Here’s something truly special.
The label Pussy Empire from Hamburg has turned ten years old. Ten years, in times of illegal downloads and plummeting CD sales, is quite a long time.
For the tenth anniversary, one could simply release something that reflects ten years of label history. It would be bought and noticed by the press. Standard, you know.
However, the label founders Catharina and Chantal didn’t want standard, so they came up with something special.
Five women play well-known songs by other bands in new acoustic versions.
You might know this concept, although I’m not aware of an all-girl band in this area, but perhaps there is one already.
But what doesn’t exist yet is what these five ladies are doing here. They play songs by Grönemeyer, Rammstein, Das Bo, Tokio Hotel, and Polarkreis 18.
Just for this project, Catharina, Chantal, Katriana, Illute, and Birgit Fischer deserve the utmost respect. To dare to tackle these songs!
What the women have done with the songs, with each song being interpreted by only one lady, left my mouth agape for a long time.
The first song is “Mensch” by Grönemeyer. Grönemeyer is a no-go for me. I couldn’t stand him as a child, and that hasn’t changed as an adult. Except for “Gebt den Kindern das Kommando,” he’s completely unnecessary for me.
What Katriana has done acoustically with the song makes me not only enjoy listening to it but also turns it into one of my favorite songs on the album. It’s completely insane, but it’s true. The delicate, gentle guitar playing, the longing, sad voice, and the atmosphere the song creates is madness. This is how you can even enjoy Grönemeyer!
I’m heavily impressed, and it should continue like this.
“türlich, türlich” is a song where you think that it simply cannot be realized acoustically, but it can. If you put in as much effort as Catharina Boutari does, it works really well.
I’m already quite astonished. I don’t need more; the following songs can’t possibly get any better.
The other songs “Allein, allein” (Polarkreis 18), “Is it cos I’m cool” (Mousse T), and the Element of Crime song “Weißes Papier” don’t quite reach the level of the first two songs (oh, what songs, these are hits!), although the versions are also interesting and musically great cinema. This is criticism at a high level. Actually, it’s not criticism but rather what resonates most with the heart. It’s kind of like standing in a car dealership between five super sports cars and having to choose two. It shouldn’t be possible, but somehow you manage it anyway.
After that, Illute breathes new life into “Major Tom,” and it’s a life that sends chills down your spine. This slightly rough voice, which tells more than it sings, really makes you empathize with the story of the song. Wow!
What these five women have given to the songs is nothing less than new life. They are completely new songs with a completely new, different musical basis (with “Weißes Papier” being the exception). Anyone who had doubts about whether these women are truly fantastic musicians will get proof with this record that they indeed are.
The five women as “The Stewardesses” are a dream.
The thirteen songs from “Pussy Empire Takes Off” are all incredibly good, especially when you see what the original versions are. This is truly great cinema.
I’m astonished, thrilled, overwhelmed, surprised, and fascinated. It’s been a long time since a release has impressed me this much.
Thank you PUSSY EMPIRE for this musical journey of discovery and revelation!
I bow in awe!
