Molotow Interview July 2011 (ENG)

MOLOTOW mastermind Jürgen Feuerstein in the MOLOTOW test-lab

1. Hi Jürgen, our last interview for ilovegraffiti.de was a while ago. In the meantime, almost 2 years have passed. How have you been?

Of course, the last two years we were very busy. Our ONE4ALL markers have experienced stunning feedback. That has surprised us in a positive and lucky way. With these products we were able to tie in with the quality of the MOLOTOW Premium seamlessly.

2. Returning to the subject. We have gotten some information from you about the MOLOTOW Relaunch in 2011, including a link to a video that shows insights into the Kwasny production.

Yeah, we shot it a few months ago – that actually was the hot phase and at the same time the finalization of the Relaunch.

3. What does Relaunch mean?

This represents a revision and extension of the MOLOTOW Premium color shades and color series. After 12 years it was time to analyze those colors and have a closer look at them. We have done that in co-operation with MadC and the founder of the Kwasny crew who gave us a lot of support during that time. In fact we have never really done such a revision in that way before. The settings of the existing colors, paint quality and nuances of the successful MOLOTOW Premium product were designed in 1999. Since then, nothing was changed or revised. Why, you ask? The result was and still continues to be the absolute reference product on the market. Our product has opened many doors for numerous other paint manufacturers. Therefore, I use the term „reference product“. In my opinion I think that many others were oriented towards our products. However, we all know that a really good can can‘t be produced in a backyard garage. In addition you have to have decades of experience and also the necessary know-how and tools. Especially in the area pigments, there are

Dr. MOLOTOW at the prototype-testing

many cheap alternatives, but that becomes obvious by using the product. We still place great value on attention to such details, even if we are slightly above the average price of other companies. But, we are willing to accept this. Having outstanding quality remains an absolute priority for us. As Mr. Hipp is always saying: „I personally sign for that, with my own name.“ A glance at the inside of the ‘‘Pigmentmühle‘‘ in the Kwasny-production plant – here, high PREMIUM quality is produced!

4. What’s this Relaunch about? Are there going to be 65 new colors?

MadC, Jürgen Feuerstein and Head of R&D of the Kwasny Ltd. are talking about the new color shades

Well, you probably have to go back to 1999. At that time we previously sat down together with the artists in Lahr and worked through several possibilities. The outcome of this meant more color shades which still up to now are carrying artist’s names.

For example night SEEN blue or LOOMIT´s aubergine. This time we proceeded in a similar way. The most important input for the revision of the color tones and the completion of the color series came from MadC. Claudia has done an incredible job and provided the content we needed to finalize and to complete former ideas. After many months, weeks, days and hours of intense research, tests and meetings with the Kwasny laboratory team, we were able to approve more than 65 new colors and 49 color series, without dismissing even one of the already existing colors. This was a real challenge. We were aware of advantages and disadvantages of the existing colors and color ranges. They had to be considered and the approach had to be to consoli-

date and modernize the established product. We have achieved this goal and we are very proud of it!

5. MOLOTOW Premium is known to be tailored to the writers needs. Can you tell us briefly how you‘ve become a specialist for graffiti / aerosol technology?

Back in the late nineties, I was unfamiliar with the graffiti scene.

I consider myself as an expert of color, consistency, etc. In those days there were many writers who had various problems with the existing products ... the valve is bad, the color doesn’t cover and so on. I was the one who analyzed such problems then and acted as a middleman between artists and industry. For me to become a middleman has always been the biggest challenge and still is. The requirements of the graffiti scene were completely new for the aerosols area – it was and still is my job to procure that and especially find solutions.

1999 - Seen, Ces and Jürgen Feuerstein at the compilation of the first premium paint range

6. And how started the collaboration with Seen and Loomit?

Loomit I had known for a while. He knew that I worked on the mentioned solutions and had visit from New York in Munich at that time. He called me and asked if he could come over to Lahr. Loomit has always been and will always be welcome and that will never change. He is a great artist with lots of experience! Loomit mentioned he had visitors with him and asked if he could bring them too. He told me their names but that didn’t really mean anything to me back then. And so that is how I met Seen, Ces, P.Jay and other headliners of the scene. We sat down on my couch to talk and discuss topics at the paint shop in Lahr. My ideas and concepts impressed the boys and quickly we perched around a table full of notes, color shade cards, beer, chips and empty cigarette packs. In the course of that I was asked„...Jur1999 - Jay P. asks politely for his own color shade gen, can you give me this color and call it night SEEN blue?“ – and I didn’t see any problems with that. This led to the cooperation which lasted many years. Since then, we lost track of some, others reoriented and others simply have nothing to do with graffiti anymore.

