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Die Goldenen Zitronen | |
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_IMGP3644_smial_wp.jpg) Die Goldenen Zitronen live atHaldern Pop in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Hamburg, Germany |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Members | Schorsch Kamerun Ted Gaier Thomas Wenzel [de] (as Julius Block) Mense Reents Enno Palucca Stephan Rath |
| Past members | Aldo Moro Ale Sexfeind Psycho 1 Rodrigo González Hans Platzgumer |
| Website | die-goldenen-zitronen |
Die Goldenen Zitronen ("The Golden Lemons") are a Germanpunk rock band fromHamburg, formed in 1984.[1] They are considered a forerunner to the "Hamburger Schule" and are noted for their left-wing politics. Formed bySchorsch Kamerun (vocals), Ale Sexfeind (drums), Ted Gaier (bass, guitar), and Aldo Moro (guitar, bass), the band have released thirteen albums to date.[2] Of the original line-up only Kamerun and Gaier remain, who both developed a number of side-projects.[1]
Initially they combinedhard rock with 1970s-erapunk and lyrics that were both angry, yet comedic andpop-like. The band rejected the traditional music industry, seeing themselves as a symbol of artistic independence not wanting to "serve the structures of rock" (Ted Gaier). Of the founding members, only Schorsch Kamerun and Ted Gaier remain. The new members are Thomas Wenzel (Die Sterne) under the pseudonym Julius Block, keyboarder and drummer Mense Reents (Die Vögel,Egoexpress, Stella), and Enno Paluca.
In 1986, Die Goldenen Zitronen courted initial attention with their singleAm Tag als Thomas Anders starb ("on the dayThomas Anders died"). Their subsequent single,Für immer Punk, was a cult hit in the German punk scene, inspiring comparisons with bands such asAbwärts,Die Toten Hosen andDie Ärzte.
In 1987 they released their debut album,Porsche, Genscher, Hallo HSV.Ox-Fanzine wrote in 2018 that while their seemingly "naive"fun-punk beginnings belied the band's later creativity, their artistic credo of subverting the conventions of the punk scene was already to be seen.[3] Stephan Ramming likened the title track's cryptic phrase to thefound objects ofDadaism.[4]
The band developed their style further with 1990'sFuck You, in which they mock popular rock groups and protest against the tedium of daily life. 1994'sDas bißchen Totschlag saw a major musical transition, in which the Zitronen mixed their usual power-rock style with elements of garage-trash, electro-beat, hip-hop and noise-pop. Songs like80 Millionen (Hooligans) andDas bißchen Totschlag confronted the recentfar-right violence against refugees and minorities, such asin Hoyerswerda andin Mölln, which had surged afterGerman reunification.[5][6]
Musical experimentation continued with 1996'sEconomy Class, which was influenced by improvisational jazz. With 1998'sDead School Hamburg (a jab at theHamburger Schule trend of music), the band further altered their style, pursuing a greater emphasis on electronic instrumentation. Their 2001 albumSchafott zum Fahrstuhl, took a more avant-garde direction. With the cover songVon den Schwierigkeiten, die Regierung stürzen zu wollen, the Zitronen parodied their own already-ironic song from a decade earlier.[7]
Die Goldenen Zitronen have had a diverse number of collaborators, ranging from the poetFranz Josef Degenhardt to new acts such asChicks on Speed orPeaches.
2006'sLenin was ranked sixth best release of the year bySpex magazine, and was the second-highest ranking German-language release.[8] The title track was inspired by a visit to theLenin Mausoleum and reflects on the tensions inLenin as a historical figure, incorporating lyrics and audio samples from a song byHanns Eisler (Er rührte an den Schlaf der Welt, based on a poem byVladimir Mayakovsky) and the ironic use of Soviet-era slogans such as "Sleep quicker, comrades!"[9][10] Other songs concern the entanglement between politics and the arts sector (Der Bürgermeister),[10] globalisation and the militarisation of borders (Wenn ich ein Turnschuh wär),[11] and theHartz IV welfare reforms (Lied der Stimmungshochhalter).[9] In 2016, Ted Gaier said that this album was a turning point for the band towards more collage-like lyrics featuring more voices.[12]
2019'sMore Than a Feeling was "Album of the Week" inNDRInfo Nachtclub in February 2019.[13] Topics on the album include nationalism, authoritarian leadership, migration, and the left-wing scene from which the band originates.[14][15]JMC Magazin namedDas war unsere BRD andDie alte Kaufmannsstadt, Juli 2017 as two of the most relevant German-language songs of the year.[16] The latter was described byRolling Stone as a "clever and precise" portrayal of the protests against the2017 G20 summit in Hamburg, at which the band played a concert in support of the demonstrations.[17] Dierk Saathoff inJungle World criticised the songs on nationalism as superficial and lacking the band's usual ability to confront a dialectic.[7]
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