Deine Lakaien
“Dual” - a review: The Beauty in Life

After Dea “unboxed” the Album last week, here a few first listening impressions from my side:

The work begins with “Because of Because”, which was already released as a single in December. The theme of the song is about how not to lose your own way together against external odds. Sounds very familiar right now, doesn’t it? The lyrics are beautifully reflected in the dragging rhythm, whose syncopations keep disturbing the beat. And then it goes from pretense to deep falling and loss to restlessness - so the track “Run” (also a single) doesn’t even have time for a chorus - to finally arrive at the end at “Someone to come home to”. Throughout, tugging electronics and melodious vocal delivery complement each other.

Of course, melancholy ballads as they are so typical for Deine Lakaien are not neglected. Saying this, Ernst Horn has almost created a new traditional with the fairytale-like “Snow”, in which a sad content is conveyed with a comforting song. Very sensitively and appropriately interpreted with a light folk touch by Alexander Veljanov. Ecki Stieg has rightly chosen the piece for his - by the way, also otherwise excellent - “Grenzwellen” broadcast, which gives a nice foretaste of the album. He also explains the concept behind the album, which is certainly behind the folk elements in Sick-Cinema. Since there is a second disc on “Dual” on which Deine Lakaien have recorded cover versions of songs to which their own tracks refer to. For Sick Cinema, “Spoon” by Can was obviously the idea generator. (The group’s founders studied composition with Stockhausen - so the electronics are no accident).

The covers invite to rediscover interesting pieces and also the references are fun, not least with the pair of songs just mentioned. Very excitingly interpreted is the “Flohlied” by Mussorgski, where Alexander’s love for theater shines through. Wonderfully diabolical! The connected song is “Qubit Man” by Ernst Horn, in which deep, soft, driving strings contrast with electronic samples. In addition, the partly distorted voice, which is replaced by a falling sound-matrix. Towards the end, the matrix then takes over and captures the - now in pitch adjusted - strings. You really haven’t heard that before!

So “Dual” is an invitation to go on a musical voyage of discovery. Especially nice here just now, that one does not feel alone, but accepted and arrived at himself. Especially nice right now that you do not feel alone, but accepted and arrived at home with yourself.

Let’s hope that we can enjoy this feeling together in the concerts in the fall!

by CM