Fullax’s Tone Painting: Impressions of Music and Life

What happens when you cross the best of Brit pop rock, German electronic, and a talent for lyrical impressionism? Enter Fullax, a cutting edge new band from the tiny German town of Melsungen. If you like Kraftwerk, The Cure, U2, and Coldplay, stay tuned. Humble origins be damned, these guys are sure to make it big on the power of sounds that deliver an immediate emotional impact while cuing off some of the best moments in European and British electronic and pop rock history.

Given that the band’s name is Fullax, Hessian slang for “slacker” or “bum,” you might expect vibes of Beck or Nirvana polished up for the cleaner tastes of the 2010s. But Fullax passes over much of the 90s and American slacker rock in favor of 70s, 80s, and 00s Germany and the British Isles. In that sense, Fullax is a European band through and through. “Night” (below) is a case in point. The song develops as something like a run through German and Brit pop rock history. Electronic notes kick off the song in the manner of Kraftwerk hits like “Model” and “Computer Love.” Soon after, you can hear echoes of Simon Gallup’s unforgettable bass lines of the late 80s Cure (“Just like Heaven”). The brilliant break at 1:56 channels the signature ringing guitar of U2’s Edge. And all this is filled out with the saturated sound of a Coldplay-esque synthesizer and vocals that recall Chris Martin.

None of this is to suggest Fullax traffics in simple citation. They reference, borrow, and recombine in the most innovative ways, bringing surprising styles into conversation and creating sound impressions that remind us of music we all love while making it feel new again. This approach to sound complements the band’s lyrical impressionism, which evokes images rather than building arguments or telling stories. In songs like “Night,” words remind of us moments, feelings, which – as in real life – are incomplete and passing. Like dreams, they’re woven together from disparate strands of past and present. In “Night,” for both word and sound, there are no hard meanings to pin down, no easy lines to draw between thoughts and styles. Just like the space between dreaming and waking, night and day, that the song explores, we are left to play with words, sounds, and images much as we do in our dreams, in the moments just before we wake.

Night

Good morning, hey, what’s up?
Were you gone the whole night?
Did you try again to see
What the world does in the dark?

Or do you not sleep?
Or do you not sleep with me?
Or am I still sleeping?
Or do I want to get out of here?
Or am I still sleeping?

Everything’s still…
Everything’s clear, nothing out of shape
And you start to see everything
Like it’s not been seen for years.

Or do you not sleep?
Or do you not sleep, with me?
Or am I still sleeping?
Or do I want to get out of here?
Or am I still sleeping?

Put your hand up, hand up
And tell me, tell me
That you need me, need me.

I take a sip, resigned today,
I take a pic from the big clip
And your hand, which always stays closed,
Is not on its old way back.

Or are you still sleeping?
Or do you not sleep, with me?
Or am I still sleeping?
Or do I want to get out of here?
Or am I still sleeping?

Nothing’s clearer than the night
Nothing’s clearer than the night

Put your hand up, hand up
And tell me, tell me
That you need me, need me

You do nothing else to me

Related articles

• “Kraftwerk” (mmontanez101.wordpress.com)
• Electronic Music Entry: Kraftwerk (simmonsaj.wordpress.com)
• Kraftwerk (mongrelblog.wordpress.com)
• Six Lollapalooza Bands Influenced By The Cure (wxrt.cbslocal.com)
• Coldplay goes Catching Fire (emilyginty.wordpress.com)
• Coldplay Albums From Worst To Best (stereogum.com)

Dagobert Goes Platonic

It’s not often a pop song makes me think of Plato. Being cool, falling in love, getting a thrill: that’s the usual stuff of pop. The transcendent relationship between love and art? Michael Jackson was a genius, but even he left that one to the philosophers and poets. Then came Dagobert. He’ll probably never be as famous as MJ, but it won’t be for lack of brilliance. This song, Raumpilot (Astronaut), demonstrates all Dagobert’s talents as a musician, poet and, dare I say, philosopher. I’m sure he’d reject the label. He prefers to pass as a simple singer of love songs. But with lyrics like these, he unmasks himself. Behind the humble, self-deprecating irony of his persona and the simple façade of his love songs, there is real depth and artistry that links him to some pretty great poets and philosophers.

