It’s been a while since Welle: Erdball’s last album Chaos Total came out in 2006. But now after 2 years, the originators of bitpop are back with their new single Ich Bin Aus Plastik. This 3-track 7″ vinyl will be released tomorrow, April 25th, and features a special cover of Kraftwerk’s famous “Die Roboter” which is sure to please fans of both bands considering their similar sounds.

Unfortunately for most people, no CD version is offered, just the pink colored 7″ vinyl which is limited to 1000 units. Also unfortunate, the only actual store I could find Ich Bin Aus Plastik at is Infrarot.de and they are already sold out just from pre-orders. Luckily, there are 3 currently available in the Amazon.de Marketplace if you really want it.

On the bright side, you can listen to the title track here, along with 14 other Welle: Erdball songs. The “Die Roboter” cover is not one of them, but it’s a really great place to listen to the band’s music.

For more info (in German only) about the new single, visit Welle-Erdball.de/Plastik.

Welle: Erdball - Ich Bin Aus Plastik single tracklisting
01. Ich Bin Aus Plastik
02. 0173-1923954
03. Die Roboter

Hecq is the artist name chosen by Ben Lukas Boysen, a Berlin-based musician who produces intelligent dance music (IDM) and, more recently, ambient electronic music. He is also fairly well known for his remixes for artists such as Haujobb, Black Lung, Snog, and In Strict Confidence (you may remember the Hecq Destruxxion remix album of ISC’s Exile Paradise which was released in June of 2007), but his latest work is all his own.

Night Falls is the name of Hecq’s new album and it is the fulfillment of his ventures into a more ambient sound that were started on his previous album 0000. Initial reports from his website put the release in March, but Infrarot.de has the release date listed as April 18th. Either way, you can now find the album there or on Ant Zen’s mailorder site (Ant Zen is in collaboration with Hecq’s label, Hymen Records, because they don’t have a mailorder site of their own).

You can listen to some of the songs on Night Falls at a number of different places. I recommend going to Hecq’s page on Virb or the page specifically for the album. You can also visit his MySpace page to hear some music. Just a note, though: He doesn’t use the standard MySpace music player. Instead, there’s a flash player in the left column underneath the name and contact buttons. Don’t miss it.

Hecq - Night Falls tracklisting
01. Night Falls
02. NeverLeave
03. Dis
04. Dis (Reverberation)
05. BendingTime
06. Aback
07. ComeHome
08. Giants
09. Magnetism
10. Redsky
11. Above
12. I Am You

Usually when a band describes their music as something new and hard to describe, it’s a load of bullshit. Amnistia is no different, then. The band’s own biography describes their music as being “without a main focus on trends in the clubscene.” And then immediately afterward, it says “kickdrums, hard basslines, snaresounds, discreet but striking placed samples and a charismatic voice are the attributes of their sound.” Is it just me, or did they completely contradict themselves there? I think they did. And a quick sampling of the music on their MySpace page confirms that all of this talk about sounding different and unique is meaningless. There are lots of bands that sound almost exactly like them. Why try to trick people into thinking otherwise?

The saving grace
You’re probably wondering by now if this band is even worth a listen, given my harsh criticism so far. Is it best to simply avoid Amnistia all together? No. Actually, their music is pretty good, and I would suggest having a listen. It may not be anything new, but a band’s sound doesn’t have to be new to be good. It just has to appeal to you, and if you like dark electro-industrial music, you will probably like Amnistia. So go and have a listen. Their new album Blackguard was just released on April 11th and is available at all the typical webshops.

The point
The whole point of my criticism is to show the stupidity of typical marketing campaign that tries to turn a band into something it’s not. Don’t lie (or let others lie for you) about your sound because you will be called out on it every time. You only stand to lose the respect of lots of would-be fans by doing this. You don’t have to be humble, just be genuine. Let people listen to your music and let them decide what genre you fit into or what bands you do or don’t sound like. Because at the end of the day when all is said and done, bands don’t place themselves into genres, fans do.

Amnistia - Blackguard tracklisting:
01. init²
02. emulate
03. anger management
04. blackguard
05. komplex
06. creed
07. fractured
08. zu staub
09. menacing
10. outrage
11. cold
12. our darkest path
13. scars [not just words]

E Nomine is a well known name among German music fans. Their catchy electronic dance music combined with traditional Gregorian-style chanting elements is quite an impressive combination to say the least. Unfortunately, it has been several years since a new E Nomine album was released and fans have begun to get anxious. The band hasn’t even updated their website in 3 years! There was a glimpse of hope last year when a new single called “Heilig” appeared on some music mailorder sites including Amazon.de, but the supposed December 28th, 2007 release was cancelled and we still have no new E Nomine to listen to.

