<!–
–>
<!–
–>
As their name suggests, the band formed in Hamburg in the early 1980s was not one of the usual punk or new wave crews of the time. The central duo Katrin Achinger and Matthias Arfmann felt closely connected to the zeitgeist of noise, riots and do-it-yourself. But the art troupe Velvet Underground, born in Warhol’s Factory, were aesthetically much closer to the two than, say, the rock roar of the Sex Pistols.
A retrospective without pinched melancholy
They released the first tracks, completely children of their time, on compact cassettes, befitting their status. Achinger’s fragile voice and Arfmann’s psychedelia combined to form a magical amalgam. Now they have combed through their extensive catalogue, distilling 15 songs for a compilation; most of the rest will be successively digitally revamped as an internet offering. The sound cosmos served here remains dark, tentative, and often reduced to the essentials from the start, as the oldest song in the retrospective, “Do I Know You” (1981), documents in an exemplary manner.
It is the compositions “Love Factory” (1985) and “Callando Los Siglos” (1986) that made the philosophers a sought-after live club band, reinforced by guest musicians. The fact that they were also supporting the late Nico at the time suits their shadowy timbre. Over the decades, the spectrum of multi-instrumentalists has become broader, more lyrical, more playful. The former Hamburg gloomy couple is framed by two current productions: “Time” at the beginning and the German sung “years” at the end stand for letting go in old age. After all, Achinger had in the meantime initiated her solo projects (e.g. with The Flight Crew), while Arfmann indulged his penchant for studio tricks and electrobeats in the Hanseatic hip-hop scene as the producer guru of Jan Delay, Die Absoluten Beginners and Patrice. A retrospective without pinched melancholy.
SIMILAR REVIEWS
Gemma Ray :: “Gemma Ray & The Death Bell Gang”
Atmospherically dense interlude with Ralf Goldkind
John Cale :: “Mercy” – Later than expected
The great solitaire artistically travels through time with its new songs and guests.
Gaz Coombes :: “Turn The Car Around”
The ex-Supergrass boss is getting closer to perfection
SIMILAR ARTICLES
Reeperbahn Festival 2022: The opening on Wednesday – “I wish you a great Reeperbahn Festival!”
Pop in times of war and pandemic: The Reeperbahn Festival opened on Wednesday evening – with a surprise guest
Jena: “Kulturarena” festival with performances by Helge Schneider and Jan Delay
In addition to established acts, the 30th anniversary edition also features younger artists such as Danger Dan, Provinz and Jeremias.
Placebo announce new album and European tour for 2022
It is not yet known when the album will be released. The tour dates have not yet been made public by Placebo.
<!–
–>
<!–
–>