In Raumpilot, Dagobert hits on one of the great themes in philosophy of art – sublimation (think: “make art, not love”) – by riffing off a basic pop trope. “I want to give you all my love” is buried in the chorus, but it’s the key to all the astronaut talk. It’s clear by the time you get to this line that there’s no girl. The “you” could be alternately: the song, the singer’s musical art, or art in general. And the love is obviously not physical. It’s mental or spiritual, and it seeks immortality in a beautiful song that will be remembered (hopefully). Hence, the talk of “all being is behind me” and the stars the singer aspires to be, which can still be seen even though they died long ago. Love expressed spiritually in this way as art (or song) is more lasting than physical love. That’s Plato’s theory of the relationship between love and art in a nutshell. Great art is physical love that’s been sublimated. We usually shorthand this as Platonic love (if you sometimes pass up sex and have “beautiful” conversations with your lover or “soul mate,” count those as Platonic love, too). I would be surprised if Dagobert isn’t giving a conscious nod to Plato in this song. And if that’s his only living will, I’d say he’s doing pretty well so far.

But if you think he’s overreaching with all this, you’ll appreciate the self-irony of the video. He’s having trouble just getting an autograph.

Astronaut

Today I am an astronaut
Through the sunset I’m flying off
Into a more spiritual world
A thousand tiny lights in front of me
All being is behind me
It’s almost just like they say
From far away they stared at me
Already they are dead and gone
But I can see them still in front of me
All the thousand tiny lights
Each one all to itself
Stays crazed as time in the dark sky

Oh, there are so many new worlds, everywhere we are not
Everywhere we don’t think about
Oh, my living will says just one thing:
I want to give you all, all, all, all…all my love
I want to give you all my love

Today I am an astronaut
I die here, and then I’m not
Tomorrow I’ll be just this song
And perhaps you’ll see me sometimes
When at night the wind blows
Ringing out this song that I am now
Now I am and want to be
One among the thousand tiny lights
I’ll burn on a little longer
And perhaps you’ll see me sometimes
When at night the wind blows
Ringing out this song that I am now

Oh, there are so many new worlds, everywhere we are not
Everywhere we don’t think about
Oh, my living will says just one thing:
I want to give you all, all, all, all…all my love
I want to give you all my love

(trans. a. f. erwin)

Rock’s Love Affair with Freedom

A great rocker once said, “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose, nothing don’t mean nothing honey if it ain’t free.” That pretty much sums up the lyrics of all great rock songs. If you can’t condense it to that, chances are it won’t stand rock n’ roll’s test of time. Not convinced? How about these lines from some other rock classics: “But that train keeps a movin’, and that’s what tortures me,” “I might as well jump,” “You’re on the road, but you’ve got no destination.” Rock loves abandon, or at least the idea of it.

Sometimes this love affair with freedom dips into the nihilistic. Who can forget the infamous “Oh well, whatever, nevermind”? That sentiment dogged the 90s for a while and probably consigned some otherwise great tunes to rock oblivion. Teen Spirit survives because it spoke first and best for the whole decade. Nihilist hits aside, the rest of rock endures when it sticks to its more affirmative impulse: cutting through appearance and finding freedom in truth or simple existence. Think “All I’ve got is a red guitar, three chords, and the truth” or “It’s a beautiful day, don’t let it get away.” (For the philosophers out there, let’s say rock may be the only thing that could bring Plato and Heidegger together.)

That’s the backdrop for this song called “Schwerelos” (Weightless) by one of Berlin’s up and coming indie rockers, Lino Modica. His band is still fresh on the scene (at this writing, the YouTube video has only 4,924 views). Their first album is set to come out in October, but already they’re showing some real rock talent and depth, and surely a self-conscious nod to many of rock history’s greatest moments. Lyrically, Modica’s single is classic rock n’ roll. It’s all about abandonment to the freedom of simple existence. Musically, the song channels the best sounds of 90s grunge. There are Pearl Jam vocals, Soundgarden chords, and Nirvana drum beats.

