It might seem strange that a band without a single release to its name has played concerts and festivals all over Europe. But anyone who has ever experienced Die Weisse Rose on stage knows why. More than concerts, Die Weisse Rose’s performances are elaborate rituals, caleidoscopic (or even psychedelic) experiences. Elements such as uniforms, burning torches, snippets of old schlägers, segments from documentary films and philosophical proclamations are wowen together by orgies of live drums and electronic sounds.
Die Weisse strives towards what Wagner called ”Gesamtkunstwerke” – total works of art. When most other bands talk about Gesamtkunstwerke, it sounds pretentious. When Die Weisse Rose do it, it makes sense. Die Weisse Rose also like to think of their songs as “audiodocumentaries”. Again, such a seemingly pretentious term makes sense, as Die Weisse Rose’s art is just as indebted to the History Channel as to Throbbing Gristle.
To bolster Die Weisse Rose’s lineup (which really consists only of the band’s mastermind, Thomas Bøjden) over the years the unit has recruited collaborators to its ranks that makes DWR smack of an Industrial supergroup. From Marco Deplano (Foresta di Ferro), Gerhard (Allerseelen), Kim Larsen (Of the Wand and the Moon) to name but a few. In return, Thomas Bøjden has returned the favour and played with a who’s who of of the Industrial and Neofolk underground, from well-established outfits like Rome, Blood Axis and Foresta Di Ferro to up-and-coming Austrian neofolk band Klammheim.
Now, Die Weisse Rose are for the first time available on record. If you fear that we have another ”martial” clone band on our hands, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. The music is painstakingly crafted and orchestrated to perfection to include electronic elements, field recordings and real instruments, and its creative merits really stand out in an underground culture where bands of far lesser talents than Die Weisse Rose would release three albums in the time Die Weisse Rose have patiently worked on theirs.
