and suddenly we see the things that really matter
our greatest enemies are shadows on the wall
and suddenly we see
for worse and for the better
our torn realities illusions after all
When Rasc and Gun decided to form Rotersand in September of 2002, they were by no means strangers. Their paths had crossed more than once in the past, as they had cooperated with bands such as The Fair Sex, 1am and Warm. This made them eager to create their very own gestalt of electronic music: invigorating and contemplative, contemporary yet timeless. Almost to their surprise the project effortlessly took off.
The energetic, poignant sound of Rotersand instantly caught audiences’ attention when they opened the “Legends United” Tour in September 2002. It was during that tour when they convinced Krischan E. Wesenberg to join them. Rasc and Gun had already followed Krischan’s work as a Techno and Electro underground producer for quite some time. From the day they joined forces, their music gained even more momentum – they were an instant match.
Buy your festival tickets soon!
When their EP Merging Oceans, was released in Spring 2003, Gun, Rasc and Krischan, received worldwide attention. For several months the band occupied top rankings in the German Alternative Charts, the Nordic Alternative Charts and the Dutch Alternative Charts. The title track “Merging Oceans” was heavily broadcast by radio and internet stations around the world.
Rotersand’s 2004 debut album, Truth Is Fanatic is still getting relentless dance floor attention. The album’s 12 impressive tracks convey their creative spectrum. From floor shaking pounders (“Almost Violent” / “Social Distortion”) to emotional ballads (“One level down” / “Hush”), their music is always plausible and authentic. Rotersand’s special melange of 80’s Pop, Electro, Techno and even classical elements made Truth is Fanatic a truly brilliant debut.
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For 2005, Rotersand upped the ante with their follow-up album, Welcome to Goodbye. They dramatically improved their musical style and sound with the album and even gave some of the songs a bit of a Pink Floyd influence. Each song had incredible power and energy from start to finish. Rotersand became a band to be reckoned with.
Having spent 2006 on the road building their reputation as a powerful live act, Rotersand unleashed their eagerly anticipated 3rd album 1023 (ten twenty-three) for 2007. According to Rotersand singer Rasc, the title refers to the room number of a Detroit hotel the trio checked into during their US tour the prior year. The atmosphere in this derelict, at one time luxurious and now forsaken hotel was both sinister and eerie. We felt as though we were in a combination of a surreal computer game and Stephen King’s Shining. Needless to say, the otherworldly atmospheric experience left quite an impression on Rotersand, and can be seen throughout the album. 1023 was an influx of emotions, which is exemplified through the palate of sounds Rotersand used to paint their experiences. The hard and fast paced club hits crashed against the more somber tracks to create a potent dynamic.
Following up 1023 was the I Cry EP for 2008.
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2009 saw the release of a digital only EP, War On Error, and their fourth album, Random Is Resistance. Now, Rotersand returns with an all new EP, Waiting To Be Born. Clocking in at nearly an hour, the EP features reworked versions of songs from the highly acclaimed album Random Is Resistance as well as exclusive songs. The new EP further pushes the reach of Rotersand’s sound, as melodic EBM, trance, and other influences blend with highly intelligent, introspective lyrics. Highlighting the Waiting To Be Born release is a beautiful version of Peter Murphy’s classic “A Strange Kind Of Love”. Waiting To Be Born once again shows that the members of Rotersand are masterful musicians.
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Capitalism TM
It is a subtle process, one that has been taking decades and that yet is not to be made undone. We become slaves without realizing it. Slaves to ourselves, biased towards exploiting ourselves in the name of self-fulfillment. We get sucked dry by treacherous achievements and allow ourselves to shatter our dreams to pieces. Man has become entangled in its own spider web, is becoming transparent in social media, consumes to fill the void, falls and does not even notice in his hubris. Welcome to this brave new world of our own design. Welcome to “Capitalism TM”.
ROTERSAND have risen to the occasion in an era when mass media and the Internet have turned consumers from impassive mutes to all too active squallers. When everyone has a voice, no one has. Fortunately for all of us, ROTERSAND have not been put off by this. Quite the contrary: Theirs is a diametric antithesis to todays’ empty club music which gave them the ability to rise with their anthemic tracks and important contents – ever critical, intelligent and closer to philosophy than to working off all those scene related clichés. They deliberately left this to the others.
Three little monkeys swinging in a tree
Teasing Mister Alligator, Can’t catch me
Along comes Mister Alligator, Quiet as can be
And SNAPS that monkey right out of that tree!
Their new album “Capitalism TM” is not only reaching a new level: It is also becoming more and more apparent that all the bygone years, all the terrifyingly honest, cynical smashers like “Truth Is Fanatic” or “Content Killer” were but the mere overture to what Germany’s most intelligent Electro project is unleashing now. “Capitalism TM” is fury and solace combined: Melodies between desperate hope, cynical realism and a profound melancholy, choruses to kill for and an entire arsenal of potential club bangers mark a new all-time high.
Music with ambition and depth – easier said than done. Still, the thing with uniting the heart and the mind makes a great PR slogan. What it really means to marry impulse and ratio is only becoming apparent through a stronghold like “Capitalism TM”. Here, music and lyrics truly walk hand in hand. The one is not to be separated from the other, only together their ambiguous cleverness unfolds. Being a great composer does not automatically entail being a great lyricist. ROTERSAND, however, mark the exception of the rule and deliver a new hybrid of Electro colossus, produced with crystal clear massiveness and armed with a guarantee to detonate – in the clubs as well as in our heads.