But if you’re tempted to hear a touch of nihilism in a line like “it doesn’t interest me anyway,” don’t take the bait too quickly. There’s something more interesting going on. The band is way too happy with its rock abandon to be a new Nirvana. Modica is no Cobain or Eddie Vedder. If you listen closely, you’ll find that this new grunge revival is baked in a Jani Lane/Bret Michaels mood of glam rock enthusiasm.

Such creative blending is no small feat, but the final stroke of genius is Modica’s contemporary spin on all this rock history. What lifts the music above simple derivation or pastiche is its timely brand of boisterous naïveté. Modica plays and sings with the New Sincerity of fun. and Alex Clare. But whereas the latter may push sincerity to the edge of credibility, Modica strikes a more believable balance that has schooled thought playing counterpoint to raw emotion. The result is a German synthesis of intellect and feeling that would make Kant (and Bach) smile.

Schwerelos

Ich hab keine Ahnung was die Welt mir heute verspricht
Und wenn ich ehrlich bin interessiert es mich auch nicht
Glücksmomente Trauerspiele Hauptgewinn oder verpasste Ziele
Ich nehm es wie es kommt
Ich lasse es einfach geschehen

Ich fühle mich so so schwerelos
Ich fühle mich so so grenzenlos
Und wenn ich falle, dann breite ich meine Arme aus
Frei und ahnungslos

Ich will nicht nur tanzen so lange ich jung bin
Ja ich will fliegen bis ich falle
Keine Mauern, keine Grenzen
nach Norden, Osten, Süden, Westen
Egal wohin, egal wie weit

Ich fühle mich so so schwerelos
Ich fühle mich so so grenzenlos
Und wenn ich falle, dann breite ich meine Arme aus
Frei und ahnungslos

Und singe na na na na na na, na na na

Ich fühle mich so so schwerelos
Ich fühle mich so so grenzenlos
Und wenn ich falle, dann breite ich meine Flügel aus
Frei und ahnungslos, einfach schwerelos

Weightless

I’ve no idea what the world holds for me today
And if I’m honest it doesn’t interest me anyway
Happy moments, tragedies, jackpot or missed goals
I take it as it comes
I just let it happen

I feel so weightless
I feel so limitless
And if I fall, I’ll spread my arms out
Clueless and free

I don’t wanna just dance as long as I’m young
I want to fly until I fall
No walls, no borders
To the North, South, East, West
No matter where, no matter how far

I feel so weightless
I feel so limitless
And if I fall, I’ll spread my arms out
Clueless and free

And sing na na na na na na, na na na

I feel so weightless
I feel so limitless
And if I fall, I’ll spread my wings out
Clueless and free, simply weightless

(trans. a. f. erwin)

The Still Humane Touch of Jochen Distelmeyer’s Art

It’s not easy to write a song about love that’s not trite, but this one by Jochen Distelmeyer comes close. Not surprising from the former lead singer of Blumfeld, who went solo in 2009. His lyrics have always cut against the grain of popular songwriting convention. They leave you feeling a bit uneasy, and often just at the moment when you’re about to settle in to that comfortable old thought or emotion. Here’s the one that got me in this song: “Love is the attempt to understand each other / Love is a technology and a system”. Unsettling, and yet it speaks to the still humane touch of Distelmeyer’s art that his sobering awareness of power and social constructs hasn’t turned him cynic. He still loves, despite (or maybe because of) all. Distelmeyer’s sound carries over some quintessential notes from his Blumfeld days. The steady, reassuring rock beats and rhythms are overlaid with suspended, diminished, and augmented chords in a way that complements the hard edges and unexpected turns of the lyrics. It’s always an uneasy pleasure listing to Distelmeyer, but it’s beautiful despite all.

Because It’s Love

Because it’s love
to describe that feeling
and how good it is
when it happens to us.
People say: I love you
to show each other
that they’re happy
because the other is there
Love begins as a fleeting moment
the feeling that you’ve known the other forever
How strong the feeling is
what beautiful suffering
when you’re in love
and how much you long
for it to be love
yes, both of you at once
and because it’s cool
when you finally kiss
Love is friendship, sex, and tenderness
Love is the end of an eternity
You – I’m searching for a picture that captures
You – shows you what you mean to me
You – I’ve missed you for so long
You – because it’s your love
And when the everyday sets in
you start to quarrel
because it’s not easy
to stay true then
And because it’s love
not to stay silent
about what matters most to you
so that it keeps going
Love is the attempt to understand each other
Love is a technology and a system
You – I’m searching for a picture that captures
You – shows you what you mean to me
You – I’ve missed you for so long
You – because it’s your love
And because it’s love
it’s forever hard to describe
because it’s in flux
The magic between us two
And whether it’s love
to write a song about it
I don’t know,
just that it’s You.

