Customer Reviews

Stadtaffe

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fantastic album! Every song is good - a rarity nowadays... I heard "Alles Neu" first in October when travelling thru amsterdam. I hunted it down when I got back to the states and EVERYONE who has heard it loves it. My husband immediately stole my copy. Strangers have asked my husband when he is stopped at traffic lights what it is he is listening to. I speak no german, but the translated lyrics I have read have impressed me as well. Witty with a viral beat, and a respectful nod to real music (que the strings!) - you will not be able to get this album out of your head. I fully expect it to catch fire on a global level.

I first heard of Peter Fox from a friend of mine who had just returned from Germany, and he showed me some of his videos on YouTube. I have been addicted ever since. You'd never guess it from the total lack of exposure that we get to international artists here in the U.S., but Fox's first solo album "Stadtaffe" is amazing (Fox was originally in the dancehall group Seeed). "Stadtaffe" is hip hop with touches of dancehall and with classical and jazz flourishes. While it may help to get a sense of the texture of this music if you can understand German, you really don't need to in order to enjoy this album. The music is rich, complex, and thoroughly engaging - somewhat reminiscent of Peter Gabriel in the way that he is able to seamlessly weave together widely disparate musical influences into a cohesive and compelling sound. My personal favorite track is "Schwarz zu Blau" because of its evocative description of the seedier side of Berlin nightlife, although "Alles Neu" and "Haus am See" are also great tracks.

There's a whole world of creative and exciting music outside of the U.S. Peter Fox's "Stadtaffe" is a great place to start if you want to begin your exploration.

Saw the video for Alles Neu on MTV while working in Amsterdam and was instantly hooked. The music is great, original, defies genrefication, and plain rocks. Fox brings together strings, an honest-to-goodness drumline, electronic beats, occasional horns, and rap/rock vocals, I listen to this every day. I can't recommend it highly enough; well worth navigating the German websites to get it shipped from overseas.

The Short: The import price tag is steep, but worth every cent. It's one of the best albums I've ever heard. Get it.

The Long:
I would love to see Peter Fox hit the mainstream American music scene hard. The man deserves to be a global giant.

The music doesn't fit into any one genre. The reggae category some other reviewer mentioned, and was confused by, is historical: He started with the band Seeed, also wickedly good, and their earlier albums were definitely reggae. They veered from that in later albums. Fox's music is complex, elegant, tribal and viral. It mixes big band/dancehall, orchestra, reggae, hip hop and rock. It ranges from tough ('Schwarz zu Blau') to beautifully melodic and sentimental, without being cheesy ('Haus am See'). In short, Peter Fox is his own music genre.

I disagree with the biography notes above which states he's not a natural singer: I was immediately hooked to his strong, tough, yet melodic voice. It's a shame non-German speakers won't get the great lyrics. 'Schwarz zu Blau' (Black to Blue - meaning in the context of this song 'night to dawn') is about him going home from latenight clubbing and noticing various scenes as he walks through Berlin. A criticism of the city on first pass, it's really a homage.

Last stanza translated:
"You're not beautiful, and you know it
Your panorama sucks
You don't even look beautiful from afar
But the sun is just now rising
And I know, whether I want to or not,
that I need you to breathe."

'Haus am See' (House on the lake) is about a young man daydreaming about his future. Last stanza:
"Here I was born, here I'll be buried
I'm deaf, have a white beard and sit in the garden
My hundred grandchildren play cricket on the lawn
When I think about it, I can hardly wait."

I feel like I should criticize something so as not to appear completely fangirl: The last song, 'Zucker' (Sugar) is my least favorite. There's a female singer accompanying him and while good, after eleven songs of perfection, I'd prefer to stick with pure Peter Fox.

I dare you to listen to 'Stadtaffe' ('City Monkey') and not shake your backside. And if you want to hear the coolest cello opening to a rap/rock song, look no further than 'Das Zweite Gesicht'. For a truly unique, and wickedly good, music experience, get this album.

First off, I love this album. I am infatuated with it. The myriad of genres and rhythms are rare finds in most albums. Especially in the US. The fact that Peter Fox isn't the same old American artist just adds bonus points.
Even though the album is in German, it isn't necessary to know the language. If you do speak/understand German, it is nice to know what the songs are about and to sing along but the music is just as enjoyable even if you don't.
Peter Fox's voice is quite melodic despite what the biography says. It may be his accent. I noticed that it is really strong but it fits perfectly with the music and doesn't sound out of place. The string portions of the songs are strong and almost all the rhythms will make you want to dance. Except "Ich Steine, du Steine" perhaps.
I listen to this album on an almost daily basis and at any given time, one of the songs is stuck in my head. I enjoy just about all of the songs, even the somewhat sad "Ich Steine, du Steine". A previous reviewer wasn't the biggest fan of "Zucker" and I think I have to agree with them. It is a good song but something just isn't right. I'm not sure if it is the other artist or not.

I will have to say that this album is not right for everyone so watch/listen to some of the videos on Youtube. "Alles neu" is my favorite video and I would suggest you start there. I am so excited about this artist, I have tried to play some of it for my friends with dismal results. I think it was that the music is a bit different from what we generally listen to here in the States and I think that the German lyrics put them off a bit. If you do enjoy the instrumental side of music and aren't scared off by the international aspect then this album will be perfect for you.

I can't say enough good things about this album. The import price is steep but after listening to the songs on Youtube, you may be willing to pay it so you can listen to them whenever you want.

I find German difficult to listen to in any musical genre as I'm not a native or fluent speaker. The language sounds harsh to my ears. In spite of this, I do enjoy German music in limited doses. Rammstein anyone?

However this CD is classified, it is pleasingly lyrical. Because of this, I would get expect Peter Fox to gather many international fans.

Somewhere in the world (I will let you, the reader, discover where) this CD genre is listed as reggae. I would not classify this music as such since it does a disservice to both reggae and Peter Fox and may either disappoint or turn people off to listening. I also find referring to this CD as dance music as trivializing. This CD is not "boom-sha-ca-la-ca" or "bump and grind" American MTV tripe. However, it does make you want to move!

If you have a chance to view Peter Fox's video of "schwarz zu blau" (a title on this CD) - it will be clear the intent is neither classically reggae nor dance music. This video is currently played on German MTV and the CD (Stadtaffe) is currently #2 in our local German large electronics retail store.

Enjoy!

Peter Fox is an awesome artist. The melodies, rhythms and production of are top notch. I speak German and so can appreciate the lyrics (more or less as I'm not fluent). He has a great sound. If the best songs were played at a club in the U.S., the dancefloor would be full. An A+ effort from the underappreciated German music scene.

I don't speak German, but this CD is fantastic. Peter Fox has a new American fan! xD all of my friends even like him and always ask what I'm listening to.... and then I have to make them a copy. xD I was quite surprised at how MANY of my friends enjoyed it even though they have no idea what he's saying. xD i have even memorized the entire first song, and taught it to my friends who fell in love with him as easily as i did. :D Long story short- if you buy this CD (and I highly suggest it) you might want to make sure you have some blank CDs, (or no friends) and enough time to miss school/work for a couple days, because you won't want to leave it ._. xD

On this first solo album of the former lead singer of Berlin-based ragamuffin group Seeed every song hits the spot.

My sister asked for this CD as a Christmas gift and since then I've had the opportunity to hear it a LOT. It's very driven, with great beats and lyrical rhythm. I speak absolutely zero German, but that has not stopped me from enjoying it at all.