Arndt Peltner, Radio Goethe’s producer, will be appearing at the German embassy in Washington DC on Saturday, May 3rd for a special DJ set from 10 AM until 3 PM. Aside from hearing some great music from some of the most creative musicians in Germany, you will also be able to sample German food, learn a lot about German culture and the work the embassy does, and tour the Ambassador’s residence during this time. I will be in town for this event also, so come join us for a day filled with culture.

EU Open House
This event is part of the EU Open House in which all the European embassies in the city are open to the public for the day. Everyone is invited to come in to experience what it’s like behind the gates and to learn about their respective countries and cultures. This open house event kicks off a week of European celebrations which ultimately lead up to Europe Day on May 9th.

Getting to the embassy
The German embassy is located just outside the main hub of Washington DC at 4645 Reservoir Road, NW. You can also see a list of all the European embassy locations and their events for the day here on CulturalTourismDC.org.

This week’s Radio Goethe podcast takes us into the realm of old medieval sounds. Whether it’s pagan folk or medieval metal, there are plenty of modern day bands that are strongly influenced by the music of past centuries. They use old instruments that you just don’t find these days, often hand-made, and some musicians even go as far as to sing in old languages or dialects and take their lyrics from ancient texts. This is a really fascinating genre of music which doesn’t usually get much attention outside of central Europe, but it’s great to listen to and broaden your horizons. Check it out now on RadioGoethe.org or iTunes.

This week’s Radio Goethe podcast
Tanzwut: Eisenmann
In Extremo: Raue See
Subway to Sally: Auf Kiel
Volkstrott: Zu schön
Corvus Corax: Dulcissima
Saltatio Mortis: Prometheus
Coppelius: 1916
Castus: Sommerkanon
Faun: Satyros (live)
Haggard: Herr Mannelig
Schelmish: Chaos
Qntal: Sleeping
Helium Vola: Fama tuba

Arndt just returned from a trip to Germany and brought back a bunch of new music with him which you can hear on the new Radio Goethe podcast. We have already talked about some of these songs here on Germaniac, like the latest singles from Nik Page and Songs Of Lemuria, so this podcast is the perfect opportunity to hear those for the first time. There are also a bunch of songs from new releases we haven’t discussed yet, but you can bet it won’t be long before we do.

Stream this latest podcast from the Radio Goethe website or subscribe to it on iTunes. Either way, you’ll be sure to hear a great variety of the latest music straight out of Germany.

This week’s Radio Goethe podcast playlist:
Ellen Allien: Frieda
Fenin: A try
Songs of Lemuria: Footprints on the moon
Nik Page: Vicious girls
Die kleinen Götter: Auf drei
Kleinstadthelden: Resignation und Aufstehen
Kettcar: Graceland
Tomte: Ich sang die ganze Zeit von Dir
Marr: Are you there?
IFF: Sandmann
Dead Brothers: La Paloma
K.C. McKanzie: Adam
Albi’s corner: Ancient lines
Smokestack Lightnin’: 7 years
Shiny Gnomes: Spirit of the band
Shiny Gnomes: Perfect with you

The new Radio Goethe podcast is online now at both the Radio Goethe website and on iTunes. While there is no particular theme or genre for this week’s show, the entire hour of music is great. Don’t forget to listen to it sometime this week.

A focus on Polarkreis 18
Polarkreis 18 is the first band on the podcast. I originally recommended this new band almost a year ago when this blog was still in its infancy and they quickly became a personal favorite. I was also recently talking to a friend in Germany who went to a Polarkreis 18 concert just a few weeks ago and he said it was one of the best shows he has ever been to. He really emphasized how talented the musicians are and how fantastic it was to hear the music live. I just wish I could have been there too. So if you haven’t listened to Polarkreis 18 yet for some odd reason, this podcast is a great opportunity to hear them for the first time. You can also hear more songs on their MySpace page.

This week’s Radio Goethe podcast playlist:
Polarkreis 18: Dreamdancer
Phillip Boa: On Tuesdays I’m not as young
Bratze: Im Auge des Lachs
Nachlader: Arbeitsgeld
Ascii.Disko: Aldimarkt
2raumwohnung: Besser gehts nicht
Rosenstolz: Ich bin ich
Falco: Der Kommissar 2000
Herbst in Peking: La Dolce Vita
Chamber: Freak wave
Unheilig: Spiegelbild
H-Blockx: Leave me alone
Doro: I rule the ruins
Doro: Für immer

I hope you’re in the mood for some hard rock and industrial metal, because that’s exactly what you’ll find on the current Radio Goethe podcast. Arndt serves up a hearty portion of some of our favorite guitar-oriented German bands like Megaherz, Die Krupps, KMFDM, and of course Rammstein. Thrown into the mix this week are a few new(ish) songs including the Die Krupps cover of Pop Will Eat Itself’s “Ich Bin Ein Auslander” which was released on their 2CD anthology this past October.

As usual, you can listen to a new podcast every week on RadioGoethe.org or subscribe to it on iTunes.

