Tocotronic
Encyclopedia
Tocotronic is a German
rock
band founded in 1993 (see 1993 in music
). Similar to Blumfeld
or Die Sterne
they are considered a part of the Hamburger Schule
(School of Hamburg) movement. They are influential for bands such as Tomte
or Wir sind Helden
.
Tocotronic got signed to L' Age D' Or, a German independent record label
situated in Hamburg, in 1994 after quickly gaining popularity in the local scene. Their early style consists of ironic sloganeering ("I want to be part of a youth movement") and almost diary
-like songwriting, paired with a lo-fi rock sound. In 1995 they released their debut-album "Digital ist besser" (Digital is better). Their third album, released in 1996, was the first to hit the German charts. The music got more complex over time, their lyrics less direct, resulting in a sound that was compared to that of Pavement
on Tocotronic's 1999 album "K.O.O.K". The self-titled "White Album", released in 2002, features dreamlike songs; metaphoric, heavily produced, highly polished, it completes a slow but steady course away from their early works ("eins zu eins ist jetzt vorbei" - "one-to-one is over now").
Despite never being overly commercially successful, Tocotronic have a steady fanbase in Germany and their records are regularly reviewed in mainstream newspapers and music magazines alike.
In July 2007, Tocotronic released their eighth studio album, "Kapitulation". Also, around this time, the band announced the end of their working relationship with long-time label "L'age D'or", and consequently, "Kapitulation" was released by Vertigo Berlin, a sublabel of Universal music. Their ninth and most recent studio album, "Schall & Wahn", was released in January 2010 and became their first number-one record.
The current band members and positions are Jan Müller (bass
), Arne Zank (drums
), Dirk von Lowtzow (rhythm guitar
, vocals
), and, since 2004, Rick McPhail (lead guitar
, keyboard
).
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...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band founded in 1993 (see 1993 in music
1993 in music
This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992....
). Similar to Blumfeld
Blumfeld
Blumfeld was an indie-pop band from Hamburg, Germany, formed by singer and songwriter Jochen Distelmeyer. The name of the band was coined by the main character of the short story "Blumfeld, ein älterer Junggeselle" by Franz Kafka...
or Die Sterne
Die Sterne
Die Sterne is a two/three/four-piece indie pop band, from Hamburg, Germany. They were formed in 1992 and have released eight studio albums, the most recent in 2010.-Members:...
they are considered a part of the Hamburger Schule
Hamburger Schule
The Hamburger Schule is a musical current in Germany during the 1980s and early 1990s. With some active bands and artists it is still present. It is encompassing elements from punk, grunge and experimental pop, and featuring intelligent lyrics...
(School of Hamburg) movement. They are influential for bands such as Tomte
Tomte (band)
Tomte is an indie band from Hamburg in Germany. Their lyrics are almost completely in German and their sound could be described as guitar pop with some punk influences. The group may be considered to be a part of the “Hamburger Schule” on the basis of the band Tocotronic's influence on their work...
or Wir sind Helden
Wir sind Helden
Wir sind Helden is a German Alternative Rock band from Berlin, established in 2001 in Hamburg. The quartet is composed of lead singer Judith Holofernes and musicians Pola Roy, Mark Tavassol, and Jean-Michel Tourette. The group's style has often been considered similar to that of the Neue Deutsche...
.
Tocotronic got signed to L' Age D' Or, a German independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
situated in Hamburg, in 1994 after quickly gaining popularity in the local scene. Their early style consists of ironic sloganeering ("I want to be part of a youth movement") and almost diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
-like songwriting, paired with a lo-fi rock sound. In 1995 they released their debut-album "Digital ist besser" (Digital is better). Their third album, released in 1996, was the first to hit the German charts. The music got more complex over time, their lyrics less direct, resulting in a sound that was compared to that of Pavement
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American alternative rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. In their career, they achieved a significant cult following, and they were called the best band of the 1990s by prominent music critics Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine...
on Tocotronic's 1999 album "K.O.O.K". The self-titled "White Album", released in 2002, features dreamlike songs; metaphoric, heavily produced, highly polished, it completes a slow but steady course away from their early works ("eins zu eins ist jetzt vorbei" - "one-to-one is over now").
Despite never being overly commercially successful, Tocotronic have a steady fanbase in Germany and their records are regularly reviewed in mainstream newspapers and music magazines alike.
In July 2007, Tocotronic released their eighth studio album, "Kapitulation". Also, around this time, the band announced the end of their working relationship with long-time label "L'age D'or", and consequently, "Kapitulation" was released by Vertigo Berlin, a sublabel of Universal music. Their ninth and most recent studio album, "Schall & Wahn", was released in January 2010 and became their first number-one record.
