Zwischen Demut und Disco Sankt Otten
Album info
Album-Release:
2018
HRA-Release:
12.07.2018
Album including Album cover
- 1 Das endgültige Scheitern der Melancholie 06:49
- 2 Der Kaffee spricht zu mir 06:44
- 3 Einmal große Ernüchterung bitte 03:43
- 4 Zwischen Demut und Disco 12:00
- 5 Die Ballade vom salonfähigen Zynismus 05:59
- 6 Wir sind die Guten 04:10
- 7 Ich habe mit der Welt noch ein Hühnchen zu rupfen 04:00
- 8 Ein bisschen Mitschuld bringt dich nicht gleich um 05:08
- 9 Der Abend ist gelaufen 14:25
Info for Zwischen Demut und Disco
The duo SANKT OTTEN from Osnabrueck (Germany), founded in 1999 and consisting of Stephan Otten and Oliver Klemm, releases music on Denovali since 2009. After Männerfreundschaften und Metaphysik (2016), a collaboration record with experimental guitarist „N“, Sankt Otten finally release their first new album since Engtanz Depression (2015).
Their new record starts with Das endgültige Scheitern der Melancholie (en.: the final failure of melancholy), which seems to be unfamiliar due to its euphoric mood, but also shows that Sankt Otten consequently develop their music in a sovereign way. The title track Zwischen Demut und Disco (en.: Between humility and disco) then particularly brings to the fore the duo’s admiration of analog synthesizers - timeless instrumental music without nostalgic flashbacks to the past. Warm electronica, human being and machine hand in hand, infused by an almost danceable beat who induces head-nodding.
On their LP Messias Maschine (2013) Sankt Otten already released three tracks with drum-legend JAKI LIEBEZEIT (CAN) who meanwhile passed away. While sifting old recordings an unreleased drum-recording by Liebezeit emerged. Based on that hypnotic rhythm the melancholic but driving track Wir sind die Guten (en.: we are the good ones) came into existence. Shedding some tears is surely appropriate and allowed. Sad music can make you happy.
But also friends of the more pad-oriented compositions of Sankt Otten get their money's worth. Die Ballade vom salonfähigen Zynismus (en.: the ballad on the presentable cynicism) and Ein bisschen Mitschuld bringt dich nicht gleich um (en.: a bit of complicity won't kill you) both are sugar-sweet and snuggling, but at the same time almost threatening. The album closes with the more than 14-minute long Der Abend ist gelaufen (en.: the evening is all over), where the particularly powerful but always minimal-repetitive drumplay by Stephan Otten stands out, while Oliver Klemm's typical ebow-guitar-drones bring the track to float.
The lovingly chosen track-titles are again located in aphorism, sarcasm and pun, while the musical quality of the tracks is also absolutely homogen. It’s not easy to highlight particular tracks but one could fall in love with each of them. Altogether a jewel for admirers of the 80’s sounds and German electronic music. Zwischen Demut und Disco (en.: Between humility and disco) is the holy trinity of krautrock, ambient and contemporary electronics, but always stylistically confident and unmistakeably Sankt Otten.
Sankt Otten:
Stephan Otten, drums, keyboards, programming
Oliver Klemm, guitar, keyboards
SANKT OTTEN
The German instrumental duo SANKT OTTEN already teamed up for building the first walls of sound in 1999. Since then, they have released 4 albums and several eps together. In 2009, they joined DENOVALI RECORDS to realize their 4th full length MORGEN WIEDER LUSTIG, followed by a SPLIT record with MAJEURE – the solo project of A.E. PATERRA from ZOMBI (Relapse Records) - in 2010.
On the MAJEURE split they for the first time showed a more distinctive interest to the world of 70s and 80s synthesizers. The new album GOTTES SYNTHESIZER continues this voyage into the synth’s heaven. A paradise of warm analogue sounds, sequencer lines and electric drums garnished with the typical soaring guitar drones of OLIVER KLEMM as the central theme of the album.By adding ingredients reminding of the German pioneers of progressive electronic music, SANKT OTTEN are moving the KRAUTROCK elements into a new context.
With FAST NEU IST AUCH GEBRAUCHT the full length includes an hommage to the old KRAUTROCK heroes NEU! just as a ROBERT FRIPP influenced 13 minutes monster piece like the title track GOTTES SYNTHESIZER. Other songs (DIE WELT IST JA NICHT ZUM AUSHALTEN or ICH VERLASSE MICH SELBST) are rather influenced by STEPHAN OTTEN’s energetic electric drums. Mellow epic ambient hymns like WIR SIND DEINE PROPHETEN or DAS ENDE VOM LIED are their great tool to create a connection between specific soundscapes in order to make a coherent album out of the single tracks. The main excellence of this full length is that SANKT OTTEN are combining influences of an old genre with elements of today’s music to a new interesting mixture.
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This album contains no booklet.