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When
Funker Vogt was founded in 1995 by Gerrit Thomas
and Jens Kästel. nobody could foresee that, within just
one year, it would grow into one of the leading electro-acts
of today. Originally, it had been envisaged as just one
more of Gerrit Thomas's many musical projects; but the project
took the world by storm and grew to become GT's main act.
The man who gave the band its name, Funker Vogt is a friend,
who was serving as operator/navigator with the German army
at that time. This choice of name describes and defines
the theme of the project: German army - military - war.
The responsibilities/roles of each member of the band are
clearly defined: Gerrit Thomas composes the music, Jens
Kästel is the singer. Most of the lyrics are written by
Kai Schmidt, with occasional contributions by Jens and Gerrit.
In concert Jens and Gerritt are supported by two guests,
namely Björn Böttcher (keyboard) and Thomas Kroll (guitar).
For three years Kai Schmidt managed the band, when he handed
the management over to Repomanagement (KS/BB).
Since 1996 Funker Vogt has published 4 albums, 4 EP's, 5
singles, 1 remix CD and 1 video. In December 2001 the first
three albums plus bonus tracks were republished under the
label Reporecords. FV managed to reach the top of both the
German and the international electro-scene very quickly
and has since remained at the top of these charts: where
they have been received with much enthusiasm from areas
such as Spain, Portugal, Russia, Poland, Denmark, France,
Belgium, Holland, Italy, South Africa, Israel, South America
and England... FV has also established a sound reputation
in the US, where its music is distributed by Metropolis
Records.
Next to its creativity, it is the vibrant energy of its
live concerts which best characterises the band. This quality
has undergone continuous improvement as the size of the
band has grown from two to four. Funker Vogt is also known
as a complete work, regrouping image, music, lyrics, and
stage presence into a unique theme: One of the major characteristics
of Funker Vogt's concerts is the martial appearance of the
band. Critics describe this experience as a war being presented
on stage.
This is an image, deliberately chosen by Funker Vogt. On
one hand, it is provocative and hence liable to be misunderstood
on a superficial glance. On the other hand, however, this
controversial image gives rise to deep-seated associations
and creates a strong and consistent link between the fan
and the band. The image that is sought combines both the
appearance of the band and the contents of the songs. In
combination, these two elements preclude all misunderstandings,
as there is a clear irony between the drastic militarism
presented, which is caricatured during live concerts, and
the underlying message. These contradictions emphasise and
strengthen the body of the texts.
War and social injustice have become the main topics over
the years. These have reached their fullest expression in
Funker Vogt's earlier publication: Execution Tracks, and
the video accompanying it. Audio and Video present the grotesque
cruelties and the tragedy of war, most obviously in such
songs as Civil War and Tragic Hero. The group's stance is
unambiguously expressed in Fortunes of War and its chorus.
War reappears as a topic in the publication which followed,
Maschine Zeit, but more allusively as a foil and backdrop
to more specific ideas, where a change of musical style
accompanies the evolution of these concepts.
While Funker Vogt produced its first album, Thanks for Nothing,
with rather elementary and means, they have consistently
strived for more complex soundscapes over the course of
the following albums, exchanging standardised structures
for a richer variety. The band has kept an experimental
dimension while using pop influences but sparingly. The
last album features something more immediately ear-catching,
pointedly including elements of pop, and as a consequence,
the album proved a success within the alternative electro-scene.
Survivor :
Funker Vogt's new album, Survivor, published in October
2002. The single, Date of Expiration, published in June,
serves as a foretaste of what to expect as a sonic direction.
It contains the title track plus two new songs. Survivor
presents the future in a rather dark scenario, the titular
hero being the last of mankind. Furthermore the Survivor
is a metaphor for the history of Funker Vogt itself. Despite
a few quarrels with some labels and the words of sceptic
critics, FV is still alive and kicking, gaining in strength
and popularity with each new album. Survivor's story is
pictorially presented on the cover and explicitly told in
the booklet. The cover presents a talisman or dogtag sinking
to the bottom of the sea. The talisman, which belongs to
Survivor, also embodies Funker Vogt's logo, symbolizing
both the endurance of Survivor and of Funker Vogt. It will
last and outlast even the Survivor. Funker Vogt is immortal.
Survivor reappears in the lyrics, where he retells the story
of the wars has outlived (This World), of his time as a
soldier and its impact (Compulsions), He tells the story
of the POWs, which may be allegorically interpreted as the
history of the decline and fall of civilization, of his
dreams and wishes (Final Thrill), of his discontent with
present-day society (Stolen Thoughts), of his search for
fulfillment and solace (Faster Live), of his experiences
as refugee (Refugees). In Red Queen his stories are rounded
off: as in the beginning of the album (Date of Expiration),
the Survivor does not narrate his stories, but addresses
the listener directly and analyses not his own life but
that of the listener. Whether the cap fits or not, is up
to every listener to decide.
Musically, the album offers something new, presenting for
the first time guitarist Thomas Kroll live. Both Fallen
Man and Red Queen profit from this intense use of the guitar.
Moreover, the album contains Funker Vogt's first ballad,
while some other songs push the envelope of what they have
done in the past, adding variety and richness to the established
canonical Funker Vogt-style. The band trusts the richness
and complexity of the new album will appeal to most, including
the harshest critics.
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