When you have a lot of time and are locked up in a recording studio (yup: no gigs and outside COVID-19 luring to catch you) … an EP becomes a full album! It seems like Chris Pohl has gotten into the recording vibe lately and I’m sure there is even more to come!
Blutengel is very hot (we noticed it also as our interview is the most read interview out of 12 years of existence of our website)! I also have a feeling that they have more covers in their sleeves but didn’t get the clearance yet! Let’s focus on what we have right now!
We all know Duran Duran and the song picked out Wild Boys is one of their best known ones! If you remember the clip of the original version then you know it’s made for a Blutengel approach! I must be honest: you will have to get used to the new voice. Its good they kept the cool backings screaming the title of the song. On my display it gives me V3 in the end, so I suppose it’s the third version who was picked out? One you already know is Forever Young (Alphaville). It’s a typical song for vampires, so it’s very fitting! Chris brings it very slowly, without big beats and lots of melancholia in it! A song that doesn’t ring a bell right away is Hymn: it has a Europop feel and sounds a bit different from the darker original that has been crafted by Ultravox. I like the way they worked out the chorus! Down In The Park is a classic Gary Numan track and gets here a clear Blutengel touch (with guitars). It’s not bad at all! With Alone comes the time that Ulrike can get the spots on her. Doing it better then the Heart’s original is impossible, at least it comes close enough to the strength of the original. Silent Running by Mike & The Mechanics get’s here a workover and sounds somehow better and stronger, so: well done! Next one is Nobody’s Diary from Yazoo and is sung by Ulrike. She does it surprisingly better then the original. The sound also sounds much fresher and stronger! The cover version of Dr. Mabuse from Propaganda was a bit of a surprise for me, but it’s great reboot for me! Like it sounds now it’s as if they prepped it for bringing it back to the stages! I’m pretty sure Propaganda would use this version if they would still be able to tour! It’s a great mix of the 80’s with 2021! Ulrike does once again a great job! A very difficult one to cover is the A-Ha song: The Sun Always Shines On TV as it needs really high male vocals, but Chris changes it into one of his own songs. On top Chris also changed some of the synthesizer sounds, giving it another twist. I’m sure this will be one of the fans favorite tracks! Another surprise is their version of Ship of Fools (Erasure): it really sounds like as if Blutengel just composed it especially for this album! Great work on this one!
Here ends the cover album and enter 2 new songs. First one is Unsere Zeit, sung in German and with some cool guitars in it. We also hear Ulrike. The song has a feel good touch and lot’s of energy in it. Last song has no vocals in it: Journey To The Edge Of The Night and almost starts like a techno track. The rest of the track keeps within the range of what I call a modern electro sound.
Well: it was worth waiting for! I’m sure the fans will be delighted, just as I’m sure that there is more work getting done in the studio for as long as there are no gigs! Keep up the good work!
And for the fans, here are some words from Chris:
The cover songs were handpicked by Chris and Ulrike Goldmann and are those tracks "that appeared to me to be out of this world from today's point of view", Chris explains with sparkling eyes that you only get when listening to the music of the eighties. The fact that "Fountain of Destiny" could become a real Blutengel album after all, which was initially announced as an EP/mini-album, is owed to the commitment of the label, Out Of Line Music, as well as the artists themselves. "We, unfortunately, had very few clearances at the end of the year.... together with the label, we decided to wait a little longer and give the copyright holders another go," informs Chris. And that paid off! And as Chris confirms "there are now 10 tracks and plus my two own Blutengel songs we even have 12 songs now - which is absolutely perfect for an album. Sometimes patience is worth it!".
Blutengel online:
https://www.facebook.com/BlutengelOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/blutengel_official_chrispohl
http://www.blutengel.de
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