RLW Quotes

"In the seventies I thought of groups like Henry Cow as being very original. Today, I know the sources they got their ideas from. Their records had great moments, but knowing these sources it's obvious that this group and similar groups were anything other than original or inventive. The other – probably more important – thing is that every kind of pop culture has lost its character as a counter-cultural model. All genres of rock music can only be seen as entertainment, there is no substantial difference between the so-called 'underground', and, say, Tom Jones. The only differences concern their special functions for certain audiences: to stimulate dancing, buying, the lyrical sentiments etc. Of course, this is not a new discovery, but even the idea of playing with the image of pop as a counter culture has lost its relevance during the last decade."
Ralf Wehowsky

"You might ask, what is the difference? Is your music not entertaining? Of course it is, like any music or art. But it is not a functional instrument for any purpose outside of itself. If you listen to a record like 14 you can't reduce it to one function. There might be moments when tracks seem to be useable for arousing certain emotions, there might even be periods that can lead you to dance, but these are only transitory moments on a search for something which could be called – for want of a better term – beauty. A beauty which is not identical with the images of advertisement agencies and MTV but which has its foundations in a human sense that is more than personal preference, which combines subjectivity and objectivity, emotions and thoughts.
Ralf Wehowsky

"When I was a student, I had been taught classical guitar at a conservatory, and had also studied with a local jazz guitarist, which wasn't satisfying in any respect. So I tried to forget everything I had learned, when I picked up the guitar in 1980. Nevertheless, I never really felt comfortable with guitar-playing; the whole history of guitar (especially rock-guitar) seemed to be a burden on my shoulders. I felt much more comfortable when using the tape recorder (reel to reel machine). 
Ralf Wehowsky