Kreidler
European Song

The conceptual content of this second LP by Kreidler (Thomas Klein, Detlef Weinrich, Andreas Reihse, Alexander Paulick), a historical formation in the German underground, is probably perfectly represented by the cover created by artist Rosemarie Trockel, which shows us what has been defined as an outdated ideal of modernism, still among the ruins of a world in destruction.

Hailing from a city, Düsseldorf, that has made history in terms of krautrock music and experimental electronic music, Kreidler has always been a cutting-edge group both musically and in terms of ideas and political content. From this point of view, their latest album, titled 'European Song' and released last April 7 on Bureau B, certainly makes no exception. According to the band's statements, the album, conceived at the beginning of 2016 while they were in Mexico City, contains radically different contents from those initially planned. In the midst of the recording process, the news of Donald Trump's election as the new president of the United States was felt like a real shock and the strongest signal of an era clearly marked by uncertainty, violence, and xenophobia. This led the group to completely rethink everything they were doing, to the point that much of the new album was recorded live.

Entirely based on a repetitive use of percussion, excellent work with guitars and bass (the groove of 'Kannibal' is incredibly powerful) and especially on the skilful use of minimal electronics that at times emerges sharply and distinctly ('Boots', 'Radio Island'), elsewhere with what we can consider dark and brutal trance and obsessive compositions ('Coulées', 'No God'), 'European Song' is an album that, despite its almost improvised character, proves to be compact and effective in conveying its message.

'European Song' expresses an urgent need for expression and renewal in the daily struggle against the geopolitical situation that has arisen in recent years, where new answers must be found, literally 'tear down the old posters and write new ones, tear down the new ones and write better ones'. It is music that is a call to resistance and to fight against oppression manifested with urgency and determination.