Photo by @dajoeberlei
The Knotfest original series Beyond The Breakdown, presents a deep dive into craft and detail poured into the production of a live show. Host Tori Kravitz is embedded with the band and crew to gain a first-hand perspective of the various roles that everyone is responsible for and how the collective comes together creatively to ensure when the curtain goes up, the show goes off.
For the series debut, Kravitz joins German electro-metal sensations Electric Callboy in Leeds, as the band campaign on the UK leg of their sold out TEKKNO World Tour. Shadowing the band and crew, Kravitz explores the individual roles of each contributor to gain a better understanding of the overall vision of Electric Callboy - surveying the spectacle and better assessing the kind of artistry that fuels the German powerhouse and their mantra, “music is made for the stage”.
The episode frames the meteoric rise of Electric Callboy and underscores the band’s continued growth globally. An integral part of that continued ascent is fundamentally linked to the band’s incendiary live shows - an undertaking that requires a competent creative team working behind the scenes to ensure when the band begins, every component of the show is locked and loaded.
The episode also examines the kind of investment Electric Callboy place in their live presentation. As the band detail how their work ethic and love for the craft gave rise to their growing stardom, the evolution for Electric Callboy meant being able to execute bigger and more expansive elements to their live show - translating the band’s energy on record as a visceral, emotional experience onstage.
Among the biggest takeaways from the episode, Callboy vocalist and keyboardist Kevin Ratajczak explained that the band has always operated the intention of not shortchanging the fans. This meant not only giving your best physical performance, but also “enriching the experience” with additional production and theatric elements that turn a great show into a memorable one. He also explained that as the band has always operated as a DIY unit, as their popularity grew, so did the means to secure resources to reinvest back into their live show. Ultimately, as Electric Callboy grow, so do their artistic ambitions - resulting in a win for the fans and soon-to-be converts.
Coupled with conversations with crucial support roles like Electric Callboy’s Lighting Director Patrick Unger, the scope and ambition of the band’s live TEKKNO set is better illuminated. The LD explained important details like the four-hour build that has to happen just for lighting and the LED screens the band travels with to execute their live set - regardless of the size of the venue.
Reiterating that spirit of DIY, the band’s guitarist Pascal Schillo offered some insight to the kind of visuals the band integrate into their live set. As the visionary behind the band’s acclaimed music videos, Schillo explained that the idea is to take the imagery showcased in the band’s music videos and implement that in a live setting - making for creative continuity. What he also explained is that the process is ongoing and never truly something that ever finishes - the idea is to keep evolving, keep building, keep innovating.
Both Schillo and Unger also emphasized how Electric Callboy takes some inspirational cues from genres outside of metal for their visual programming. With the massive LED screens as such a focal point, the guys explained that they try and emulate the visual intensity of big production EDM shows and pair that experience with the live energy of a party metal set. The combination has positioned Electric Callboy head and shoulders above their contemporaries.
Kravitz also manages to gain some insight from the fans that have become such a vital component to the Electric Callboy phenomenon. Aside from the consistently sold out rooms globally, the band has tapped into celebratory spirit that has resonated well with fans. It is more common than not to see fans dressing the part themselves with hyper colors and channeling the ethos of Hypa, Hypa - participating with Electric Callboy rather than just spectating.
We also get some insight from additional key personnel like Electric Callboy’s Front of House engineer Dominic Sabolovic and Stage Manager Björn Bruns. Given the unique musical and live dynamic of the band, Sabolovic details the nuance of perfecting the sound for such a versatile band in real time and the kind of flexibility you have to have in order to keep up with their pace onstage.
As for Bruns, the veteran stage manager shares his responsibility in ensuring that all the working parts of the Electric Callboy machine are in motion. He also confided that while the band has become known for their over-the-top theatrics and festive live sets, its the acoustic portion of the show that always has the most impact for him. He shared his marvel at how the band is able to be so commanding live - going from party to poignant in the same set so fluidly.
Beyond the Breakdown frames the workload that goes into executing a successful tour and the rigors of delivering a consistent, quality set night in and night out. From the wardrobe to the artwork, the visuals and the lighting, the early load-in, the late night encores and the payoff of seeing the fans leave feeling satisfied.
This is Beyond the Breakdown featuring Electric Callboy with host Tori Kravitz.
STREAM THE FULL EPISODE OF BEYOND THE BREAKDOWN WITH ELECTRIC CALLBOY - HERE
