Pop and feminism: La Hengst: “A language of its own”

On the Internet, Die Braut haut haut s Augen is described as the “only female band of the so-called Hamburg School.” Does that fit?

Strictly speaking, both attributes – “only female band” and “Hamburg school” – are somewhat questionable. But since you always need some kind of drawer, we were put there. But we were never the band that had to pack 1,000 confusing philosophy quotes into a three-minute pop song. And there were other women in Hamburg back then who made great music: Nixe from the Mobylettes, for example, or Katrin Achinger from the Castrated Philosophers, and later Ebba Durstewitz and Elena Lange.

Christiane Rösinger by the Lassie Singers used to always say that as long as people didn’t talk about men’s bands, please don’t use the term “women’s band”.

Yes, that’s a good point. In the past, one of the first questions in interviews was always: How does it feel as a female band? That was weird because male bands were of course never asked how it felt for them. In this respect, it is quite symptomatic of us as a band that this interview also begins with this aspect – even if I am confident that many other interesting questions will follow.

Yes, then let’s get started. How is it that now – 24 years after the band’s breakup – public interest in them has been rekindled?ird?

That was certainly what I planned with the digital re-release of our albums and the upcoming vinyl best-of. For around 20 years we had the absurd situation where our music was practically no longer available to the public because our old record company BMG destroyed all of our recordings at the time. The storage costs were higher than the costs of destroying the plates. Last but not least, the NDR documentary about Natascha Geier’s Hamburg school brought us back into the public consciousness in the spring. We were also represented in it and were supposed to bring a bit of the female perspective to the scene. But hardly anyone knew our music anymore, which is why a little myth developed around the bride.

How does it feel for you to be confronted with the music from your early phase again after such a long time?

I’m quite happy with it. It’s touching for me that these songs are available again. Of course, you ask yourself: What from back then is still relevant today? And I think: surprisingly many things.

What?

The in-betweenness. We were heavily criticized for this at the time, including from the boys at the Hamburg School. That we weren’t clearly political, feminist, punk rock or riot grrrl. We have developed our own language with subtle irony and many autobiographical references. As a result, the songs also had this self-empowerment energy. Perhaps most comparable to the aeronauts from Switzerland, who I always liked very much. We told straight stories, but sometimes they were a bit outside the box.

Do you have an example?

For example, on our first album there is the song “Mondän”. The song is written from the perspective of a man who is in a sadomasochistic relationship with a woman and feels comfortable in it. But I sang that as a woman, which is why it was often interpreted as a lesbian love story, which I also think is great! It raises the question that is still relevant today: What position am I speaking from?

You mentioned Natascha Geier’s NDR documentary, which sparked controversial discussions. Das also showed once again that the scene was heavily white, male, heterosexual and middle-class. Looking back, was she perhaps not as progressive as she liked to see herself?

This progressive claim existed. I remember Blumfeld’s quote: “We think differently politically and sexually.” But that wasn’t fulfilled. As far as the aspect of middle-classness is concerned: That is definitely true, and ultimately I see the problem behind it: people with a middle-class background and the associated prospect of inheritance and financial security tend to have the feeling that they can sometimes go out on a limb and take financial risks . Just think of Michael Girke, who with his band Now! was an important forerunner of the Hamburg School, but had a very precarious family background and gave up his musical career very early on.

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The political aspect also shapes your music. Her new solo album “Visionäre Leere” was released last year. What makes the void visionary for you?

The title track of the album is about Lusatia and the coal-mining landscapes there. Of course they are not really empty, but at least empty of any life. At the same time, the title implicitly addresses the emptiness of the political left, which needs to be filled with visions. After the three state elections in East Germany, more than ever.

Bat a performance in Dresden in June you shouted to not move to cities like Hamburg or Berlin because, according to her statement at the time, they were “saturated.” Instead, you should go where you are needed. Should all leftists now move to Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia?

I actually think that would help, yes. It would be terrible if the last remaining leftists withdrew there too. I do a lot of projects in rural areas and I know that the local people are happy about new impulses. And there is hardly any living space left in the big cities. Last but not least, the big city no longer offers a visionary emptiness.

You are currently staging the play “Musicalize Yourself!” at the Dresden State Theater, which addresses the division in society. Do you believe that music can liberate?

Of course that sounds a bit naive. I don’t think it can be the music alone. But I always notice that making music together can be liberating. People with very different backgrounds between the ages of 16 and 70 were involved in the creation of the piece. There were many controversial discussions. But in the end it became clear that music is a social glue that can bring different positions together in one evening and in one song.

The bride catches the eye: “Hits 1990-2000” (Trikont). In the spring, all of the band’s albums were released there in digital versions.