Stillste Stund
Encyclopedia
Stillste Stund are a German musical group. It was formed by Oliver Uckermann and female vocalist Birgit Strunz in 1998. The lyrics are written primarily in German, supported by male and female vocals.
The band's name comes from Friedrich Nietzsche's most famous book: Thus Spoke Zarathustra
, Second Part - Die Stillste Stunde.
in 1999. They signed a record contract with music label
Alice In...
of the Dark Dimensions label group shortly thereafter.
There were originally two supporting female vocalists: Birgit Strunz and Inanis Kurzweil. Inanis appeared on the band's first three
releases.
Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum
, the band's debut album, was released in mid-2000. In May 2002, Stillste Stund was nominated as Best Newcomer Band by German music magazine Orkus. The ever-popular "Der Untergang" from Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum
, was featured on four
different compilations, all in two years. Some of the lyrical content is inspired by legends and fairy tales and the thoughts of such notable
German philosophers and novelists as Friedrich Nietzsche
, Hugo von Hofmannsthal
, Joseph von Eichendorff, and Hermann Hesse
.
In 2001, the band released their second full-length album Ursprung Paradoxon
. Its release gained Stillste Stund much popularity throughout Europe and even parts of South America. The music consists of theatrical, classical, and industrial influences. The band's album artwork and sleeve design and website design is all made by Birgit Strunz. This album featured the first part of the Alice Trilogy named "Alice (Der Spiegeltanz). Originally the track was written for the anniversary of their label Alice In...
and was inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
.
Their next album Biestblut - zwei in einem (Ein Gedankenkonstrukt in sieben Szenen)
appeared in late 2003. The musical content of this concept album has a much more classical influence. "Nebelland", "Golem", "Weltwinternacht", "Sublunaris", and "Wo die Wirklichkeit schweigt" are among some of the notably popular tracks from Biestblut. This was also the last album featuring additional female vocal support from Inanis Kurzweil.
In 2005, Stillste Stund presented their fourth album Blendwerk Antikunst
as a worthy successor to Ursprung Paradoxon
. The lyrics are written mostly in German, with the exception of three songs in English: "Apocalyptic Noon", "Darksomely", and "Obsessed with Purple".
The most recent album Von Rosen und Neurosen - Eine erlesene Sammlung grausamster Albträume
was released on March 14, 2008. The standard edition features twelve tracks all sung in German
. The limited edition of this album includes a bonus disc named "Alice EP" with ten tracks that continues and ends the very popular story that began on the second album Ursprung Paradoxon
with the track "Alice (Der Spiegeltanz)"(amongst other titles the EP features a rematered version of Alice (Der Spiegeltanz) and unshortened versions of Alice II and III).
The band's name comes from Friedrich Nietzsche's most famous book: Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None is a philosophical novel by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, composed in four parts between 1883 and 1885...
, Second Part - Die Stillste Stunde.
History
Stillste Stund released a Demo-Version of Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein TraumEin Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum
Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum is the first album of the German band Stillste Stund.-Tracklisting:#"Furchtbare Herrin "– 2:28#"Der Untergang"– 5:39#"Desolation"– 5:37#"Kains Kinder"– 5:16#"Tausende von Welten"– 5:52#"Drei sind Eins"– 4:26...
in 1999. They signed a record contract with music label
Alice In...
Alice In...
Alice In... is an indie industrial-oriented record label based in Hesse, Germany.-History:Alice In... was founded in the early nineties by Frank D'Angelo. Its first signings were in 1995 with the bands The Hall of Souls, Misantrophe, No Critics, and Babylon Will Fall. Parallel to the publications...
of the Dark Dimensions label group shortly thereafter.
There were originally two supporting female vocalists: Birgit Strunz and Inanis Kurzweil. Inanis appeared on the band's first three
releases.
Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum
Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum
Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum is the first album of the German band Stillste Stund.-Tracklisting:#"Furchtbare Herrin "– 2:28#"Der Untergang"– 5:39#"Desolation"– 5:37#"Kains Kinder"– 5:16#"Tausende von Welten"– 5:52#"Drei sind Eins"– 4:26...
, the band's debut album, was released in mid-2000. In May 2002, Stillste Stund was nominated as Best Newcomer Band by German music magazine Orkus. The ever-popular "Der Untergang" from Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum
Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum
Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum is the first album of the German band Stillste Stund.-Tracklisting:#"Furchtbare Herrin "– 2:28#"Der Untergang"– 5:39#"Desolation"– 5:37#"Kains Kinder"– 5:16#"Tausende von Welten"– 5:52#"Drei sind Eins"– 4:26...
, was featured on four
different compilations, all in two years. Some of the lyrical content is inspired by legends and fairy tales and the thoughts of such notable
German philosophers and novelists as Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
, Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal ; , was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist.-Early life:...
, Joseph von Eichendorff, and Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature...
.