Or do we? You obviously can’t order the single from anywhere, but a little bit of research did reveal a website where you can listen to short clips from this 6-track maxi single. Well, that’s a start. But I’ve also heard that the new album is called Das Dunkle Element and it’s been finished for a while now. It also appears to contain some songs that were already previously released (for example, the title track “Das Dunkle Element” was released on the “Das Böse” single). So what’s stopping the release? Maybe E Nomine is having label problems, maybe the members are having personal issues, I really don’t know. If you have any tips about E Nomine, please leave a comment and share your knowledge with us.

E Nomine - Heilig single tracklisting:
01. Heilig (Radio Edit)
02. Heilig (Single Mix)
03. Heilig (Rock It Radio Mix)
04. Heilig (Extended Version)
05. Heilig (Beat This Mix)
06. Heilig (Instrumental Mix)

E Nomine - Das Dunkle Element tracklisting:
01. Das Dunkle Element (Opening)
02. Wiegenlied (Album Version)
03. Element Interlude 1
04. Heilig (Single Version)
05. Element Interlude 2
06. Mala (Album Version)
07. Element Interlude 3 (Gebet)
08. Der Ring Der Nebelungen (New Version)
09. Element Interlude 4
10. Per L’Eternita (Album Version)
11. Element Interlude 5 (Spirale)
12. Spiegelbilder (Album Version)
13. Element Interlude 6 (des Lichts)
14. Carpe Noctem (Album Version)
15. Element Interlude 7
16. Wer Den Wind Sat…(Album Version)
17. Element Interlude 8
18. Espiritu Del Aire (Album Version)
19. Element Interlude 9
20. Ein Neuer Tag (Album Version)

Edit: Yes, I know most of the tracks on the album were already released. The album tracklisting is just a rumor so far, it’s not official, so please don’t mistake it for anything confirmed!

Patenbrigade Wolff is one of the bands I’ve discovered by listening to Radio Goethe, and they could become one of my newest favorite bands. I love everything I’ve heard so far and I’m really looking forward to their new album Demokratischer Sektor which is being released next week on Friday, April 18th. The electronics are precise and refined, very much in the style of EBM, but Patenbrigade Wolff is a bit more electronic and approaches synthpop at times. Their club mixes in particular are bouncier and less stompey than your typical EBM, but you still get that driving beat that pushes it beyond mere synthpop. No matter what you want to call it, it’s worth listening to and I am even putting it in my recommendations category.

If you haven’t taken the opportunity to hear Patenbrigade Wolff on some of the recent Radio Goethe podcasts, you can hear several of their new songs on their MySpace page. There, they have 2 standard album songs including the title track “Demokratischer Sektor” plus 4 great club mixes to listen to. You can also listen to samples from every song on the album on the band’s website by clicking Music in the menu and selecting the Demokratischer Sektor album.

The album is filled to the brim with music, containing 20 tracks with a playtime of almost 75 minutes. There are 3 versions to choose from, starting with the standard version in a jewel case. Next, there is a limited edition (to 555 copies) that comes in a metal box with a round window in the front to display the CD. And finally, the “Premium East Collectors Edition” is limited to just 111 copies and includes the metal box version, a limited T-shirt and other goodies all inside a special box. You can find all 3 versions in the Patenbrigade Wolff webshop which conveniently accepts PayPal payments. They also have the Maurerradio and Turmdrehkran singles, both of which made it into the top 10 of the Deutsche Alternative Charts when they were released last year.

Patenbrigade Wolff - Demokratischer Sektor tracklisting:
01. Maurerradio (Extended Version)
02. Sendersuche 1
03. Stalinallee
04. Sendersuche 2
05. Demokratischer Sektor (Blutfuss Club Mix)
06. Schusswechsel
07. Die rote Fahne fällt
08. Ostberliner Bauarbeiter (Rohbau Remix by KiEw)
09. Demokratischer Sektor (PvD Club Mix)
10. Turmdrehkran (Extended Version)
11. Maurerradio (Old School Retro Club Mix)
12. Mit jedem Sender Informationen
13. Turmdrehkran (Remix by Absurd Minds)
14. Turmdrehkran (PvD Club Mix)
15. Ostberliner Bauarbeiter (Club Mix)
16. Gefahrstoffe feat. Sara Noxx (Hocinoizeflug Club Mix)
17. Krantransport feat. Sara Noxx
18. Schadenshöhe unbekannt
19. Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler
20. Maurerradio (Remix by Leserotique)

Paul and a few others recently asked me when I was going to write about the upcoming Festival Kinetik, and I am happy to oblige. For those of you who haven’t heard about Festival Kinetik, it’s a new electro/industrial/noise festival that is replacing the C.O.M.A. Festival which ran from 2004 until 2007. It will take place in Montreal, Canada from May 15th to the 17th and will feature dozens of bands and DJs from North America and across Europe, including 5 from Germany. They are Funker Vogt, Kiew, Noisuf-X, Feindflug, and Xotox. Also worth noting, this will be the first North American appearance by the latter 2 bands.

