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Focus on Germany As of last year, the EuroSonic festival places one European country in the spotlights because of its interesting musical developments taking place in that country. Last year this was France, this year the focus is on Germany. And that makes more sense than you would think at first sight. Ok, Captain Jack is dead, Scooter’s last single wasn’t very successful and the popularity of David Hasselhoff in German-speaking countries is declining since he’s focusing on hiphop, but there is a lot going on at our neighbours’.
Berlin is the hippest capital of Europe and the electronica scene of Germany is world leading. Keep in mind that Germany has always been a country where a lot of musical inventions took place. How would the music scene look nowadays without artists like Bertold Brecht, Kurt Weill, Neu!, Can, Einstürzende Neubauten, Kraftwerk or a typical German phenomenon like the Neue Deutsche Welle? Exactly. There is praise for these achievements in other countries. It’s no coincidence that a band from the US like the Dresden Dolls is inspired by the German musical heritage.
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Germany is a country that loves music and it shows by its extensive circuit of venues. A big part of its population of more than 80 million is very interested in music and likes to go to concerts. Add to that the enormous diversity of contemporary? German society and you’ve got the reason Heinos’ hegemony has been broken down. Who could´ve thought that a reggae band like Seeed originates from Berlin?
Bands from neighbouring countries are starting to realise this and are also aiming for the German market now, instead of only trying to make it in the US and the UK. The German market is open more than ever for music from other countries. Meanwhile the interest in German music is still going strong without having to make any concessions. German artists no longer have to sing in English to be successful. Germany is slowly starting to be proud again of her language and culture and has reasons to be proud.
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Other countries are ready for it, as can be seen by the success of a super German band like Rammstein. The former East-German band uses so much self-mockery, musical intelligence and humour in her songs that it´s hard not to like them. They have a distinctive sound, with their machine-like metal with Teutonian rhythms, and are a good example of the innovative German music. They look over their shoulder to the German history and musical heritage and translate it to the present day. The band is even doing great in the US, a country in which it´s hard to be successful if you´re from a foreign country. And, not something to take lightly: they sing in German, a language that, for most people, is not understandable. With that they are pioneers for German bands singing in their mother tongue, that want to be successful in other countries. More German bands are hesitatingly following them. The very popular band Wir Sind Helden already made it to the Netherlands’ oldest popfestival, Pinkpop. It´s just a quick taste of what is yet to come. Now the prejudices of our neighbouring country are finally starting to fade, it´s time to judge the band by their music and not by their descent. And there are some affengeile bands coming from Germany, as you can see at this years EuroSonic. And we promise you, you don’t have to wait until the extra time before they will strike.
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