11 witnesses
| 11 witnesses | ||||
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| Studio album by Wirtz | ||||
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Publication |
March 28, 2008 |
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| Label (s) | Wirtz music | |||
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Format (s) |
CD, download |
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Title (number) |
11 |
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running time |
40:09 |
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| occupation |
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Matthias Hoffmann |
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11 Zeugen is the first solo album by German rock musician Daniel Wirtz . It was released on March 28, 2008 via his specially founded music label Wirtz Musik .
History of origin
Daniel Wirtz began to write German texts to express things that were emotionally stressful for him. After he met the musician and producer Matthias Hoffmann in 2007, he played recordings of his lyrics for him, whereupon he convinced him to record an album with the material and publish it. Wirtz wrote the music for the finished texts.
The album was originally supposed to be called FSK 31 . It should be a "voluntary self-regulation" for Wirtz. He wanted to understand where he was at that time in life and where he still wanted to go. To do this, he reflected on himself and looked for aspects of himself that he could improve. At that time he didn't want to write texts in which he told other people what to do because he thought it was the wrong way to go. Wirtz described the work on the album as "self-therapy". The final album title 11 Zeugen refers to the fact that the eleven songs on the album are witnesses to the phase of his life for Daniel Wirtz.
Regarding the writing of texts in general and also in relation to 11 witnesses , Daniel Wirtz said in an interview:
“There are songs that you basically just write down because they have to get out, but there are also songs that you work hard for. So, if I'm not doing something like the '11 witnesses' - which when I wrote the lyrics, it burned my soul and just had to get everything out before it turns into cancer - I can get into it theoretically take a guitar, do a riff and do a chorus and then write a song. The song then expresses exactly what I am emotionally feeling at the moment. On the second disc there are a couple of songs that I've worked really hard for, mostly thematically related to the question of how far can you go? I sometimes wrote 19 or 20 pieces of text just to find the one that would fit the music I was just creating. "
For Wirtz, the difference between German and English texts, as he wrote them for his previous band Sub7even, is that English texts are harder to write for him in that it is not his mother tongue, but on the other hand he uses English texts more as a melody perceives and does not pay so much attention to the statement. With the English lyrics I wanted to express a "lifestyle feeling" and made sure that the rhymes fit and sound good. Looking back, Wirtz found that on the last album of his band Sub7even he had already developed lyrically in a different direction. The statement is particularly important for him in German texts because you have to think about the content. Wirtz described writing as the most difficult task for him, because the texts quickly sound kitschy or like Schlager for him in German . On the other hand, he could express himself more precisely and in more detail in German.
Wirtz recorded the album without Sub7even because he did not want to make any musical compromises and the songs on the album were too personal for him and their style did not suit Sub7even. Wirtz therefore spent a year and a half looking for suitable musicians for his project.
In order to be able to publish 11 witnesses , Daniel Wirtz founded the music label Wirtz Musik together with Matthias Hoffmann after he had rejected several offers from other music labels because they wanted to influence the lyrics, among other things. The album is distributed through Rough Trade Distribution .
Before the album was released, Wirtz made the songs: Ne Weile her , Today I know and Say it available for listening on the social network Myspace . By the time the album 11 Witnesses was released on March 28, 2008, the three songs had been played about 1 million times together.
Cover design
On the cover picture you can see a black and white portrait of Daniel Wirtz as well as the Wirtz logo in orange and the album title 11 witnesses in black.
Track list
| # | title | length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eleven witnesses | 3:18 |
| 2 | It's been a while | 3:49 |
| 3 | Mon Amour | 3:29 |
| 4th | No fear … | 3:47 |
| 5 | Where i stand | 3:20 |
| 6th | First stone | 3:20 |
| 7th | Today i know | 3:49 |
| 8th | Really hurt | 4:08 |
| 9 | say it | 4:02 |
| 10 | Because I am like that | 2:51 |
| 11 | Another night | 4:16 |
Background information on individual songs
Eleven witnesses
The song came about after the rest of the album was finished. Daniel Wirtz said in an interview with München TV in 2008 that the song Elf Zeugen should describe the development of the songs on the album, starting with the idea in the head, writing the text and composing to the finished CD, and that the songs “witnesses his Time ”of a phase of his life and they should“ speak ”for him.
It's been a while
A music video was produced for the song in which Wirtz played the song live in front of an audience at the Frankfurt rock music club The Cave . From Ne while ago an alternate acoustic version exists, entitled Ne while ago (CHT version) also a music video was produced to that which is a compilation of videos of Wirtz tour everyday.
Ne Weile her was released on February 28, 2008 as a maxi single on CD together with Ne Weile her (CHT version) , the title song of the album 11 Zeugen and the music video for Ne Weile her . The single was also released as a 7 " record limited to 350 copies. The copies are numbered and signed with a dedication by Daniel Wirtz. Buyers could decide for themselves how much they want to pay for the record. According to Wirtz, the average sales price was 11 €.
Mon Amour
A music video was produced for the song that contains images from various Wirtz concerts.
No fear
On November 7, 2008, Wirtz released a maxi single in CD format for the song, but it did not make it into the charts. To do not worry , a music video was produced, which is also on the single. In addition , the song Overkill , which was not included on the album 11 witnesses , is on the single , which was added to the second studio album Erdling as a bonus title because the single had only sold about 400 times at the time of its release.
Daniel Wirtz sang the song as part of the episode of the second season of Sing my song dedicated to him - Das Tauschkonzert . This version of the song was published as a download on June 26, 2015 and entered the German single charts at number 51 and at number 60 in the Austrian single charts. The single was able to stay in the charts for a week in both countries.
