Tag: Cologne Germany

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Roosevelt Shares Otherworldly Animated Visual for Collab with Nile Rodgers

While cutting his teeth for years touring around the world, collaborating with Washed Out and remixing work by artists like Rhye, Glass Animals, CHVRCHES and Charlotte Gainsbourg, Marius Lauber, the Viersen, Germany-born, Cologne-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, best known as Roosevelt quickly became one of most buzzed-about artists in electronic music. 

Lauber’s sophomore album, 2018’s Young Romance, saw the acclaimed artist and producer making a decided move away from the slickly produced EDM of his previously released work to a warmer, hook-driven, disco-inspired sound. Fittingly, the album focused on — well, young romance, including the trials, tribulations and frustrations of falling in and out of love, and of desperately trying to carve out some semblance of home while on the road. 

The German artist and producer’s third album, last year’s Polydans continued a remarkable run of critically applauded, dance floor friendly jams that effortlessly meshed 80s synth pop and disco — while serving as a love letter to electronic music, inspired by the interconnectivity found on the dance floor. 

“Passion,” Lauber’s first bit of new material since last year’s Polydans sees the acclaimed German artist and producer collaborating with the iconic Nile Rodgers on a sleek, club banger centered around the disco legend’s imitable funk guitar licks, Lauber’s plaintive vocals, a strutting and irresistible groove and glistening synths. Bim Amoako-Gyampah contributes soulful backing vocals on the track, too. 

While clearly inspired by and indebted to disco’s glorious heyday, “Passion” isn’t a soulless homage of a familiar and beloved sound; at its core it should remind listeners of what makes a great pop song and a club banger — deep, irresistible grooves paired with razor sharp, infectious hooks. 

Understandably, the collaboration for a dream come true for Lauber, who says: “Nile has been one of my biggest influences over the years, so working on a track together with him was an absolute dream come true. The track had many different shapes and forms over almost two years, so I’m happy to finally have a version that I’m happy with. Nile and I worked on the track remotely via phone calls and e-mails, before I finally met him in LA to celebrate the completion of it. The man is a living legend to me, and just talking to him about the early disco days was such a big inspiration. ‘Passion’ is an ode to Studio 54, a homage to the energy and ecstasy of late-70s disco.” 

Animated by Colombian design group Mero, the accompanying video for “Passion” visually recalls — and perhaps is inspired by — the video for Daft Punk’s “One More Time:” We see the video’s protagonists, animated versions of Roosevelt and Rodgers, struck by the power of disco and funk coming to life and jamming on another world. The video manages to capture the song’s hopeful and fun energy in a breezy yet surreal fashion.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

While cutting his teeth for years touring around the world, collaborating with Washed Out and remixing work by artists like Rhye, Glass Animals, CHVRCHES and Charlotte Gainsbourg, Marius Lauber, the Viersen, Germany-born, Cologne-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, best known as Roosevelt quickly became one of most buzzed-about artists in electronic music.

Lauber’s sophomore album, 2018’s Young Romance, saw the acclaimed artist and producer making a decided move away from the slickly produced EDM of his previously released work to a warmer, hook-driven, disco-inspired sound. Fittingly, the album focused on — well, young romance, including the trials, tribulations and frustrations of falling in and out of love, and of desperately trying to carve out some semblance of home while on the road.

The German artist and producer’s third album, last year’s Polydans continued a remarkable run of critically applauded, dance floor friendly jams that effortlessly meshed 80s synth pop and disco — while serving as a love letter to electronic music, inspired by the interconnectivity found on the dance floor.

“Passion,” Lauber’s first bit of new material since last year’s Polydans sees the acclaimed German artist and producer collaborating with the iconic Nile Rodgers on a sleek, club banger centered around the disco legend’s imitable funk guitar licks, Lauber’s plaintive vocals, a strutting and irresistible groove and glistening synths. Bim Amoako-Gyampah contributes soulful backing vocals on the track, too.

While clearly inspired by and indebted to disco’s glorious heyday, “Passion” isn’t a soulless homage of a familiar and beloved sound; at its core it should remind listeners of what makes a great pop song and a club banger — deep, irresistible grooves paired with razor sharp, infectious hooks.

Understandably, the collaboration for a dream come true for Lauber, who says: “Nile has been one of my biggest influences over the years, so working on a track together with him was an absolute dream come true. The track had many different shapes and forms over almost two years, so I’m happy to finally have a version that I’m happy with. Nile and I worked on the track remotely via phone calls and e-mails, before I finally met him in LA to celebrate the completion of it. The man is a living legend to me, and just talking to him about the early disco days was such a big inspiration. ‘Passion’ is an ode to Studio 54, a homage to the energy and ecstasy of late-70s disco.” 

The acclaimed German artist and producer will be on the road for some extensive touring across the European Union and UK later this month through early June. He’ll be touring across North America for much of the summer, including a September 1, 2022 stop at Elsewhere’s Rooftop. Check out the tour dates below.

