Newmen - Futur II

Format: LP
Catalogue No.: FHP430025
Barcode: 4260647881028
Release Date: 05 Nov 2021
Genre: Indie/Alternative

TRACKLISTING:
01 No Tricks With The Ocean
02 Caravan
03 Seven Suns (w/ Ketty Van
Doln)
04 Fordissimo
05 Futur I (w/ Wolfgang Flür)
06 Futur II
07 Rational Landscapes
08 Cell
09 A Bigger Slash

FUTUR II offers a unique perspective between hopelessness and limitless options. Here, a view of the world emerges in which we, together with NEWMEN, simultaneously observe and are observed. A serene view of how everything might have been too late, without the arrogance to claim such a thing with certainty. Or as the song "Futur I", a collaboration with the exKraftwerk robo-engineer Wolfgang Flür, says: "There will be much to observe!"

"Bingo! What to say?" - It's hard to say whether it's particularly eloquent to start an album with these words, but "No Tricks with the Ocean" pushes its way across the landscape with its rhythm like a monster that first has to climb over high mountains to see that the inhabitants of the valley had the glorious idea of flying to Mallorca during a pandemic. Apocalypse cancelled, took care of itself. "All lives say goodbye, farewell."

But this is no reason to panic, for there is a lightness in the air that FUTUR II breathes, akin to the first breath after a long time away from air conditioning, offices and the city. In a time when forest is considered "unused space" and one is encouraged at all times to put a price on time and space, it is of course difficult to speak of lightness without thinking of what one has to pay for it.

To capture this admittedly rather sceptical perspective on the future, NEWMEN does the splits to the first Hallelujah moments when technology made its way into music making. Kraftwerk, NEU! and their ilk took the mechanical precision that technology made possible and used the motor rhythm that anyone who has spent more than half an hour on the motorway or counting the seconds until the working day passes is familiar with. Now, however, NEWMEN are children of generations who have already spent their lives in this rhythm. So when one experiences that it can make sense to blow one's savings in the one-armed bandit rather than relying on an increasingly hollowed-out welfare state, NEWMEN's love of driving rhythm also reveals melancholy. Add to that the fact that anyone and everyone with disappointed ideals knows the true value of escapism. This is exactly where space-filling synthesizers of the analogue kind go hand in hand with staccato guitar playing of the late 70s and early 80s, when Gordon Gekko could just about pass for a cool guy and discos reacted to economic downturns with colourful self-promotion.

With their "Krautpop", which grew up in all these realms, NEWMEN have developed a style on their third album FUTUR II, which on the one hand is deeply rooted in the technological innovations of the industrialised countries, but never chums up to be pulled onto the latest lifestyle playlist by the almighty algorithm. Admittedly, it can be fun to listen to The Weeknd practising Aha! cosplay, but NEWMEN caters to the part of the brain that dreams of eating something really good while getting two Whoppers at the main station at once because they only cost one euro at the moment.

While the opener "No Tricks with the Ocean" sings about the disappearing life, the bone-dry drums foreshadow the rising heat that is responsible for it. "Caravan" makes you feel the hot desert sand and the desperation that forces you to leave your home. "Seven Suns" on the other hand, with Ketty van Doln's beautiful vocals and a terrific groove, brings us close to the resilience we all need.

Not to be missed are NEWMEN's signature instrumentals. "Fordissimo" picks up on the assembly line rhythm with its pun of "Fordism" and "Fortissimo", following instrumentals from previous albums RUSH HUSH (2014), SOFT WARE (2017) and two EPs with machine-like precision, reminding us with attention to detail that this band rewards attention - because nothing here is stuffed, but filled.

Something like this doesn't come about purely by chance. Just as the band's name functions on the one hand as a swan song to masculine poses that can no longer be taken seriously, but also ironically admits that the means used are not "new", the band, founded in Frankfurt am Main in 2012, simultaneously distances itself from cliché sausage and ring lecture pop.

FUTUR II offers a unique perspective between hopelessness and limitless options. Here, a view of the world emerges in which we, together with NEWMEN, simultaneously observe and are observed. A serene view of how everything might have been too late, without the arrogance to claim such a thing with certainty. Or as the song "Futur I", a collaboration with exKraftwerk robo Wolfgang Flür, says: "There will be much to observe!"