TOUCH BY TOUCH interview (2/2)

Touch by Touch was founded in Vienna in 2021. With their debut album “Power Dynamics”, they make the sounds of the eighties and nineties heard, but not without a fresh, modern touch. We continue our two-part interview. – Missed the first part? You can read it here .

Chat!

Orkus: “Talk Talk Talk” is also particularly inspiring. What was the source of inspiration for this?
FKV Instrumental we wanted to go in the direction of synthpop, with a catchy chorus.
FKG: As the title suggests, it’s all about communication. It’s often a terribly complex process and sometimes people just talk past each other. On the other hand, there are also people who simply have to chatter, chat and gossip all the time, destroying every situation.

Language enrichment

O: With “Eisenherz” there is also a German-language piece on the album. But “Aldozat Karhozat” is also in Hungarian. How is it that you feel comfortable in three languages at once?
FKV German is our mother tongue. Lyrically and vocally, it simply goes well with the music. I am Hungarian and also wanted to sing a Hungarian song. We both listen to a lot of music in different languages and always see it as an enrichment when a band incorporates different languages into their songs. We even recorded a cover of the eighties Yugo-pop hit “Ostavi Sve” by Max Vincent & Intro in Serbian, even though neither of us really speaks the language.
FKG: Some themes and ideas cry out for English, others call for German – each language has its own qualities. I decide this during the creative process and don’t want to limit myself here, we don’t use the same instruments in every song.

Against the uniformity

O: And what is “Aldozat Karhozat” about?
FKV I’ve always been involved in subcultures since I was a teenager. Of course, that can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. The song addresses that. It’s also about the fact that subcultures are disappearing more and more and everything is becoming uniform.

Stuttering?

O: The album ends with “Hard to Love”. How did this song come about?
FKV I wanted to write a melody for the song that doesn’t play continuously, but has small breaks or gaps. I hadn’t written anything like that before. The minimalist beats and basses composed themselves. In terms of vocals, FKG immediately had a brilliant idea. He used stuttering vocals in several places. You rarely hear that, but I knew immediately that this unusual vocal style would make the song stand out from the crowd.
FKG: Yes, the vocals are also generally designed with the courage to leave gaps. That was a conscious decision to give the swinging and compelling beat room to breathe. It also works great live.

Viennese music scene

O: What is your opinion on this? Is the darkwave/post-punk scene also growing in Vienna?
FKV Yes – definitely. We also have a lot of good bands like Dark Venus, Mitra Mitra, Skubut and Color of a Dead Channel, just to name a few.
FKG: FKV also plays at IVUR – highly recommended. There are also many very committed organizers such as Generation Noir, Bloodbeat, Abstieg!, Vienna Decay and Catacomb Kittens. However, there is a huge gap between internet phenomena such as Lebanon Hanover or Molchat Doma, who play in large or huge venues, and the real (local and international) underground, where the audience tends to be around 100 people. The range of gigs is quite extensive and the real crowd is rather limited. The dancing is all the better for it.

Meet Falco!

O: To what extent does it make you happy to be from Vienna or to live in this city?
FKV I didn’t grow up in Vienna and have only lived here for a few years. Although there are advantages to living in Vienna, I honestly miss living outside of Vienna.
FKG: Growing up in Vienna, I was lucky enough to meet Falco in an Asian restaurant at the age of 15. My way to the toilet took me past his table. Out of reflex, I greeted him and he replied “Seavas”. I’m still living off that.

View of the future

O: What are your plans for the near future?
FKV Now to release videos, play concerts and promote our debut album. Then produce our second album – the songs are all finished and some have already been recorded.
FKG: Go jogging, put on the “Silent EM” record and drink vermouth, thank Jörg from Kernkrach again for the fantastic vinyl edition, and then record the vocals for our second record. Seavas!

Claudia Zinn-Zinnenburg

Line-up:
FKG – vocals, bass
FKV – synthesizer, guitar

Touch by Touch – Tourdates:
May 02, 2026 AT-Vienna, Szene
May 03, 2026 AT-Graz, PPC
November 08, 2026 AT-Vienna, Das LOT

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Listen to Touch by Touch on Bandcamp