments until they roar. That’s what we love in the studio – taking something like a Jew’s harp and cranking it up. Everything you hear on our recordings – we actually played it. That’s important to us.
Did you know there’s another band called Corvus Corax?
Yeah, in England.
Do you run into problems with that? Mix-ups?
It helps that they’re a metal band, and we’re medieval. So usually, an article will say, “Not the medieval band you know, but the one from England” – which is great promo for us! We actually wanted to meet them at some point, but it hasn’t happened yet.
We could’ve registered our name globally to prevent them from using it, but that’s nonsense. First, it costs a ton of money, and second, it’s fine if we don’t step on each other’s toes. We’re doing totally different things. Honestly, I think they have more of a problem with it. We’ve been around longer, sold a lot of CDs, and made a name not just in Germany but across Europe. So the issue’s more likely on their side. We think it’s funny – and we’re still looking forward to the day we finally meet them. But maybe better with Tanzwut.
Yeah, that sounds like a better volume match.
Exactly – just to keep up with the noise!
I read that your music was featured in a video game – how’d that happen?
Dracula?
I think it was Gorasul by Fishtank. They used two tracks from Viator.
Castus shrugs, looking completely puzzled.
Alright, never mind.
Write it down for me, would you?
Yeah, will do. What’s your take on the Internet?
I love that it still holds a bit of anarchy. There are a bunch of internet anarchists in Berlin – real internet freaks firing off viruses and doing wild stuff. I find that hilarious.
In our studio, we’ve got this little system that gets blown up now and then… but it’s all good. What’s important is the ability to connect globally now. We get emails from Mexico – where we’ve already played – or from Australia. They ask when we’re coming or how to get our CDs. They chat in forums and that fascinates me.
The amount of knowledge you can get now! If we’re curious about something, Andreas jumps on the computer—bam!—suddenly we’re all smarter. That wasn’t so easy before. You don’t find everything in encyclopedias, especially not in depth. These days we use the phone and email to collaborate—that’s essential for us.
You mentioned Mexico. You’ve toured pretty widely—what country has stood out to you the most, especially vibe-wise?
That’s hard to answer. Every culture brings something different. Japan’s fascinating in terms of tradition, Mexico in terms of wildness—they’re way more uninhibited than the Japanese. The Japanese are introverted, but it’s still fun to play there.
Honestly, we love traveling. The more we’re on the road in other countries, the better we feel. Sure, it’s nice to be home sometimes, but we’re aiming to cut down on touring within Germany. No need to overdo it. We’d rather do a few big shows. Soon, we’ll play with Tanzwut in Holland, Italy, Austria – and then hopefully beyond.
Poland has amazing crowds. Czechia too – they go absolutely nuts. Way cooler than German audiences, to be honest. Not that Germans are bad – but sometimes they need warming up. Hamburg used to be tough, but we’ve cracked them now! These days they’re with us from the first note to the last. Berlin though – that’s a tough one.
Isn’t that your home turf?
Nope. More like the home of the “musician police.” Arms crossed, critical stares – it’s exhausting. They could just stand in the back, but no – they plant themselves right up front. Not fun.
How many languages do you guys speak – aside from Rotwelsch?
It varies. We all speak German, with different dialects from our travels. English too – some more, some less. A few of us know Latin, a bit of Old High German, some French. Werner’s learning Spanish, and we’ve got someone decent in Italian who can mix it with Latin. We’re always searching, even if we’re not fluent. When we travel, we try to at least learn how to order coffee and say thanks.
Do you actually speak Rotwelsch amongst yourselves when you want privacy?
Yeah, totally. If we’re out in public and want to say something without others catching on, we switch to Rotwelsch.
Isn’t it a bit unfair that some of your songs are in a language nobody understands?
No – it’s art. Plus, it’s meant to be cheeky.
I won’t push further… Is it true that Mooshammer designed your outfits? Or was that only for Tanzwut?
