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Tocotronic is a German
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
founded in 1993 (see
1993 in music This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993. Specific locations *1993 in British music * 1993 in Norwegian music Specific genres * 1993 in country music *1993 in heavy metal music *1993 in hip hop music *1993 in Latin music * ...
). Similar to Blumfeld or
Die Sterne Die Sterne is a two/three/four-piece indie pop band, from Hamburg, Germany. They were formed in 1991 and have released twelve studio albums, the most recent in 2022. Members The band consists of Frank Spilker (vocals and guitar), Thomas Wenzel ...
they are considered a part of the
Hamburger Schule The ''Hamburger Schule'' (German for 'Hamburg School') is a music movement current in Germany during the 1980s and early 1990s. With some active bands and artists it is still present. It took up traditions of Neue Deutsche Welle and combined them w ...
(''Hamburg School'') movement. They are influential for bands such as
Wir sind Helden Wir sind Helden (, German for "We are heroes") was a German pop rock band that was established in 2000 in Hamburg and based in Berlin. The band was composed of lead singer and guitarist Judith Holofernes, drummer Pola Roy, bassist Mark Tavassol ...
. Tocotronic were signed by
L'Age D'Or ''L'Age d'Or'' (french: L'Âge d'Or, ), commonly translated as ''The Golden Age'' or ''Age of Gold'', is a 1930 French surrealist satirical comedy film directed by Luis Buñuel about the insanities of modern life, the hypocrisy of the sexual m ...
, a German
independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...
situated in
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
, 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 A diary is a written or audiovisual record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally been handwritten but are now also often digital. A personal ...
-like songwriting, paired with a
lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...
rock sound with elements of punk rock and grunge. In 1995, they released their debut album ''Digital ist besser'' (Digital is better), followed by their second album ''Nach der verlorenen Zeit'' (After the Lost Time) only a few months later. Their third album, released in 1996, was the first to hit the German charts. The music became 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 and acclaimed 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 studio album, "Schall & Wahn", was released in January 2010 and became their first number-one record. ''
Wie Wir Leben Wollen Wie or WIE may refer to: * Y, the twenty-fifth letter of the Latin alphabet, pronounced ''wie'' People * Michelle Wie West (born 1989), American professional golfer * Ole Petter Wie (born 1966), Norwegian businessman * Virginia Van Wie (1909â ...
'', was released on 25 January 2013 and ''Tocotronic'' (commonly known as "Das Rote Album", or "The Red Album") was released on 1 May 2015. The current band members and positions are Jan Müller ( bass), Arne Zank (
drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
), Dirk von Lowtzow (
rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...
,
vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
), and, since 2004, Rick McPhail (
lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...
,
keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
).


Discography


Studio albums

* 1995: ''Digital ist besser'' ("Digital Is Better") * 1995: ''Nach der verlorenen Zeit'' ("After Lost Time") * 1996: ''Wir kommen um uns zu beschweren'' ("We Come to Complain") * 1997: ''Es ist egal, aber'' ("It Doesn't Matter, But") * 1999: ''K.O.O.K.'' * 1999: ''K.O.O.K.'' (English Version) * 2002: ''Tocotronic'' * 2005: ''Pure Vernunft darf niemals siegen'' ("Pure Reason Must Never Prevail") * 2007: ''Kapitulation'' ("Capitulation") * 2010: ''Schall und Wahn'' (literally "Sound and Delusion", ''Schall und Wahn'' being the title of the German translation of William Faulkner's ''
The Sound and the Fury ''The Sound and the Fury'' is a novel by the American author William Faulkner. It employs several narrative styles, including stream of consciousness. Published in 1929, ''The Sound and the Fury'' was Faulkner's fourth novel, and was not immedi ...
'') (GER: #1) * 2013: ''Wie wir leben wollen'' ("How We Aim to Live") * 2015: ''Tocotronic (Das rote Album)'' ("Tocotronic (The Red Album)") * 2018: ''Die Unendlichkeit'' ("Infinity") * 2022: ''Nie wieder Krieg'' ("No More War")


Best of, live, remixes

* 1998: ''Live in
Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
'' (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'' * 2013: ''>20<''


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
Chokebore Chokebore is an American indie rock band formed in the early 1990s in Honolulu, Hawaii, and subsequently based in Los Angeles, California, United States. The group was active between 1993-2005 before taking a hiatus for 4 years. The group refo ...
(7") * 1996: Split with Christoph de Babalon (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
Fuck ''Fuck'' is an English-language expletive. It often refers to the act of sexual intercourse, but is also commonly used as an intensifier or to convey disdain. While its origin is obscure, it is usually considered to be first attested to aro ...
(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, with
Console Console may refer to: Computing and video games * System console, a physical device to operate a computer ** Virtual console, a user interface for multiple computer consoles on one device ** Command-line interface, a method of interacting with ...
) * 2000: ''Variationen'' I + II (2 EPs; ''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 Records; ''Pure Reason Nust Never 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"/12"; ''Don't do it yourselves'') * 2010: ''Im Zweifel für den Zweifel'' (7": ''When in Doubt, for the Doubt'') * 2010: ''Die Folter endet nie'' (7": ''The Torture never ends'') * 2013: ''Auf dem Pfad der Dämmerung'' (7": ''On the Path of Twilight'') * 2013: ''Ich will für dich nüchtern bleiben'' (7": ''I want to stay sober for you'') * 2013: ''Warte auf mich auf dem Grund des Swimmingpools'' (7": ''Wait for me on the Bottom of the Swimming Pool'') * 2015: ''Prolog'' (7": ''Prologue'') * 2015: ''Die Erwachsenen'' (7": ''The Adults'') * 2015: ''Zucker'' (7": ''Sugar'')


Compilations

* '' Four-beat Rhythm: The Writings of Wilhelm Reich''


References


External links


Official Site

MySpace Page


Deutsche Welle Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave" in English), abbreviated to DW, is a German public, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the German federal tax budget. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite television service con ...

Tocotronic on Jerusalem student radio part#1
an
part#2

Tocotronic's Rick McPhail

Tocotronic on the Music-Map
{{Authority control German indie rock groups Musical groups from Hamburg Culture in Hamburg Musical groups established in 1993