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Once upon a time, there were two handsome guys, one blonde and one dark-haired; it was the early '80s, and looking at them, they seemed like a classic duo of models lending themselves to synth-pop with a soft approach; things that happened at the time and still happen today, with even more awful music, by the way. However, when talking about Germany, when discussing NDW, one must always expect the unexpected, they are a brilliant example of it: unmistakable, irreverent, cold, obsessive, Robert Gorl (jack-of-all-trades-composer) and Gabriel Delgado-Lopez (singer), have left a deep-rooted mark as precursors of EBM but not only. With "Der Mussolini," they jumped to the top of the charts, making people dance and the righteous cry, all without studs and pentagrams, without tabloid scandals, without "mythological" stories, simply with a single as tacky as it is brilliant and irresistible and the winning combination: Jesus Christ alongside the Duce and the Fuhrer? Aaah panic fear, how dare they! Bam, number one guaranteed. Without DAF, Rammstein wouldn't exist (and without Rammstein, I would never have known DAF, I'm cool, right? Well, considering that in the collective imagination of kids, they go hand in hand with Slipknot and Marilyn Manson, I'd say so...) think not only of the sound (and partly the voice) but also of the ostentatious anti-Americanism and the strongly "national" identity of the proposal, the rejection of certain rock clichés, and that homoerotic and irreverent visual imagery that contributed to the fortunes of the East Berlin sextet, for some, it might be anything but a merit; oh well, patience.
And sometimes they return, only to disappear again; after almost twenty years of absence and other projects, Gabi and Robert reappeared in 2003, in their own way, with a cover (directly recalling that of "Alles Ist Gut," the album that projected them from the underground to fame) and a title, fifteen new DAF songs, that speak for themselves: 100% aesthetic, (apparent) lack of imagination and Teutonic spirit, 100% DAF. Obviously, it's unrealistic to expect their musical proposal in 2003 to have the same resonance and disruptive impact as in 1981, but it remains thoroughly enjoyable, actually, more so, it's fantastic. These two are proof of how it's possible to achieve an impactful, muscular, badass sound (and seriously, not rumored like others I've recently dealt with), with an essential approach, reduced to the bare minimum. Obviously, it's quite repetitive music, but that too is part of its charm; not for everyday use, not for all situations, but this record conveys a great charge of energy, in a clever and well-tested form but without unnecessary frills, and this is a highly appreciable plus. Robert Gorl remains a tireless groove-generating automaton, but ultimately there aren't many anthems a'la "Der Mussolini," there's the single "Der Sheriff", later covered by the talented Nena, "Die Luge" and "Ich Bin Tot", which somewhat closely resemble the style of early Oomph!, another "disciple" of theirs, and "Der Prasident", cold pulses for a Cold War that for DAF seems never to have ended. Generally, a more subtle approach prevails, slow-walking rhythms and Gabi Delgado's singing/recitation at the forefront; among the best episodes, I would surely mention "Kinderzimmer", "Algorithmus", "Moschino, Heckler Koch", the tribal-futuristic rhythms of "Satellit" and the obsessive and intoxicating ones of "Seltsame Freunde", then the chanting "Rock Hoch", which presents itself as an heir to "Der Rauber Und Der Prinz." The charisma of Gabi Delgado further amplifies the decadent and oblique charm of these songs, adding a touch of shamanic theatricality. And endless treaties and discussions could be initiated on these mixtures between industrial and tribal, but let's move on.
