HOVI and ROMAN
the band: a report from ROMAN
Prologue
Everything began in 1986 with the formation of the Frankfurt based group "crux ansata"; Hovi played bass and wrote English lyrics; a tape was released with the name "my inflamed eyes". Parallel to this Roman worked on various projects such as "schaum der Tage" or "Opfer der Hingabe", which he released on his own label "ng-medien". The most widely known release on this label was probably the first tape from "front line assembly" and "lassigue bendthaus". Coincidentally, in 1987 / 88 there was a festival in Frankfurt where both musicians played with their respective bands. This can be viewed as the beginning because after this, Roman became the keyboarder of "crux ansata". Many live gigs and recordings followed and in February 1989 a solo effort (without sales or a label company) was made with the recording of a mini lp - in total 500 were produced. Through the recordings, the sound of "crux ansata" changed more and more such that finally the band was dissolved. The dark sounds were replaced by more pop-style structures.
Musical Influences.
"joy division" are the influence of "Endraum" - if anyone can really talk about influences. The musical career of both musicians was heavily influences by them to create a music which delves deep inside of you, wakes you and completely changes your idea of music.
The project E N D R A U M
After the group "crux ansata" dissolved, everything appeared to become quiet. But Roman and Hovi met up again to create something totally new - music with the spirit of Joy Division and melancholy of "Gustav Mahler" and the lyrics of "rimbaud". 1989 thought neither of them thought of creating a steady band or group. We dreamt of a sort of a multivisionary opera, within which the theatrical was equivalent to the pictures, lyrics and music - an Opera named "endraum". The first piece of music was called "der neid" (the envy) - an indictment of the musical changes taking place around us, a shout in a completely commercialised world in which feelings are pushed to last place. Endraum stood for an idea which tried to bring everything back to the beginning - to the innermost feelings, a room at the end which will never disclose its exit.
Releases
After "der Neid" was recorded, everything happened very fast. The Idea of an Opera changed to an idea of a musical story - "phantastisch zwecklos" von Heinrich Heine. Endraum became the name and in 1991 the first tape recording of Endraum - "phantastisch zwecklos" was created which was the first musical confrontation with depression, melancholy and absolute personal acceptance. In reality it was a search to become that, what Endraum now signify.
The concept
In the beginning of 1992 followed the second Endraum release, the tape "sehnsucht". None of us thought about recording labels or sales. Central was the need to realise the creativity within. "Sehnsucht" is a concept and from this moment was the name "endraum" also part of the concept. Endraum became a unit and it was from this moment that music, lyrics and images were to be fusioned into one. "Sehnsucht" is a story, more than that, more a wandering through "desire". "Sehnsucht" could, with hindsight, be seen as a personal revelation of two people. Important for us at that time was the fact that the work was never done individually but together. The lyrical ideas of Hovi were immediately translated - or maybe a better formulation is "assisted" - into music on Roman's Piano. Words are equal to Music are equal to Image. Endraum was a musical vision. Endraum had always their music or their creation as an answer to something seen which was missing in most music - feeling. It's simple to hide behind a cloak of superficiality, to talk of things which have never meant anything to ones' self. Music can only change when it creates a vision of that which currently occupies the artists.
The label
1992 Endraum began the first attempt to present themselves to a larger audience. Record labels were written to. From numerous offers a contract was signed with "danse macabre". Everything went very fast. A demo tape was recorded and then the first CD "zeitenlicht" - a story of a walk through "die mere dieser Zeit". "Zeitenlicht was intended to follow the conception of the second tape "sehnsucht". What the statements made are concerned, "Zeitenlicht" is more compressed, more direct. This is because for the first time Endraum had to produce as well as compose. This is important for Endraum because a producer could endanger the idea and effect of Endraum because everything we work upon is very emotional and spontaneous. A year later the second CD "in flimmernder Nacht" was released. On this CD visions are told which should combine to bring dream and reality together. A very important theme in our work because the dream cannot function without reality and reality becomes a very dull existence without a dream.
The new beginning
1993 was the year of the decision. "Danse Macabre" was extremely fixed on "me, myself, I" and Endraum was running dangerously close to being misinterpreted. In other words, the style for which "danse macabre" stood, was too simple, too plain, emotionless. What remained was the creation of our own record label with which we could tread our own path with like minded artists.
The group E N D R A U M
Images, lyrics and music are very strongly joined with momentary visions, emotions and extreme feelings. Endraum does not see itself or it's music as a courier for a particular message. Endraum is the feeling of life, Endraum is creativity, Endraum is melancholy. Endraum is colour, sound and space. Endraum is idealistic and therein lies the drive to continue ever on, never to transmit the feeling of being stationary because in life everything is changing, the environment changes. Only melancholy stays constant and an entrance to it must be created - this is Endraum.
The music
Endraums music can't be defined simply by definitions such as "melancholic", "romantic" or "darkened" because no single definition can bring that, which Endraum represents, to a point. The work of Endraum can be signified by a 3 dimensional picture in which the main function of the music can be seen to create a landscape of atmospheres and musical images. The lyrics capture a moment, describe it and make it real, almost touchable. The painting captures a thought and makes it visible. Endraum is a vision in which word, music and pictures operate parallel to another. Important is the feeling, the situation, the fraction of a second which suddenly comes to life.
The colour blue
Apart from the fact that blue plays and has played a very important role in the history of art, it is the only colour within which endraum can develop themselves. Blue stands for evolution, for something shortly before its opening. Blue is the colour within which light can be held without blinding and deceiving. Blue almost has the appearance of being eternal. Blue also contains the colours which deny hopelessness because blue is neither black nor white.