Tickets and other info for attendees
Tickets to the festival are available in the Kinetik Store at various prices depending on what the package includes. The festival website also has lots of information for anyone who might be travelling from a distance about hotels, places to eat, and lots of other stuff about the city of Montreal.

Listen to the bands of Festival Kinetik
ArtOfFact has a 2CD compilation that has music by most of the bands that will be performing at the festival (plus a few extras) called Festival Kinetik Volume 1. While this is a great mix for fans to pick up, it’s also a terrific sampler for anyone who wants to learn more about the festival’s bands before making the decision whether to go or not. You can actually listen to every song from the compilation right there on the website. Just click on a track name and then look to the left side of the screen and click the play button. If you like it, the 2CD compilation is just 12.99 CAD to purchase.

Are you going?
Is anyone planning to go to Festival Kinetik? Leave a comment if you plan on attending, or if you just have something to say about one of the bands.

About Threadless
Threadless is one of my favorite websites. It’s a T-shirt printing company, but it’s completely different than any other T-shirt company because it’s 100% community-oriented. Anyone can create designs and submit them to the site, and then everyone votes on them and the best ones get printed. It’s a genius idea, the designs are practically guaranteed to to be great. If you’re not already a member or a customer, I would definitely suggest signing up to vote, submit a design, or go on a shopping spree.

How does this relate to German music?
Just entered into this week’s round of voting is a very awesome Kraftwerk-themed shirt by Webbins that features the classic image of the 4 members a la the Man-Machine cover, but Florian decided to be a bit more expressive than the typical uniformity of the band’s appearance with a yellow and green striped necktie. I just started laughing when I first saw it, it’s really funny if you are at all familiar with Kraftwerk. Go see the design here and be sure to vote 5$ for it!

Seabound’s US tour just finished up about a week ago, so we’re ready for the next bit of news from them. This Tuesday, April 8th, the band will be releasing their first live album called Come Forward-Live In Berlin. And for once, the United States will get a German release first. The German/European release of this album isn’t happening until April 25th because Seabound’s former European label, Dependent Records, shut down last year so it looks like the album is being released worldwide through Metropolis Records now.

Come Forward-Live In Berlin has 12 songs which makes it one of the shortest live album I’ve ever seen, but no doubt it’s worthwhile for any fan of the band. In North America, you can pre-order the album for just $12.98 direct from the Metropolis mailorder site. It’s the least expensive place I’ve found, plus you’ll get the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting the musicians and their independent label more directly. The least expensive place to pre-order it in Europe seems to be AlphaMusic.de which also provides some short samples of the tracks.

Seabound - Come Forward-Live In Berlin tracklisting:
01. Scorch The Ground
02. Exorcize
03. Poisonous Friend
04. Avalost
05. Contact
06. Domination
07. Castaway
08. The Promise
09. Hooked
10. Watching Over You
11. Torn
12. Breathe

Documentary about Einstürzende Neubauten planned
The Berlin-based film maker Uli Schueppel is planning a documentary about Einstürzende Neubauten’s first concert which took place on December 21st, 1989 in what was then East Berlin. This should be really interesting to see when it’s completed, but for now Uli is in search of anyone who attended that concert and who can provide some additional information for his documentary. Anyone who can help should contact him at info@schueppel-films.de.

Diary Of Dreams has a clothing collection
I don’t know how old this news is, but it caught me by surprise as I was browsing Infrarot.de. Apparently Diary Of Dreams has launched a clothing line in association with the gothic clothing company Aderlass. They have several different styles of jackets, trench coats, pants and skirts available. You can see them all on Infrarot.de here, but I have to warn you, they are pretty expensive. The prices range from €89.90 to €239.90.

Lacrimosa begins work on new album
Lacrimosa, the Swiss gothic metal band headed up by Tilo Wolff, has begun working on their next album. This will be the band’s 10th studio album since they formed in 1990, and their first major release since their 2007 live album Lichtjahre. If you’re in Europe, be sure to catch one of their upcoming concerts or the Blackfield Festival in Gelsenkirchen where they will be headlining.

I am very saddened to share the news that the former Kraftwerk drummer Klaus Dinger has recently died at the age of just 61 due to heart failure. He passed on March 21st, just a few days before his 62nd birthday, although the news was only recently released to the public.

Dinger, who started his musical career as a replacement for Andreas Hohmann as the drummer for Kraftwerk’s self-titled debut album, is most famous for his motorik style of drumming. After the Kraftwerk’s first album, he left to form another very famous German “krautrock” band, Neu! with another former Kraftwerk member Michael Rother and their producer Conny Plank. Then, after Neu! disbanded in 1975, Dinger went on to perform in a few other bands including La Düsseldorf and La! Neu?

Klaus was a truly foreward-looking musician and helped make history with the music he was a part of. He will surely be missed by many.