Urlaub In Polen
Encyclopedia
Urlaub in Polen is a German
noise rock
electronica
duo
formed in 1999 in Cologne
.
, but shortly after Oli quit the project in 2000, Georg Brenner joined forces with Jan Philipp Janzen comprising the current line-up.
After having released their first recording, the eponymously titled EP
, through the German recording studio
Institut für Wohlklangforschung in 1999, Urlaub in Polen signed to German noise rock label
RAKETEmusik through which they have so far released three studio album
s, as well as an EP.
Although they are only two man on stage, Urlaub in Polen have built themselves a reputation as a highly energetic live
band. Thus they were recognised by Northern Europe
's biggest music festival, Roskilde Festival
, who put them on the bill in 2003. Live they are sometimes supported with Super 8
slide projection
s by Mark Witzel.
and Neu!
, but also the influence of as varied bands as Joy Division
, Dead Can Dance
, The Prodigy
and Kraftwerk
might be suggested in their music, which merges (post
)punk
-inspired noise rock, drum'n'bass-rhythms and synthesizer
-driven, somewhat ambient
and dreamy
soundscapes into something new and unique. Roskilde Festival
put it this way: "... The music is energetic and relaxing at the same time ... Urlaub in Polen, is highly acclaimed in Germany for their album Parsec, released [in 2002]. They are renowned for having made the most innovative and fascinating album in many years ..."
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
noise rock
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
formed in 1999 in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
.
Biography
Urlaub in Polen was originally formed by Georg Brenner and OliOLI
OLI can refer to several things:* Cyclone Oli* OLI-model or Eclectic Paradigm, a theory about internationalization put forth by John H. Dunning in the 1980s* Oli , a retired spanish footballer...
, but shortly after Oli quit the project in 2000, Georg Brenner joined forces with Jan Philipp Janzen comprising the current line-up.
After having released their first recording, the eponymously titled EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, through the German recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
Institut für Wohlklangforschung in 1999, Urlaub in Polen signed to German noise rock label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
RAKETEmusik through which they have so far released three studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s, as well as an EP.
Although they are only two man on stage, Urlaub in Polen have built themselves a reputation as a highly energetic live
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
band. Thus they were recognised by Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
's biggest music festival, Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...
, who put them on the bill in 2003. Live they are sometimes supported with Super 8
Super 8 mm film
Super 8 mm film is a motion picture film format released in 1965 by Eastman Kodak as an improvement of the older "Double" or "Regular" 8 mm home movie format....
slide projection
Slide projector
A slide projector is an opto-mechanical device to view photographic slides. Slide projectors were common in the 1950s to the 1970s as a form of entertainment; family members and friends would gather to view slide shows...
s by Mark Witzel.
Current members
- Georg Brenner (1999–present) – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, MoogMoog synthesizerMoog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s. - Jan Philipp Janzen (2000–present) – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, samplesSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, Moog.
Musical style
Among Urlaub in Polen's influences have been cited Trans AmTrans Am (band)
Trans Am is a three-piece band which originated in Bethesda, Maryland that was one of the originators of "post-rock" in the mid 90s. Their work centers on a cerebrally robotic, usually instrumental, semi-danceable, minimalistic format, with influences including Krautrock, heavy metal, hardcore...
and Neu!
Neu!
Neu! was a German band formed by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk in the early 1970s...
, but also the influence of as varied bands as Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance are an ethereal neoclassical duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1981, by Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry. The band relocated to London in May 1982 and disbanded in 1998. Their 1996 album Spiritchaser reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top World Music Albums Chart...
, The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
and Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
might be suggested in their music, which merges (post
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
)punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
-inspired noise rock, drum'n'bass-rhythms and synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
-driven, somewhat ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
and dreamy
Dream pop
Dream pop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s, when bands like The Passions, Dif Juz, Lowlife and A.R. Kane began fusing post-punk and ethereal experiments with bittersweet pop melodies into dreamy, sensual soundscapes. The term was almost...
soundscapes into something new and unique. Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...
put it this way: "... The music is energetic and relaxing at the same time ... Urlaub in Polen, is highly acclaimed in Germany for their album Parsec, released [in 2002]. They are renowned for having made the most innovative and fascinating album in many years ..."
Albums
- Parsec (RKT008), RAKETEmusik/BluNoise, 2002.
- White Spot (RKT012), RAKETEmusik, 2004.
- Health and Welfare (RKT020), RAKETEmusik, 2006.
- Liquid, Strange Ways Records,2009.
EPs
- Urlaub in Polen, Institut für Wohlklangforschung, 1999.
- Blue Car Live EP (RKT004), RAKETEmusik, 2000.
Miscellaneous
- Contributed the track Lotus to RAKETEsampler Vol.2 (RKT003), RAKETEmusic, 2000.
- Split 7" limited edition-single (RKT006; 300 copies only) with German trip-hop band Dazerdoreal, RAKETEmusik, 2002.
- Panorama, music videoMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, 2004.
External links
- Urlaub in Polen at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- RAKETEmusic
- Article about Urlaub in Polen in German Indiepedia
- MP3 of the song Cut Off from White Spot on German E-zine Alternative Nation