Aktivirus
(English translation by Guderia, 13. Oct. 1998.)
Die with Dignity "Kraut?"
Kraut? No, thanks, would be probably the answer in case we would sit in
a small German restaurant. But if we have a look at our confused
musical reminiscences and move in front of a record- or CD-player,
things change. Kraut? is also the name of a German band which
challenges in a genre or in a mixture of different genres. They are
slightly aged university students who are doing experiments, like
Kraftwerk some tens years ago, with electronic or tube-based instrumens
in all possible ways. The comparison with Kraftwerk is not accidental
at all, since I notice that in the liner notes they are thanking a
former member of the group, Klaus Dinger, who may have borrowed them
some maleficient device. The 16 tracks for more than 70 minutes of
'music?' are not standard at all: Some tracks, frankly said, are at
the limit of audibility, others, however, stimulate my interest by
their experimentality, free from any restriction by the producer or
record company (they are really free to do everything they want!)
(Among all I point on Feuertag, a jewel which could be the soundtrack
of a sketched commercial spot). Samples, crazy computers, drum
machines, but also blaring trumpets, violin pieces, keys. In this dry
summer, the CD can only be swallowed taking small sips. Just like good
Germans they might take everything extremely seriously, but this is
their nature and we can't help it. Something like that is difficult to
present in Italy, maybe because of our musical background, maybe
because of the hard-sounding German language which is still hard to
digest for our stomaches. Nevertheless, the booklet also contains the
English translation of the lyrics. While we are still waiting for the
new Kraftwerk, let's listen to the new Die with Dignity!
Filippo Michelini
