“DJ tzi ensures that people are okay,” the musician confirms in an interview with APA. “But I also need to balance myself, so I can enter the other.” The ambition of songwriting and writing came about by chance. “Nothing was strategically designed or organized, it just happened.” He worked on the album with Tim Peters and Paul Falk, who asked him, “Dude, don’t tell us just now, write us! One thing led to another.”
A challenge faced by someone who has so far often reached number one on the charts. “It’s certainly not a good thing,” Friedel says carefully. “This is probably your biggest fear. You can’t write a hit, it will happen to you.” He used to “strongly charge” foreign compositions, and now the look turns inward. “Of course I take a risk that it may not be successful. On the other hand, I feel it is absolutely right to do so. It is a step in courage. In my feelings I often think outside the box and feel.”
No 180 degree rotation
Musically, however, DJ tzi fans shouldn’t expect a 180-degree spin – pumping beats, bright colors and loud choruses still dominate for the most part. But there is also room for quieter moments, for example “After all these years” dedicated to his deceased father: “I was already wondering: How far can I go? It’s not nonsense if you want to reveal yourself that way. People should you can Use that as inspiration.” After all, everyone carries their own personal backpack. “Maybe that will make it a little easier. This mess we find ourselves in wasn’t put into perspective overnight. We really have to go through a tough time.”
Which brings you to the book: The first trimester deals with Friedel’s childhood and adolescence, which were not easy at all. “I actually went through,” he says, referring to his treatment of the experience. “Of course, depression had something to do with coming to terms with it, because you have to go through the pain to be able to get rid of it. I really painted the pictures in bright colors.” It was hard to go through everything again. “At first I thought I couldn’t do it. It took me ten years to come to terms with it.”
Until now he sometimes wondered if it was the right decision to write the book. “I would say yes,” Friedel wonders. “Then I think to myself: There are people who listen to me and love me. They should understand where I want to go. You should leave the past behind, take what I learned with you and live in the present. It is worth working on yourself and believing in yourself.”
“Make Education Good”
Several times in Friedel’s book he appeals to his readers to support education as a good. “I was too dependent on others,” he explains. “I always say to my daughter: Please, please study! You shouldn’t have time to depend on others, you should have freedom and creativity. Children should be allowed to learn from teachers who can really convey something with emotions. They should ‘give an education of the heart!’” “
At one point, Friedel wrote, “I want to be able to shape the world.” Did he manage it in his opinion? “Let’s put it this way: I can make my world more diverse. And when people are with me, they hear me and see me, they can think well: He succeeded in it, he believed in himself, and I can do this too!” If that happens, I will design. But this has nothing to do with Gerry or DJ tzi. I’m not the cheerleader, people can only be themselves.”
One can make mistakes
As an artist, but also as an individual, one must be allowed to make mistakes. “Let me fail, please!” exclaims Friedel. “If you don’t make mistakes, you can’t learn anything from them. Someone might tell you something, but you don’t understand it.” His music should eventually empower people to come to terms with who they are. “No matter if you’re straight or gay, no matter what color your skin is, you matter! You’re valuable, you’re a part of us. That’s why I can’t understand that people can be so divided.” Not only as a DJ tzi, he wants to set an example of the opposite.