7. You have to admit that the original MOLOTOW Premium color palette was quite impressive, but wasn’t well organized. What is so complicated about arranging and configuring colors in nuances? How did it become the arrangement, as we know it today?

This is actually easy to explain. Everything started in my former paint shop in Lahr. The RAL-belton spray can, a traditional Kwasny product belonged to our collection and still does today. I got a lot of feedback on this can – especially by heads of the graffiti scene who were complete strangers to me back at that time. The quality of the RAL belton spray can was highly commended and so people liked to use it for facade design. I took this as a base and foundation to develope a composition that has ultimately created the belton MOLOTOW Premium. Back then I based the organization of the color lines on the belton RAL color chart. This led to a partially chaotic color system, which however was consistent in itself. Today I would not do it the same way but back then there were no other possibilities. It should be added the already mentioned fact about the cooperation of the artists.

The one or the other artist-color was or is very close to the already existing RAL colors shades. That ultimately led to the current organization of color lines but we have optimized those over the years.

Now we are putting them in order by the use of the color update. The new Molotow Premium color selection and the relaunch are showing a sensational, unprecedented variety of colors in aerosol art. I‘m convinced, we have brought forward the business for many years and can be highly satisfied with the result. Artists all over the whole world will appreciate this, like they did 12 years ago.

8. How long does it take to develop new colors?

All in all, the development took about one year but you certainly have to mention that we had planned the revision several years ago. At Test and analysis report for the new colors that time the technical options were still limited. With the MOLOTOW Premium Relaunch 2011, we used new technologies which have never been used before ... by any producer in the world.

MOLOTOW Premium kiwi in the covering power test

Kwasny research department

9. What else has changed, apart from the new arrangement of the color lines? Are there any other innovations of our favourite can besides hiding power, handling? Did you change anything about the colors like Kiwi or Melon yellow?

Yeah, of course, we analyzed specifically these colors. As mentioned before we were aware of the disadvantages- in particular with regard to the hiding power. Those are difficult colors and always will be, but not only for us. Especially the yellows shades, the Signal White and the already noted Kiwi were subjected to an endurance test. So, „Yes“ to optimize the hiding power, „no“ to improvements in handling. The proven overkill-safe valve or the settings of the spring in the valve were not changed. For years we have received only positive feedback for these settings.

10. What is the SoftCap about? Why was the StandardCap exchanged for it? And what feedback did you get on that? By the way this is a popular question we get here quite often at ILG. People want to know why it was replaced. Especially in Berlin we got a lot of feedback.

Yes, we know this discussion.The feedback is very different on that. Today there is often a lively debate about the numerous spraying attachments which one is the most perfect Skinny Cap and which one is the broadest Fat Cap. In most cases it hardly depends on the caps themselves, rather on the valve settings of the cans and of course the pressure settings. The SoftCap is a very popular cap and yes, the StandardCap is very popular as well. It is a discussion that can‘t be completed. The opinions are deeply divided on this issue. We chose the SoftCap a year ago because many of our customers were demanding a SkinnyCap on the can. We know that many people aren‘t aware that the black Standard Cap is still available. So those who swears by this cap can still buy it in stores and work with it. The cap is called „MOLOTOW CoversAllSkinny“ because it works very good for the MOLOTOW CoversAll-cans!

11. When can I buy the new MOLOTOW Premium colors shades and where?

At the end of May, the first stores will have the full assortment on the shelf in Germany. I learned that Writers Corner in Berlin or Hamburg Store Under Pressure are making room for those beautiful 49 color series to present them. Of course, we’re happy about that!

12. Is it even possible to show the complete range in a store? Let us count real quick, that is 6 x 251 + colors that makes over 1500 cans on the shelf, wow!

It’s always possible. It just depends on the size of the shop. Most stores in Germany have that much space.

13. We look forward to it! One more question. Is the FLAME connected to MOLOTOW? As you know, we have always had a soft spot for fresh ideas and creative new blood. We still missed a cheap alternative product in our range and what the guys from FLAME offered us matched our concept. FLAME is an inexpensive independent color. Clearly the fun comes first - that has convinced us. FLAME meets many requirements and can do a lot - acrylic with optimum valve settings. With 40 colors, we offer users a great selection.

14. Thank you for the interview!

Thank you!

J端rgen Feuerstein and his FAME-Train on the area of the MOLOTOW Headquarter in Lahr/Schwarzwald (D)