Huxleys Neue Welt, Berlin, Germany25th October 2014
Solitary Experiments, T.O.Y., NamNamBulu & Torul
Do you remember your 20th birthday? It was a great party, wasn’t it? And so SOLITARY EXPERIMENTS decided to make a huge party out of their anniversary. The band invited other bands and made their birthday celebration a mini synth-pop festival. A party needs good music, cake and guests with good mood - this evening had all of those things and so it became a night to remember.
Torul [Fee]
The people who have also been at Blackfield Festival this year might have already heard about the band. Maybe some of you know the band because they listen to other bands of Infacted Recordings. And maybe there are people who haven’t attended a festival where TORUL where playing and don’t care about record labels or recommendations from friends and still don’t know them. Here’s a little band history: Founder of the band is Torul Torulson who is active in the music scene since the 1990s as Torul W. He founded the band itself years later after having some club hits as Torul W. in 2010 TORUL released their debut album ‘Dark Matters’. In 2013 the Slovenian band was the support act for MESH. www.torul-recordings.net / www.facebook.com/torul
Music & Performance
A totally full venue. Lights off. Some guy next to me looking to the stage. Waiting. And then TORUL entered the stage. I must admit that I’m a little fan of their music. I like the mix of electro pop and synth-pop and the voice of Jan Jenko. The guy next to me seemed to be a huge fan as he knew all the lyrics an sang along loudly, stretched for the stage and danced. He sometimes made me look more into his direction than to look straight on stage. I have never seen someone enjoying a concert that much. I did like the band’s sound which always reminds me of Dave Gahan’s ‘Kingdom’, I don’t know why but this always comes to my mind when listening to them. And maybe the handsome looking Jan Jenko helps my imagination a bit this. TORUL performed ‘The Fall’, one of my favourite songs by them and made me a happy girl. It was good to see that the band had not the usual problems an opener band has: the audience didn’t need to be woken up by them and joined the band’s sounds.
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 6
Light: 8
Total: 7.5 / 10
NamNamBulu [Fee]
I remember how upset I was in 2005 when I found out the band broke up and that Vasi Vallis who is also a member of FROZEN PLASMA and REAPER and well-known as a producer for several other bands and projects and Henrik Iversen weren’t making songs together anymore. A bit more information who are less obsessed with synth-pop than I am: Henrik Iversen is responsible for lyrics and vocals, while Vasi Vallis is doing what he’s best at - composing and arrangement. The band split up in June 2005 and re-united in 2013. www.namnambulu.com / www.facebook.com/namnambuluofficial
Music & Performance
I first discovered the band through a friend who was listening to it a lot and recommended their music to me in 2004. I remember a lot of evenings sitting in her room, listening to ‘Distances’. I was way too young to go to one of their concerts but had the hope to see them live when I’m a bit older. The band parted in 2005 and I was really upset. Not this cheesy upset which was described from girls when TAKE THAT split up, but definitely upset.
When I found out the band was playing shows again in 2013, I was happily clapping my hands. But fate had other plans for me than going to one of their shows. Due to private stress I couldn’t see them live in 2013, so I really had to wait 10 years to see them perform live. What can I say? Henrik Iversen sung perfectly. He entertained the audience with some jokes when leading from one song to another and his band mate Vasi Vallis got lost into the music. He danced a bit behind his synthesizer and smiled a lot. For the first time in my life I didn’t see him take out his phone to film the audience, maybe he took the question about it from our interview in August a bit too seriously. Just kidding. The audience celebrated the bands songs as if they would have never parted. Still everyone remembers the lyrics to ‘Memories’, I guess. This was the last song the band played that evening and it brought back the memories of sitting in my friends room years ago and listening to ‘Distances’. Maybe I should call her later…
Setlist
01. Alone
02. Deception
03. Beaten
04. Guardian Angel
05. Moments
06. Now Or Never
07. Sorry
08. Memories
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Sound: 6
Light: 8
Total: 8 / 10
T.O.Y. [Susann]
T.O.Y. started in 1992 as EVIL’S TOY as the project of Volker Lutz and Thorsten Brenda and they released their debut album ‘Human Refuse’ in 1994. Their combination of distorted vocals and EBM rhythms with occasional touches of melody proved relatively successful, though their real breakthrough came two years later with their ‘Organics’ single, which received significant airplay on both sides of the Atlantic. The ‘Illusion’ album in 1997 was the last by this act that might accurately be defined as "industrial". Even then, there were signs that the band's style was moving towards synth-pop, with the ‘Angels Only!’ album the following year moving away from distorted vocals. Soon after renaming themselves, the re-formed band released their first album: ‘Space Radio’, which defined a fresh and revitalized style. Their second album under the name ‘White Lights’ was diverse and followed a similar line that was familiar to listeners of the previous album. In September 2014, Markus Helmert, who was playing keyboards and drums, had to quit the band due to health reasons. About the same time, Taranczewski re-joined the band as a keyboardist. Together the new/ old line-up will finish the upcoming album ‘Pain is Love’ as well playing live gigs. http://www.toy-music.info / https://www.facebook.com/pages/TOY
Music & Performance
T.O.Y. had their performance right before the headliner should enter the stage. After I could hear the guys already three weeks ago in Leipzig, I was looking forward to her performance. The show started with the same songs as in Leipzig, but due to the longer playing time and a few older pieces from the EVIL’S TOY time were played. Volker’s voice that fascinated me in Leipzig and in Berlin I was amazed at how good he sounds live. All numbers were very danceable again and invited to celebrate. Volker also managed to inspire the audience and they all celebrated together with the T.O.Y. performance. A special highlight was the guest performance of Thomas Elbern (ESCAPE WITH ROMEO) who 'The Final Night' and 'True Lovers' accompanied by his acoustic guitar. I hope T.O.Y. to experience in the future more often in Germany and am looking forward to a concert near my home town.
