Tocotronic
K.O.O.K.

THE REVIEW

To define the German band Tocotronic as a pop group, as many do, is a big mistake; although not very well known abroad, this (formerly a trio) quartet from Hamburg manages to create a blend of dark, electronic, rock, and psychedelic music which, based on profoundly sad melodies, accompany the listener in an almost heartrending way.

K.O.O.K. (1999-Universal Music) is nothing but confirmation of what I just said, an album of 17 songs that encapsulates all the essence of their first albums, adding a much more melancholic vein to the melodies that are no longer punk "outbursts" but rather the completion of a soul resigned to everything and everyone (a bit like what the Cure did in '82).

This gigantic album of unreleased tracks could be divided into two parts, one looking more to the past and one more innovative. Hence, pieces appear like the electronic title track, "Das Ungluck muss Zuruckgeschlagen werden", a sweet serenade sometimes more captivating, other times more uncomfortable, "Jakpot", which I don't know why reminds me so much of "Fuori come va" by Ligabue but only from an instrumental point of view, or truly melancholic pieces like "Das sind keine Ratsel", the most successful song of the album, "Morgen wird wie Heute sein" and the last one "17".

Even if not very exhaustive, this review mainly aims to introduce this group, which would truly be worth listening to as it is limited in its expansion in Europe only by the often penalized German language.