That Philipp Poisel has perhaps become something like a pop star by now was definitely not intentional. Really good things usually just happen like that. After two successful studio albums, “Wo fängt dein Himmel an?” (2008) and “Bis nach Toulouse” (2010), which spent a total of one year in the sales charts and is currently in the top 50, he moved on to larger stages. His musical contribution “Eiserner Steg” to Matthias Schweighöfer's film “What a Man” opened up a new, broader audience for him and reached number 4 on the German single charts. Despite the great success and over a quarter of a million units sold of the first two albums - both now certified Gold - Philipp Poisel resisted the usual clichés of pop music. For example, a song like “Ich will nur (live)” climbing to number 7 on the iTunes single charts two years after its release is not due to charming self-promotion on the TV couches of the republic, but rather a brief flash of this song in a German daily soap.
After a long festival summer in 2011, Philipp wanted to return to those intimate moments that made his concerts so special for him and his fans in the early years. Ideally in the smallest setting. Somehow opening his own cosmos for the listeners. The idea for the “Projekt Seerosenteich” was born! To take another look at everything that came before, rearrange it, rent a workshop with the band and friends, and craft stage designs. To bring his own imaginative world to the stage down to the smallest detail and direct it independently. The title “Projekt Seerosenteich” refers back to the eponymous song from the debut album “Wo fängt dein Himmel an?” – a very calm and contemplative piece – two lovers in a snowy zoo, the lily pond as a magical place, hoods pulled up – almost like Eskimos.
“The song is an outsider, but also a little treasure,” says Philipp Poisel, and you can feel how much he loves the piece. “’Seerosenteich’ has fallen a bit behind because we have often played on large stages lately. It was mostly about being loud and transmitting as much energy as possible.”
The result is something that the current music market often misses – something lasting, yet fleeting, that has only fully revealed itself to the lucky ones who managed to get a ticket for the completely sold-out tour. Because what Philipp and his companions conjured up on stage during those evenings was beyond all known conventions and danced dreamily between unplugged concert, variety, and theater. For each song, there was a specially crafted, hand-painted stage design – during the intermissions, small circus acts were performed. Musically, the spectrum was expanded with a four-member string quartet, an old piano, and an angelic-voiced Alin Coen. In one of the best moments, Philipp and Alin sing the song “Wie soll ein Mensch das ertragen” from the edge of the stage and leave the stage to four ballerinas who know how to emphasize every word with their movements. In the end, those present were simply “happy to be there.”
As a conclusion to the tour, there were two special concerts for the recording of the DVD – at the headquarters of Europe’s largest circus – the Circus Krone Bau in Munich. The entire energy and magic of the Projekt Seerosenteich was brought to the stage one last time and captured on film. With the “Projekt Seerosenteich,” Philipp Poisel has managed to present himself quite calmly as the great German songwriter he has always been. Just an artist – not a pop star.
PHILIPP POISEL Festival Show:
20.07.2012 Sittersdorf, Acoustic Lake Side Festival
Web:
