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viewing 1 To 17 of 17 items
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CD
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MONIKA 085CD
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"Yes, double stars do exist. They are a reality. They appear in the firmament -- sometimes as an optical and sometimes as a physical phenomenon. Two celestial bodies, working in relation to each other, circling around each other, responding to each other. Both in a delicate balance. In the German language this rare astronomical occurrence is called a 'Doppelstern.' Yet the double stars at issue here have not fallen from the sky, even if it sometimes sounds like it. Barbara Morgenstern -- the great Berlin composer, lyricist, musician, and choir director -- has conceived them, formed them, and lets them rain down upon us like a meteor shower. Three years after her previous English-language album Sweet Silence (MONIKA 074CD, 2012), Barbara Morgenstern is in possession of a marvelous new metaphor for a shining new creative principle. The name was actually a hint from Justus Köhncke, with whom she also forms a double star... In various studios and different constellations, across continents and neighborhoods, a veritable solar system has come into existence. Let's listen into it! It shimmers. Unbelievable. So many facets. Each piece is unique due to its double star constellation. Let's call them by name: T.Raumschmiere, Hauschka, Gudrun Gut, Justus Köhncke, Corey Dargel, Lucrecia Dalt, Julia Kent, Coppé, Tonia Reeh, Richard Davis, Jacaszek. And each piece is connected to the other through Barbara Morgenstern and her songs... And as complete lyrics in collaboration with the aforementioned partner stars they shine sometimes brighter than a supernova, and other times as delicately as a firefly. Between song-craft and krautrock, electronic listening and dance-pop, an entire glittering galaxy of sounds and songs unfolds in front of us. That's Barbara Morgenstern's Doppelstern. Do not miss this celestial phenomenon." --Hans Nieswandt
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LP
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MONIKA 085LP
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LP version. Includes download code. "Yes, double stars do exist. They are a reality. They appear in the firmament -- sometimes as an optical and sometimes as a physical phenomenon. Two celestial bodies, working in relation to each other, circling around each other, responding to each other. Both in a delicate balance. In the German language this rare astronomical occurrence is called a 'Doppelstern.' Yet the double stars at issue here have not fallen from the sky, even if it sometimes sounds like it. Barbara Morgenstern -- the great Berlin composer, lyricist, musician, and choir director -- has conceived them, formed them, and lets them rain down upon us like a meteor shower. Three years after her previous English-language album Sweet Silence (MONIKA 074CD, 2012), Barbara Morgenstern is in possession of a marvelous new metaphor for a shining new creative principle. The name was actually a hint from Justus Köhncke, with whom she also forms a double star... In various studios and different constellations, across continents and neighborhoods, a veritable solar system has come into existence. Let's listen into it! It shimmers. Unbelievable. So many facets. Each piece is unique due to its double star constellation. Let's call them by name: T.Raumschmiere, Hauschka, Gudrun Gut, Justus Köhncke, Corey Dargel, Lucrecia Dalt, Julia Kent, Coppé, Tonia Reeh, Richard Davis, Jacaszek. And each piece is connected to the other through Barbara Morgenstern and her songs... And as complete lyrics in collaboration with the aforementioned partner stars they shine sometimes brighter than a supernova, and other times as delicately as a firefly. Between song-craft and krautrock, electronic listening and dance-pop, an entire glittering galaxy of sounds and songs unfolds in front of us. That's Barbara Morgenstern's Doppelstern. Do not miss this celestial phenomenon." --Hans Nieswandt
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10"
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MONIKA 084EP
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Barbara Morgenstern follows her 2012 English-language album Sweet Silence (MONIKA 074CD) with Doppelstern (Double Star), featuring 13 collaborations, each created in a different studio. This pre-album EP includes "Übermorgen (Extended)," which features a vocal duet with Justus Köhncke, who first suggested the double star concept to Morgenstern; Robert Lippok, with whom Morgenstern has crossed paths on numerous occasions, appears on the electronic instrumental "Scrambler (Extended)"; "Gleich ist gleicher als gleich" took shape in the studio of Lucrecia Dalt; and the intense, kraut-oriented "Kein Weg" was created in the studio of Schneider TM. Mixed by T.Raumschmiere.
