It all started around mid-March when I, a non-radio listener, was sifting through radio stations for a suitable program. I got stuck on a station where a song was playing that reminded me of something: It was a voice that sounded familiar, but not the music of the band. "Good day, Doctor, I have a problem: I mostly see things that I’m so ashamed of" came from the speaker. It sounded a bit like the new Hamburger Schule. Just somehow better. Could this be something new from TOMTE or KETTCAR or maybe TREND? Then it clicked: It was the KAFKAS. And that on Deutschlandfunk. It was clear that the gentlemen KAFKAS were brewing something bigger.
“Paula” is the name of the new CD, which has been available since April 16, and it has turned out differently than what the KAFKAS did before.
Anyone who still has the last EP “LD50” of the KAFKAS in their ears should remember the song “Klatscht in die Hände,” which has also become the first track of the new CD. By the way, it is also the first single release from “Paula,” and the video for the song circulated at number 1 on the MySpace video charts. One could say that the song is programmatic for “Paula”: An 80s Neue Deutsche Welle drumbeat (which can also be found in other songs on the CD), emotional, sarcastic humor, serious, catchy, and moving. When reading this short description, one might wonder: Is this still punk? Certainly not, but that doesn’t really matter. The KAFKAS have evolved while still remaining true to themselves. More PUR than punk, more style than Hamburger Schule. The KAFKAS have a message, and they sound sincere. You get the feeling that you know exactly who stands behind the lyrics, so full of honesty they are. Well-arranged songs, very clean guitars, mostly quite clean, and also a lot of electronics. One could certainly imagine one or the other song in a (stylishly contrary to the spirit of the times) disco, without me meaning that in a derogatory way. The songs actually seem quite danceable, not just at concerts.
Paula brings together 15 diverse songs, finally a CD that, contrary to the trend, features more than 11 tracks. And it doesn’t repeat itself. The KAFKAS have a wide repertoire, and the songs “2000 Hände” and “Leben ist gut” are my personal favorites. Even in these two songs, the musical spectrum is evident: One is a solid punk rock piece, while the other shines through completely electronic attitudes. If you want to convince yourself: Both songs are available at www.myspace.com/diekafkas.
Surely, Paula does not dethrone Sklavenautomat as my favorite KAFKAS album, but it’s also nice to hear the KAFKAS like this. I’m curious how they will implement their new sound live: The 80s drums, usually more than one guitar, the keyboard, the electronics in the background, and the multi-voicedness, but I’m sure they will come up with something.
The KAFKAS are still busy touring this year and are very likeable guys; I don’t want to lean too far out the window, but live they are surely an experience worth seeing when they are nearby.
To conclude with a quote: "This is a love song, but anti-capitalist. That was clear, so clear.".