There are still a couple of theme variations, that travel in opposite directions: "Komm In Meine Welt", while maintaining a simple and monotonic rhythm (and DAF are real artists of monotony, does that word exist? Well, if it doesn't, I'll invent it), it stands apart from the rest of the album, the singing is more melodic, more pleasing, the sound very sensual, almost relaxing, almost dreamy, while with "Mira Como Se Menea" they play the parody card, creating a damn annoying Latin American earworm (balante balante ariba ariba...) in their own way, obviously much more pleasant and even sexier than any annoying Latin American earworm. "Ich Bin Morgen Wieder Da", nine minutes sustained with unsuspected class and fluidity, represents a worthy farewell for the duo, there's a perceptible hint of dreamy melancholy, pleasantly contrasting with Gabi's stentorian and guttural singing, which then gives way to a nice instrumental coda. Yes indeed, DAF as recording artists officially end with this album, in the following years they will dedicate themselves solely to live performances, until the announcement of their definitive split which dates back to January 2015; currently, they should be engaged in their farewell tour. Therefore, a one-off return, but one that further extended their shadow and influence: "Der Sheriff" covered by Nena and remixed by the VNV Nation and also, for those who know R+, "Der Sheriff" => "Amerika", "Mira Como Se Menea" => "Te Quiero Puta"; in short, they didn't go unnoticed, and they closed in great style a pioneering career, chapeau.
And sometimes they return, only to disappear again; after almost twenty years of absence and other projects, Gabi and Robert reappeared in 2003, in their own way, with a cover (directly recalling that of "Alles Ist Gut," the album that projected them from the underground to fame) and a title, fifteen new DAF songs, that speak for themselves: 100% aesthetic, (apparent) lack of imagination and Teutonic spirit, 100% DAF. Obviously, it's unrealistic to expect their musical proposal in 2003 to have the same resonance and disruptive impact as in 1981, but it remains thoroughly enjoyable, actually, more so, it's fantastic. These two are proof of how it's possible to achieve an impactful, muscular, badass sound (and seriously, not rumored like others I've recently dealt with), with an essential approach, reduced to the bare minimum. Obviously, it's quite repetitive music, but that too is part of its charm; not for everyday use, not for all situations, but this record conveys a great charge of energy, in a clever and well-tested form but without unnecessary frills, and this is a highly appreciable plus. Robert Gorl remains a tireless groove-generating automaton, but ultimately there aren't many anthems a'la "Der Mussolini," there's the single "Der Sheriff", later covered by the talented Nena, "Die Luge" and "Ich Bin Tot", which somewhat closely resemble the style of early Oomph!, another "disciple" of theirs, and "Der Prasident", cold pulses for a Cold War that for DAF seems never to have ended. Generally, a more subtle approach prevails, slow-walking rhythms and Gabi Delgado's singing/recitation at the forefront; among the best episodes, I would surely mention "Kinderzimmer", "Algorithmus", "Moschino, Heckler Koch", the tribal-futuristic rhythms of "Satellit" and the obsessive and intoxicating ones of "Seltsame Freunde", then the chanting "Rock Hoch", which presents itself as an heir to "Der Rauber Und Der Prinz." The charisma of Gabi Delgado further amplifies the decadent and oblique charm of these songs, adding a touch of shamanic theatricality. And endless treaties and discussions could be initiated on these mixtures between industrial and tribal, but let's move on.
There are still a couple of theme variations, that travel in opposite directions: "Komm In Meine Welt", while maintaining a simple and monotonic rhythm (and DAF are real artists of monotony, does that word exist? Well, if it doesn't, I'll invent it), it stands apart from the rest of the album, the singing is more melodic, more pleasing, the sound very sensual, almost relaxing, almost dreamy, while with "Mira Como Se Menea" they play the parody card, creating a damn annoying Latin American earworm (balante balante ariba ariba...) in their own way, obviously much more pleasant and even sexier than any annoying Latin American earworm. "Ich Bin Morgen Wieder Da", nine minutes sustained with unsuspected class and fluidity, represents a worthy farewell for the duo, there's a perceptible hint of dreamy melancholy, pleasantly contrasting with Gabi's stentorian and guttural singing, which then gives way to a nice instrumental coda. Yes indeed, DAF as recording artists officially end with this album, in the following years they will dedicate themselves solely to live performances, until the announcement of their definitive split which dates back to January 2015; currently, they should be engaged in their farewell tour. Therefore, a one-off return, but one that further extended their shadow and influence: "Der Sheriff" covered by Nena and remixed by the VNV Nation and also, for those who know R+, "Der Sheriff" => "Amerika", "Mira Como Se Menea" => "Te Quiero Puta"; in short, they didn't go unnoticed, and they closed in great style a pioneering career, chapeau.
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