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MONIKA 074CD
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This is the sixth album by Berlin-based musician Barbara Morgenstern. Following 2010's Fan No. 2 (MONIKA 070CD), a greatest hits compilation of a different kind, Sweet Silence contains a fresh collection of all new songs sung for the first time only in English. As with all of Morgenstern's music, Sweet Silence exudes a glorious honesty which is just what makes her electronic pop sound so appealing. The record was mixed by Shitkatapult founder Marco Haas aka T.Raumschmiere, giving the whole thing that unmistakable Berlin sound. BM breaks the ice on the album with the title song "Sweet Silence," an anthemic intro enriched with vocal delays which sets the mood nicely. Morgenstern soon picks up the pace on "Need To Hang Around" -- this spirited song is a friendly reminder of how important it is to step back every once in a while. It's lighthearted while still carrying an important message; indeed, it remains a large part of the singer's charm that she never takes her music seriously. German fans already know Morgenstern's lyrics have always contained a great depth of meaning and imagery as well as humor. Now, with Sweet Silence, everyone can join in understanding the ideas and experiences at the heart of Morgenstern's songs, rather than just enjoying the sound of her voice on a purely instrumental level. That said, "Kookoo" works on both levels with profound lyrics and extensive creative use of vocal sampling. "Jump Into The Life-Pool" relates the age-old story that is the cycle of life, spiraling ever onwards just like the arpeggiated synth loops that are to be heard in the song. The short interlude "Bela" is one of only three instrumental tracks on an album so reliant on Morgenstern's tremendous vocal presence. "Highway" is probably the most orchestral tune, with a swelling string arrangement setting the mood. "The Minimum Says" is one of the few songs to feature guitar on a predominantly electronic album. "Auditorium" switches instrumentation again -- this time to a Rhodes and some seriously jazzy riffs. "Hip Hop Mice" is the second instrumental number on Sweet Silence and is somewhat reminiscent of Morgenstern's collaboration with Robert Lippok on Tesri, with the focus being purely on electronica and less weight being given to any pop aspect in the music. At just over five and a half minutes, "Status Symbol" seems to have almost epic proportions on an album that otherwise pretty much sticks to the three-minute golden rule of pop -- a long, drawn-out hypnotic jam that has something of a Nichts Muss feel to it. Sweet Silence is in many ways a milestone in Morgenstern's career and the next leg in her ongoing musical journey.
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2CD
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MONIKA 070CD
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Fan No. 2 is a round-up of Berlin-based electro-indie queen Barbara Morgenstern's extensive recorded output to-date, including previously-unreleased versions and never-before-heard mixes as well as brand-new exclusive tracks. As a special treat for fans of the Berlin singer, musician and producer, the double CD set includes a bonus CD of her two early EPs Plastikreport and Enter The Partyzone, which get their first official release here. The collection is a guided tour through Morgenstern's catalog, starting from her first release on Monika, Vermona ET 6-1, named after the cult organ that BM put to such great use on all of her early work. The version of "Das Wort" contained on Fan No. 2 is a Monika Enterprise rarity that has its first proper release here. Then there's Thomas Fehlmann's "Mix Expansion" version of "Der Augenblick"; another previously-unreleased track originally taken from the Fjorden (MONIKA 016CD) album. There are 2 tracks from 2003's seminal Nichts Muss album (MONIKA 033CD/LP), produced by ~scape label founder Stefan Betke aka Pole, who has also remastered all the tracks on this double CD set. The piano version of "The Operator" is dedicated to Scottish pianist and composer Bill Wells (with whom Barbara has released on Leaf and Karaoke Kalk) and was so far only available on the single of this song. "Camouflage" from BM (MONIKA 064CD), represents another major milestone in Morgenstern's career -- she always wanted to work with Robert Wyatt and the dream came true with this delightfully moving song. The second number from BM is the anthemic "Come To Berlin." This powerful hit appears in this collection as a brand-new edit of the original 12" single track. Fan No. 2 draws to a close with 3 more previously-unreleased tracks. "Mountainplace" originally appeared on Chicks On Speed's acclaimed Girl Monster compilation, but the version included on here is an exclusive version. "Wegbereiter" and "Blackbird" on the other hand, are both completely brand-new, exclusive tracks. The first sees BM typically walking a fine line between kitsch and heart-wrenching while the later, a cover of The Beatles song, is unashamed, uplifting pop. Fan No. 2 charts the course of Barbara Morgenstern's catalog and the development of her style. Not quite a "best of" in the conventional sense of the term, but still packed with hits.
