Germany Finds Its

7/30/2019 Germany Finds Its

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Germany Finds its "Superstar"IDOLS, SUPERSTARS, ROCK GODS AND RAVERS...

1 Kraftwerk is Back

2 Cracking Down on Bootlegs

3 Berlins Music Magnet Attracts Popkomm

4 The Love Parade is Dead, Long live the Love Parade

5 Having a "Conscious Party"

6 Pop Music Academy Opens its Doors

7 An Interview with Oasis' Noel Gallagher

8 Germany Finds its "Superstar"

9 Sing it Loud, Proud and in German

10 Popkomm Opens with Pledge of Governmental Support

11 Politics Goes Pop in Cologne

The "German Robbie Williams" wins Germany's version of the ultra-successful British

and US superstar competition, "Pop Idol." Almost 13 million viewers voted for 19-year-

old Alex Klaws.

Due to storm the

charts, or look good

trying

Weeks of gaudy

showmanship,

suspect singing and

nail-biting ended

Saturday as German

television viewers

chose 19-year-old Alex Klaws as the country's next "superstar."

Around 12.8 million viewers tuned in to watch Klaws and Juliette Schoppmann, a 22-

year-old singer from the town of Stad near Hamburg, duel it out on the final episode of

the ratings-topping show. "Deutschland Sucht den Superstar" (DSDS), the German

version of the successful British creation "Pop Idol," prompted the creation of mighty fan

blocs around the 10 finalists culled from nearly 10,000 applicants.

As the contestants were narrowed down over a two-month period, the blocs seemed to

consolidate behind Klaws, who was the bookie's bet to win the final.
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Juliette

The fresh-faced,

sugary Klaws,

billed alternately as

the "housewife's

choice," and

Germany's answer

to British pop star

Robbie Williams,

sang Williams'

"She's the One" and pranced about the stage to "Maniac" from the movie "Flashdance."

Schoppmann (photo) countered with Mariah Carey's "Through the Rain" and the Weather

Girls' "It's Raining Men."

Both closed with "Take Me Tonight" written by DSDS jury member and "Modern

Talking" star Dieter Bohlen. The song, due to saturate German radio and music television

in the coming weeks, sealed the victory for Klaws. At 12:42 a.m., the hosts announced

Klaws received 70.1 percent of the call-in vote.

Video shoot begins Tuesday

"Alexander is absolutely teenie-suitable," said Bohlen following the show. "He fits in

perfectly with young target-groups and belongs on the cover of every magazine."

Hundreds in Klaws' native town of Sendenhorst (population 13,000) following the final

episode on a big screen erupted in cheers at the announcement. An already heady few

months for the clean-cut student are due to get even crazier. For his victory, Klaws

received a 250,000 ($276,000) advance on his record contract. On Tuesday, he flies off

to Prague to shoot the video to "Take Me Tonight." His album is due out within a month.

The clear winner in all of this was German TV channel RTL. Europe's largest

broaadcasting company replicated the success enjoyed by "Pop Idol" in Great Britain and

the U.S.Watching their every move

An average of 10 million viewers tuned in every Saturday since the show began in

January. The 10 finalists' every move in their fenced-off "Superstars" house in Cologne

was splashed across Germany's mass-circulating Bild tabloid.

For the final episode, show producers were able to pack 18 minutes of advertising time


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worth 2.3 million euro, into the four-hour show. "Superstar" extended coverage following

the show kept viewers awake into the wee hours of the morning.

Plans are already in full swing for the next edition of "Superstar," due to begin filming in

the fall.

DW.DE

Eurovision and Pop Idol Fever Hits Germany

Germany is bracing itself for some racy television action as it selects its entry for the

Eurovision Song Contest in a live final broadcast on Friday night and picks its "Pop Idol"

on Saturday.

Elmar Brandt,

Germany's top

candidate for the

Eurovision song

contest, wants to

send Schrder to

Latvia.

Germany is gearing

up for a double-

helping of trash

television this weekend.

On Friday evening, the nation will decide who will represent Germany in this year's

Eurovision song contest, the Europe-wide annual music event.

And on Saturday evening, after months of tabloid hype and massive audience ratings,

millions are likely to be glued to their sets as the final of the German version of cult

reality TV show "Pop Idol",("Deutschland Sucht den Superstar" -- 'Germany Searches for

its Superstar') gets underway.

