N°77 ALPHAVILLE - FOREVER YOUNG

For those amongst you who actually expected Alphaville in the previous link I’ll give you what you want. No problem with bringing some eighties music. 

They’re a German poppy synthesizer band founded early 1980’s and untill today they are still producing new records. Their latest album is titled Catching Rays On Giant and was produces only two years ago in 2010. In between this first album, from which Forever Young is the title track, in 1984 and Catching Rays they created twelve more original albums  (no best off or anything) of which one live album called Stark Naked and Absolutely Live. You could say their Singles Collection album is some kind of Best Off album though.

Alphaville actually started off under a different band name which was a bit gay to me. It sounded …. Forever Young so with this song we have the new band name and the old one combined in band name and song name. Alphaville became the band’s name just before the release of the first album in 1984 and it was based on the movie Alphaville. Anyway it sounds way cooler.

At the moment lead singer Marian Gold is the only remaining founding member. Bernhard Lloyd left the band in 2003 after a taning succes in the nineties and twennies. Frank Mertes left the band right after their first succes with the singles Big in Japan, Sounds Like A Melody and Big In Japan. Started ad a three man band they’re now a quartet with Marian Gold, Martin Liser, David Goodes and Pierson Grange. No German sounding names anymore.

I’ve chosen a song from their first album since that album contains the most hits. I don’t know any of their recent songs but since they’re still performing and recording I guess the rest of the albums aren’t crap … at least for the fans that is.

N°76 GUANO APES - BIG IN JAPAN

If anyone expected to hear Alphaville with Big in Japan I’m terribly sorry but I feel that the Guano Apes cover is way better than the original so here it is:

Guano Apes are a German rockband with a female lead singer (Sandra Nasic) who has a very sharp voice. Apart from Guano Apes she also delivered the vocals fora n Apocalyptica song but I can’t recall which one. I’ll have to go and search for it. All I know is that I think she a pretty good singer. Probably agressive undertone in her voice.

The band itself is a mixture of rap and metal. Sandra joined the band a little later than the still originals members and musicians. 1994 that is and it took them 3 years to create Proud Like A God, their first studio album. Their career got launched after they won a rock contest with their probably best known single Open Your Eyes. Must I say their first album contains the best known songs as there are also Lord of the Boards and Rain.

Later they’d produce a few more albums Don’t Give Me Names (2000), Walking on a Thin Line (2003) and Bel Air (2011) in between followed by two compilation albums. Big in Japan can be found on the second album and Living in a Lie is also on of the beauties.

The Guanos split up in 2005 since all of them wanted to go their own way and do their own thing in music. This is when Sandra caught up with that Apocaplyptica lyrics which I still can’t remember. I’ll get to it. She also release dan album of her own with little succes.

But they missed the band I guess and in 2009 some reunion concerts were given throughour Europe followed by writing on new songs. From this writing came a brand new album last year which already released 2 singles (Sunday Lover and Oh What A night). A third one is foreseen fort his year.

Now enjoy the Guano Apes !

N°57 DUNE - RAINBOW TO THE STARS

Duin in Andre Van Duin's can be translated into English as 'dune' and so I came up with this German hardcoredance and rave act. DJ Oliver Froning is the musical brain while Dune never had the same lead singer for a longer period of time. Dune actually had 3 singers perform since it's first gig back in 1995. Verena Von Strenge (1995-1997 and 1999) was followed by Vanessa Hörster (1997-1999) and Tina Lacebal (2000-2003) was the final singer untill the band split up. Verena would achieve a solo carreer which never really took off a,d DJ Oliver from time to time still performs under the name off his old group at several retro house parties in Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany.

Dune releasd 8 albums in a six year timespan. This is quite normal for a dance act since they come and go on a regular base. The albums even include a live album which is seldom seen in the world of rave acts. I've got to know them from the song 'Are you ready to fly' but then I should always post the most known songs huh?

Let's dance !!!!

N°44 NIELS VAN GOGH - PULVERTURM

From Rembrandt to Van Gogh is only a very small step actually. Both grandmasters in the art of painting is the link I used. I find it well found actually.

Niels van Gogh, a German, deejay, is kind off an old icon of mine. Pulverturm is a classic in the dance scène and also this Doppelgänger is pretty well known. That was before my music style switched over to the more alternative style. Anyway, he still is a great DJ although I haven't followed it up the last ten years or so. This also is a bit like traveling back in time for me.

Niels Van Goghs career started back in 1994 as a small deejay on different major shows such as The Berlin Love Parade but his first album would only follow ten years later in 2004. Even that's six years after scoring a monster hit with Pulverturm. In 2006 a new album was released called Frequenzklang followed by some remix albums and a series of We Love Techno albums.

I was 22 when Pulverturm became a huge hit in 1998 and I must say I danced my guts out back then. Anyway my next link will have to be sought in the translation of the word Pulverturm, which is a ancient medeievel word for gunpowder. I hope I find the next link soon.

P.S. Apologies if updates appear at irregular times at the moment. Holidays and this weekends Pukkelpop have put this blog a little bit behind but that should be solved starting from next week on.

Greetings and enjoy