ARTIST: das bierbeben
TITLE: selftitled
LABEL: shitkatapult
GENRE: Electronic
SOURCE: CD
BITRATE: 180 kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 69:55
RELEASE DATE: 2009-00-00
RIP DATE: 2009-04-16
ENCODER: LAME v3.97 -V2 --vbr-new
Track List
----------
1. dunkle tage 3:54
2. behind the green door 4:13
3. wie ein vogel 5:16
4. delirium 4:27
5. der k÷nig 3:35
6. wehr dich doch 3:31
7. die uebermacht 3:17
8. abschied 4:02
9. hochzeit 4:31
10. nihilit 4:10
11. hidden track 28:59
Release Notes:
www.shitkatapult.com // www.myspace.com/bierbeben
"Tubular Bells? Hells Bells? High Noon? Bells, gong, strike and stroke à Das
BierbebenÆs third full-length release ends with the second albumÆs ("Alles
Faellt") first sound: the strike of a gong. Heralding a new hour or age, or
maybe even impending doom, the news stops here, with "a muffled sound."
In this review and reuse of its past, the important third album returns to its
roots and proudly wears its heart on its sleeve. A simple, self-titled affair,
"Das Bierbeben" marks the culmination of a steady development.
Firmly ensconced in the context of pop history, the band churn out a deluge of
faithful references, copy and recycle, mix and revive, cherish and celebrate the
great protest movements of (German) pop music: protest folk, 70s, Ton Steine
Scherben, German punk and Techno find themselves joined in (un)holy matrimony.
And a dark, maudlin wedding it is, too: the subject shakes off its prolonged
slumber to embark on a momentous journey into the abyss, into the realms of pain
and beauty. Here, it forms alliances, flutters free as a bird and sets out to
face the powers that be, ready to witness their epic failure.
In this tour de force, the band not only reverts to its own stark imagery (the
gong, everything falls down, darkness/light, day/night, delirium), but also the
well-known protest top 10: "Wehr dich doch, Geld regiert, Delirium, Abschied,
Gegenwart - Zukunft, Nebel, Nacht, Stein, Flut, Meer" (why donÆt you fight back,
money makes the world go round, delirium, the pain of parting, the present û the
future, fog, night, rock, flood, the sea) û all of them spoken milestones and
part of a resistance army (in the past and now again), milestones that lurch,
fall, slide, speed, fly and never deign to stand at attention. A record in
motion, a gentle glide, "Das Bierbeben" makes for easier listening that its
predecessor, "Alles Faellt". And if it should warrant a cover feature, it would
probably appear in East GermanyÆs foremost music gazette: Melodie and Rhythmus.
There is pop to be heard û and then some.
The albumÆs second track with English lyrics, "Behind The Green Door" as well as
"Abschied" (farewell) and "Wie Ein Vogel" (like a bird) retrace the origins of
the song: hooklines, chorus, sing-along segments, the joy of dreaming and
letting go, heart-wrenching melodies. Spurred on by these traditional
structures, Das Bierbeben tackle the German traditional "Hochzeit" by Franz
Josef Degenhardt, after their "Alles Faellt" reworking and correction of our
grandparentsÆ favourite, "Kein Schoener Land". For "Hochzeit", they pull out all
the stops, couching apocalyptic lyrics in lullaby harmonies. A more explicit
rendition of this pending apocalypse rears its head on "Nihilit" û here, a star
comes crashing down, "days become night," nobody sleeps and the waters rise.
GONG! If Mike Oldfield had a hand in Das Bierbeben, he would weigh in with a nod
of approval.
Speaking of the devil: Das BierbebenÆs production has seen a major overhaul.
Recorded, produced and tweaked to perfection in four different studios, the band
swapped plug-ins for analogue synths and added live drums, guitars, marimbas,
flutes and some other instruments within reach. With label boss Marco Haas (aka
T.Raumschmiere) at the controls, the bandÆs sound has done a double take and now
sounds clearer, stronger, more concise.
Nihilit
"Everything tremors, everything falls
and we will never sleep again
and the days become night
the star tumbles from its trajectory
becomes black
a muffled sound."
Das Bierbeben is a project by the "Kuenstelrgruppe im Namen des Volkes"/artist
group in the name of the people, produced by Thies Mynther and Jan Mueller and
engineered by Marco Haas. The band comprises Jan Mueller (Tocotronic, Dirty
Dishes), Julia Wilson (a former member of the Poptarts), Rasmus Engler
(Herrenmagazin, Dirty Dishes, Gary) and new member Alexander Tsitsigias
(Schrottgrenze, Saboteur, Station 17). Jessica Drosten left the band, with no
hard feelings and in high spirits, after several pregnancies and other
projects." (shitkatapult.com)
enjoy! >_-