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MONIKA 064CD
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This is the long-awaited fifth full-length solo album from Berlin's queen of fragile and poetic electro-pop, Barbara Morgenstern. However, Morgenstern's tag as an "electro-pop icon," with which she has been associated since the early days of the Berlin living room scene, no longer really fits. The lightness that was so characteristic of her previous work has given way to new depths. What was minimal before is now far more complex, even weighty. Barbara Morgenstern's latest pop music creation is utterly captivating and mesmerizing. BM is interspersed with distortions, cacophonies and bouncing rhythms. With such a backdrop, the sweeping pop moments with their wide panoramas which make the heart soar, only seem all the more vast. And it's really cool, on "Morbus Basedow" for example, the way hard noise gives way to what is tried and tested pop, after all. On the whole, Morgenstern's music on BM is as unpredictable as never before. The patterns emerging from the piano are reminiscent of the ballads and chansons of Brecht and Weill. While the ever-present electric guitar on the other hand, played by Sven Janetzko, just wants to rock. Multifarious patterns criss-cross and knock each other off course, causing tension. And in the background, things bubble up from the depths -- like gnawing doubts which are constantly squeaking or scraping away somewhere. This release is eclectic like none of her previous releases and no song is quite like any other. Some arrangements comply with clear pop mechanisms, while others, in contrast, are more idiosyncratic. Off-beats and polyrhythms are subtly presented to the listener. Throughout the album, Barbara's melodious and soft singing voice forms the center of attention, but right and left, above and below, there is always something very different happening. It's as if the music is the subtext to the thoughtful lyrics with their often unusual meter. The lyrics can also be very political, such as on "Come To Berlin," a piece about the shocking city planning in Berlin.
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12"
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MONIKA 063EP
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As a taster of Barbara Morgenstern's album BM, Monika brings you 3 remixes of her politically-charged hit "Come To Berlin," including mixes by Telefon Tel Aviv, The Rice Twins and Chloé, as well as an exclusive single edit. The Rice Twins mix features vocoder-distorted vocals and swooping melodious synth strings. Telefon Tel Aviv's mix retains most of the original structure, but is fully club-compatible. DJ Chloé's treatment is a minimal cut perfect for the dancefloor with sampled piano and vocals.
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MONIKA 047CD
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This is the long-awaited fifth full-length solo album from Berlin's queen of fragile and poetic electro-pop -- now introducing the piano. It's three years since Barbara Morgenstern's acclaimed album Nichts Muss, and as The Grass Is Always Greener goes to show, she has come a long way. Her Goethe Institut-sponsored world tour and many recent collaborations with, among others, Robert Lippok and Bill Wells have clearly been an inspiration for this album. Ms. Morgenstern combines the charisma of her voice with subtle melodic inspiration, fully displaying a bold, well-earned maturity. Her unmistakable voice and warm piano style make for a unique sound that is the perfection of minimal elegance. The album was produced by herself and mixed together with Bernd Jestram from Tarwater.