The current band members and positions are Jan Müller (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Arne Zank (drums
Drum kit
A 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 ....
), Dirk von Lowtzow (rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, vocals
Singing
Singing 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...
), and, since 2004, Rick McPhail (lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
).
Studio albums
- 1995: Digital ist besser ("Digital Is Better")
- 1995: Nach der verlorenen Zeit ("After The Lost Time")
- 1996: Wir kommen um uns zu beschweren ("We've Come to Complain")
- 1997: Es ist egal, aber ("I Don't Care, Except")
- 1999: K.O.O.K.
- 1999: K.O.O.K. (English Version)
- 2002: Tocotronic
- 2005: Pure Vernunft darf niemals siegen ("Reason Must Not Prevail")
- 2007: Kapitulation ("Surrender")
- 2010: Schall & Wahn ("The Sound and the Fury" – release date: January 22) (GER: #1)
Best Of, Live, Remixes
- 1998: Live in RoskildeRoskilde FestivalRoskilde 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...
(limited edition of 2222 CDs, mailorder only) - 1998: The Hamburg Years (export only)
- 1998: Tocotronic - Tocotronics (VHS/PAL)
- 2000: K.O.O.K. - Variationen (remixes done by a number of artists)
- 2004: Tocotronic – 10th Anniversary (CD/DVD)
- 2005: The Best of Tocotronic (CD/double-CD)
- 2008: Kapitulation Live
Singles and EPs
- 1994: Meine Freundin und ihr Freund (7"; My girlfriend and her boyfriend)
- 1995: Freiburg (live, 7")
- 1995: Ich möchte Teil einer Jugendbewegung sein (12"; I want to be part of a youth movement)
- 1995: You are quite cool (7")
- 1996: Die Welt kann mich nicht mehr verstehen (12"/CD; The world can't understand me anymore)
- 1996: Split with ChokeboreChokeboreChokebore is an American indie rock band formed in the early 1990s in Honolulu, Hawaii, and subsequently based in Los Angeles, California.-Biography:...
(7") - 1996: Split with Christoph de BabalonChristoph De BabalonChristoph De Babalon is a Berlin based producer and DJ, best known for his work on Alec Empire's label Digital Hardcore Recordings. He also is the co-founder of the label Cross Fade Enter Tainment .-Biography:...
(7") - 1997: Dieses Jahr (12"/CD; This year)
- 1997: Sie wollen uns erzählen (12"/CD; They want to tell us)
- 1997: Themenabend (Live In Dresden, 7", limited edition: 500 pieces Red Vinyl; Theme evening)
- 1998: Split with FuckFuck (band)Fuck is an American indie rock band, formed in Oakland, California in 1993. The band consists of Timothy Prudhomme, Geoff Soule, Kyle Statham, and Theodore Ellison. They have recorded for a number of labels including Matador Records and Homesleep Records of Italy.-History:Fuck was formed in...
(7") - 1999: Jackpot (12"/CD)
- 1999: Let There Be Rock (12"/CD)
- 1999: Live auf dem Petersberg (7", limited edition: 1000 pieces - 500 Clear / 500 Black Vinyl; Live on Petersberg)
- 2000: Freiburg V 3.0 (12"/CD)
- 2000: Variationen I + II (2 EPsExtended playAn 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...
; Variations) - 2002: Hi Freaks I + II (2×12"/CD)
- 2002: This Boy Is Tocotronic (12"/CD)
- 2005: Aber hier leben, nein danke (12"/CD; But living here, no, thanks)
- 2005: Gegen den Strich (12"/CD); Against the grain)
- 2005: Pure Vernunft darf niemals siegen Remixes (12"/CD on Kompakt RecordsKompaktKompakt is a Cologne-based electronic music record label and vinyl/CD distributor, owned by Wolfgang Voigt, Michael Mayer and Jürgen Paape. They specialize in microhouse and minimal techno, and are known for their Total compilation series which reached its eleventh installment in 2010.Kompakt...
; Reason must not prevail) - 2007: Kapitulation (12"/CD; Surrender)
- 2007: Imitationen (12"/CD; Imitations)
- 2007: Sag alles ab (7", limited edition: 1.500 pieces, handnumbered; Call off everything)
- 2010: Macht es nicht selbst (7"; Don't do it yourselves)
- 2010: Im Zweifel für den Zweifel (7":When in Doubt, for the Doubt)
External links
- Official Site
- MySpace Page
- Tocotronic Ushered in New Era of German Rock Deutsche WelleDeutsche WelleDeutsche Welle or DW, is Germany's international broadcaster. The service is aimed at the overseas market. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio on 98.7 DZFE in 30 languages . It has a satellite television service , that is available in four languages, and...
- Tocotronic on Jerusalem student radio part#1 and part#2