Andreas Dorau - Todesmelodien

by Maarten Schiethart

published: 17 / 2 / 2012

Label: Staatsakt
Format: CD

Irresistible.electronic pop and imaginative songwriting on first album in over six years from German artist, Andreas Dorau.

Review

His music teacher once told Andreas Dorau to not send in to his then label a particular song called 'Fred von Jupiter'. Yet it became one of the evergreens of new wave German music around about 1980. Self-restraint still marks Dorau’s songs, even now thirty years on. Hence his latest CD album 'Death Melodies' or 'Todesmelodien' is his first in well over six years. In a victorious streak only few have seen, Andreas Dorau has released so far only five albums in his thirty years plus of making music. And the only reason for his regular absence would be his down-to-earth and poignant lyrics which put pretty much any subject to its place. On ‘Todesmelodien' Andreas Dorau proves a true craftsman of melancholic and melodic house beats whilst his subtle 'schlager' quality remains firmly in place. Tongue in cheek that is. With a graceful quality for observation and detail, Dorau blends electronic pop music and imaginative songwriting. Andreas Dorau, a son of a priest which may explain much, dances through dizzy despair. Close to a seven year itch, the melodies remain ultra catchy, the beats groove away über funky, and the words always have a note of wry German irony, whilst being voiced in witty protest. Andreas Dorau is beyond any doubt a wizard wordsmith. His ease of stretching words to build a line in a chorus, as in 'Es Tut So Weh, Weh', shows his pure genius. Dorau's sarcasm nears childish fun. 'It was hell yet it only burnt for a short while'. ‘Megalomania’, or in German, 'Größenwahn' features the immortal lines of "Größenwahn, was hast Du uns angetan?/Größenwahn. Du bist Schuld daran." I always thought of Dorau as someone from the Düsseldorf region but he's been living in Hamburg for years. Now in Berlin, I think. There isn't much megalomania in Berlin. The capital ranks number 30 in terms of wealth, miles behind the usual suspects, Munich, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Stuttgart. Françoise Cactus of Stereo Total joins Dorau in the dubby criticism of German's flag colours. From the Motown schlager-pop of 'Größenwahn' down to the very last lines of 'Gehen', 'Todesmelodien' is pure soul music, melting misery with uplifting tunes. Even if you only understand few of the words, you may still notice Dorau beats, say, Jarvis Cocker by a mile. No wonder, Dorau only had one foreign top-10 hit. In France. Perhaps the sole track ever sung in German to please the French. Dorau's charm, wit and sense of music is simply irresistible.

Track Listing:-

1 Größenwahn
2 Edelstein
3 Stimmen in der Nacht
4 Neid
5 Single
6 Es tut so weh
7 Inkonsequent
8 Ausruhen
9 Und dann
10 Schwarz Rot Gold
11 Es war hell
12 Gehen (Baby Baby)