Vom Nutzen Der Stunden, Lieder Vom Steinfeld Vol.II
Second of the Lieder trilogy explores the soul in the age of satellite TV and skyscrapers.
Our Roedelius has more in common with Einsturzende Neubauten's Blixa Bargeld than you'd think. "Don't let yourself be blinded / by the glistening architecture around you / and the raging flood of cheap talk", he sings over Felix Jay's dystopian keyboard riff. At which point Bargeld and Reodelius depart. While Einsturzende's take on Germany's recent history is frequently nihilistic, Roedelius takes gentler inspiration from the deeper pre-Nazi past; his family ancestors include Lutheran pastors who spoke in rhyming prose: "Network with your God first / then it'll be easier" he says, "with or without information super-highways". His resurrection of a more traditional strain of radical German philosophy continues with "Schillerlocken" - rebirthing the 19th century poet's rage at the machine. "Curse false heroes / who arm you technologically / as though they know best," before adding, "Open yourself / So it flows." Privately released for meditational use, the lyrics throughout are in Roedelius' native high German dialect, set to severely functional keyboard backing tracks, yet a rare a window onto the deeply felt philosophy behind the music.