I will also continue this long series, as there are and will be enough long songs that are worth mentioning here. Today's song is another collaboration between Acid Pauli and the Berlin DJ and producer Nico Stojan.
Acid Pauli is the stage name of Martin Gretschmann, who in his early years was a permanent member of The Notwist, perhaps the best German team from Upper Bavaria in the nineties. He was responsible for the band's electronic sound and the sound snippets used. At the beginning of the century he founded his own electronic project Console and has been releasing electronic gems as Acid Pauli for several years.
Vola comes along with a dragged-out rhythm, the samples used seem to be from another galaxy and all in all the song has a meditative undertone, which is certainly not a bad thing. For me, a good start to the series this year.
Recently I came back to another German band that I almost forgot. The Notwist were formed in 1989 in Weilheim, upper Bavaria as another Hüsker Dü and Sonic Youth inspired young band playing strong and fast songs like their idols. After their fabulous debut they changed their sound into more melodic and you could hear influences by New Order in many songs. Their second album Neon Golden from 1990 is sadly a forgotten highlight and only known by some hardcore fans from this band. For me it is a timeless album showing the abilities of German new music in these days and this is not the worst reason to feature a few songs from their first albums. Enjoy.
German indie-band The Notwist released with Vertigo Days their first album since more than six years. This band from Southern Bavaria was one of the most influential German bands in the 90's because you couldn't grab their sound not only because the masterminds the brothers Archer meander between punk, rock and metal. During the years they included some jazz-styles into their sound and worked on soundtracks for independent German movies. Now they are back with an album that sounds like a 50 minutes session when every song slips into the next one and tempo and rhythm changes more than once. And still you can't archive them in one file because each guest musician from all over the world makes the song special. So Chicago clarinetist Angel Bat Dawid give Into The Ice Age a jazzy touch or Japanese vocalist Saya give Ship an exotic touch over a krautrock-groove. The Notwist are back and still open for new sounds.
You might know that I have a big affection to electronic music in every variation if it sound great and/or new. During the past week I got the news that there is a new electronic band on the scene worth to be listened to. First thing I saw was the logo showing us a smiley with crossed bones and it reminds me to a very popular football club in Hamburg - St. Pauli. This is another story that should be told in the future. Now back to music. Acid Pauli is another project by Bavarian born musician Martin Gretschmann. He played different records with a famous underground band of the 00's - The Notwist. They made some great independent albums and I ask myself why I didn't featured them right now. Gretschmann switched from guitar based sound to electronic first with Console which made some good dance tracks a few years ago. Now he's back with Acid Pauli and his very own incredible and unique interpretation of electronic music. All tracks are reduced to the limit and filled with bleeps and drum. I think this will not work perfect on the dance floor but it works well under headphones. It is another music to finish the day with. An amazing transmission.
2002 - the first year after 9-11 and life goes on as nothing really happened. What remains for us do otherwise than continue living our lives and not make us crazy from the daily news of the war against terrorism? But since the attack on the WTC, a lot has changed. Before the attack traveling was relaxed, we have since been at the airport more and more controlled. I've been to many places before and at none time I had to worry about my life. I remember when I was on Corsica in the late 80s sitting in a bar I heard a bomb exploding a few streets away and I don't give much attention on it. This year we spent our holidays in Bali - a wonderful island and still worth to visit. Fantastic beaches, tropical hills, great reefs for snorkeling and impressive tea plants. We arrived in Kuta and started a self organized round trip. All in all a wonderful vacation and a trip we still remember. When we came back home we heard the news about a bombing attack at Kuta beach where a lot of people died. The bomb exploded right at a bar we used to have our drinks. We were just lucky that the attack has not happened a few weeks earlier. Since I'm on vacation attentive and pay attention to things that I have not previously registered. Not that I am afraid but I know that things can happen to me - anytime, anywhere.
All right - let's have a look at this years records:
Tocotronic - Tocotronic: Another great record from this Hamburg band
Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf: Heavy guitars and great songs
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head: On the same level as before
Red Hot Chilly Peppers - By the Way: Great - according to masses
The Libertines - Up the Bracket: Sensational debut
The Streets - Original Pirate Material: Fantastic and very very special
Billy Bragg and the Blokes - England, Half English: Another great record by our beloved socialist
Groove Armada - AnotherLateNight: Great stuff on it
The Ravonettes - Whip it on: Just an EP but what a record
Spoon - Kill the Moonlight: Another record that gets better the more you listen to it
Thievery Corporation - The Richest Man in Babylon: Perfect fusion of dub and latin
And as always - a look at this years movies:
The Pianist: A masterpiece by Roman Polanski
About Schmidt: Great story and a wonderful Jack Nicholson
Frida: Biopic about a great painter
About a Boy: Just a nice story
The Bourne Identity: Fascinating
The Transporter: The best one in this series
The Ring: Remake of a Japanese horror movie
8 Mile: Eminem shows us the life in trailer parks
City of God: Fantastic movie of Brazilians dark side
And just a few words about what happened in the world this year:
The Euro notes and coins are available // Civil war in Angola // US army starts invasion in Afghanistan // Queen mother dies at the age of 101 // Pim Fortuyn a dutch politician an Prime Minister candidate is assassinated in Hilversum, Netherlands // Brazil wins the FIFA Football World Cup 2:0 against Germany
My attention was on this band by their song "Pilot", an initially inconspicuous and somewhat remarkable piece of music. Restrained instruments, backed by a rhythm shun, like a ballade, yet different. Then was come an insinuating and gentle rough voice accompanied the chorus of wonderful string instruments - I was spellbound. I knew I needed more of The Notwist. What was then presented me with Neon Golden, surpassed any of my expectations.
"In contrast," is probably the perfect description for this album. Unconventional advised the boys of The Notwist on an inclined sound drum. Strange, remarkable beats almost adorn every song - you realize that every song was produced and arranged with unusual concentration and care. ... Different ... and then - awesome. Wonderful, indispensable ...
"Neon Golden" has a variety of variety, "Pick up the Phone", "One with the Freaks" and "Consequence" belong to the most often mentioned diamonds this treasure chest are also considered out tip, if you look at but the best to will lift the end, you can hear the album but it was only at home - consistently and appropriately titled "One Step Inside Does not Mean You Do not Understand", a verse text, quiet gliding music - and you already knows: this album should be listened to from start until the end in a row. Then meet a gem like "Pilot", the diversity and innovativeness of The Notwist here comes to its best advantage, because the song from the beginning, chorus through to the end its variety of pages shows - as all the time in "Neon Golden ".
