German rock

German Rock is a term for German -language rock music, with bands such as your children and Sharam around 1970 first appeared as a separate music genre in the sub-cultural environment and with Udo Lindenberg mid-1970s reached the musical mainstream. The term was defeated in the course of time various changes that also as a genre designation learned to use part. A precise characterization of the German Rocks as such there is not therefore. The only commonality is the German language and the more rocking direction of the performers, including as an inclusion criterion is not always sufficient and pop performers occasionally covered.

Definition

In contrast to the krautrock English German groups with often psychedelic, lengthy songs in the late 1960s and referred to the early 1970s, the German rock is characterized by a stronger rock and blues orientation, shorter songs ( 2-5 minutes) and more direct texts. In an additional definition of German rock is the sum of the corresponding music scene, singing their bands on German.

History

The German -language rock scene began in 1968 with the " self-discovery " of the local scene. It was not "copied" only American or British beat, but with its own personality created: long improvisations, heavy wagner esque sound, experimental sounds and above all the spirit of a new attitude to life. The Essen Song Days 1968 are considered to debut an independent German rock music. First West German representatives were the English singing Amon Düül (later reached individual musicians from this formation as Münchener Freiheit also "commercial recognition" ), Guru Guru, Can, Organisation ( later Kraftwerk ), Embryo, Tangerine Dream, Percewood 's Onagram, on East German side Reinhard Lakomy, Puhdys, Panta Rhei (later carat ), Petra Zieger, Klaus Renft Combo etc. Added to this were your children from Nuremberg who intoned first German texts on rock music and thus as the first " German rockers " appeared in the proper sense, and Murphy from Hannover in this genre that made talk later as a combo Colossale at times the NDW of itself.

While the new sounds at home only found favor with critics and a few Avant -garde to Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Wallenstein, Agitation Free, etc. acquired very quickly in France and Italy star status. Others, such as Amon Düül, Epitaph, Can were invited to England to tour and power plant were the first Germans with a top ten album in the United States.

The commercialization of the German rock began with Udo Lindenberg and Wallenstein Charline title, which was presented as the first German rock song in the news. German rock had left the mid-1970s the underground and scaled the commercial level; the major labels invested in the German rock music. Metronome founded the Brain label, Phonogram the Zebra label, Bellaphon Bacillus launched, Intercord went with fried egg at the start - all label exclusively for German Rock / Krautrock.

The transition between German and Krautrock was increasingly blurred. Bands like Novalis and carat served to some extent both genres. There were points of contact with progressive rock, hard rock, jazz-rock and folk. A Marius Müller -Westernhagen was looking the other hand, similar to Udo Lindenberg the transition of German rock music to pop. Another peculiar feature is the set Ougenweide, the first German -language rock music with medieval folk elements combined ( medieval rock ).

1980s

Towards the end of the 1970s came influences also punk and new wave. West German bands like Einstürzende Neubauten, Interzone, Spliff and BAP sat with advent of NDW ( New German Wave ) a rockier counter-trend (with the New German Wave with the resultant of punk and electronica Minimalism Pop initially definitely defined as rock music ). The embossed punk Nina Hagen Band, which later became Spliff, both the Cologne Zeltinger Band, as well as the Hanoverian Combo Colossale can be attributed to the German rock. In the later 1980s, a new generation of German rock bands like Böhse Onkelz, Die Toten Hosen and The Doctors as well as many others who often musically punk rock and Oi! Was which are basically.

In the course of the 1980s - also as a result of the huge international success of the NDW - it came in the Federal Republic and in addition to a real German rock boom, which should bring both the existing as well as many new bands unique achievements ( some of which to this day stop ). Herbert Grönemeyer, Wolf Maahn, Heinz Rudolf Kunze and many other artists appeared on the scene and gave the German rock a new trendy touch. Pop singer Peter Maffay, Juliane Werding and Gitte were " rocking ". Likewise, could regional variables ( such as BAP, the Rodgau monotones, the Spider Murphy Gang ) or musicians from Austria ( Wolfgang Ambros like ) establish with a qualified dialect rock. During the general commercialization of German pop music also the former clay -stone shards frontman Rio Reiser made ​​a " second career ". Marius Müller -Westernhagen also was able to continue to the end of the decade after a prolonged dry spell past successes and exceeded them even. The highlight of this boom was the German contribution to the Live Aid concert in 1985: the band for Africa with the rock ballad Naked in the Wind ( to which, however, representatives from Schlager, Pop and NDW were joined by ).

At the end of the decade the German reunification the music scene gave new impetus to some of the old East German bands were " rediscovered " in the West.

1990s

In the 1990s, the German rock became more differentiated. The mixtures of different musical styles had let soften the distinction from other genres - from metal, house and techno to folk influences to Liedermachertum and pop. For example, linked the previously English singing band Element of Crime from Berlin skirt with chanson, while brought a native of eating Stefan Stoppok rock with blues and folk in conjunction. German hip hop was socially acceptable and reached into his further development as " rock elements " on ( an early example was the cooperation Mega Four ). Other bands such as Blessed represented the grunge. Worthy of mention is the influence of the Hamburg School, which since the late 1980s expanded the German rock to an intellectual touch - among its numerous band projects acquired Blum field, The stars and Tocotronic the biggest popularity.

With advent of the multicultural society and the music was eclectic in German-speaking - much sounded like already existed before and yet new. In addition, one experienced in this decade for the first time " rock groups from the retort ," pronounced by music labels based compiled by casting tape projects.