This week’s Radio Goethe podcast playlist:
Megaherz: Dein Herz Schlägt (read more about Megaherz)
Megaherz: Herzblut
Brandenburg: Ein heisser Blick
Riefenstahl: Es ist vorbei (read more about Riefenstahl)
Richthofen: Hart am Wind
Schweisser: Gelbkarierte Sakkos
Schwarz: Schwarz
Keilerkopf: Godzilla
Massendefekt: Ein Leben lang ist nicht genug
Die!: Lass es regnen (read more about Die!)
Metallspürhunde: Rattenfänger (read more about Metallspürhunde)
Witt: Supergestört und superversaut (read more about Joachim Witt)
KMFDM: Anarchy (read more about KMFDM)
Rammstein: Rammstein (read more about Rammstein)
Die Krupps: Ich bin ein Ausländer (read more about Die Krupps)

Using the Radio Goethe podcast as his vehicle, Arndt guides us on a journey into the world of German music, taking us a little bit further each week. I have been listening to the broadcast for many years now but there are still so many musicians I have not heard of. We have some examples of these on this week’s program, as we head towards one of those poorly-lit corners that people often hear rumors about but have never quite ventured into. I’m talking about atmospheric ambient music, a genre that sometimes teeters on the edge of being music at all. It’s very ethereal and perhaps even a bit spiritual, so you may soon feel yourself become weightless and floating off into some unknown state of mind. Take a ride with Radio Goethe this week and enjoy this unique experience.

This week’s Radio Goethe podcast playlist:
Troum: Ahmateins
[‘ramp]: Ozone
Resonator: Theme from Morgana
ALP: Au Bout
Deep Imagination: Planetary system
Realtime: Sunlight reflections
Klaus Schulze: Death of an analogue

The new Radio Goethe podcast has a bunch of great songs this week. Most of them are guitar-based, ranging from electronic rock to punk rock. The first couple songs are totally new to me and I am really enjoying them. Unfortunately, I can’t find their websites because the names are so generic. Any help?

A look at Alexx Wesselsky
Arndt also included 2 songs with Alexx Wesselsky on this podcast. “Königin der Nacht” is a fantastic song he guest-sang on for the band IFF, and then of course Eisbrecher is the band he created after leaving Megaherz. That’s a nice look at Alexx’s more recent musical projects, but recently on the Megaherz.com Forum, we have also been talking about the very first bands Alexx was involved with: Bad Hoven, Xanda, and Used Underwear. Feel free to join in the discussion there as we investigate this great singer’s early years.

Heiko Maile composes movie soundtrack
Camouflage member Heiko Maile recently composed the music for the German movie Die Welle. The soundtrack was just released on EMI this past Friday.

Listen to Radio Goethe
The Radio Goethe podcast can be found each week on RadioGoethe.org or on Apple iTunes. Or, if you’re lucky, you can find the Radio Goethe broadcast on a radio station near you. Check out the Radio Goethe website for details.

This week’s Radio Goethe podcast playlist:
Uptide: Deny
Sun: Swallow without chewing
Eric Fish: Turn the page
Sportfreunde Stiller: Pogo in Togo
Silbermond: Meer sein
IFF feat. Alexx: Königin der Nacht
Eisbrecher: Vergissmeinnicht
Rammstein: Amerika
Sputnik: Hallo
Stendal Blast: Nur ein Tag
Camouflage: We are lovers
Catastrophe Ballet: Consequently
Shiny Gnomes: In Nadreena’s Garden

The new Radio Goethe podcast has been up for a few days now, but it’s better to post about it a little late than never. This week, we start off with a new electro-pop band from Limburg called Bernstein. From there, the show wanders all over the place. We’ve got a bit of rock including a song from Staubkind’s latest album, a request for an electronic song, and some harder industrial-influenced tracks like a new KMFDM remix. To wrap things up, Arndt serves up a double shot of Subway To Sally’s folk-rock, which includes their Bundesvision-winning single “Auf Kiel”.

As usual, you can listen to the Radio Goethe podcast by downloading it on iTunes or simply streaming it directly from RadioGoethe.org. Be sure to tune in every week for more great German music.

Bernstein: Eisenwind
Hertzton: Verführer
Staubkind: Abschied
Glamourboys: Redeem yourself
Fury in the Slaughterhouse: Homesick
Rainald Grebe: Die Fete
Psyche: 6 feet under
Sonic Front: Crazy
Undergod: Berlin
Treibhaus: Kodek
KMFDM: Tohuvabohu (MS-20 Mix)
Wumpscut: Voodoo Void
Subway to Sally: Auf Kiel
Subway to Sally: Puppenspieler

This week’s Radio Goethe podcast dives right into some of the electronic music from Germany, mostly the more specific subgenres of EBM, synthpop and futurepop. There are even several remixes this week, which is something we rarely hear on the Radio Goethe broadcast. Arndt must have been feeling a little frisky when he was producing this show. It’s great this week! Stream it on RadioGoethe.org or download it from iTunes.

Rotersand: Lost
Funker Vogt: City of darkness
Neuroticfish: Why don’t you hate me?
Diorama: Synthesize me
Massiv in Mensch feat. Mind.in.a.box: Supermassive Gravity
Retrosic: Unleash Hell (Deeper into hell 2008)
Patenbrigade Wolff: Demokratischer Sektor (Club Mix)
Mind.in.a.box: What used to be (Short Storm)
Umbra et Imago: Glaubst Du (Remix)
E Nomine: Vater unser
E Nomine: E Nomine
Diary of Dreams: The Plague (Version N4-4)
Noisuf-X: Hit me hard (as hard as you can-mix)

Germany has been well known for their electronic music ever since Kraftwerk first started experimenting in 1970. Since then, countless new genres and subgenres have been formed, but they all share a common theme: the synthesizer. This week, Radio Goethe highlights some of the more modern electronic music coming from Germany. This show is just great, especially if you listen late at night when you can pretend you’re at some club in the heart of Berlin. Step on in at RadioGoethe.org or on iTunes.

Ellen Allien: Come
Sven Väth: Radical Majik
Chris Liebing: American Madness
Tomcraft: Broadsword calling Danny Boy
Galaxy Transport: Loy
Sascha Funke: Take a chance with me
Sascha Funke: Summer rain
ALP: Home of countess