NORTH AMERICAN LIVE DATES

6.11 – Palm Springs, CA – Splash House 2022 (DJ SET)

6.17 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall

6.18 – Dallas, TX – The Studio at the Factory

6.20 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West

6.21 – Nashville, TN – Eastside Bowl

6.22 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall

6.24 – Rothbury, MI – Electric Forest Festival

6.26 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Cafe

6.28 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theater

6.29 – Salt Lake City, UT – Soundwell

7.01 – San Francisco, CA – 1015 Folsom (DJ SET)

7.08 – Austin, TX – The Venue (DJ SET)

7.09 – Washington, DC – Flash Rooftop (DJ SET)

7.16 – East Hampton, NY – The Clubhouse Hamptons (DJ SET)

9.01 – Brooklyn, NY – The Rooftop at Elsewhere (DJ SET)

INTERNATIONAL LIVE DATES

5.26 – Hamburg, Germany – Gruenspan

5.27 – Berlin, Germany – Huxley’s

5.29 – Cologne, Germany – Carlswerk Victoria

6.02 – Paris, France – La Trabendo

6.03 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg Max

6.06 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom

6.07 – Manchester, UK – Band on the Wall

6.08 – Brussels, Belgium – Orangerie

6.09 – Istanbul, Turkey – Zorlu Performing Arts Centre

8.14 – Buftea, Romania – Summer Well Festival

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Roosevelt Releases an Infectious Club Friendly Banger

Marius Lauber is a Viersen, Germany-born, Cologne, Germany-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and creative mastermind behind the acclaimed solo recording project Roosevelt. Lauber exploded into the international scene with the release of “Elliot,” the title track off his debut EP, 2013’s Elliot: “Elliot” received praise from Pitchfork, who named the track one of their “Best New Tracks” that year.

2015’s double A-side single “Night Moves”/”Hold On,” helped the German artist further establish a warm, synth-based Euro-disco sound. Lauber’s 2016 self-titled, Roosevelt debut featured attention grabbing tracks like “Colours” and “Moving On” and was supported with tours with Hot Chip, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Crystal Fighters. Glass Animals, Jax Jones,Truls, Sundara Karma, Luca Vasta and Kakkmaddaf all remixed album tracks.

Lauber’s sophomore album, 2018’s Young Romance found the acclaimed German singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer moving away from the slickly produced EDM towards a warmer, guitar and synth-based sound paired with a wistful escapism. Thematically, the album fittingly focused on — well, young romance, including the trials, tribulations and frustrations of falling in and out of love while featuring a narrator, desperately trying to find some semblance of home while on the road. As Lauber explained in press notes at the time, the album was inspired by deeply personal events: “I ended up processing a lot of emotions that I felt during my youth. Faded relationships that haunted me for years, being on the road for what seemed like forever and the constant search for a place to call home.”

Released earlier this year, Lauber’s third Roosevelt album, Polydans may arguably be one of his most critically and commercially successful efforts to date: Lauber has done live sessions for SPIN Magazine, Fender’s Artist Check-In and KEXP. The acclaimed German artist has also been interviewed by Apple Music 1, Filter, Rolling Stone, Interview Magazine, Clash Magazine, Earmilk, BrooklynVegan, Talkhouse and several others. Since the release of Polydans, Lauber has been rather busy, writing two new singles “On My Mind” and “About U” that serve as an extension to his latest album.

Lauber’s latest single, the achingly wistful yet sensual “On My Mind” is centered around shimmering synth arpeggios, Nile Rodgers-like guitar, a motorik-like groove, Lauber’s plaintive vocals expressing longing for that one who got away, and who the song’s narrator may never get back in their lives. Sonically “On My Mind” and its companion “About U” are deeply inspired by 00s French Touch — and as a result, find the German producer crafting euphoric bangers along the lines of Homework-era Daft Punk, Stardust and others.

My Mind’ and ‘About U’ were two demos that I was working on while I was finishing Polydans late last year,” Lauber explains in press notes. “I listened to a lot of early 2000s French House music at the time, so the songs were heavily influenced by acts like Stardust, Roger Sanchez, Benjamin Diamond or Room 5. The sounds of these records are still in my memory from watching MTV as a kid, so there was something really nostalgic in producing this release. I didn’t want to put them on Polydans, as they are sounding more electronic, less organic as the album, however they still feel like the same chapter to me. These will be part of the deluxe version of the album, that will come out later this year.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Acclaimed German Synth Pop Artist Roosevelt Releases a Breezy and Nostalgic, Club Banger