(trans. a. f. erwin)

90s Elixir for the 21st Century: More Indie Magic from Hamburg

If you’re among those who think American indie rock died somewhere around 1995, despair no more. Seattle and Austin aren’t what they used to be, but there’s still Hamburg. Try Herrenmagazin, for instance, and you’ll be partying like it’s 1993 again. The good vibes should start with the name: “Gentleman’s Magazine.” Think New Sincerity is bunk? This is 90s indie rock irony at its best. These guys won’t be selling out with synths or moving to the suburbs any time soon. It’s raw authenticity that counts here, not selling albums (in 2011 they bagged just 43k and spent 45k). Musically, they’re just as pure, working exclusively with the classic four-piece instrumentation: lead, rhythm, bass, and drums.

Beware though: the sound isn’t derivative. As the story goes, the band wanted to see what you could still squeeze out of the four basic instruments. They excel at it. Channeling the best of the 90s from Nirvana and Soundgarden to Oasis, Herrenmagazin manages to coax 21st -century sounds out of the old setup. For all the posturing against electronic, lead guitarist König Wilhelmsburg can make a Gibson sound like the smoothest synth.

According to their Facebook bio, the band was formed to stave off some of indie rock’s usual suspects: deadly boredom, the decline of old bands, and unreasonable alcohol consumption. From such tongue-in-cheek self-portrayals and tough song lyrics, it’s clear their music is an ironic elixir. But there’s no bitterness in the acknowledgment that we need this medicine. You’ll find ample good humor in sounds that play counterpoint to words about life in hard times. That lends a social credence to their ironic authenticity, which classic indie rock couldn’t help but fall short on in the Go-Go 90s.

The first video, “Landminen” (Landmines), was just released off their new album Das Ergebnis wäre Stille (The Result Would Be Silence). Below that is another great throwback to the future: “Lange nicht mehr da” (Long Gone).

Landmines

A love like landmines
Like joyless laughter
Like weeping without pity
Meeting and missing

Like tears without sorrow
Blooming and withering
Like lightning that lingers
Like poison but no harm

You pull a boat through the desert
Carry a plan through the sea
You know every inch of the coast, but you don’t want to know how

Like fury without reason
Like a ground without sea
Like dancing without swinging
Like a buffet that’s gone bad

Being timelessly late
Infinitely converging
Hysterically forgiving yourself
Getting lost at home

You pull a boat through the desert
Carry a plane through the sea
You know every inch of the coast, but you don’t want to know how

But so full of hope, like an ill-humored song our promises could never be.
But so full of hope, like an ill-humored song our promises could never be.
But so full of hope, like an ill-humored song our promises could never be.

(trans. a. f. erwin)

Long Gone

Morning kicks the door down
Didn’t even have to announce itself
And it set things up around me like a ghost
And the taste in my mouth is proof of my sleep
It’s just the pain in my eyes that tells me it was too little

When the storm subsides and the page turns
I’ll be long gone
When you reach the peak, when time finally tells,
I’ll be long gone

I have no free will
But I can still deny that any of my steps still have meaning
And all the ballasts that crash into the house
And change into stuff
Go ahead and accuse me, I wanted to be free
At least one time, I really wanted to be

When the storm subsides and the page turns
I’ll be long gone
When the glasses clink, when all the voices sing for joy,
I’ll be long gone

When the storm subsides and the page turns
I’ll be long gone
Your words so soft, when you say off to battle,
I’ll be long gone

(trans. a. f. erwin)

Related articles

• Hamburg: Germany’s Seattle (theflowgermany.wordpress.com)
• Theess Uhlmann (theflowgermany.wordpress.com)