The Berlin duo STEREO TOTAL has created a colourful and fascinating universe. Oscillating between the essential punk rock, disco and electro garage chanson and genious diletantism, the songs dazzle us for an instant (most of them not for longer than two minutes), leaving us stunned by their intensity.
At the beginning of this ever-expanding musical universe (pleasantly enough!): a woman, a man, and an inexhaustible, sparkling imagination. Françoise Cactus, (who was born Van Hove in Burgundy and has chosen Berlin as her home for something like a generation now) a writer, local diva, who has performed, among other things, as drummer and singer of the "Lolitas" in the eighties. Then there is Brezel Göring, an inexplicable mixture of the hyperspeedy "Grand Duduche" and the elegant, unobtrusive crooner, with a soft voice and a lively rhythm. Bent over his synthesizer, happy as a young boy, he reminds one of the hallucinated inventor Géo Trouve-tout.
To sum up STEREO TOTAL's short history, which began with the single "allo j'écoute", let us list the different elements characteristic of their musical art: a minimalistic production (in a positive sense), meaning a home-made-trash-garage-sound crossed with underground, authentic as well as amateurish, ironic as well as effective, pop as well as...political. An untiring creative energy, as if it could never suffice, "Oh, but you haven't heard this one!" and wop! here we go again, hardly leaving time to draw a deep breath. A brilliant sense of composition as well as for covering other's material, whatever the source, combined with an excessive love for French chanson (the main weak spot being an evident admiration for the master Gainsbourg). A mystery of words resulting from the French-German/ male-female bilingualism, words in which accents are merrily blended and become more and more exotic from album to album (Japanese, Turkish, Spanish, English). And finally, an explicit and surprising sensitivity for electronic effects and a thrilling beat. A gift of pop music and its everlasting history.
The unexpected combination of two traditions - French chanson and German electronica (which not only relates to Kraftwerk, but also to the uniquely German sound of "Neue Deutsche Welle", popular in the eighties, and the emergence of electrogroove, a sound which has flourished over the past ten years in numerous clubs in Berlin is again at its best, enchanting its listeners.
Just as the German audience adores Françoise Cactus charming French pronunciation of the German lyrics, her French collection of texts, poetic and playful, solemn and cheeky, anarchistic and light, makes her the most unknown composer and singer of French chansons - and it is high time that she be discovered. Fragile and irresistible, she stands behind her tiny drum kit and hammers the songs to a sequence in a devilish rhythm. In a matter of seconds she passes from a romantic ballad (No! Do not listen! It's a sad song!) to pure and simple rock, animating Brezel Göring (as well as the crowd) to leap. Indefatigable accomplice and perfect entertainer, Brezel Göring is at her side, stepping on the gas, his fingers working the knobs of his machine or the cords of his rectangular guitar.
Vertigo
Stereo Total Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Schluss Ende Peng Peng
Woher kommt diese Sehnsucht? Peng Peng
Einfach so ohne Grund Peng Peng
Vertigo
Schluss Ende
Ein für allemal Peng Peng
Vertigo
Es wäre doch lustig Peng Peng
Einfach so eine Idee Peng Peng
Aus Spaß nur so
Nur so aus Spaß Peng Peng
Aus Spaß nur so
The lyrics to Stereo Total's "Vertigo" seem to be about a feeling of dizziness or disorientation, both physically and emotionally. "Vertigo" is repeated throughout the song as if it's a refrain, almost like a mantra for the singer. The lines "Woher kommt diese Sehnsucht?" (Where does this longing come from?) and "Ein für allemal" (Once and for all) suggest a deeper sense of confusion or longing that the singer is trying to make sense of. The repetition of "Peng Peng" at the end of each line almost feels like an exclamation point, emphasizing the singer's feelings of disorientation.
The later verses seem to suggest that the singer is trying to overcome this sense of disorientation or confusion through humor ("Es wäre doch lustig") and spontaneity ("Einfach so eine Idee"). They want to have fun and do something without a real purpose, just for the joy of it. The repetition of "Nur so" at the end of the song reinforces this sense of spontaneity and a desire to break free from the confusion.
Overall, "Vertigo" explores a feeling of disorientation and longing while also suggesting that the way to overcome it might be through humor, spontaneity, and a willingness to do things just for fun.
Line by Line Meaning
Vertigo
Feeling of dizziness or disorientation
Schluss Ende Peng Peng
End of something with a loud and abrupt sound
Woher kommt diese Sehnsucht? Peng Peng
Questioning the origin of a strong desire or longing
Einfach so ohne Grund Peng Peng
Without any apparent reason or cause
Vertigo
Feeling of dizziness or disorientation
Schluss Ende / Ein für allemal Peng Peng
Final and absolute ending
Vertigo
Feeling of dizziness or disorientation
Es wäre doch lustig Peng Peng
Suggesting the idea as humorous or amusing
Einfach so eine Idee Peng Peng
Having a simple and spontaneous idea
Aus Spaß nur so / Nur so aus Spaß Peng Peng / Aus Spaß nur so
Doing something just for fun and without any serious intention
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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