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MONIKA 047LP
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7"
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MONIKA 046EP
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MONIKA 046CD
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This is Barbara Morgenstern's sixth release on Monika. As a foretaste of her upcoming album, Monika Enterprise brings you a maxi CD single and 7" vinyl of Morgenstern's newest hit "The Operator." The song has a charming nursery rhyme feel and an unstoppable drive. Morgenstern's sound is both melancholic and uplifting. The acoustic piano version is beautiful in its simplicity and the maxi CD contains an exclusive new track, "Mein Elektrisches Tier" (trans. my electric animal). As Morgenstern herself puts it: "The 'Operator' is a kind of oracle or magic place where all the questions which pile up run together like thousands of cables to get disentangled. It's possible to reset one's inner being at this place, to undo what has been done, and how all this happens the educated listener can find out in the lyrics..." Get connected, and "take me to the Operator...."
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MONIKA 005CD
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Debut Barbara Morgenstern album from 1999. This predates her breakthrough classics Fjorden and Nichts Muss.
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12"
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MONIKA 032EP
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"What can be more promising than the ultimate melancholic groover Lawrence remixing the addictive harmony composer Barbara Morgenstern? Or DNTEL's Jimmy Tamborello giving her a charming remix revenge? Or when the Bpitch dance queen Ellen Allien herself just joins in with Barbara and sings along and Berlin's mellow stars Tarwater do the same? All of them took extra care for their remixes and the result sounds purely wonderful. The A side is for dancing and the B side for lounging. If something beautiful comes out of the blue like that -- don't you just have to have it?" Remixes by Lawrence, Ellen Allien, Jimmy Tamborello [DNTEL, Figurine] and Tarwater.
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MONIKA 033CD
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"Barbara's third album; it's utterly beautiful and, modestly put, her music shines brighter and more majestically than ever. Produced with Berlin's own Dubmeister Pole, with a little help from Thomas Fehlmann (who has previously produced artists as diverse as the Orb and Erasure), Nichts Muss is a prime cut of Teutonic electronic beauty; exquisite German pop music which will catapult Barbara into her own orbit, way beyond indietronics or other typical electronic vocal music. With dreamy confidence, Ms. Morgenstern combines the charisma of her voice with inspiration and even more songwriting talent, and the result is an amazing mixture, unique in today`s electronic scene. The adjectives we thought of while listening to this record were endless but, as mentioned, anyone with a pair of ears and a heart will discover those for himself."
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MONIKA 033LP
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10"
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MONIKA 021EP
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"The autumn release of Barbara Morgenstern's new album Fjorden caused a general hysteria, love and addiction. Our new production was all because of Robert Lippok. He wrote one of the songs in corporation with Barbara and begged us to have the instrumental tracks released on vinyl. And of course, Robert's wish is our command. And here are the tracks on our beautiful and proved 10" vinyl: original album-versions of 'Eine Verabredung', 'Fjorden' and '37°', a new mix of 'Dr.mr.' by Barbara and the live version of 'Der Wunsch Teil Vier' with Christian Obermaier."
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MONIKA 016CD
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2nd album from Barbara Morgenstern, with guest production assistance from Robert Lippok (To Rococo Rot), Thomas Fehlmann and Pole (production & mix on 5 tracks). "I was pleasantly touched by Barbara's debut album of autumn 1998 Vermona ET 6-1. With organ as her main instrument, the work was like an homage to the Czech organ of the same name, through without the trash quality. In that album Morgenstern melded warm analog sounds from the past and nineties beats in a techno-design of song writing, home recording and electronica, without retro-lounge-cuteness either. You could have called that work Indietronic, but the term didn`t exist at the time. Even now, two years later, it won`t fit. yet it comes to mind, because Fjorden has obviously been recorded with new equipment and new technique. Still working out of her own studio, using sampler and sequencer in her instrumentation, Barbara Morgenstern tells us stories. Her wonderful, heartbreaking voice, adds context to the beats and sounds. Fjorden comes across as familiar & intimate. This album is a clear step forward, without throwing the past overboard -- with its warm analog sound, is like a good friend visiting -- rotating in your CD player. You are not alone. Barbara Morgenstern is there with her music. And it`s wonderful that she`s there!" -- Jan Ole Jöhnk, Ende
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viewing 1 To 17 of 17 items
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