In 2001, the band released their second full-length album Ursprung Paradoxon
Ursprung Paradoxon
-Tracklisting:#"Gambit"– 4:39#"Mühle Mahlt"– 6:15#"Grotesk"– 4:36#"Wir sind Energie"– 5:15#"Nexus"– 4:32#"Alice "– 5:50#"Ebenholz, Schnee & Blut"– 5:11#"Leben ist nur ein Traum"– 6:07#"Unter Kreuzen"– 6:10#"An das Morgenlicht"– 7:51...
. Its release gained Stillste Stund much popularity throughout Europe and even parts of South America. The music consists of theatrical, classical, and industrial influences. The band's album artwork and sleeve design and website design is all made by Birgit Strunz. This album featured the first part of the Alice Trilogy named "Alice (Der Spiegeltanz). Originally the track was written for the anniversary of their label Alice In...
Alice In...
Alice In... is an indie industrial-oriented record label based in Hesse, Germany.-History:Alice In... was founded in the early nineties by Frank D'Angelo. Its first signings were in 1995 with the bands The Hall of Souls, Misantrophe, No Critics, and Babylon Will Fall. Parallel to the publications...
and was inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
.
Their next album Biestblut - zwei in einem (Ein Gedankenkonstrukt in sieben Szenen)
Biestblut - Zwei in Einem (Ein Gedankenkonstrukt in sieben Szenen)
Biestblut - zwei in einem is the third album by Stillste Stund.-Tracklisting:# Prolog "Geist-Dämmerung"- 3:02# Szene 1: Prokreation & Geburt "Vorahnung"- 2:34...
appeared in late 2003. The musical content of this concept album has a much more classical influence. "Nebelland", "Golem", "Weltwinternacht", "Sublunaris", and "Wo die Wirklichkeit schweigt" are among some of the notably popular tracks from Biestblut. This was also the last album featuring additional female vocal support from Inanis Kurzweil.
In 2005, Stillste Stund presented their fourth album Blendwerk Antikunst
Blendwerk Antikunst
Blendwerk Antikunst is the fourth album of Stillste Stund. This album was also available in digipack format with a bonus disc.-Tracklisting:#"Untertage"– 5:46#"Apocalyptic Noon"– 5:53#"Alice II "– 5:42...
as a worthy successor to Ursprung Paradoxon
Ursprung Paradoxon
-Tracklisting:#"Gambit"– 4:39#"Mühle Mahlt"– 6:15#"Grotesk"– 4:36#"Wir sind Energie"– 5:15#"Nexus"– 4:32#"Alice "– 5:50#"Ebenholz, Schnee & Blut"– 5:11#"Leben ist nur ein Traum"– 6:07#"Unter Kreuzen"– 6:10#"An das Morgenlicht"– 7:51...
. The lyrics are written mostly in German, with the exception of three songs in English: "Apocalyptic Noon", "Darksomely", and "Obsessed with Purple".
The most recent album Von Rosen und Neurosen - Eine erlesene Sammlung grausamster Albträume
Von Rosen und Neurosen - Eine erlesene Sammlung grausamster Albträume
The 5th album of Stillste Stund.This album is also available as a limited edition in digipack format with a bonus disc.-Tracklisting:#"Käfigseele"– 5:20#"Viktor "– 5:06#"Alice III "– 5:19#"Tiefenritt"– 5:14...
was released on March 14, 2008. The standard edition features twelve tracks all sung in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. The limited edition of this album includes a bonus disc named "Alice EP" with ten tracks that continues and ends the very popular story that began on the second album Ursprung Paradoxon
Ursprung Paradoxon
-Tracklisting:#"Gambit"– 4:39#"Mühle Mahlt"– 6:15#"Grotesk"– 4:36#"Wir sind Energie"– 5:15#"Nexus"– 4:32#"Alice "– 5:50#"Ebenholz, Schnee & Blut"– 5:11#"Leben ist nur ein Traum"– 6:07#"Unter Kreuzen"– 6:10#"An das Morgenlicht"– 7:51...
with the track "Alice (Der Spiegeltanz)"(amongst other titles the EP features a rematered version of Alice (Der Spiegeltanz) and unshortened versions of Alice II and III).
Ending
Stillste Stund, being a "project" instead of a band released the information that once Alice III was written the project had finished and had not other reason of continuing, small talk about other music being created under a new name was mentioned but no further information was released.Current members
- Oliver Uckermann - Since Oliver has been active as a musician for many years and worked with several other bands and projects, the band's debut album Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein TraumEin Mensch, ein Ding, ein TraumEin Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum is the first album of the German band Stillste Stund.-Tracklisting:#"Furchtbare Herrin "– 2:28#"Der Untergang"– 5:39#"Desolation"– 5:37#"Kains Kinder"– 5:16#"Tausende von Welten"– 5:52#"Drei sind Eins"– 4:26...
consists of earlier material from the late 80's. The lyrical content, much of which is written by Uckermann himself, is inspired by legends and German fairy tales. "Ebenholz, Schnee & Blut" from Ursprung ParadoxonUrsprung Paradoxon-Tracklisting:#"Gambit"– 4:39#"Mühle Mahlt"– 6:15#"Grotesk"– 4:36#"Wir sind Energie"– 5:15#"Nexus"– 4:32#"Alice "– 5:50#"Ebenholz, Schnee & Blut"– 5:11#"Leben ist nur ein Traum"– 6:07#"Unter Kreuzen"– 6:10#"An das Morgenlicht"– 7:51...
is based on the Brothers' Grimm fairy tale Snow White. Uckermann has explained in an interview with Rock-E-Zine that the thoughts of people like Friedrich Nietzsche and Hermann Hesse are, in part, his inspiration for philosophical lyrics. "Furchtbare Herrin," the prologue from Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum comes from Friedrich Nietzsche's novel: Thus Spoke Zarathustra, which is where the band's name came from.
