Artist: Rotersand
Title: How Do You Feel Today
Genre: Future Pop / Electro
Release Date: 13th March 2020
Label: Trisol / Metropolis Records
Album Review
With ‘How Do You Feel Today’, the band ROTERSAND, founded in 2002, is already delivering their seventh album. Many years have passed since the international impact that the second album ‘Welcome To Goodbye’ triggered and which made the band very popular. They toured a lot and continuously developed their work in the last 18 years. The fans have always been celebrating the intense live shows, in which the emotions sometimes spill over. The new record was eagerly awaited and is now available for dissection - or for dancing if you wish.
The album opener ‘Who Are We Now?’ starts as like it couldn’t fit any better for an ambitious band like ROTERSAND. The first around one minute and thirty seconds evolve from a chorus-like orchestral production with skilful and atmospheric vocals to a stirring dance floor killer. Both and nothing less had to be absolutely expected for the band’s connoisseurs. The song is an up and down of feelings and indeed a political lighthouse that wants to head you through the storm to come. ‘You Know Nothing’ sounds a bit naïve when you hear it for the first time with its carillon and fanfare-like parts, followed by rhythmic parts and very narrative staccato vocals.
What at first glance looks like a simple staging turns out to be a big hit at the latest when you listen to it again. The track had to be implemented in exactly this way, it is only logical. Don’t forget to catch the message! ‘Silence’ directly starts on a pure mature level and couldn’t have been written in a better way from bigger names from the eighties. All three first songs definitely again show the band’s infinite song writing abilities in width and depth and that ROTERSAND knows to take their advantage of strength and how to catch your heart.
‘Blind Vision’ continues where the predecessor left off. This cover of a BLANCMANGE song comes straight from the 80s with the small exception of a few modern sounds, a catchy composition that wants to be danced a lot. If this one will become a dance floor hit? Only time can tell. ‘Whatever’ is yet another song that is catchy and very club oriented and it now entered the German Alternative Charts (beside ‘Hot Ashes’). After listening to it a few times, you probably attest the high potential. No wonder that the band or label decided to register this piece to the charts. The track has got everything that is needed for a modern Future Pop song. Since the opener’s quiet parts ‘Elements’ is the first slow and ballad-like song on ‘How Do You Feel Today’. Whereas other ballads fail, this is produced at the highest level, a tune that would never leave your head again.
‘When You Go’ begins promising and shows a clear range from Techno and House influences to Synthpop. If you have thought you were already sweating, you will have to hold out now. It’s what some people call a monster. ‘Hot Ashes’ is the other song that climbs the German Alternative Charts right now and this is justified. This hit develops from the memorable and repetitive vocals, a clear and organised structure to a killer lead line. The message couldn’t be shorter, but it surely has to come to the point with such minimalism: “Dancing on the hearts of fascists, dancing on hot ashes” is the only content. ‘I Feel You Don’t’ takes up House and a few Electro Pop elements again. The song stretches in a reasonable length and moderate pace and slowly spreads its content of understanding the difference to the sung person, if you can rule out that the lines do not mean several people.
Shortly before the end of the record it becomes political again with ‘X’, which is more like a soundtrack. X here stands as an abbreviation of everything that is extreme. The profound song finds its climax in some detuning that underscores the story. ‘Heart Of Love’ directly reminds to DEPECHE MODE, that is obvious. The vocals are a little distorted and intoned like the supposed role model. Take a deep breath and listen to it again and you will find as much abysm and range as in the other songs. This one doesn’t even hesitate to use Post Punk elements, what is very refreshing after all.
‘How Do You Feel Today’ as a whole is surprisingly diversified, but probably you would have expected variety and countless influences as a long-time fan of ROTERSAND. And you were right. The sound is dense when it has to be dense and it is open and loose when it is required of it, the album can be said to have a pleasant dynamic range. That deserves praise and a few extra points! Finally, ROTERSAND have a story to tell and, as always, it has turned out to be extensive. You will not be disappointed for sure, but you have to let it happen to you.
Tracklist
01. Who Are We Now?
02. You Know Nothing
03. Silence
04. Blind Vision
05. Whatever
06. Elements
07. When You Go
08. Hot Ashes
09. I Feel You Don’t
10. X
11. Heart Of Love
Line-up
Rascal Nikov – Vocals
Krischan J. E. Wesenberg – Production, DJ
Website
https://rotersand.net / https://www.facebook.com/rotersand
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 10
Total: 9.5 / 10
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