DAS WASTELAND BERLIN: VOL 1&2
FOUR SIDES, 18 ARTISTS, 1000 COPIES...
A passion project that started life as a limited 250-edition record capturing the universal sounds of a handful of locked-down Berlin-based musicians quickly spiralled into a 1,000-copy double vinyl, gatefold LP featuring 18 artists from around the world, all boasting an intimate bond with Die Hauptstadt.
From Berlin icon Mark Reeder’s eclectic, techno-inflected remixes to the transcendental psychedelic sounds of Tim Burgess and signature indie belters from the likes of Art Brut to an original spoken word composition by literary legend Rob Doyle, Das Wasteland Berlin: Vol 1&2 is a sonic polaroid of musical culture in this most mysterious city — captured as it is right now. It’s a distillation of the global talent and mellifluous genres cascading down the Straße day and night.
APPEARING ON DAS WASTELAND BERLIN: VOL 1&2
ALANAS CHOSNAU & SHARK VEGAS
“While looking for tape demos of my first Berlin band Die Unbekannten, I rediscovered this song and my interest was rekindled even further when the opportunity arose to make an album with leading Lithuanian singer Alanas Chosnau. Finally, here was someone who’s voice might actually lend itself to this old song.” — Mark Reeder
TIM BURGESS
“A chameleon of the times, Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess has manoeuvred smooth transitions from baggy psychedelicist to pugnacious belter of Britpop crowd-pleasers to peroxide-pudding-bowled priest of esoteric influences.” — Emily Mackay, The Guardian
STOLEN
"The 5000-plus people simply erupted the moment STOLEN came on stage. It was so thrilling and I hadn’t experienced an energy like that for many years. I was witnessing the dawn of a new Sinographic music movement and STOLEN were spearheading the way." -- Mark Reeder
KING KHAN (FEAT JOHN BURL SMITH)
“King Khan is that fiery arrow shot into the night sky which no one knows how high or far it will travel, however we do know that as that fiery arrow streaks across the heavens, along the way its flames will light up dark places.” --John Burl Smith
ROB DOYLE AND SAINT LEONARD
The legendary Irish author and lyrical folk-rocker join forces on a spoken word composition featuring an excerpt from Doyle’s novel ‘Threshold’
STONY SUGARSKULL
"Stony Sugarskull are, on the evidence of this record, a force to be reckoned with. Her Mazzy-starish vocals switching between English and German as smoothly as her music transcends genres. Shot through with a distinctly Berlin ennui, Lioness is a trip from start to finish." -- Classic Rock Mag
ART BRUT
"Art Brut shamelessly dial up the pop, constructing hooks with a cheeriness usually reserved for songs about birthdays." -- Pitchfork
SAINT LEONARD
“A surrealist, mystical odyssey of self-discovery, maximal hedonism and jaws-of-death revelation.” NME “Top notch stuff that draws comparisons with Neil Young and Father John Misty” Q Magazine. “Brilliant…radical adventurous music from an extraordinarily talented artist.” Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music.
HELLO PITY
The quartet describes itself as “the result of visceral incarcerations and pseudo-intellectual inspirations.” Their music relays sonic deflagrations, brutal punky pop structures and a sense of sensuality that has been lacking since the heyday of bands such as Sonic Youth, The Wipers and The Vaselines.
BED MONSTERS
Born out of lockdown desperation in Berlin, Bed Monsters are a Scottish, English and German indie supergroup capturing the zeitgeist of life in 2021.
BERLIN DIARIES
Taking their name from Christopher Isherwood's famous stories, Berlin Diaries are Chris Gregory and Tina Wildt. The Dickensian squalor of the staircase that led to their Hinterhoff flat on the Yorckstraße in Kreuzberg was the inspiration for the song. Sadly, as the story depicts the staircase was eventually renovated and cleaned up, reflecting perhaps the ongoing process of gentrification in the city.
OTTO VON BISMARCK
Long-time legend of the local music scene, Otto is best known for his energetic, esoteric live performances with cult 90s band Space Cowboys. He’s since graced Berlin’s stages in countless bands including, most recently, Two Chix & A Beer.
MARTYN KLANG
A passionate side project from the head honcho at Berlin’s celebrated Klangbild Studios, multi-talented Martin J. Fiedler creates sounds from the heart — for the soul