kokon. Ein schaurig-schönes Schachtelstück.
A review by Israel Quezada (Mexico)
When it comes to describing a band like Angizia one can’t do anything but stay speechless, because trying to describe this unique group is like trying to describe a cloudy sky to a blind man who has never seen it in his life. So how could I do this without ending up feeling like I dissected my brain in the search for the right words? Well, I’ll take a shot…
Here I am, holding in my hands a new, sleek and very sophisticated looking copy of the new Angizia album “Kokon, Ein schaurig-schönes Schachtelstück ”… at first I didn’t know what to expect though I know their music very well. I was excited and eager to listen to this new play about the tormented life of a Homunkulus who lives in a simple box. This pitiful creature is abused and trampled by its creators Frau Jansen and Herr Jansen, leading the feelings of the Homunkulus to wish its vengeance upon them. As I pressed play some desperating and agonizing sounds (of the Homunkulus, I think) came out. Now I’ve read some reviews saying that Angizia has left out the comedy aspect, but these sounds are so morbid and bizzarr that my humorously black mind couldn’t help laughing out of amusement. I’ve always liked the way Michael Haas’s voice can sound so demented, grim and neurotic, he portrays the Humunkulus very well.
At first this can seem like a dramatic album, but “Ein Quänchen Gift” while not having the comic element of previous albums, sounds refreshingly mirthful. The playful instruments giving virtuoso performances with the guitar, played by Emmerich Haimer, and viola by Martina Engel give it a graceful sense of madness, but what I thought was a stroke of genious was the inclusion of a singing saw, the sound of it is very simple, but it gives it a creepy and eerie feeling that sends chills down my spine. The voice of Irene Denner is flawless as always shrouding the music in a veil of sophistication.
Emotions surround this music in a way that can only be described by listening to it, you can feel the passion of “Es ist Leidenschaft”, the intensity and madness of “Ich”, and the brainsick but uplifting and mirthful “Maß Für Maß”, which is my favorite song. It’s clear that this is the creation of masterful musicians, but where the talents of Emmerich Haimer and Martina Engel shine in a virtuous way is in the last song “Bühne, still”, a small but very beautiful display of skilled performences. The only complain I have is that it’s very short.
I could go on, but my brain is a little dry. The only way to know what Angizia music is like is listening to it, having a direct exposure to it… and once you listen to it, you will never listen to other kind of music in the same way. This is a passionate breath of fresh air in the midst of the garbage that pollutes the musical industry, a milestone in the opposition against the musical incompetence in this world.
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