NEWS
"Arms" video + remixes compilation released
14.01.2017
"Arms" is out along with a couple of other new tracks from the upcoming album, in a variety of remixes by a wonderful selection of artists (Peter Kirn, Autist, Jemek Jemowit and others).
It is now available on Bandcamp and later on other digital platforms.
All the profits from Bandcamp will be forwarded to a Berlin based organization directly assisting war asylum seekers.
Thump have been very kind to the video, and there is also a second German version.
The West Against The People European Release Tour
20.01.2017
So far confirmed: UK/NL/Scandinavia:
10.03.2017 - Berlin - SO36 (album release show w/ Your Government)
05.04.17 - London - The Islington
06.04.17 - Brighton - Hope and Ruin
08.04.17 - Nottingham - JT Soar
09.04.17 - Manchester - Aatma Gallery
11.04.17 - Glasgow - The Flying Duck
13.04.17 - Newcastle - TBC
20.04.17 - Rotterdam - Worm
21.04.17 - Breda - Ondestroom
23.04.17 - Dordrecht - DOOR Dordrecht
27.04.17 - Alaborg - Studenterhuset
29.04.17 - Malmoe - Grand Öl&Mat
30.04.17 - Stockholm - Detroit Gallery
Please check the shows page for updates.
and RSVP to the Facebook event.
New album: The West Against The People - Out March 10 (+ new video: The Endlessness)
05.01.2017
Fact Magazine has been very kind ("Prediction: one of the best albums of 2017"). Let's see if we live up to that.
Please watch this space for live updates.
It is all quite new and exciting! The album will feature collaborations with the Felix Kubin and Die Toedliche Doris and will be released with an essay. you can already read it here.
Katja Ruge's Ladyflash photo-exhibition / Hamburg
08.01.2017
If you happen to be in HH, please stop by the Kulturreich before it closes this Thursday.
Pssst... location hunt!
18.12.2017
(somewhere by the Polish border)
Israeli press for the secret TLV show
20.12.2017
World Tour Guide (Hebrew)
Count arms and win a special edition LP of the new album!
10.02.2017
One month to the release + release show!
10 of those who count/guess the closest amount of guns in the "Arms" video will get a special edition* LP of "The West Against The People" as soon as we have it from the pressing plant. // send your numbers to: wereholdingarms@gmail.com
(*The special edition features a poster with The Sounds of Softness film and further new tracks that will be revealed gradually in the coming months - as well as the album's full content: the essay, solo tracks, tracks with Your Government, and collaborations with Felix Kubin and Die Toedliche Doris).
New live dates announced, album making of videos and live song premieres
22.02.2017
"To The light" will be soon released. in the meantime, here's some images of the shooting by Theo Taylor.
It has premiered live a few days ago online, while "Zah Zah: pt I" premiered a couple of days ago on The Wire's website.
We'll slowly reveal more videos of the album's making of. here are a few>>
And there's more live dates coming up. check em here.
To The Light single is out
24.02.2017
Out today, featuring a couple of b-sides, get it here.
The West Against The People is OUT!
Two new videos & new EU tour dates announced
11.03.2017
The WATP is finally OUT! along with TWO new videos:
To The Light: piano and with Your Government.
The second was shot on location in Ireland and by the polish border. read more about it here.
You can also read about the making of each track of the album here.
And/or get the album here:
Bandcamp / Klangbad (label) / iTunes /
Amazon / Spotify.
20.06.2017
We're psyched to be pressing a 2nd edition of The West... soon! there's a handful of Special Edition copies left, get them here.
The past few months have been incredible, more dates have now been added (FR/BE/DE/UK/IL...)
Find em here.
The album keeps getting massive amounts of press.
Here's some: Fact, NPR, Lola, Narc, The Art Desk, Bandcamp, Shuf Sounds, Ransome Note, A Conversation, ARD-Nachtmagazin (DE), Deutschlandfunk Radio (DE), Junge Welt (DE),
TAZ (DE), HAARETZ (IL), Recorder (HU).
And it is included in Fact Magazine's Best of 2017 so far.
"Arms" nominated for a MuVi
14.05.2017
"Arms" was nominated for a MuVi award - the music video category at Oberhausen Film Festival. 'twas fun to bump into some unexpected friends.
First UK dates with Your Government announced
28.06.2017
03.08.17 - London - Oslo (with Silver Apples)
04.08.17 - Glasgow - Stereo
05.08.17 - Nottingham - JT Soar
06.08.17 - Braziers Park - Supernormal festival
FB event.
Second record pressing + new dates
10.08.2017
How exciting! we've run short of the new album so fast that it had to already be repressed! the second edition comes with preeteee stickers.
More live dates will follow in Riga, Prague, Switzerland, Italy, Tel Aviv and other places. Check the shows page for details.
We've had a great time with the boys in the UK, and I had so much fun curating an hour for NTS radio with some African synthonies. Catch it here.