The build-up to

both competitions

has been marred by

illness. "Superstar"


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finalist Alexander Klaws (photo), who is regarded as the 'housewife's choice', has been

languishing in bed all week with flu, prompting speculation that fellow finalist Daniel

Kblbck, would step in to replace him. Until last week, when the 17-year-old Bavarian

was voted off the show, Kblbck was the most prominent of the teen pop idolettes. But

at the last minute, doctors gave Klaws the all-clear, dashing Kblbck's second chance to

become Germany's Pop Idol.

The live "Superstar" final between 19-year-old Klaws and 22- year-old Juliette

Schoppmann, a musical singer from Hamburg, will be broadcast on private channel,

RTL2 live from Cologne. As in the British and American versions of the same show, the

winner receives a recording contract and will be catapulted into the lime light.

Further north, in Kiel, Elmar Brandt is doubtless the most interesting candidate to

represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest on May 24 in Riga, Latvia. Brandt too

is under the weather, recovering from a bout of tonsilitis.

Better known as the Gerhard Schrder impersonator -- who shot into the limelight some

months ago with his "tax song" -- Brandt will perform alongside a rubber "Spitting

Image"-style puppet of the German chancellor if he makes it to the Eurovision. However,

his record company, Warner Music told DW-WORLD on Friday he was now well enough

to perform

"Send Schrder to Latvia"

Brandt is one of 14 finalists who will battle it out in the preliminary contest broadcast live

from Kiel this evening. He is, however, the only one to have made into the top 40 with

his Eurovision offering, "Alles wird Gut" ("Everything will be OK".) The song, which is

a satirical attack on the failings of the Schrder government as it battles to help its ailing

economy out of recession, is currently at number 18 in the German charts.

He is currently the bookies' favourite and German tabloid, Bild has been backing Brandt's

campaign to "Schick Schrder nach Lettland" (Send Schrder to Latvia.) Various German

celebrities, including German prince of Pop, Dieter Bohlen and Pop Idol wannabe, Daniel

Kblbck are backing the 31-year-old from Kln who also has a satirical sketch radio

show, "Die Gerd Show" (The Gerd Show.)With political satire usually the reserve of the left wing, Brandt's use of it is surprising,

not least because it lambasts the current German government over its reform packages

and tax hikes. The conservative CDU party used part of the song, offering it as a free

download on its official website, before being forced to remove it after the record

company complained.


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However, Brandt contends that he is not affiliated to any political party, conservative or

otherwise.

"We see ourselves as neutral, as political observers," Peter Bortz who wrote the lyrics to

"Alles wird Gut" told DW- WORLD. "We've done things in the past which have been

very positive towards the chancellor," he added.

And for those for whom Eurovision is all about the collective experience, help is at hand.

For 6 ($6.3), die-hard Eurovision fans will be able to follow the 14 finalists fight it out

on the big screen in the German capital, where one cinema will broadcast the Eurovision

pre-lims live.WWW LINKS

The Gerd Show

Elmar Brandt's official home page -- in englishARD Eurovision in Kiel

Popkomm Opens with Pledge of Governmental SupportIDOLS, SUPERSTARS, ROCK GODS AND RAVERS...

1 Kraftwerk is Back











The world's largest music conference kicked off on Thursday with the announcement of

the establishment of a regulated Internet exchange and a renewed commitment to the

promotion of

German music.

It's the sound of

music at Popkomm

2003 in Cologne.

No one could have
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blamed the atmosphere at the 15th Popkomm if it turned out to be a little negative. The

final year of its residency in Cologne before it departs for Berlin would be reason enough

for sadness among those who have regularly visited the worlds largest music conference

in its traditional home. Add to that the rather depressed nature of the music industry in

Germany, and it becomes a natural assumption that the annual celebration of creativity

and business should have whimpered its way into the annals of Colognes history rather

than go out with a bang.

Instead, the conference opened with high spirits and talk focussed on the future, not on

the past. The introductory speech, given by a surprisingly upbeat Wolfgang Clement, the

federal minister for economics and labor, was expected by many to bemoan the current

struggles that have beset the music industry. But Clement, jocular and relaxed before a

large crowd, dismissed the negative statistics and delivered positive words and

determined plans.

Wolfgang Clement

wants to help

promote the

German music

industry.

The government

steps in

Referring to his

long association

with the

conference, Clement called Popkomm "a 15-year-old child who is now reaching puberty."

And like any child of this age, it will not look back at what has gone before, but will look

towards the future. The anniversary event, he said, gave reason to look at the crisis in the

music industry with a vision not of problems to come, but new challenges and new

beginnings.With the music industry closing ranks to protect itself against copyright infringements,

musical piracy and depleting sales, and with most of Germanys music infrastructure

uprooting to Berlin in an attempt to establish a cultural capital in the geographical one, it

is time for the government to step in.