Setlist
01. Intro
02. Welcome to Spaceradio
03. I hear you calling
04. Dream with me
05. Do dreams bleed?
06. Fairytale
07. Virtual State
08. Style
09. Three Words
10. My way to you
11. Wired / connected
12. Long Distance Ride
13. The final night (Guest Thomas Elbern)
14. True Lovers (Guest Thomas Elbern)
15. We are electric
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 8
Sound: 6
Light: 9
Total: 8 / 10
Solitary Experiments [Susann]
The band's history began in 1993 with an Amiga 500 and a Kawai K4 Synthesizer. Michael Thielemann and Dennis Schober, who know each other since 1992, experimented with this equipment under the name PLAGUE. Just one year later, in 1994, the founding of the SOLITARY EXPERIMENTS project was decided. The first demo tape ‘Risque De Choc Electrique’ was released in 1996 with the participation of the singer Dana Apitz. In the same year the first official release on the compilation Electronic Future Compilation Vol. 1 occurred with the song ‘Dein Fleisch’. The band gained their first concert experience and programmed more songs, which led to the second demo record ‘Death In Small Doses’ 1998. Afterwards, Dana Apitz left the band. Therefor the keyboarder Steve Graeber came in. It was followed by other publications of single songs and the first foreign concert line-up. The increasing awareness of the band helped her finally in 1999 to a contract with record label Maschinenwelt, which in the same year realized the release of their debut album ‘Final Approach’. http://www.solitaryexperiments.de / https://www.facebook.com/solitaryexperiments
Music & Performance
20 years of SOLITARY EXPERIMENTS. The show can start. After listening to three wonderful opening acts and very short changeovers started SE their anniversary show. For me it was the first concert of SE and I was surprised that the audience fully went along from the first song. The mood went along through the whole concert and you didn’t realise that the show went for almost three hours. Between the songs Dennis animated the audience from time to time, although it wasn’t necessary because the people over there were in a good mood and ready for a party. The guest appearance of Ulrike Goldmann at ‘Do You Feel‘ was a visual highlight on stage. Also André Hartung and Tobias Hartwig brought fresh breeze on the stage with their performances. For their show, they brought along great LED illumination and a fantastic show full of power. The only negative aspect of the evening was the sound settings. But this already stretched through the appearances of the other bands and it did no harm on the mood of the evening.
After SE played a lot of add-ons they were celebrated by the audience with a lot of applause and also Lydia and Jens came to the stage again to let the evening end and to give a big thank you to SE for the great show and the whole evening with wonderful bands. As a surprise they brought a big chocolate cake to the stage and hand it out to SE. All together you can say it was a great show, a good party and I hope to see the next one real soon.
Setlist
01. Immortal (Extended)
02. Point of View
03. Fast Forward
04. Deja’vu
05. Homesick
06. Apologize
07. Pale Candle Light
08. Glory and Honour
09. Wasteland
10. Delight
11. Do you feel (Guest Ulrike Goldmann)
12. Odyssey of mind
13. Pandoras Box
14. When the Love seems lost
15. Game Over
16. No Salvation
17. Alles was bleibt (Guest André Hartung)
18. Trial and Error (Extended)
19. Land of Tomorrow (Guest Tobias Hartwig)
20. Epiphany
21. Rise and Fall
22. Stars
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23. Smalltown Boy (Guest Manuel G. Richter)
24. P:Machinery (Guest Manuel G. Richter)
25. Bitte, Bitte (Guest Manuel G. Richter)
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26. Miracle
27. The Dark inside me
28. Watching over you
Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 9
Sound: 6
Light: 9
Total: 8.5 / 10
Full Gallery
All pictures by Helge Roewer (www.hr-pictures.de)
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