Gentleman’s debut album TRODIN ON is now more than 20 years old. Since then, the native of Cologne has been known as an integral part of the reggae scene, and not just on German-speaking soil. With seven studio albums, two EPs and countless singles to date, Tillmann Otto alias Gentleman has been touring nationally and internationally for almost 30 years. After the 48-year-old released a German-language album with BLAUE STUNDE in 2020, he returned to his English comfort zone with MAD WORLD. The reggae singer got inspiration for the record from current events in the world and the urge to escape this stress and pressure for a moment: “It was now about getting into a sphere in which you feel comfortable.” One of the reasons which is why MAD WORLD was created on Mallorca in a finca surrounded by sheep. We looked back on his career with Gentleman and spoke to him about future goals, social media and pointless struggles.
musikexpress.de: On social media you explained that this time the songs were created without the ulterior motive of having to publish them obligatory. To what extent does the creation process of MAD WORLD differ from previous albums?
Gentleman: With the albums before I had a fixed date by which I had to have twelve tracks – not this time. And just the mindset of not having to release the songs made everything freer. After the excursion with my German-language album, it was now a question of getting back into a sphere in which one feels comfortable and works more intuitively instead of thinking everything through. Despite this, we were very focused because we locked ourselves in an environment with sheep outside the door for four weeks and worked completely without distractions. At the same time, it was an easy way of working, in which we laughed a lot and still always reached our goal.
You also sing about a potential distraction on “Things Will Be Greater”: “Some people looking for a leader/ what them hand down to them with social media”. Do you see social media as a curse on society?
I wouldn’t say everything was better before, but different. In every area there is an opportunity and at the same time a distraction. Social media is not a big issue for me because I belong to the last analogue interface with telephone booths and fax machines. Even if the development has been blatant since then, the question arises to what extent this progress makes us happy. Timeless things like a good song or a conversation give me goosebumps. It’s rarely technology. Nevertheless, it is a challenge to free oneself from it and to get distance.
Video: Gentleman – “Things Will Be Greater”
In “Over The Hills” you explain that the best way to get the distance is in nature. As a native of Cologne: are there also ways in the big city to find “some peace of mind”?
Yes, but no idea how (laughs). I think it works because of the cohesion that you get in the community and in the family. In Cologne they call it “das Veedel”. I’ve seen it myself in cities like New York that there is an understanding for each other and that you can endure when the other person has a completely different opinion. You can sense potential, but it can also get out of control.
Video: Gentleman – “Over The Hills”
“Fight For No Reason” allows for several interpretations: What is behind it and what inspired you to write the song?
There was a “Sportschau” report about riots involving hooligans and I wondered why they were beating their heads in the first place. There’s so much going on in the world right now and they’re fighting over a football game. I generalized that and sang about all the fights that aren’t worth it because “you fight for no reason”. At the same time, the song lives more on the flow than the meaning, because it doesn’t always have to be about that – as I’m noticing at the moment.
Video: Gentleman – “Fight For No Reason”
You once described reggae as “something fundamental that everyone understands immediately”. what would you say make sure
For me it’s the interplay of drum and bass. The hypnotic sound and feel is something that transcends entertainment. There’s a magic behind it that wouldn’t be there if you could explain it. The moment you deal with the music and understand the story behind it, you realize how incredibly versatile it is.
What do you say to the people who accuse you of cultural appropriation because of your musical style?
I would say the debate is justified and I think it’s good that we’re talking about it. But I see two tendencies here: The debate brings us further, helps us to understand each other better and to break with old patterns of thought. But it becomes destructive when it leads to us censoring each other and not being allowed to do anything anymore. For me, “cultural appropriation” always had a positive meaning when I first understood it, because I associated it with learning something new. Whether it’s the children’s books that my parents used to read to me, the carnival or the festivals in Europe, to which hardly any Jamaican artists are invited anymore. Of course, that was always an issue for me, because I developed a passion for this music without knowing the background. But in the second step I then dealt with the origin of reggae. That’s why I flew to Jamaica early on to know more about the origins. And I think if we white people become aware that we have been socialized in a racist way for the most part and deal with the origin, then we will take a step further.
After so many years in the industry, is there a personal goal that you still want to achieve with your music?
I just wish I could keep touring! There are still so many places we haven’t been that I want to use my songs for. I also hope that I can continue to manifest what I feel and think in my music and also discover new forms for it.
Listen to Gentleman’s album MAD WORLD streamed here: