This interview with Bremens Crok from ONES Crew was written for an online graffiti magazine but they did not managed it. So now I’m in the lucky position to present you the first exclusive interview on tobe77.de – have fun!

How and when did you start painting on walls?

A friend of mine from school started being interested in writing which also called my attention to graffiti in 1993. I started drawing, took pictures in my neighbourhood and sometimes made tags myself. But it was not before 1996 that I started painting on walls.

Tell us about your crew. How was it formed?

The crew ONES was founded by Texas and me in 2003. We had been painting together for years at that point, mostly legal. Then, we no longer wanted to be constrained, but to paint on everything we were keen on. Therefore, we went for the new name OpeN EyeS and got started. Besides, I have been a member of the crew TOPICS since 2010.

Describe the situation on the Graffiti scene in your city. Are there a lot of writers around?

I am not able to say a lot about the scene, I have never been involved in there too much. Actually, I am just painting with people from my crew. Although, I know many faces, you say “Hi” and talk a bit, that’s it.
Considering the small size of Bremen there are quite a few writers around. The most well known is WOW 123, followed by TOBE 77, a lot of attention is also drawn to SHAKO, SATO, KINE, HEK, FAKT 47 and my crew mates.

What is a good action for you?

Spend the whole night at the railway line. You hurry up the stairs, unlock the door in the wall for noise protection and behind you find silence. Being able to concentrate on a picture without pressure of time. Check on the details using the light of passing trains. The sounds of the broken rock under your shoes, the lights of the signals. Then, go home at daybreak, make a few tags with the rest of colour, have a shower, fall into sleep like a stone…

What would you choose and why: writing on a fresh painted white wall in a calm place or night trainwriting action?

Difficult question, both does have advantages. Usually, I prefer walls near train lines or highways. There I can relax.
I paint on trains very rarely and that is everything but relaxing, but when the train enters the train station in the next morning, that is the coolest feeling in the world — the reaeaeal deal!

Have you ever participated in any commercial or gallery projects? What is your attitude to it?

Before, I used to do remittance works. Nowadays, I neither have the time, nor do I feel like doing it. When I have the time, I want to be free, do my own stuff and not be limited by orderers who often just want to pay a tip and don’t worship the work. I haven’t had an exhibition yet, but I like graffiti in galleries. However, it will always just be an effigy of the real writing which happens outside. You can also exhibit photos about football, but you will just have the real feeling at the stadium – WERDER BREMEN!

What is the worst thing that can happen during painting?

The worst is not being able to finish your picture. Either because it starts raining, you run out of important colours, the police comes around — or the ladder is swept along by a train and shredded.

Do you use only spray cans for actions or you have some secret weapons?

I only use the common German and Spanish spray cans. For bigger pictures or on bad undergrounds I use coating colour for the fill-in – and no, I neither draw my outlines between heart beats, nor do I have a special technique of breathing.

You paint a lot of types. What is more, they are quite different. Why have you chosen painting letters and why are they so different?

During the first two to three years I drew styles and character. However, I was never satisfied with the characters compared to drawing styles. Since then I concentrate mainly on letters.
Personally, I think my works don’t differ from each other so much. For example, concerning my block styles I like to boost letters which formally just vary slightly, through the colours, fill-in, effects, character, background, placement in a new way and hereby make them interesting. That’s the reason why my stuff appears so differently and maybe the reason why I am quite successful.

In your opinion, what is the main aim any writer should try to reach?

To me there are the four disciplines tags, throw ups, block styles and semi-wildstyle/wildstyle. A good writer should be an allrounder and have skills in all disciplines. Furthermore, in my opinion every writer should have made a passenger train driving once in his or her life.