40 Records In 40 Years (23/40 - 1996)

If I consider within the scope of this series what was this year importantly for me and how I have felt than I have to say that it was a good year. I spent a lot of time together with my kids watching them growing up and teaching them how to walk. Now they were old enough that we could take small conversations (as good as they are able to). Showing them the world outside our house and the beauty of our country satisfied me so much that most other things got back into second row. Although we only one small budget had we have resolved to drive ourselves with the children on vacation. Our destination was the Italian Adriatic. We stayed there in that so called eurocamp where you can rent a big tent including a fridge and three-leg couches. All you have to bring with was your sleeping utensils. On the whole camping place strict rules have been valid. So for example to be very quiet during the early afternoon and something like that. Not that this is the way to spent my holidays it was perfect for the kids. I remember the laughing eyes of my daughter when she took her first steps into the sea. Before we started our vacation me and my mates took the chance to watch a German game during the UEFA European Championship in England. We grabbed the chance for a cheap flight and a ticket to watch the first German game in Old Trafford against the Czech Republic. It was so much fun to watch football in an English stadium. I know that it might hurt you guys but I have to say a few words to the semi-final between England and Germany. England got a damn good team these days with the fantastic Paul Gascoigne (remember his great goal against Netherland), Alan Shearer, Paul Ince, Steve McManaman and Gareth Southgate. It was a very good game and for me these teams should play the final. But like many times Germany had a little more luck at the penalties.

Some records that I remember that was released in 1996:

• Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die: Even if only because of 'Djeld' a perfect composition of dub, krautrock and understated guitars
• Tocotronic - Wir kommen um uns zu beschweren: German guitar music and the start of the so called Hamburg school
• Fugees - The Score: A record many people could agree to
• Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive: Nothing special but good pop music
• Everything But The Girl - Walking Wounded: Two great voices with good songs
• Belle And Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister: Because I love most of the ting they did.

Some songs they perform duties this year:

If we had time to go to the movie we watched this:

• The English Patient: Great drama with fantastic pictures
• Fargo: Sensational crime movie by the Coen brothers
• The People vs. Larry Flint: Fantastic biopic about about the Hustler
• Michael Collins: Liam Neeson plays the Irish revolutionary leader very well
• From Dusk Till Dawn: Robert Rodriguez shows us Mexican vampires
• White Squall: Nothing more than a great movie
• Before and After: Another superb drama with Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson
• Mars Attacks: Weired movie about aliens finally killed by music
• Brassed Off: Superb movie about what's important in life.

Some things that happened in the world this year:

Jacques Chirac announces the so called definitive end to Frensh nuclear testing // Chess computer 'Deep Blue' defeats world chess champion Garry Kasparov for the first time // Dictator Robert Mugabe is reelected as the President of Zimbabwe // IRA bombs again especially in Manchester // Germany wins the UEFA Euro 1996 in England against the Czech Republic by the first and last sudden death goal // Dolly the Sheep is the first mammal which is cloned from an adult cell.

Kruder & Dorfmeister were an Austrian DJ- and producer team well known for their remixes of pop, Trip-Hop and drum and bass songs. Their style reaches from Downtempo and Dub to Electronica and Trip-Hop. For me it was another step into a new musical era - and I never missed it. I grew up with that classic Rock and Roll and followed other music as you might know when you followed my little series. Their music gave me the kicks to search more music like this. It is one of those records I can listen to from start to the end and it always gets me down when I came home from work after a busy day. Most of the songs are timeless and after all I have to admit: It is a classic in this genre.

Kruder & Dorfmeister - Herbalizer - A Mother
Kruder & Dorfmeister - Static Sound System - Revolutionary Pilot
Kruder & Dorfmeister - Kruder & Dorfmeister - High Noon
Kruder & Dorfmeister - Sapien - Que Dolor