Die Goldenen Zitronen

Die Goldenen Zitronen
Die Goldenen Zitronen live in Stuttgart in 1998.
Background information
Origin	Hamburg, Germany
Genres	Punk Jazz New Wave Avantgarde Hip hop Techno Electro music
Years active	1984–present
Website	www.die-goldenen-zitronen.de
Members
Schorsch Kamerun Ted Gaier Julius Block Mense Reents Enno Palucca Stephan Rath Hans Platzgumer
Past members
Aldo Moro Ale Sexfeind Psycho 1

Die Goldenen Zitronen (English: The Golden Lemons) are a punk rock band from Hamburg, Germany that are known for their entertaining and politically relevant style. Their original name was Die Deutschen Nazikartoffeln (The German Nazi-potatoes). When the band formed in 1984 at the beginning of the “Fun-Punk”-movement, punk was their main style. They are considered a forerunner to the "Hamburger Schule." Over the years the band added more experimental musical forms, with which different styles were combined. Their lyrics are political and take a critical view of society from a left to left-radical perspective.

History

Founded in the 1980s, they have in recent years branched out from punk and created a more experimental style that combines several different forms of music. The band is also especially known for its chaotic live performances.

The founding members were Schorsch Kamerun (vocals), Ale Sexfeind (drums), Ted Gaier (bass, guitar), and Aldo Moro (guitar, bass). Initially they combined hard rock with 1970s-era punk and lyrics that were both angry, yet comedic and pop-like. The band rejected the traditional music industry, seeing themselves as a symbol of artistic independence not wanting to "serve the structures of rock" (Ted Gaier.) Of the founding members, only Schorsch Kamerun and Ted Gaier remain. The new members are Thomas Wenzel (Die Sterne) under the pseudonym Julius Block, keyboarder and drummer Mense Reents (Egoexpress, Stella), and Enno Paluca.

In 1986 Die Goldenen Zitronen courted initial attention with their single "Am Tag als Thomas Anders starb" ("on the day Thomas Anders died"). Their subsequent release, "Für Immer Punk," was a cult hit in the German punk scene, inspiring comparisons with bands such as Abwärts, Die Toten Hosen and Die Ärzte.

Bandmembers Julius Block (back) and Enno Palucca (in front)

The band developed their style further with 1990s "Fuck You," in which they mock popular rock groups and protest against the tedium of daily life.

1994's "Das Bisschen Totschlag" saw a major musical transition, in which Zitronen mixed their usual power-rock style with elements of garage-trash, electro-beat, hip-hop and noise-pop. This trend of experimentation continued with 1996's "Economy Class," which was influenced by improvisational jazz.

With 1998's "Dead School Hamburg" (a jab at the Hamburger Schule trend of music), the band further altered their style, pursuing a greater emphasis on electronic instrumentation. Their most recent album, 2001's "Schafott zum Fahrstuhl", takes a more avant-garde direction.

Die Goldenen Zitronen have had a diverse number of collaborators, ranging from the poet Franz Josef Degenhardt to new acts such as Chicks on Speed or Peaches.

Discography

• 1987 - Porsche, Genscher, Hallo HSV
• 1988 - Kampfstern Mallorca dockt an
• 1990 - Fuck You
• 1991 - Punkrock
• 1994 - Das bisschen Totschlag
• 1996 - Economy Class
• 1998 - Dead School Hamburg (Give me a Vollzeitarbeit)
• 2001 - Schafott zum Fahrstuhl
• 2001 - Videocompilation (Video VHS PAL)
• 2002 - Aussage Gegen Aussage (Best of)
• 2006 - Lenin
• 2009 - Die Entstehung der Nacht

Compilations

• 2006 - "silver monk time - a tribute to the monks" (29 bands cover the MONKS) label play loud! productions

Films

• The German filmmaker Jörg Siepmann produced the film Golden Lemons, a documentary about 2002 USA-Tour of the band, which they made together with Wesley Willis and other bands. The film had its premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2003. Die Goldenen Zitronen dissociate themselves from the film.^[1]
• In 2007 Übriggebliebene ausgereifte Haltungen, a rockumentary about Die Goldenen Zitronen, by German filmmaker Peter Ott had its premiere in Hamburg and was released in German cinemas and on DVD in 2008.

Other bandmember projects

• Ted Gaier: "Three Normal Beatles" and "Les Robespieres" (with Klaus Ramcke), Schwabinggrad Ballett (with Bernadette La Hengst, Knarf Rellöm)

References

1. ^ ""Verlautbarung der GOLDENEN ZITRONEN zum unerfreulichen Kinostart der Films" (Statement of the band in German)". goldenlemons.de. http://www.goldenlemons.de/verlautbarung.html. Retrieved 2008-08-17. 

External links

• Official Site (German)
• Interview (German)
• Review of 'Entstehung der nacht' (English)