Customer Reviews

Morderwerk (Re-Release)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I remember when I first heard of Melotron. It was the year 2000 and I had been chatting online with a fellow DM fan from Germany. One day she brought up Melotron, a new German electronic band, who at the time had just released their 2nd album, 2000s Fortschritt (Progress). Comprised of three members : Andy Krüger (Singer & Songwriter), Edgar Slatnow (Text & Synthesizers) and Kay Hildebrandt (Tech & Production), she claimed that they sounded very much like early Depeche Mode, only their songs were sung in German. Intrigued by this concept, I went about trying to find some of their music to listen to myself, but there was none to be found here in the states. Happily, my German friend was kind enough to mail me Melotron's first album, 1999s Mörderwerk, which I listened to and enjoyed with great joy.


This truly stunning and captivating 12 track debut truly lived up to the praise that I'd been hearing. Mörderwerk (Murderer's Work) did indeed have an early depeche sound to it, along with influences from the likes of Erasure, Robert Miles and others. The lyrics were all sung in the German language, as I'd been informed, and although I did not understand them, the music itself transcended anything the lyrics couldn't explain. Such passion. Such beauty. Such heart and soul. It was all here.


The band had initially been signed to the German label, Zoth Ommog, who were better known more for heavy metal bands than electronic ones. Their first single, Dein Meister (Your Master) was released in November of '98, with the Mörderwerk album later released in March of the following year. The album would go on to spawn two more singles : Der Blaue Planet (The Blue Planet) released May '99, and Kindertraum (Child's Dream) released as a 2CD set (sold separately) on August '99.


Other memorable tracks include Maschinen Aus Stahl (Machines Out Of Steel), which reminded me a little bit of Martin Gore's "In A Matter Of Speaking" from his Counterfeit EP back in 1989,...Glühendes Spiel (Glowing Game), Die Maske (The Mask) which really could've been the 4th single from the album (remixes of the song were included with the Kindertraum single), and Es Ist Vorbei (It Is Past) with its beautiful piano melody and wonderfully touching voice work by lead singer Andy Krüger, who bares a striking resemblance to DM frontman Dave Gahan.


Finally, all these years later, Mörderwerk has now been given a US release in a reformatted deluxe edition, which includes improved sound quality and additional B-side bonus tracks : 2 Young 2 Die (with a chorus sung in English), Nur Ein Licht (Only A Light), & Außer Kraft (Except Power). It's a shame they left out Auf Der Suche (On The Search), from Der Blaue Planet single (which is a great dance track), along with Es Wird Zeit (It Becomes Time), from the Dein Meister single, and the instrumental track, Neubrandenburg (New Brandenburg) also from Der Blaue Planet single. With a running time of a little over 65 minutes, there would have been just enough room left on the CD to include all of these additional tracks. After 2 Young 2 Die, Melotron vowed never again to use English lyrics for their songs...a vow they thankfully broke for their 2007 album, Propaganda.


This version of Mörderwerk has also been slightly altered with a few music changes. Glühendes Spiel, which was originally 6 minutes and 15 seconds, has now been cut down to a shorter 3 minute 51 second version. The original 3 minute, 13 second album version of Kindertraum has been replaced by the 3 minute, 42 second club mix which is quite different and doesn't include guest female vocalist, Lucy Wende. Es Ist Vorbei has one small change in that the last line of the first verse ("Es gibt nichts, Das jetzt noch fehlt, Wir sind frei") is now sung twice instead of just once, the way it was originally. These changes may annoy some fans who would prefer the album remain unaltered from its original '99 version, which is now out of print.


Even now, after all this time, Mörderwerk still remains one of Melotron's strongest albums to date. If you're someone who missed out on it the first time, pick up this version and enjoy. If you love techno/electronica/synthpop based music and can appreciate the lyrics being in German, you won't be disappointed.


Mörderwerk - a Classic Debut


"I hear a voice from the sky...nobody is 2 young 2 die."
- A.Krüger


Complete Tracklisting:
01. Tränen Aus Staub (4:48)
02. Der Blaue Planet (3:35)
03. Glühendes Spiel (3:51)
04. Dein Meister (4:28)
05. Angst (3:44)
06. Maschinen Aus Stahl (5:55)
07. Kindertraum [Club Mix] (3:42)
08. Sehnsucht (4:56)
09. Traumzeit (6:51)
10. Die Maske (3:45)
11. Es Ist Vorbei (4:06)
12. Im Kreis (2:56)
13. 2 Young 2 Die (4:26) [Bonus Track]
14. Nur Ein Licht (4:21) [Bonus Track]
15. Außer Kraft (3:48) [Bonus Track]


Also highly recommended :
Weltfrieden (2002)
Sternenstaub (2003)
Cliche (2005)
Propaganda (2007)

This is classic synth pop in all the right ways. Great dancefloor beats, beautiful synth work, highly addictive hooks, and never too serious. You do not need to understand German to enjoy this album; the music carries you right along.