Mankind has always been fascinated by the Blue Hour. Of those very special moments just before the line between day and night begins to blur, the sun slowly sets, and ever-lengthening shadows stretch across the land. This is the time when FAELDER feel most at home. Under the mysterious name, members of Unheilig and In Extremo have joined forces to form a new all-star formation to give all restless souls a new home with their atmospheric blend of powerful rock and anthemic pop. Welcome to the dark in-between world of FAELDER!
In FAELDER, two of the most successful German-language formations join forces to form a true dark pop supergroup: FAELDER consist of keyboardist/producer Henning Verlage, who as the musical mastermind of Unheilig is responsible for over 4 million units sold. The last four albums of Unheilig could enter the first place of the longplay charts (Top 3 in Switzerland and Austria) and were awarded with multiplatinum. The solid rock foundation is provided by guitarist Sebastian Lange and drummer Florian "Specki T.D." Speckardt, who with In Extremo have been considered the most successful pioneer band of medieval rock since the mid-90s and have also claimed the top ranks of the charts with their last four releases. The line-up is completed by bassist Adrian Kehlbacher and singer Kai Niemann. The musician from Sangerhausen became known nationwide with the Top 4 single "Im Osten", released in 2001, for which he was subsequently awarded a gold record. Niemann has released a total of five solo albums to date and fits perfectly into the line-up of FAELDER.
After the musicians' paths crossed again and again at various festivals over the past few years, they finally got to really talk for the first time in the studio of producer Vincent Sorg (In Extremo, H-Blockx, Die Toten Hosen), where they discovered their collective fondness for the same bands and the same kind of music. Out of this casual contact, Henning and Kai sent some demo versions of their as-yet-unnamed side project to Sebastian Lange in the summer of 2017, who was thrilled with the songs right from the first listen. "We met up a few days later for our first jam session together, where the spark immediately flew," recalls the In Extremo guitarist. "You can't force a productive band chemistry. Either it works, or it doesn't. The four of us were on the same wavelength right away and understand each other almost without words. Our very first rehearsal resulted in our first piece together. Despite many similarities, this band also lives from the different influences and preferences that each of us brings to the table. It was a completely logical decision to unite all this in FAELDER!"
With its atmospheric wide-screen mix of sweeping rock and bombastically arranged pop noir, the all-star quintet represents the perfect link between the alternative subculture and the mainstream. Rock guitars merge with modern electro beats, dramatically staged classical elements meet gripping melodies, which are refined by Kai Niemann's distinctive baritone voice and his German lyrics full of melancholy and world-weariness. FAELDER unite the contrasts of light and dark, catchiness and melancholy, romanticism and modernity to a black sparkling symbiosis, which was captured under the aegis of producer Vincent Sorg on the debut album "Unheilbar". "In my eyes, big feelings like pain or disappointment also deserve an appropriately big realization with a lot of bombast and pathos," says singer Kai Niemann. "I'm interested in the human abysses. The things that lie dormant beneath the surface and only come to light in extreme emotional situations. And these are not stories about the charm of beautiful summer days. The world of FAELDER is like a descent into the psyche", as the quintet demonstrates with songs like the dramatically driving title track "Unheilbar". "The song is about a hopeless situation in a relationship where your back is against the wall. You have to come to terms with the fact that sometimes there's just no happy solution and it's better to make a stark cut. Even as much as it hurts. Everything is ephemeral, even love."
A theme that continues on the massive rumbling "Licht von Dir", the technoid dark room anthem "Ich bin schon tot", the feverishly erotic "Mondenschein", the epic "Wo ist das Meer" or the first advance single "Halt die Welt fest". Little short stories that briefly flicker before the inner eye like grainy shots on a yellowed Polaroid. "In 'Halt die Welt fest` it is about enjoying the happy moments as long as possible. As we all know, good times are always followed by dark days. I process the things that are bothering me and need to get out. Personal experiences or things I observe in others. The music has a strong self-therapeutic effect for me and helps me to understand myself and the world out there a little better. Although many of the lyrics may seem dark and oppressive at first, there is always a spark of hope in the songs. No matter how small."
Lyrics source and more information about this event: https://bett-club.de/event/faelder-nachholtermin/