In Clements opinion, the government is ready to do just that. Before unveiling the


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proposals that will no doubt be touted as the Berlin administrations 7th Cavalry coming

to the aid of the music industry, Clement delivered the grim, bare facts of the situation.

Music industry malaise

It read like a check list on a misfiring machine. The German record industry pulls in 15

billion euros a year for the economy. It is a major employer with over 100,000 people

involved in the various aspects of the business. Plus, the music industry influences the

economic well-being of a lot of associated sectors; media, fashion and retail to name but

a few. But despite these facts, the German music industry has been left to spiral into a

depression which has seen record sales slump by 11.3 percent and sales decrease by over

1 billion euros. Germany has dropped from the fourth largest music economy to the fifth

over the last two years. Despite quoting the on-going battle with bootlegging, illegal

copying and the general depressed state of the German economy as reasons for the

current malaise, Clement moved his speech towards steps to combat the downward slide.

"People ask me what my concept for the music industry is. I have to be honest and say I

dont have one," said Clement. "But what we do have is a solid creative base to build on

and we must rely on this." He added that the industry should embrace new technologies

and the creation of new products.

Regulating Internet music exchange

If there is a need among the people to download music, he said, then this trend should be

countered by offering alternatives. It was at this point that Clement announced that a draft

agreement had been signed by German record companies to provide the worlds first

regulated music download option the night before. "Lets hope this is something concrete,

not just on paper," he said.

Turning his thoughts to the artists and representation, he added, "Creativity, and its

promotion, is key." The media, Clement said, has a responsibility to the music industry as

one of its main partners to promote German artists and products. The frequently

discussed radio quota, where German language songs and material from new acts would

get more airplay on public radio stations, was mentioned as one way of aiding the

industry. The radio quota "is not about nationalism, its about strengthening the positionof the artists and giving them much needed access to a new audience."

Bringing his speech to a close, Clement made his boldest statements on the state of

Germanys music export industry, an untapped and unexplored area of potential growth.

"Are we doing enough to promote our product? The answer must be no. We look back

and we see many missed opportunities to form a specialized export office and a lack of a


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coordinated approach."

Exporting German music

Quoting a government report that states that the German music industry would benefit

from an export office to the tune of 160 percent of potential growth, he added, "Lets stop

talking about it. Lets start doing it. Lets set this office up and talk about the money later.

I propose that over the next few days we all work towards a first draft for an export

office." And with applause ringing throughout the hall, Popkomm 2003 opened with its

first good idea, with many hoping it would turn out to be more than just that.DW.DE

Kraftwerk is BackIDOLS, SUPERSTARS, ROCK GODS AND RAVERS...

1 Kraftwerk is Back











For almost two decades, the legendary German electronic formation Kraftwerk was

silent. Now, the pioneers of electronica have returned with a new album top Germany's

charts.

Kraftwerk: theforefathers of

electronic music.

Anyone who may

have claimed that

Kraftwerk had
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disappeared from the musical landscape is now eating their words. "This is not a

comeback. We were never gone," Kraftwerk's Ralf Htter said in a statement.

The founding fathers of electronic music released their new albumTour De France

Soundtracks this week. It marks the first Kraftwerk studio album since 1986's badly-

received Electric Caf.

The centennial of the Tour de France this summer was the ideal opportunity for the avid

cyclists to come out with new material. But the idea was actually an old one. The original

song "Tour de France" from 1983 has now been expanded by a prolog and a new version,

which is broken down into three "stages." The new album also includes seven new songs.

A part of musical history

A lot has happened in the music world since Kraftwerk brought out their last album. But

the course of contemporary music is inconceivable without their influence.

Following the boom of folk music and the hippie movement in the 1960s, the world

rediscovered rock music in the 1970s. But four Dsseldorf students calling themselves

Kraftwerk -- which means "power station" in German -- wanted to do something

different.

They drew on the influence of experimental electronic forces such as composer Karlheinz

Stockhausen to create minimalist music on synthesizers, drum machines and tape

recorders. Live performances often included the band leaving the stage and look-a-like

robots playing the songs. Their first single "Autobahn" in 1974 marked Kraftwerk's

breakthrough and established them as the representatives of hi-tech, computerized music.

Kraftwerk's influence can be found in techno, house and electro-pop. They had an impact

on an entire generation of English new-wave acts, such as the Human League, Gary

Numan, Depeche Mode and OMD. David Bowie claimed to have long been an admirer of

the group. His track "V-2 Schneider" on the album Heroes is named after Kraftwerk

member Florian Schneider.

