While rock is not quite as popular as it once was, that is not stopping Trümmer. The Hamburg quartet may not be breaking new ground or conducting any wild avant-garde experimentation. But with their confident and often restrained garage rock-inspired sound, they are keeping alive a well-loved sound. And what is more, is that they are doing it in the German language.
So this month, let us get to know Trümmer and practice German with music!
Get to Know Trümmer
Following in the steps of many great bands as part of the Hamburger Schule, or Hamburg school movement of music, Trümmer was founded in 2012 in the northern port city. The group is made up of Paul Pötsch on guitar and vocals, Tammo Kasper on bass, Maximilian Fenski on drums, and Helge Hasselberg on guitar.
Not long after their founding, the group had enough music to participate in a split-cassette with Zucker. It was this release that helped the band grab the attention of music fans across the German-speaking world. The ball was in motion!
The band is multi-talented, and not just musically. In addition to membership in the band, Fenski is a doctor who works at a Berlin hospital and Pötsch is an actor. But the side-projects of the other half of the band are more musical. Hasselberg is part of the musical duo Heartbeast while Kasper runs the record label Euphorie.
The Music of Trümmer
Only a couple of years after their founding, Trümmer released their self-titled debut full-length. Soft overall, the album has a consistent sound. Frontman Pötsch’s vocals match the gentleness of the music. The album reached #72 on the German album charts. And it is easy to hear in the album the group’s potential.
In 2016, the group released Interzone. Pötsch’s wispy vocals are matched this time by a more guitar-forward album. The band seems more eager to push themselves on their sophomore release. All of that extra tension makes it feel like a rubber band that is ready to snap unexpectedly at any moment. There are references to their debut album that reference a softer and more subtle sound. But the rhythms are more prominent and undeniable. The group offers up a few riff-heavy moments that are full of attitude and swagger. They are not confident to simply sit back conservatively.
Fans had to wait a little longer for Trümmer’s third album. Früher war gestern was released in 2021. It continues the trend of the band pushing themselves. Comparatively edgier than its predecessors, the album goes for a strong rock sound that is full and uplifting. The third release is confident and their strongest to date.
Looking for another Ohrwurm to help you learn German? Check out previously featured musicians and bands!
Photo by Tim Erdmann, courtesy of DQ Agency. This post contains affiliate links.
