Biography 2002 Deine Lakaien

History

Deine Lakaien started out with an ad in the newspaper and turned into a work of art. "Looking for singer who likes to experiment", was the wording of the ad submitted to a local newspaper by Ernst Horn, a professional musician from Munich, and that’s how he found Alexander Veljanov; he moved to the big city on the banks of the Isar from Nuremberg to study film and theater. That was 17 years ago. Since then, Ernst and Alexander have managed to maintain their outer contrasts in appearance, as well as their inner similarities in mind and character. What has also remained is their need to challenge life with music, not so much in a commercial sense, but rather in serving to understand oneself and the world. And so they founded Deine Lakaien on the basis of musical visions (Horn) and artistic ideals (Veljanov). This project's lucky break: After more than one and a half decades, things just didn't go as planned, which seems to happen often in life - the best incentive to search further – but their music attracted more listeners each time – the best prerequisite for finally making some money; after all, no one profits from art that’s not appreciated. "Kasmodiah", the fifth and previous Deine Lakaien album, entered the German charts at Number 4; since their third album "Forest Enter Exit", the duo has been a familiar face in the charts.

White Lies

"White Lies" is being released right on schedule three years after "Kasmodiah." Fans always complain impatiently that there's too much time between albums. But firstly, the two work at least a year on a new album; secondly, they work more than 600 kilometers apart – Veljanov moved to Berlin back in 1986 – thirdly, they both put the same amount of passion into various solo projects as well. Their creative urge is almost frightening. Veljanov released his second album "The Sweet Life" around mid-year and Horn released his medieval project Helium Vola, which is a self-contained piece of work, parallel to the Deine Lakaien single "Generators". None of the four single tracks is exactly the same as the album versions.

It’s an unmistakable Deine Lakaien opus – typical only in the fact that it’s once again different from previous albums without spoiling the atmospheric character. People have always had a hard time categorizing Deine Lakaien. No description can stick to Horn’s finely chiseled, impressionistic pad sounds with Veljanov’s sonorous bellowing. They were called "Germany’s Number One Dark Wavers" – even though Dark Wave didn’t originate until six years after Deine Lakaien. "Germany’s leading alternative electronic musicians" – ok, if ‘alternative’ means that some of the "electronic" highlights were created with the help of only a piano and vocals (in the form of two extremely successful acoustic tours). "The most scintillating avant-garde musicians...?" – "Oh - well we didn’t discover electronic music and we didn’t discover singing," would be Ernst’s offhand response. Horn studied music in Freiburg and Hamburg, was the director of music at the opera in Karlsruhe, worked as a conductor and pianist, wrote theater music and radio plays (and continues to do so). He reacted to the attempts to categorize their music with interest, but he and Veljanov never sided with any of these attempts. They are servants of art – only in this sense can their ironic name be taken seriously /"Deine Lakaien" is taken from the lyrics to a song by Einstürzende Neubauten).

"White Lies" – a name with a double meaning. However, nowadays Deine Lakaien appear in radiant purity, in contrast to their image as dark poets. But even if the new album contains a bit more humor and self-irony, one major characteristic of Lakaien stands out: Even with all the warmth of the vocals and lightness of the melodies, every song still casts a little doubt. Deine Lakaien will never have a cheerful disposition. They deal with melancholy, heavyheartedness in the face of personal suffering, world economic cannibalism or political arrogance, and that demands a feeling of being understood – which is exactly the thing that attracts those people who are searching for such understanding. That’s what created a thankful community of fans. Second major characteristic: Deine Lakaien do not wallow in resignation with their music - they pave the way to inner contemplation, to peace and to strength in order to go out in the world again, rejuvenated, and move mountains. Deine Lakaien’s white may be a lie, but for a good reason.
On "White Lies", Deine Lakaien mostly keeps a quiet pulse. With majestic reservation, Horn’s compositional miniatures gently envelope Veljanov’s strong, hovering baritone. Reminiscent in a way of Brian Ferry. The album starts off with a relaxed mood in "Wunderbar", in which a drunk man sings to a lamppost on a winter night. "Generators" – here a subdued, extended version of the single - is a comforting ark in the sea of superficiality. The lyrics to "Where You Are" are the first that Horn and Veljanov wrote together and it deals with the loss of a relative and the purifying effect. "Prayer", inspired by the novelist Michel Houellebecq ("Elementarteilchen"), is a challenge to clone a good person, one who’s been cheated by "rotten" nature all his life. "Stupid" is the epitome of self-irony – "dumb music for dumb critics," Horn explains. "Kiss" is reminiscent of a Gaelic street ballad of a betrayed lover who wishes his wife to Hell, while "Silence In Your Eyes" comes close to heaven. The familiarity that this song radiates rounds off the essence of Deine Lakaien. "Hands White" is a direct response to the events of the world economic summit in Genoa. The experimental track "Lost" deals with the necessity to admit failure to oneself, while "Fleeting" knowingly heads for a relationship that’s destined to fail. "Life Is A Sexually Transmitted Disease" completes the single collage "Life Is (A Sexual Transmitted Disease) and refers to the recurrent Lakaien theme of "Reincarnation." With "One Minus One", the artists submit to nihilistic resolution and conclude their album.

"After all, Deine Lakaien albums are like sidestepping through a field of different species of always the same themes. We transpose these themes into various styles and genres," says Horn describing the most recent result of their work. This time they went back to the pure form of working as a duo and turned to the occasional assistance of a few select guest musician: a master violinist from the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, a cellist from the Modern String Quartet, a guitarist and a hurdy-gurdy player. Not a pop star line-up. And anyone who talks to Deine Lakaien about "White Lies" will realize that they haven’t wasted the slightest thought on commercialization. Even in the 18th year of their partnership, which resembles an unfaithful marriage more than anything else, the only obligation they have is to fulfil their urge to create art. Deine Lakaien haven’t changed, but maybe the world is listening to them a bit closer now and allowing their princes-of-darkness image to fade. White lies. If necessary.

Berlin, November 2001