That was a one-time costume for Tanzwut, really just for presentation. You couldn’t actually perform in it – it wouldn’t survive the show.
So who does your costumes normally?
We do. All of us. In both Tanzwut and Corvus Corax, we make our own outfits. You can see that style creeping into other bands now – but we started it. It’s not historically accurate medieval wear. We invented this aesthetic. Even the shoes – we told our shoemaker exactly how we wanted them.
All from your imagination?
We aim for something a bit sexy but also practical. Hence: leather. No washing needed – it cleans itself. [grins wide]
And the gold spray? Doesn’t that wear off during shows?
Some of it’s real gold leaf, some of it’s spray. But either way, it holds up.
So how did Tanzwut come about, since Corvus Corax came first?
We were actually done with Corvus Corax – burnt out. We wanted to stop altogether. Then we thought: let’s try something new. So we made a demo under the name Tanzwut, with a song called “Tanzwut.” Some people misunderstood and assumed Tanzwut was our new band. Then the label got involved – loved it – and suddenly we were in the studio. First gigs followed, and boom – we were fired up again.
Then Corvus Corax got exciting again too. New offers, a new CD on the horizon – it gave us a creative boost. We started evolving our sound. Not just thump-thump anymore, but groovier thump-thump. You’ll hear that pop up in other bands soon. [laughs] But that’s fine. That’s part of what we do – set the pace. Staying ahead is important.
Doesn’t it bother you that Tanzwut constantly gets compared to Rammstein?
That’s just lazy journalism. Just because one German band hits big doesn’t mean every deep voice in German sounds like Rammstein. They weren’t even the first to do that style. There’s a band here in Braunschweig that did similar stuff before them – partly in English, partly German. Die Krupps too. Even Joachim Witt, with Der Goldene Reiter, was doing that kind of thing in the early ’80s.
Now there’s a band making a ton of money with it – and good for them. We know them. They were regular guys too, musicians working bar shifts to get by. Couldn’t make a living from music. They’re annoyed by the comparisons too.
Same thing happens to us. Every new medieval band gets told, “You sound like Corvus Corax.” So we support other musicians. When they ask for material, we say, “Sure, here’s some.” We even tell them – go check the original sources, or take something fresh from us, so you’re not stuck playing our old stuff. Helps keep the scene diverse.
There’s that all-female band – five women on stage…
Filia Irata?
Yes!
We think they’re hilarious – in a good way. We’d love to tour with them, but it’s a money thing. In the medieval scene, support slots aren’t really funded by labels the way they are in other genres.
Is it true you were on the Andreas Türk show?
Yeah – and not just that one.
Where else?
Couldn’t tell you. I don’t watch that stuff. Haven’t even seen a tape of it. We were on Vera am Mittag once.
What was the topic?
On 1, 2 or 3 we were part of a medieval segment for kids. They loved it. On Türk, one guy was obsessed with medieval stuff and Corvus Corax was his favorite band. So we were invited, played a bit, and he was thrilled. We offered him a free ticket to a show—turns out he already had one from six months ago. A real fan.
How does that feel?
Proud. Simply proud.
Have you ever thought of doing music videos or film work?
We tried that with Tanzwut, but it ended up a bit spooky. [laughs] It came over me one night…
We used to do film scores, actually. These days, we don’t have the time—or the connections. Sometimes our music gets picked up anyway, but we’d love to go back and score a film properly again.
What about acting?
We’ve done some. Doesn’t come hard to us.
I believe it.
Life’s just a play anyway.
So, when you’re on stage – are you playing roles, or is that the real you?
We’re professionals. Sometimes you have to play a role – when you’re not feeling great, for example. You might see it on someone’s face, but you won’t know what they’re carrying inside. Maybe they drank too much the night before, or maybe something serious happened. But the show goes on.
Fair enough. That’s all I’ve got – thanks so much for the interview!