Warren Suicide - Warren Suicide

  by Gilbert Blecken

published: 2 / 8 / 2004

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Review

Berlin’s music scene in the 80’s didn’t really offer a lot of amusement, and the band that captured the spirit of the town best was probably Die Einstürzenden Neubauten. When the wall came down in 1989 it was like, as Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys once said, “somebody switched on the light”. In recent years, Berlin has become a pop capital and bands that sound like the Cardigans or Saint Etienne and sing German lyrics at the same time are no longer a rarity. Even though this development can only be welcomed, only a few acts have managed to offer a real musical vision. That is why it is now time for Warren Suicide. The three musicians may not have been raised in Berlin, but like many others before (David Bowie, Nick Cave, Iggy Pop and more recently Chicks On Speed, Gonzales, Miss Kittin and Peaches), they are Berliners by choice. Currently based in the district of Neukölln (one of the town’s more insalubrious areas which unlike Kreuzberg has never had the reputation of being “hip” at the same time), their sound is urban in the best sense. Warren Suicide’s first mini-album has been described on their website as “The Clash meets Kraftwerk”, but other suggestions might also include A.R.E. Weapons, Clinic, Nine Inch Nails, Suicide and Wire. Their diversity of style is more than just remarkable. While 'Warren Suicide' sounds like Vega and Rev at their best, 'Butcher Boy' could have been produced by legendary Electroclash producer Larry Tee and 'Twelve' (on which female singer Cherie has the main singing part instead of Fremdkörper) sounds like a harder and much more electronic version of Elastica. Listening to these 7 songs, you can’t help but wonder about how good their hypnotic electronic beats would sound in a concert. Without doubt, Warren Suicide are currently the best thing to happen to the Berlin music scene.

Track Listing:-

1 Warren Suicide
2 The Woman Just Stood There
3 Twelve
4 Butcher Boy
5 Black Planet
6 A Song For Warren's Lover
7 Trash Technology