Various Artists - I Can´t Relax In Deutschland

A negativing statement to german popculture and german society in general labeling "Deutsch" as a positive worth.

Amazingly, in these days being-German functions as a lifestyle perfectly: Music, art as well as fashion and photography labeled as ?German? qualify as marketing strategies and bring together pop culture and nationalism in a modern Germany.

Ich finde es wirklich sehr lustig, dass es Menschen gibt, die sagen: ?I Can?t Relax In Deutschland?. Wenn man sich nur im Urlaub entspannen kann und nicht in seinem eigenen Land, dann sollte man vielleicht mal überprüfen, wo man ein Problem hat. Diese panische Angst vorm Deutschsein ist mir ohnehin völlig unerklärlich [?]

? Paul Landers (Rammstein): Interview auf Motormusic.org

This does not only concern popular culture but reflects broad tendencies within the German society of finding a way to normality, when dealing with the own country and its history. Many artist openly promote revisionist and chauvinist views in their works. The purposes of doing so are manifold: from a lovely commitment to preserve German cultural traditions, or the locational factor - to stay competive - by demanding a quota regulation for a sufficent number of German productions on the radio, to a rediscovered pride of the nation.
The campaign ?I can´t relax in Deutschland? wants to contradict these tendencies and tries to deliver a profound criticism of the German nation, and the current patriotic mainstream, which by now has penetrated nearly every aspect of pop culture and thus corrupt its universal approach. The book features four articles by authors such as Martin Büsser (Intro, konkret) and Roger Behrens (Testcard) who tackle the question of how cultural traditionalism works as ideological fundament of collectivism under capitalistic conditions, and why there is a strong urge to love the nation and express it via the mechanisms of pop culture. Furthermore, the book includes a CD-compilation with 20 songs by various artist (Die Goldenen Zitronen, Mouse On Mars, Die Sterne, Kante, Robocop Kraus, Stella, a.m.), who unites a disturbed relationship with Germany, and who resist to let pop music being exploitet for nationalistic purposes. ?I can´t relax in Deutschland? wants necessarily to adopt a critical point of view, outside of the general discussion, and rather refer to the universal character of pop. The campaign and all its participiants refuse to relate positively to Germany in at all, nor to accept the instrumentalization of pop culture for nationalistic purposes in any way.

Book and CD in a high quality production, cloth bounded. Sold out!
Cat.No.: ud016
Pressing: 5000 Book-CDs
Release: 08/2005

Authors: Roger Behrens (Bauhaus-University Weimar, Author, Journalist), Martin Büsser (Testcard Magazine, free Journalist for Medias as Taz, Intro).

Tracklist: 1. MONOCHROME - Gegenstück 2. KETTCAR - Einer 3. TOCOTRONIC - Aber hier leben, nein danke 4. RÄUBERHÖHLE FEAT. SAALSCHUTZ - Achtung! 5. DIE GOLDENEN ZITRONEN - Fin de Millinaire 6. RHYTHM KING AND HER FRIENDS - I?m disco (Discontent Mix) 7. MOUSE ON MARS - Wipe That Sound 8. LALI PUNA - The Daily Match 9. MUFF POTTER - Punkt9 10. PETERS FEAT. EGOTRONIC - Diskretion Deluxe 11. THE ROBOCOP KRAUS - Concerned your secular friends 12. KANTE - My love is still untold 13. BERNADETTE LA HENGST - Warum nicht 2 14. DIE STERNE - Sorglos (Studioversion) 15. VON SPAR - Slow down for a fast trip (2005) 16. STELLA - Business of strangers 17. KNARF RELLÖM - Arme kleine Deutsche 18. T.RAUMSCHMIERE - Noch nie/nicht mehr 19. SUPERPUNK - Matula (Live) 20. LAWRENCE - Things

Specification: Clothbounded 56 pg. book includes a CD-compilation of 18 Tracks from 20 Popgroups or Solo-Artists.