Taking their time

For many years, rumors circulated that Kraftwerk was about to release a new album. But

the band, which is notorious for its aversion to public interviews and publicity hype,didn't make information available on the album's due-date.

So what were Kraftwerk's core duo Ralf Htter and Florian Schneider up to? The

"musical workers," as they call themselves, allegedly spent almost every day in their

legendary KlingKlang Studio in Dsseldorf to work on new compositions.

Yet the outside world hardly heard a sound, apart from the EXPO 2000 jingle and the


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related single. Critics received the song composed for the world fair in Hanover

somewhat reservedly and many claim it was solely written for the substantial

(undisclosed) price tag.

Kraftwerk: "Tour

de France

Soundtracks"

The new album

Tour De France

Soundtracks is

seeing a different

track record. It has

stormed the

German charts and

is holding the number one spot. Considering that most of Germany's top hits are more

rock-oriented, the success of Kraftwerk's classic electronic sound comes somewhat as a

surprise.

Yet the album has gotten mixed reviews. Many critics feel the band is offering nothing

new. Of course, expectations were high after so many years of absence from the musical

stage. But, on the other hand, Kraftwerk has no need to be something new. They already

did that -- over 30 years ago.

WWW LINKS

Having a "Conscious Party"IDOLS, SUPERSTARS, ROCK GODS AND RAVERS...

1 Kraftwerk is Back

2 Cracking Down on Bootlegs3 Berlins Music Magnet Attracts Popkomm





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British sound system Asian Dub Foundation, known for their searing dub, hip-hop and

jungle beats and unapologetic anti-racist politics performed in Berlin on Saturday. DW-WORLD caught up with bassist and founder Dr. Das.

Pumping with

musical energy and

righteous passion --

the Asian Dub

Foundation

Described as

somewhere

between punk and

hip-hop and playing

a blend of reggae,

dub, ska and jungle infused with tabla and sitar sounds, Asian Dub Foundations (ADF)

music has always been difficult to peg down.

Emerging from a series of workshops on music in London in 1993, ADF, originally made

up of five men of South Asian origin, seized attention with their brand of unabashed anti-

racist political messages and drum and bass concoction delivered through pulsing live

performances.

Protests against frequent racist attacks against Asians in Britain in the early 90s formed

much of ADFs lyrical content in the early years. While ADF struggled to find acceptance

in Britain at the time as Asian artists, they rose to swift popularity particularly in France,

where their second album R.A.F.I. was released in 1997.

ADF is on the road in Germany to promote their latest album Enemy of the Enemy, a

steaming mix of political and social statements spanning paranoia over asylum seekers in

Europe to the threat of terrorism.

Asian Dub

Foundation Dr. Das

Hours before their

concert in Berlin,

founder member

and bassist of ADF,
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Aniruddha Das better known as Dr. Das spoke to DW-WORLD about the bands political

views, the experience of being Asian in Britain, reconciling Indian musical traditions with

western music and their success in France.

Anti-racist messages were the focus of your music in the early years. How did that come

about?

That was a direct reaction to specific things that were going on in London at the time like

the election of a fascist councilor in east London, the rise of the far-right BNP and how

that allowed and encouraged racists to come out and attack people in broad daylight

literally.

We were people making and teaching music, and so we formed a sound system with

microphone and turntables. For us a sound system is literally direct communication. We

were trying to do as musicians what we could do to talk about the situation and maybe

encourage people to put up some kind of resistance.

Is there ever a clash between the politically and socially loaded lyrics of your music and

the music in itself?

No, not all. We dont even analyze it like that. For us its all expression, its about

exposing whats going on in our heads. So whether its lyrically or musically, we make no

distinction. Everything that comes out in the lyrics are things we happen to be talking

about as people or concerns that we have as people. When we started out we were talking

about things that were more local, more specific to our experience directly. Now the

issues are maybe the same, but its global.

Weve already talked a lot in the first place about our experience of being "Asian" of

being the children of immigrants to Britain and our experience in Britain. Because weve

traveled so much around the world, weve found that all kinds of people are finding

something in our music something that is of relevance to their lives. That surprised us, to

get people from all kinds of musical and cultural backgrounds, that kind of made us think

a bit more globally.

Has your message changed over the years?

What is "our" message anyway? You think our message is one thing, but we basicallywant people to be brave and question and to hopefully go out and do their own thing,

whether its music or writing or art or whatever. Wed just like to see more and more

people being creative, making their own sound systems, creating their own parties,

having exhibitions in their living room, whatever.

How do you think things changed since the Sep.11 attacks and how has this affected your


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music? Your latest album Enemy of the Enemy is a reference to the latest U.S.-led war on

terror.

