What took place in the five-year gap in album releases?
In no particular order and without saying who did what, the activities that took place in that time frame were as follows: Children, unpacking, school, solo albums, reflection, panic, serenity, travel for pleasure, and the use of one toilet for an extended period of time.

Each band member has grown tremendously during the hiatus, with music studies, solo albums and much more. How did this play into the production of the new album? What were some fresh, new, creative ideas that band members brought back?
Thank you for the observation! I think that if we were to use the analogy of building a house as compared to writing a song, this time around, the tools we used to erect this creative structure were different than ever before. Hence the dramatic shift in sound and themes of If Not Now, When?

Your latest album, If Not Now, When?, is quite a shift in style. What inspired you to that?
Most likely the fact that our tools had changed, but also that lovely little fact about our band that has remained constant after 20 years of making music together: We don't want to write the same song twice. And we like the idea of challenging our audiences.

How was the response from your fans?
As always, the response is mixed. It's a beautiful thing!

Any plans for doing the hard sound style like your early days again?
We are trying to “plan less" at this point in our career.

What are you looking forward to seeing the most on this visit?
I look forward to being witness to love and music in a time of strife and madness.
 

As a child: I was unbearable
First job: Delivering newspapers
Rule for life: No rules
Path to inner peace: I haven’t found that
Can’t leave home without: My laptop
Listening to: Good music
Reading: Books about good music or society
Stupidest trend: Any form of fundamentalism
Most annoying thing you have to encounter everyday: Cloudy, rainy and grey German weather
Hum this tune in the shower: I never do
Best gig you’ve ever been to: Wouldn’t be fair to pick one. Doing this for almost 13 years
Last lie: A minute ago
Would like to be remembered as: A dope and foremost open-minded DJ and producer
In 20 years: Same same

1.) Jade Dragon

Price: B72 for 15 pieces (250g)
Prep Time: 3 mins (water added)
The taste: Being made by a Chinese restaurant clearly didn’t help. The freezer burn in their shumai is unmistakable. The stuffing tastes a bit unnatural and odd, too. The only reason you’ll buy it is to let it sit and savor the sesame aroma.
Verdict: Pretty nasty. Save your baht; shumai from street stalls is much better.

2.) S&P

Price: B72 for 10 pieces (150g)
Prep Time: 3.5 mins (water added)
The taste: Don’t let this trusted family brand fool you. Their shumai is a mix of shrimp and pork. Result: a putrid, fishy dish, kind of like seafood that’s been sitting in a market too long. And the sauce that comes in the package is way too sour.
Verdict: Sour fish meatballs in the form of shumai.

3.) Surapon Foods

Price: B89 for 12 pieces (192g)
Prep Time: 4 mins
The taste: A pretty appetizing shrimp flavor, and the stuffing melts in your mouth. However, we’re not satisfied with their dough—very mushy and soggy. Their sauce, too, is so sour that the shumai tastes better off without it.
Verdict: Slightly better than average.

4.) Tops

Price: B109 for 12 pieces (192g)
Prep time: 4 mins
The taste: This one has a great creamy texture and the actual taste of shrimp. It even has a peppery touch to it—just the way we like it. Surprisingly, the company making these for Tops is Surapon Foods (our runner up), so we guess the extra B20 makes all the difference.
Verdict: Our favorite.

5.) Jiro

Price: B64 for 5 pieces (150g)
Prep Time: 4.5 mins
The taste: These big, chunky shumai look awesome, but there’s nothing special about the flavor. The dough is too hard and has a weird, undercooked taste. The stuffing is lumpy and has no taste of shrimp: think mystery meat with some frozen, crunchy veggies tossed in for good measure.
Verdict: Looks aint’ everything. Skip it.

“The Darkest Hour isn’t just a dark horse contender for the year’s biggest joke, it’s the darkest.” David Ehrlich, Boxoffice Magazine

“An alien invasion flick that evidently expects dramatic shots of a depopulated Red Square to make up for a flatlining screenplay and the absence of even a single compelling character.” John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter

“Really, how slovenly is it to use invisible aliens? If you’re going to tease us with nothing but pinwheels of light for three-quarters of the film, you’d better have one heck of a reveal up your sleeve.” Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

“A small-scaled, thoroughly predictable War of the Worlds clone devoid of interest except for its Moscow setting, a few neat visual touches and brevity...this year’s lump of cinematic Christmas coal.” Frank Swietek, One Guy’s Opinion