- Birgit Strunz - Joined the band alongside Inanis Kurzweil when it was formed in 1998 and has been working with cohort Oliver Uckermann since then. At first, she only provided vocals to the project, but soon began to co-write the lyrics and contribute her own song ideas. Together, she and Oliver wrote the lyrics for "Unter Kreuzen," on Ursprung ParadoxonUrsprung Paradoxon-Tracklisting:#"Gambit"– 4:39#"Mühle Mahlt"– 6:15#"Grotesk"– 4:36#"Wir sind Energie"– 5:15#"Nexus"– 4:32#"Alice "– 5:50#"Ebenholz, Schnee & Blut"– 5:11#"Leben ist nur ein Traum"– 6:07#"Unter Kreuzen"– 6:10#"An das Morgenlicht"– 7:51...
and the two songs "Darwin," and "Nebelland," on Biestblut. Birgit also happens to be the artist behind the visual concept for the Stillste Stund project. She independently wrote the lyrics for the songs "Apocalyptic Noon," "Ananke," and "Obsessed With Purple" and, most recently, "Tiefenritt" on the band's fifth and newest release Von Rosen und Neurosen - Eine erlesene Sammlung grausamster AlbträumeVon Rosen und Neurosen - Eine erlesene Sammlung grausamster AlbträumeThe 5th album of Stillste Stund.This album is also available as a limited edition in digipack format with a bonus disc.-Tracklisting:#"Käfigseele"– 5:20#"Viktor "– 5:06#"Alice III "– 5:19#"Tiefenritt"– 5:14...
.
Official albums
- 2000: Ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein TraumEin Mensch, ein Ding, ein TraumEin Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum is the first album of the German band Stillste Stund.-Tracklisting:#"Furchtbare Herrin "– 2:28#"Der Untergang"– 5:39#"Desolation"– 5:37#"Kains Kinder"– 5:16#"Tausende von Welten"– 5:52#"Drei sind Eins"– 4:26...
- 2001: Ursprung ParadoxonUrsprung Paradoxon-Tracklisting:#"Gambit"– 4:39#"Mühle Mahlt"– 6:15#"Grotesk"– 4:36#"Wir sind Energie"– 5:15#"Nexus"– 4:32#"Alice "– 5:50#"Ebenholz, Schnee & Blut"– 5:11#"Leben ist nur ein Traum"– 6:07#"Unter Kreuzen"– 6:10#"An das Morgenlicht"– 7:51...
- 2003: Biestblut - Zwei in Einem (Ein Gedankenkonstrukt in sieben Szenen)Biestblut - Zwei in Einem (Ein Gedankenkonstrukt in sieben Szenen)Biestblut - zwei in einem is the third album by Stillste Stund.-Tracklisting:# Prolog "Geist-Dämmerung"- 3:02# Szene 1: Prokreation & Geburt "Vorahnung"- 2:34...
- 2005: Blendwerk AntikunstBlendwerk AntikunstBlendwerk Antikunst is the fourth album of Stillste Stund. This album was also available in digipack format with a bonus disc.-Tracklisting:#"Untertage"– 5:46#"Apocalyptic Noon"– 5:53#"Alice II "– 5:42...
- 2008: Von Rosen und Neurosen - Eine erlesene Sammlung grausamster AlbträumeVon Rosen und Neurosen - Eine erlesene Sammlung grausamster AlbträumeThe 5th album of Stillste Stund.This album is also available as a limited edition in digipack format with a bonus disc.-Tracklisting:#"Käfigseele"– 5:20#"Viktor "– 5:06#"Alice III "– 5:19#"Tiefenritt"– 5:14...
Miscellaneous releases
- TV series: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, episode 7x02 Beneath You - Von der Tiefe (inoff. Remix) (2002)
- REMIX for album Cabaret/Variete by Das Ich - Cabaret (2006)
- HÖRSPIEL (Radio play) Schattenreich, Folge (episode) 04 Nachthauch - Darksomely (2007)
- Mindradio.de 13.03.3008 21.00-23.00h cet, Radio Special with Interview, Songs etc. (2008)
External links
- Stillste Stund Official website (in German), with downloadable clips: Der Untergang and Sublunaris
- Stillste Stund on 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....
(in German and English) - Stillste Stund on Musicbrainz
- Official Stillste Stund Fanclub-Forum (in German)
- Stillste Stund lyrics at Blue Lyrics