Live Review: Rotersand - Oberhausen 2017

Kulttempel, Oberhausen, Germany
15th April 2017
Rotersand, Future Lied To Us & Mehr Licht

After the release of the excellent album ‘Capitalism TM’, ROTERSAND is on tour again and of course I needed to see them live again knowing that I can expect a great evening entertainment. During the night in Oberhausen, ROTERSAND was supported by FUTURE LIED TO US and MEHR LICHT.


Mehr Licht

The new project of Lukas Schneider (AUTO AGGRESSION) was founded as a duo in 2015. Lukas plays keyboard and sings, his companion plays guitar and sings as well. The lyrics are in German language. The musical style can be described as a Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave) revival. But apparently they are inspired by EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN by the look at their Facebook appearance. https://www.facebook.com/mehrlichtmusik



Music & Performance
When the guys started to perform there weren’t many people at the venue yet. But those who were there couldn’t be convinced with the presented songs. The sound wasn’t mixed very well, partly you couldn’t understand the lyrics. But what you could understand then was of such a nonsense that I personally wished it wasn’t sung in my native tongue, e.g. “Ein Anzug ist ein Anzug. Ein Anzug ist keine Haut. Meine Mutter legt mir den Anzug zurecht. Und ich habe immer Recht!” (A suit is just a suit. A suit is no skin. My mother lays out ready the suit for me. And I’m always right!). Well, only because it rhymes doesn’t make it any better. Also the extended use of fog didn’t help. Fortunately the performance was a short one.

Rating
Music: 4
Performance: 4
Sound: 6
Light: 6
Total: 5 / 10




Future Lied To Us

This is a new project founded in 2016 by old stagers who are already known by their own projects: Vasi Vallis (NAMNAMBULU, REAPER, FROZEN PLASMA), Krischan Wesenberg (ROTERSAND, DJ, music producer, sound technician) and Tom Lesczenski ([:SITD:]). The concept of the band is described by them as: “Grown up in the eighties dreaming the dream of being musicians. The new millennium, a thrilling innocent- naive projection surface of visionary ideas. At this time we discovered ourselves as musicians, failed, failed again, failed better, rebuilt again, full of hopes. Believing in a future that never was. Carried by our passion we founded FUTURE LIED TO US. The gate of our undaunted optimism, our hopes; in the here and now, the short moment between past and future. Glittering, menacing, alluring, depressing but at all times new and imminent. Presence.“



The band made its first live appearance on occasion of the fourth Benefice festival at the Kulttempel Oberhausen in October 2016 with a few songs. This show was already so convincing that on this evening some of the guests appeared only to see this band again as I learned after the show. While Vasi and Krischan play the keyboards and do the sampling Tom is the singer. https://www.facebook.com/futureliedtous/

Music & Performance
Has the first act not being well received now the audience started to dance immediately to the songs. The music is a mixture of Electronic, Alternative, Synth Pop. Five songs were performed and the show was so convincing that the audience even shouted for an encore when the band left for good. Definitely a project I am looking forward to an album release.

Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Sound: 9
Light: 7
Total: 8.5 / 10




Rotersand

ROTERSAND is not only a famous light house in Germany but also a German band founded in 2002 by Rascal Nikov and Gunter Gerl (Gun). Both had already collaborated in different musical projects together before. In the same year DJ and producer Krischan J.E. Wesenberg joined the band. Characteristic for ROTERSAND is the extraordinary blend of Future Pop with Trance and Techno sound and the sophisticated lyrics beyond the clichés of the Gothic scene. Since some years the band reduced to a duo consisting of Rascal and Krischan. The released albums reached high positions in the DAC (German Alternative Charts), the Nordic Alternative Charts as well as in the Netherland Alternative Charts. The band toured alongside with ASSEMBLAGE 23, COVENANT on its “Skyshaper tour” through Europe and the USA and also with VNV NATION. The band has launched now six albums and twelve EPs. http://rotersand.net / https://www.facebook.com/rotersand



Music & Performance
With an instrumental intro by Krischan, the show begun before Rascal entered the stage and the party immediately started with an alternative version of ‘Merging oceans‘. Without any invitation needed, the people danced, clapped their hands and cheered loudly. But not only the audience danced. Rascal danced every now and then as well. Besides he wore a very hot PVC or latex outfit. After three older songs eventually one of the new songs was performed and of course it worked great live. For the medley ‘Capitalism/ Electric elephant‘, Rascal put a bowler with the ROTERSAND logo in front of it and a feather boa on while at ‘Monopole‘, which he introduced as a song for the boys, he was throwing a wad of notes into the audience - the special ROTERSAND currency. After this song, Rascal picked up an acoustic guitar and he and Krischan joked about it that a guitar doesn’t have a place in Electronic music. And for the next song he even played the e-guitar but before he started, he introduced Alex, the sound engineer and René, the light technician, to us.



With Rascal in front singing and dancing, putting on some accessories depending on the song he performs or joining the audience and Krischan mainly staying behind his table with the keyboards, you might get the impression that the latter is very introvert. But when he leaves his keyboard and starts to perform side by side with Rascal in front of stage, he rocks as hell, too. Coming back to the accessories: new to me was his mask with feathers but even more remarkable was Rascal’s performance with it. He moved in a way that I was very much reminded of the moves of the actors of the Chinese theatre. Very impressive. Most of the songs invited to dance exuberantly and though there were only a few quieter and slower songs to get some rest, the fans shouted for encores and got two before Rascal and Krischan left for good. Unfortunately the bass at ‘Welcome home’ was partly so extreme that it really hurt but maybe the sound was better more in the back as I was standing in front of the stage. A short while after the show the guys appeared at the merchandise stand for autographs, photos and a short chat.



Setlist
01. Merging Oceans
02. Lost
03. Dare to live
04. It’s about us
05. Waiting to be born
06. Capitalism/ Electric Elephant
07. Monopole
08. One level down
09. First Time
10. Disagree
11. Electronic World Transmission
12. Torn Realities
12. War on Error
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13. Welcome home
14. I cry
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15. Exterminate Annihilate Destroy
16. Undone

Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 10
Sound: 8.5
Light: 9
Total: 9.5 / 10




More on ROTERSAND


All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)