Imagine there is a seven-headed rythmic beast with a percussionist, drummer, bassist, keyboardist, two horn players, and a DJ up on the stage embracing the musical totality of the world without any folklore kitsch, its subtlety and urban club grooves crossing various divisions in musical genre.  Feindrehstar is standing on the stage. The studio recordings of this unique Jena-based band have long been known to capture the live energy of their onstage performances. And now Feindrehstar presents their second album named „Love & Hoppiness“ – five years after their brilliant debut „Vulgarian Knights“. A lot has happened in the meantime: countless club and festival gigs, an inspiring African tour as well as countless hours spent working in the studio. „Love & Hoppiness“ matured over three years, a musical puzzle that was composed at different locations – the first recordings developed in the fall of 2012 with Michel Baumann (Soulphiction, Jackmate) and Nik Reiff in Stuttgart. Further overdubs with a trombone, violoncello, guitar and vocals followed at various home studios and conservatories.

 

That's right, vocals have been brought onboard this otherwise instrumental band. Owing to these vocal tracks with Dave Aju, Ebo Taylor and Tina Keserovic on the microphone, Feindrehstar’s sound continues to develop. Jazz, soul and funk vibes shine through on tracks like „Antelope“, a track featuring the vocals and guitar of legendary Ghanaian musician Ebo Taylor.

At first, Taylor thought Feindrehstar rocked too hard – however in the end, things got mellow and he had so much fun that he recorded guitar tracks with enthusiasm.  It was clear right from the start that everything clicked with Dave Aju – the smooth soul-soaked hiphop of „From Bob To Stevie“ standing out on the album.

 

Feindrehstar call their music Krautclub, and the reason ought to become clear in „Caje Sukarije“:  a classic Balkan funk sound taken over by wild synth loops that become fused together in a haze of electro-funk. It is in fact a Roma anthem sung by Tina Keserovic. The album takes a chiller, newer direction with „The New Ballad“, „Blues For Bagdad“ as well as the completely acoustic ballad „Love & Hoppiness Int.“ with cello and clarinet, anchoring the album in a captivating calm.

 

Despite the many new directions, the genre defying yet danceable club sound of Feindrehstar remains. „Love & Hoppiness“, „Deep Horse“, „Shake That“ und „Night Rainer Diskodub“ show once again that after 15 years of rocking dance floors, Feindrehstar's energy hasn't diminished.  Feindrehstar will ensure that clubs and festivals will be well supplied with their estatic performance into the future. 

Love & Hoppiness

From Bob To Stevie (feat. Dave Aju)

Feindrehstar - From Bob To Stevie (feat. Dave Aju)

Musikkrause
Started as a FAT sister label, with an eccentric bent and experimentally “too intellectual” with its heads out the window. Above all, a raw cut and clever yet boozy funk understanding from Metaboman the platform was, always MK, but a shared stylistic closeness through Robag Wruhme. In the present as an emancipated partner alongside FAT on the same level. Here comes about the stuff which is a bit club dweller-ish outsider (!): functional, experiment, melodic lone purloiner, slicked up snarky paired with a jazzy panorama and frivolic understanding of song hand in hand. As special tid-bits come to light next to Metaboman along with Krause Duo and Robag Wruhme and other sonic artists like Ian Simmonds, Schleck und Stecker, Portable, Someone Else on Musikkrause the shine of the speaker boxes.
   
With a wide awake view to the future, the right mélange of tradition, down-to-earth instincts and the adventurist appetite bend the parameters in the direction of…wrong-headed sympathetic humanity in a paradise of electronic music brought to tears, scrumptious, freak-out and fleshly depth. There is also the exception without the cemented delusions of grandeur…how does the German sitcom main character Stromberg put it: “If you allow the butter to be taken from the bread, then eventually you won’t even have the bread!”


Feindrehstar - From Bob To Stevie (feat. Dave Aju)

MUSIK KRAUSE