I think the world is exactly the same. I think some peoples perception of it has maybe

changed, but all the underlying principles of whats going on is exactly the same. The

way CNN reports about what is going on in the world is completely different to what

were getting, so the American population is completely oblivious to why people should

want to attack them.

For us, calling our latest album Enemy of the Enemy is referring to things like that.

People like Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were set up as the enemy of the

enemy. America supported Saddam Hussein, they gave him the chemical capabilities and

the so-called weapons of mass destruction. Of course they (the Americans) know there

are weapons of mass destruction, theyve got the receipts! They set up Saddam in the first

place, trained him, trained his elite and the same goes for Osama. These are just two of

the most obvious, underhand things that have been going on. Were just saying things

arent as simple as they seem, this whole war on terrorism thing is completely bullshit

because whos trained and funded and supplied the terrorists in the first place for what

reasons?

The group Public Enemy in America, who youve often been compared to , is known as

the CNN for the blacks. Do you see yourself as a kind of CNN for the Asians?

Not really. We do like the idea of alternative news broadcasts. There is a role for artists

and musicians to bring up issues and subject matter or things that the media does not wish

to deal with or feel that theyre not allowed to deal with. Then youve got the whole

Internet thing, you can point people to all sources of information. So in one respect

people are beginning to ignore the media all together. I know I am, this is the only time I

dont ignore the media, when Im being interviewed by them!

We dont mind being compared to the Public Enemy theyre completely wicked, I just

heard them again recently with a track called "Son of a Bush". Theyre awesome, they

started 20-25 years ago and theyre just up there doing some amazing innovative music,

sonically just completely outrageous, theyve live guitar bass and drums, turntableswhatever.

How do you explain the present Asian boom in Europe? Everything "Asian" is dubbed

"cool".

Ask your mates in the media. Its a media thing. The same goes for us, I was making

music for ten years before ADF, five years of that in developing what became ADF, you


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know the mixing of Indian sounds and all of that with whatever else we were listening to.

We were just getting on with it all the time.

All this about Asians being "cool" that is so insulting, how can you call a whole group

of people, a whole culture cool or uncool? I dont relate to that at all. As for the "Asian

underground" thing, I think Talvin Singh originally used that term for his first album or

compilation and then it came to be associated with anybody who happened to be of Asian

origin creating music in Britain. Whereas in terms of diversity, the stuff that everybody

was doing was completely different. They just all happen to be Asian.

I think the only thing we have in common, which Im very proud of, is Asian musicians

all embrace technology as well as having a foundation of very rich and old musical

traditions to draw upon. We got straight in there with the technology, the samplers, the

sequences, drum machines whatever and had no problem with that whatsoever mixing rap

with all the classical instruments, the acoustic stuff.

Have you ever performed in India? Would you like to?

No, not yet. But we would now. In the first half of our existence as ADF, it wasnt

relevant to us because ADF is pretty much about the experience of Asian people in

Britain primarily and other parts of the diaspora. But now I think were ready now

because I think weve said pretty much what we wanted to say about our experience in

Britain and our parents.

Our music after all always has references to India, but in a different way through

technology. A lot of the sounds that you hear, the strings and the percussion, particularly

the early stuff, was from our parents record collection. I just went back to all the vinyls

from my dads collection that I used to listen to when I was little and just got loads of

sounds from there. Now the album for the first time has been released in India, its the

first official release that weve had.

How do you explain your amazing success in France?

In the mid-90s, Britain was all about Brit pop and this retro thing and we were different

in every respect we were using technology, we had different colored skin, things we

were talking about ... In France, they just didnt have a problem with that, they didn'thave the baggage of us being Asian, we were just another British band.

Above all the audiences were well up for hearing new music, whereas in Britain at the

time they would fold their arms and would not move till someone in the media told them

that is cool to move to. Thats how it works. Some of the shops would tell us that they

wouldnt stock our stuff because they said Asian people dont shop here, white people


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wouldnt be interested in this at all. But that was in the early days. Now people realize

that were just playing British music and that anybody can get into it and get something

out of it regardless of their cultural origin.

How has the response been in Germany this time?

This is the first tour in Germany in two or three years as opposed to coming to the

festivals and I notice that theres a change in the vibe, there is a much happier vibe, more

party kind of attitude which is good.

Ive been trying to say to people for years that youre just zooming into one aspect of

what we do, the fact that were talking about certain things and totally ignoring the rest of

it and in the meantime were up there on the stage having a party. We dont see a

contradiction between talking about things and having a good time -Conscious Party

(live album by ADF) .

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