Tocotronic is a german band from Hamburg. Their musical style could be compared with Nirvana and they are one of the founders of the so called Hamburger Schule. This group of bands, including Sterne, Blumfeld and some less well known bands, stands for a new type of German rock music away from 80' hard rock bands like The Scorpions. They have a complete different basis as other German rock bands, which mostly come from the working class. Tocotronic stands for a young and intellectual music.

Tocotronic consists of:
Dirk von Lowtzow - vocals, guitar
Jan Müller - bass, vocals
Arne Zank - drums, vocals guitar

Short Discography

  • Meine Freundin und ihr Freund 7" (1994)
  • Digital ist besser - LP and CD (1995)
  • Nach der verlorenen Zeit - LP and CD (1995)
  • Wir kommen um uns zu beschweren - LP and CD (1996)
  • Es ist egal,aber - LP and CD (1997)
  • The Hamburg Years - CD (1998)
  • KOOK - LP and CD(1999)

If you live outside of Germany I would suggest you buy "The Hamburg Years". This is a compilation of songs from all their other releases (some are sung in English).

In einer Gesellschaft, in der man bunte Uhren trägt,
in einer Gesellschaft wie dieser bin ich nur im Weg
In a society that worships coulored watches,
in a society like this I'm just in your way.

Tocotronic represent a time and style in german music that was unrepresented before. Things they express are teenage angst as well as more complex matters of the human mind. They became the voice for a whole generation, and are still a main figure of counter culture. In fact, they sing about a lot of things, like the overwhelming influence of mass-consumerism on out lives (Digital ist besser), as well as about relationship problems (Ich mag dich einfach nicht mehr so) and youth culture (Ich möchte Teil einer Jugendbewegung sein). Sometimes, you read one of their songtitles, and it sounds like an intelligent remark, or a joke, but the song behind it is in fact a gem of society-mockery (Diverse Menschen deiner Stadt).
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Back in 1994, when their music started to become popular all over Germany and german speaking countries, they made rather straight-edge music - plain, unedited guitar/bass/drums rock, but that changed over their years. Their present, self-entitled album is much more polished and musically refined that their previous work, yet still keeping the lyrical power of their songs. Maybe just the theme changed a bit. From the annoyed anger of a teenager the lyrics evolved into pieces of poetry packed into songs.

Although there isn't a lot of sense if you don't know german, I may recommend a couple of songs that just plainly rock:

  • Ich möchte Teil einer Jugendbewegung sein
  • Du und deine Welt
  • Digital ist besser
  • This boy is tocotronic

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