The original use of strings: cello, violin, guitars, a full string quartet diverts the traditional perception of those classic instruments when they deal with electronics and the result is emotionally moving.
The album has been written and recorded between Berlin and Rome, it took nearly two years to be made, Teho and Blixa worked next to each other choosing carefully every sound, every word and silence.
There are 12 songs on Still Smiling, including a new version of A Quiet Life and a cover of Alone With The Moon by The Tiger Lilies.
Amongst collaborators there are The Balanescu Quartet and cellist Martina Bertoni.
Lyrics are visionary and are sung in english, german and italian, Blixa reveals a really personal and intimate side to the listener this time.
Still Smiling is an album whose special vision covers all the sky between Rome and Berlin, daytime and nocturnal.
It'll be released on Teho's label Specula on april 22nd in Italy and it'll be distributed all over Europe on June 28th 2013.
There's also an italian tour in May: 7th Roma, Circolo degli Artisti, 9th Milano, Alcatraz, 10th Moncalieri/Torino, Audiodrome, 11th Bologna, Senza Filtro where Teho and Blixa will be joined on stage by cellist Martina Bertoni.
Tracklist:
1 Mi Scusi
2 Come Up And See Me
3 Axolotl
4 Buntmetalldiebe
5 Still Smiling
6 Nocturnalie
7 Alone With The Moon
8 What if...?
9 Konjunktiv II
10 Nur Zur Erinnerung
11 A Quiet Life
12 Defenestrazioni
Here's the video by Chiara Battistini of Mi Scusi, the first track from the album http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXzcBpIGKas&feature=youtu.be
Musicians
Teho Teardo - baritone guitar, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, rhodes piano, synths, piano, percussions, electronics, programming
Blixa Bargeld - voice, hammond organ, clavichord, electric slide guitar, water percussion, re-arrangements, glockenspiel
featuring:
Martina Bertoni - Cello
The Balanescu Quartet
Alexander Balanescu - violin
James Shenton - violin
Katie Wilkinson - viola
Nick Holland - cello
Elena De Stabile - violin
Elisabetta Pacini - italian accent voice
Crew
Recorded in Berlin at Anderebaustelle studio and Rome at Basement recordings, 2012/2013
Nirgendheim
Teho Teardo & Blixa Bargeld Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Alles ist jetzt
Noch mal
Der Nagel muss raus
Aber alle haben Pause
Ich zähl' die Punkte an der Decke
Es sind einundsechzig
Das Jahr liegt in den letzten Zügen
Ist im Winter angelangt
Bei dies natalis solis invicti
Ein Tiger schleicht sich an
Von Wo auch immer
Wo auch immer
Wo auch immer
Im Nirgendheim
Zurückgekehrt
Stück für Stück wird aufgegeben
Aufgelöst, atomisiert
Nur der eine Punkt der wehrt sich
Solang noch etwas übrig ist
Was übrig ist, verlangt noch mehr
Bei Null und hellen Nächten
Warten Malatesta
Die Zeit verlangt nach mir
Was auch immer
Von wo auch immer
Von wo auch immer
Im Nirgendheim
Wo auch immer
... immer das Verlangen was gerade fehlt
Bitter, bitter, bitter
La Bella, la bella, la bella
Wo auch immer
Von wo auch immer
Wo auch immer
Im Nirgendheim
Von wo auch immer
Wo auch immer
Wo auch immer
Im Nirgendheim
The lyrics of Nirgendheim by Teho Teardo & Blixa Bargeld speak of a feeling of lostness and detachment from reality. The beginning of the song seems to indicate that the chaos and sufferings of the world have caught up with the singer, as he speaks of "disaster dreams" and the final days of the year coming to an end. However, the following lines indicate that the singer is not able to escape from the mundanity of daily life, as he counts the dots on the ceiling and mentions that everyone is on a break. It's unclear whether the singer is describing a personal situation or a universal one, but the sense of restlessness and disillusionment is palpable.
The song takes a surreal turn when the lyrics mention a tiger creeping up during dies natalis solis invicti - the winter solstice celebrated in Roman times as the "birth" of the sun. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the unpredictable nature of life and the way that light and darkness coexist. The phrase "wo auch immer" (wherever), which is repeated multiple times throughout the song, further emphasizes the vague sense of disorientation and the inability to pinpoint one's place in the world. "Nirgendheim", the title of the song, seems to be a made-up word that combines "nowhere" and "heim", the German word for "home". It may represent the feeling of being lost in one's own familiar surroundings, unable to find a sense of belonging or comfort.
Line by Line Meaning
Desasterträume
Dreams of disaster
Alles ist jetzt
Everything is now
Noch mal
Once again
Der Nagel muss raus
The nail must be removed
Aber alle haben Pause
But everyone is on break
Ich zähl' die Punkte an der Decke
I count the points on the ceiling
Es sind einundsechzig
There are sixty-one
Das Jahr liegt in den letzten Zügen
The year is coming to an end
Ist im Winter angelangt
Has arrived in winter
Bei dies natalis solis invicti
On this day of the unconquered sun
Ein Tiger schleicht sich an
A tiger sneaks up
Von Wo auch immer
From wherever
Wo auch immer
Wherever
Im Nirgendheim
In nowhere land
Zurückgekehrt
Returned
Stück für Stück wird aufgegeben
Piece by piece is given up
Aufgelöst, atomisiert
Dissolved, atomized
Nur der eine Punkt der wehrt sich
Only the one point resists
Solang noch etwas übrig ist
As long as something remains
Was übrig ist, verlangt noch mehr
What remains demands even more
Bei Null und hellen Nächten
At zero and bright nights
Warten Malatesta
Malatesta awaits
Die Zeit verlangt nach mir
Time demands me
Was auch immer
Whatever
Von wo auch immer
From wherever
Im Nirgendheim
In nowhere land
Wo auch immer
Wherever
immer das Verlangen was gerade fehlt
Always the desire for what is missing
Bitter, bitter, bitter
Bitter, bitter, bitter
La Bella, la bella, la bella
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Von wo auch immer
From wherever
Wo auch immer
Wherever
Im Nirgendheim
In nowhere land
Von wo auch immer
From wherever
Wo auch immer
Wherever
Im Nirgendheim
In nowhere land
Contributed by Allison I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DAH
on What If...?
I believe this refers to suicide vests worn by Muslim terrorists. If their afterlife isn't as appealing as they think, they should rethink killing themselves
DAH
on What If...?
I believe that this refers to 9/11 when Muslim extremists learned to fly so they could fly the planes into various targets