Zement

INTERVIEW - ZEMENT - 2026:

The German alternative band Zement will hit the roads of Sweden in the beginning of April 2026. They will share the stage with Swedish band, ”Östersjöar”, and we are very thrilled to bring you this interview with Philipp ahead of the Swedish tour:

 

                                                Photo by: Benjamin Brückner
 

 

First of all, thank you for the interview. How are you doing at the beginning of 2026?

Thanks, we’re doing well. Our long-term friend and producer Florian Helleken (who played most of our 2025 shows live with us) joined the band on electric bass at the end of last year, and we’ve started fresh as a three-piece in 2026. We’ve already played a couple of shows this year and started working on a new album as a power trio. It feels good.

 

We are very thrilled to have you on a tour of Sweden in the beginning of April 2026. You will be touring together with the Swedish psych-band "Östersjöar". How did this tour come about?

Fredrik from Östersjöar and I connected via Instagram last year and had some great conversations about music. Shortly after we got to know each other, Fredrik asked if we wanted to come to Sweden someday to join his band for a couple of shows. The idea was born, things came together, and we made a plan. Fredrik and the guys from Östersjöar organized everything and booked the venues—and here we are, coming to Sweden for the first time with Zement. We’re really looking forward to it!

 

Zement seems to have found its own little micro-universe with what we would like to call "Electro Kraut". How has the journey been for you, looking back from when you started the band until now?

Thanks. Yes, I think we’ve found our own little place in this whole Psychedelic-Rock/Kraut/Experimental/Electronic world, and I am really happy with it. We started out like many bands do. Christian and I have known each other for a very long time; we’ve been friends since childhood. After a hiatus from playing together—during which we were involved in different projects—we met up for a rehearsal with the idea of starting a Krautrock-inspired jam band. It worked out well, and we recorded our first album after a year in the rehearsal room. From then on, we got more and more into the idea of combining elements from different genres, like electronic dance music and experimental rock. We dove deep and took a "trial and error" approach from our album Klinker to Rohstoff and everything released in between (tapes, 7-inches, remix albums). With Passagen, I think we took it to a new level and even incorporated more of a jazz vibe. Right now, with Florian as a third band member, it feels more like a "real" band again. It seems we are heading in a new direction, incorporating more of a noise-rock and fuzz-driven garage-rock sound. We’ll see how it turns out in the end.

 

When you compose your songs, is it totally improvised or do you bring different ideas to the rehearsal space?

It was more improvised in the past, really just go for it. Right now, we bring different ideas to the rehearsal room or the studio and work on them. There is still a lot of freedom to improvise between the different parts of the songs, but songwriting has become increasingly important over the last few years, especially when it comes to recording a new album. Live, it’s still more of a free-flowing spirit. It’s interesting how songs transform live over the years and develop into something new when you work on them in real-time.

 

Speaking a little bit more about the Swedish tour in April. What can the crowd expect? How long will each band play approximately? Will you join each other on stage for guest appearances?

We’ll see! Actually, we haven't talked about joining each other on stage yet, but I guess it could happen. I think the crowd can expect two very interesting bands and a trip for the ears and eyes.

 

Have you been to Sweden before? What are your views on the Swedish musical landscape?

Yes, I’ve been to Sweden on vacation and really enjoyed it. Musically speaking, Sweden has a long tradition of a very interesting landscape. I really dig the psych-rock stuff and also the hardcore that comes out of there. What would this world be without Träd, Gräs & Stenar or Refused? And of course, not to forget the vibrant (free) jazz and experimental scene. What would this world be without a legend like Mats Gustafsson or musicians like Anna Högberg (I really love her new album) or underground hero Joachim Nordwall? When I think about it, I listen to a lot of music that was actually made in Sweden. Of course, one of my musical heroes, Don Cherry lived and worked here.

 

What do you prefer: playing live or recording your music in the studio?

I would say both. It’s a different approach, and I like different aspects of each. When we play live a lot, I look forward to going back to the studio to work on new ideas, and when those ideas are ready, I can’t wait to try them out live. Sometimes ideas are tested live, then we transform them into songs for a record, and then bring them back to the stage in a different shape. I really like this creative process—seeing how a musical idea transforms over time.

 

If you would arrange your own festival, which bands and artists would you invite, and why?

That's a tough one, and it depends on the time and mood, but here’s my (incomplete) list: Shabaka Hutchings, Irreversible Entanglements, Fire! Orchestra, Kali Malone, Sunn O))), Horse Lords, Faust, Tortoise, Maquina, GOAT, A Place to Burry Strangers, Metz, Lightning Bolt, Don Vito, Sun Ra Arkestra, Bill Orcutt, Oneida, Tom Skinner, Valentina Magaletti, [Ahmed], Lea Bertucci, The Bug & Ghost Dubs, Oren Ambarchi, Lucrecia Dalt and of course a lot of more friends like Kungens Män, Östersjöar, Red On & Subrihanna, DRNTTCKS, the Datashock family, Metabolismus, Jooklo Duo, Son of Buzzi, Helvete, The Cosmic Dead, Hildegard von Binge Drinking, Embryo, Klangkollektor, Mount Logan, Zahn, Aua, Yass, Point No Point, Painting, Sky Burrow Tales, Helicon, Arcane Allies, Acid Rooster, Bismut, Ex-Colorado, Kombynat Robotron, the whole It isn´t happening and Space Between Crew, some more DJs, family and friends and so on. Why, because that´s what it's all about: Coming together and working on our own little utopia through music, art and sound.

 

Last question for now. Many thanks for the interview; we really look forward to having you in Sweden in April. What would you like to say to your Swedish fans out there in cyberspace?

We are really happy to see you all soon and looking forward to playing for you. Like I said: That’s what it’s all about, especially in these times: getting together, getting to know each other, and working on our own little utopia through music, art, and sound.