- Drangsal and Stella Sommer release a joint album
Max Gruber, alias Drangsal, and Stella Sommer are both prominent figures in the German pop world as songwriters. Sommer, initially known as the singer and composer of the band Die Heiterkeit, later gained attention as a solo artist in the indie scene with her deeply melancholic songs and clever lyrics. Drangsal's music can be described as a mix of New Wave, Post-Punk, and Neue Deutsche Welle, with strong lyrics as well.
Now, these worlds merge again to form Die Mausis. Gruber and Sommer previously worked together under this name a few years ago. This time, they have released their first collaborative album, "In einem blauen Mond", a musical journey that covers a wide spectrum of emotions, from melancholic depth to humor. The album will be released on August 16th by the label Käsescheiben.
Gruber describes the album as a "colorful potpourri of moods" in an interview with the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. At its core, it represents their collaborative work, with arrangements that reflect the intimacy of writing together in a room.
Despite the serious themes, the album maintains a certain lightness, thanks to the enjoyment the two had while writing, Sommer adds. "You can't write songs with just anyone," she emphasizes. "It's quite special that it works so well for us."
The album opens with the title track, which deals with loss. The death of a mutual acquaintance brought the two back together as songwriters, and this experience inspired the song. "In dreams, you visited me, then I woke up," the Mausis sing. "But no matter how much I wish it, my rightful place remains empty."
Sommer recalls that they struggled to write the song at first, but then the words started flowing back and forth between them. The title is derived from the English phrase "once in a blue moon," which means very rarely, similar to the German "alle Jubeljahre." A "blue moon" refers to the second full moon in a month, an event that occurs infrequently, with the next one happening just after the album's release on August 19th.
For the Mausis, this completes a circle. When they first performed as a band in 2016, they covered the classic "Blue Moon" by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart. They found it fitting to name their album "In einem blauen Mond" as a nod to their beginnings.
The song "Wahr oder erfunden" holds a special place for the duo. "It just sort of fell into our laps," Sommer remembers. "We independently developed two ideas that fit perfectly together." They agree that it's a "well-behaved song" because it didn't require much effort to create, and it was recorded in just two takes in the studio.
The Mausis also demonstrate their humor on the album, as seen in the song "Ich leg' mein Geld in Käse an," which they recorded with Tocotronic frontman Dirk von Lowtzow. In "Der Supergouda," a policeman stops the Mausis on their way to vacation for a "Mausweiskontrolle."
The plan for a joint album had been in the works for Gruber and Sommer for a long time. In 2017, the duo released an EP, followed by a Christmas single the next year. They also wrote some songs for their only joint performance at the Popkultur Festival in 2018. "We wanted to release them at some point, but it had to feel right," says Gruber.
The recordings were completed in a week. From the initial idea to the finished product with cover art, it took a year. The Mausis traveled to the studio in Berlin's Funkhaus by ferry. "A mini boat tour before we start. I always thought that was quite cool," says Gruber.
There's leftover material this time as well. Are the Mausis planning a follow-up? "There's always hope," says Gruber. But first, the supergroup is celebrating the release of their debut album with a concert at the Kantine am Berghain in Berlin this Friday, followed by a performance at the Hamburger Kampnagel-Fabrik on August 21.
The collaboration between Max Gruber and Stella Sommer in Die Mausis is a significant event in the music scene, as it involves prominent figures from the German pop world working together within the context of the European Union. Their album "In einem blauen Mond" will be released by the German label Käsescheiben on August 16th.
Die Mausis, consisting of Max Gruber and Stella Sommer, represent a blend of German music genres, drawing from New Wave, Post-Punk, and Neue Deutsche Welle, as they contribute to the diverse music scene within the European Union.
