Propaganda
A Secret Wish

THE REVIEW

German electronic group born in the early '80s and formed by Ralf Dorper, Andreas Thein (who left the band almost immediately), and Michael Mertens. The trio, which released a few self-produced singles in Germany, was joined by vocalists Claudia Brucken and Susanne Freytag.

In 1985, they released their first album "A Secret Wish" under Trevor Horn’s ZTT label, preceded a few months earlier (1984) by the single "Dr. Mabuse", which achieved moderate success in Great Britain.

The album’s atmospheres are based on the extensive use of electronics and industrial-percussive experiments with synthesizers, as well as interesting bass-guitar rhythms. The vague intellectualism of synth-pop, which lies between electronics and dark wave, pleases both the more demanding audience and the more commercial one. The lyrics are also sophisticated (well represented by Anton Corbjin's photos) and range from visions of horror, fears, and love duels, all laid out on a constantly threatening plane. In addition to the distinctive musical and lyrical compositions, the peculiar nasal voice of the solo vocalist Claudia Brucken is noteworthy, not excessively refined but certainly intriguing in its extensions and inclinations.

The opening is with "Dream Within a Dream", a musically dramatic and minimal paraphrase of a text by Edgar Allan Poe. In "Murder Of Love", one can discern the harsh and angular electric veins of Germany with very accentuated military-like bass lines and percussion. "Frozen Faces" is a more accessible track structured in two distinct symmetrical parts: the first more rocky and electric, the second softer and lighter. The previously mentioned first single "Dr. Mabuse" is an excellent, long (10:41) example of catchy nuances mixed with mysterious and haunting synthesizer plots with an industrial inflection, especially in the percussion. "P-Machinery" stands out as a pivotal piece of the entire record. Bolstered by considerable chart success, the track is a captivating and pyrotechnic collection of excellently crafted electronic pop. The extended version is extraordinary, fully enhancing the group's artistic effort.

Very famous but perhaps less interesting is "Duel", structured in too commercial a manner and lacking the peaks and thematic variations of the rest of the production; however, economy is always important in the music industry. Much more interesting is the version of the track named "Jewel", which is more aggressive and raw. Another great piece is "Sorry For Laughing", syncopated and terribly full of intertwined percussive sounds, deliberately laid out on a swaying rhythmic carpet and sung almost out of tune by the vocalist. The work concludes with the feigned lightness of "The Chase" and the re-reading in an even more dreamy and sumptuous way of the opening track, renamed in this case "Strenght To Dream".

A very interesting and often overlooked record when compared to the single "Duel" with which the band is known to most.