UK tour doc
26.08.2017
Here's a little documentary/short art film by Theo Taylor (drummer, filmmaker and more) from earlier this month >>
The next dates with YG will be in December and the dates around em are still open:
02.12.17 - Leipzig - Schauspiel Leipzig
03.12.17 - St Vith, BE - Kino Corso
04.12.17 - Dusseldorf - Filmwerkstatt Düsseldorf
"Firstling II" remix video
17.09.2017
Body Bender created this beautiful video for their remix off aerial shots of decaying Aleppo. it's wonderful and highly disturbing... do take a look>
The track is off "Arms: remixes", of which profits are forwarded to a Berlin based organization that helps asylum seekers.
New 10" out 23.11 (Faust Studio Sessions & Other Recordings) + new video
28.09.2017
It has been an incredible year and we're thrilled to announce the release of a new 10": "Faust Studio Sessions and Other Recordings" (out 23.11 on Klangbad and Stockholm's Sing A Song Fighter).
The 10" features further recordings from the Faust studio, as well as collaborations with Julia Kent (on a Robbie Basho cover) and The Great Hans Unstern Swindle.
It will be also available as a digital download.
Live dates (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Turkey, Italy, France, Israel...): www.facebook.com/events/269844230081886
i24 News interview + "Blue Crystal Fire" first listen
17.11.2017
The new 10" ("Faust Studio Sessions and Other Recordings") is out very soon (23.11) and is followed by a release tour of Austria and Scandinavia. Here's a first taste with a cover of Robbie Basho's "Blue Crystal Fire", featuring Julia Kent.
While in Tel Aviv, I was interviewed for the international news channel i24 News, a rather amusing intervention with mainstream culture.
First North American dates announced
21.01.2018
Excited to be going back soon to North America with the new album and new 10"!
Find the first dates and RSVP here.
A special tape edition is out on Related Records >
Tour photos, "Washed Upon Your Shores"+"In Drag" vids + more UK/US/CAN dates
02.04.2018
Here's the massively supportive piece from Impose, w/ "Washed Upon Your Shores" + its accompanying text.
The teaser of the first US tour's doc (2014) is here.
More US/CAN dates can be found in the show listings + more details here.
Here's the radio session curated for Dublab in LA.
The fresh first edition of Related Records' Faust Studio Sessions tape has already sold out!
And we've made a video for "In Drag" from Mary Ocher + Your Government to celebrate its second pressing. See you soon in DE, the UK, US or CAN!
2013 throwback + WNYU June 2018 interview
21.07.2018
Here's a documentation of the full "Eden" album release show back in June 2013 in Berlin, captured by Amnon Friedman. With one-off live collaborations with Steev Lemercier, Alexander Geist and others, and a full set with Your Government. >>>
And here's the really enjoyable chatter and playlist curated for WNYU last month.
My Executioner video + writing
20.08.2018
Whoop! The 405 premiered the video for "My Executioner" (feat. Your Government), which was in the making for the past year or so.
And after two years of heavy touring I'll be taking things a little slower for the next few months to write and look at things from a little distance again.
Expect a few shows nevertheless, mostly in DE atm.
And a live collab with Chicks on Speed in Zaragoza in October.
NEW SONGS live on SWR
29.01.2019
As we are preparing for the US/CAN tour with Your Government, we've also been cooking up a whole bunch of new pieces for the next album. They are now online - in case you missed it live - on the SWR channel's website.
My first two albums: "Eden" and "War Songs" are now finally also available on Bandcamp, with the courtesy of my older labels.
Tour of Australia and New Zealand
20.08.2019
Hullo! Just returned from Scandinavia and the UK!
Excited to be heading to AUS and NZ in a bit!
See ya there!
Here's the Facebook event with all of the details.
The tour is supported by The Goethe Institute and Audio Foundation.
Photo by Paco Vallejo and Sergio Frutos.
Berlin premiere at the Opera
25.09.2019
On October 4th we'll be premiering the new material with Your Government at a homecoming show and special collaboration with the German Opera. RSVP.
2020 in a nutshell
20.10.2020
Let me try to summarize all of 2020 in a single post. Amusingly, it may even be possible. This has been a wild ride, by now I wish I could have posted news on the new album(s), alas, there are no confirmed plans yet. More shows are scheduled, but it's impossible to know which may happen and which may not. This is 2020 in reverse order of happening:
The other week I was a guest on Celsius Drop, hosted by Dublab founder Frosty. We played some of my favorite music and spoke of the state of the world, The Underground Institute and the new music.
The new Japanese-German music magazine Risiko followed me around with an analog video camera in our place in Hamburg. >>
Recently there have also been streaming live sets (featuring new material) for A Maze Festival >>
And Kohi art space in the south of Germany (featuring a frank and odd interactive interview at the end >> just below).
(continued:)
Mid July interview + live session for Deutschland Radio Tonart.
And the compilation For Belarus - in support of the recently jailed protesters. More about it in The Quietus.
Technically still 2019, but... here's a couple of clips from the Deutsche Oper show by Frank Nagel:
To The Light (with string quartet) and Man VS. Air.
Image by Thea Hoffmann
MOOP! comic book release
04.12.2020
SURPRISE! The comic book we've been working on with over 20 collaborators is finally available for pre-order!
First edition of 300, hand printed in riso, and released via the Underground Institute. It includes two new track downloads.