Over the past few months, I’ve written a bit about the Viersen, Germany-born, Cologne, Germany-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, electronic music artist and electronic music producer, Marius Lauber, who writes, records and performs Roosevelt. Now, as you may recall its the release of Elliot,” the lead single and EP title track of his 2013 debut EP Elliot, Lauber received praise from the likes of Pitchfork, who named the track one of their “Best New Tracks.” 2015 saw the release of the double A side single “Night Moves”/”Hold On,” which was released through Greco-Roman Records and further cemented his reputation for crafting  material with warm, synth-led Euro-disco sound. Building upon a growing profile, Lauber’s 2016 full-length debut featured standout tracks  “Colours” and “Moving On,” and has led to attention-grabbing tours with the likes of Hot Chip, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Crystal Fighters, as well a remixes of singles by Glass Animals, Jax Jones,Truls, Sundara Karma, Luca Vasta and Kakkmaddafakka and others.
Building upon a growing international profile, Lauber’s recently released sophomore Roosevelt album Young Romance finds the acclaimed German singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, electronic music artist and electronic music producer making a decided move away from the slickly produced EDM of his previously released material to a warmer, hook-driven, guitar and synth-based sound, complete with a wistful escapism. Thematically, Young Romance fittingly focuses on — well, young romance, including the trials, tribulations and frustrations of falling in and out of love, and of desperately trying to find some semblance of home and life while on the road. As Lauber says of the writing process for the album “I ended up processing a lot of emotions that I felt during my youth. Faded relationships that haunted me for years, being on the road for what seemed like forever and the constant search for a place to call home.”

Album single “Forgive,” featured Lauber collaborating with Ernest Green, a.k.a. Washed Out, who contributes his ethereal and imitable vocals to a shimmering, disco-like production centered by a Chic-era Nile Rodgers groove, African percussion and an infectious hook that sounds as though it could have been a Paracosm B-side.  “Shadows,” continues in a similar, breezy yet disco-inspired vein, as it’s centered around a buoyant two-step friendly groove, arpeggiated synths, Lauber’s plaintive vocals, an incredibly tight, infectious hook that recalls Miami Horror, Washed Out and Random Access Memories-era Daft Punk to mind — but somehow even lighter. Young Romance’s latest single “Under The Sun” will further cement Lauber’s reputation for crafting hook-laden, and breezy pop centered around the German singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer’s yearning vocals, thumping beats, a sinuous disco-inspired bass line, twinkling keys and ethereal electronics — and while continuing to nod at the likes of Miami Horror, Washed Out, Random Access Memories-era Daft Punk and St. Lucia, the song much like its predecessor reveals an ambitious songwriter and producer, who has put a unique and urgent take on a familiar and beloved sound.

The recently released video for “Under The Sun” is a cinematic and fittingly nostalgic visual that features Lauber yearning singing the song and playing guitar on the beach, reflecting on a past relationship. 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Acclaimed German Electro Pop Artist Roosevelt Releases Summery 80s-Inspired Visuals for Buoyant Single “Shadows”

Marius Lauber is a Viersen, Germany-born, Cologne, Germany-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, electronic music artist and electronic music producer, who writes records and performs with his solo recording project Roosevelt. Now as you may recall, with the […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Marius Lauber is a Viersen, Germany-born, Cologne, Germany-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, electronic music artist and electronic music producer, who writes records and performs with his solo recording project Roosevelt. With the release of “Elliot,” the lead single and EP title track of his 2013 debut EP Elliot, Lauber received praise from the likes of Pitchfork, who named the track one of their “Best New Tracks.” 2015 saw the release of the double A side single “Night Moves”/”Hold On,” which was released through Greco-Roman Records and further cemented his reputation for crafting  material with warm, synth-led Euro-disco sound.

Lauber’s 2016 self-titled, full-length debut featured standout tracks “Colours” and “Moving On,” and has led to tours with the likes of Hot Chip, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Crystal Fighters, as well a remixes of Glass Animals, Jax Jones, Truls, Sundara Karma, Luca Vasta and Kakkmaddafakka and others. Interestingly, Lauber’s highly-anticipated Roosevelt sophomore album Young Romance is slated for a September 28, 2018 and the album reportedly finds the German singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, electronic music artist and electronic music producer moving away from the dance floor friendly sound of his previously recorded work and leaning heavily towards hook-driven guitar and synth-based pop while balancing escapism and wistfulness throughout. Thematically, the album covers the trials, tribulations and frustrations of falling in and out of love, finding some semblance of home and life on the road. As Lauber says of the writing process “I ended up progressing a lot of emotions that I felt during my youth. Faded relationships that haunted me for years, being on the road for what seemed like forever and the constant search for a place to call home.”

Young Romance‘s second and latest single “Forgive” finds the up-and-coming German collaborating with Washed Out‘s Ernest Green, who contributes his imitable, ethereal vocals to a shimmering production centered by a disco-like groove, Chic-era Nile Rodgers funk guitar, subtle hints at African percussion and an infectious hook. Sonically speaking, the song feels like it could have easily been on Green’s lush Paracosm as it manages to be swooning and earnest while retaining dance floor friendly vibes. Interestingly, the collaboration can trace its origins to when Green followed Lauber on Instagram, and as Lauber says in press notes “I was so happy to find out he was a fan. He has always been a massive influence and this track was written around the vocal stems he sent back within days — a real collaborative effort.”