Where i stand
The idea of someone speaking in the recording during the beginning of Where I Stand comes from a Fettes Brot title. Originally Daniel Wirtz wanted the comedian duo Badesalz to speak up by offending him. At the same time, Wirtz received a mailbox announcement from one of his friends and his friend, in which they asked Wirtz to go for a drink with them and in which the second friend, while drunk, insulted Daniel Wirtz in a non-serious way. The announcement was then used in an edited form for the song and also used as an intro for the tour for the album.
Today i know
A music video was produced for the song, which is only orchestrated with two acoustic guitars, in which Daniel Wirtz sings the song in his studio and plays the guitar. The second guitar is played by Christian Adameit, who plays the bass for the rest of the songs on the album.
Another night
In contrast to all other songs on the album, the idea for the song Wiedermal ne Nacht already existed five years before the album was released.
Commercial win
11 Zeugen rose to number 94 on the German album charts on April 11, 2008, before leaving a week later. On June 26, 2015, the album entered the charts again at number 22 and two weeks later, on July 10, it reached its highest position at number 16. It was able to stay in the German charts for a total of ten weeks. The album entered the Austrian album charts at number 28 on July 3, 2015, and stayed in the charts for a total of five weeks. The album entered the Swiss album charts at number 29 on June 28, 2015 and stayed there for a total of three weeks.
According to his own statement, Wirtz sold 2,500 copies of 11 witnesses in the first week of sales and around 1,000 more in the second week. By July 2009 the album was sold around 15,000 times including downloads.
reception
| Professional reviews | |
|---|---|
| Reviews | |
| source | rating |
| According to |
 
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| Rock hard |
 
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| Metal hammer |
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| Pressure Magazine |
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| CDStarts |
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11 witnesses received good to very good reviews from the trade press.
Conny Schiffbauer from the music magazine Rock Hard rated the album in May 2008 in issue no. 252 with seven out of ten possible points. She wrote about the album:
“Daniel Wirtz has released three albums since 1999 as the singer of Sub7even . With '11 Zeugen ', the 31-year-old (new) Frankfurter now presents a solo debut, which stylistically is not too far removed from his main band, but in direct comparison shows clearly calmer and more melodic features. Most striking, however, are the direct German lyrics, which occasionally remind of the lyrics of the Böhsen Onkelz with a defiantly coarse note . The album name '11 Zeugen 'stands for eleven self-critical songs that combine rebellious grunge and down-to-earth rock with rousing melodies and rough vocals. Although mid-tempo tracks and ballad-like numbers predominate, WIRTZ does not drift into kitsch, but convinces with its songwriting. "
Matthias Mineur from the music magazine Metal Hammer rated the album on May 1, 2008 with five out of seven possible points. He wrote about the album:
“Daniel Wirtz is the singer of the unfortunately totally run-down Sub7even ('Weatherman'), who six years ago not only lost the creative head Chris Wolff, but - despite their huge talent - also lost their feet due to the controversial Onkelz tour. With 11 witnesses, Wirtz is now trying a solo career and sounds a little like Chris Cornell on his solo debut Euphoria Morning (1999). The material between hard and ballad-like, between metal and pop - all written in German by the way - pleases and is implemented more consistently than the last Sub7even work LOVECHAINSNROCKETS (2006). Okay, maybe you wouldn't have had to constantly settle accounts with former companions on 11 Witnesses, and for my taste there is too much 'fucked, drunk, eaten and shit' etc. But apparently the smart Daniel has learned from his mentor Weidner that Martyr poetry has sold well. He didn't need this, because the world-class rock songs 'Sag es' and above all 'Ne Weile her' (the absolute killer!) Would really ignite even without fecal language. "
Michael Edele from the online magazine laut.de rated the album with four out of five possible points. In contrast to Matthias Mineur from Metal Hammer, he could not see any resemblance between Daniel Wirtz's texts and Stephan Weidner's texts because, in his opinion, he had an “independent way of articulating” and “the pathos of many Weidner compositions ”At Wirtz, which is due to the fact that Wirtz“ rather looks inward and wants to clear away the dirt there first than to be riot about the world and all its evils ”. He wrote about the individual songs on the album:
“Even if that is perhaps not understandable for everyone, '11 witnesses' has something of Subway to Sally in terms of the text and the mood . Just without a violin and not with Eric Fish on the microphone. Regardless, the title track sets the mood well for the rest of the album and prepares for the lyrics to follow. Regardless, the title track sets the mood well for the rest of the album and prepares for the lyrics to follow. So the 'Ne Weile Her' , which is somewhat reminiscent of Life of Agony , starts so honestly from the ground up that you almost have to take off your hats to the guy. But as is well known, you can only learn from mistakes if you also draw the consequences and really change something. With a good dash of humor, the singer in 'Mon Amour' sums up a rather suboptimal relationship with the firm intention of daring a new beginning. Who can say that they haven't been in a similar situation? This is followed by the first acoustic guitar ballad with 'Keine Angst', which is very reminiscent of Echt . Better material comes later, but before that, 'Wo Ich Steh' turns the gas tap on for the first time. The song, which is latently reminiscent of Die Happy , has an absolutely awesome drive and also an incredibly cool text, which makes you so thick that the irony almost bites you in the ass. With 'First Stone' the calm middle section is reached. The track is again a nice ballad, but with drums and bass and an anything but typical text, in which Daniel settles the bigotry in today's society. The calm tones are retained with 'Today I know'. The song is once again based solely on guitars, easy piano and Daniel's charismatic vocals. At some point the wild times are simply over and self-doubts are a thing of the past. It gets really melancholy with the also very calm 'Richtig Weh'. Once again the singer skillfully addresses the problem of the end of a long relationship, when you know where and how you can meet the other, it usually only gets really bitter. The brief outburst of anger fits perfectly into the song. After a calm beginning, 'Sag Es' finally relies on distorted guitars again, without completely renouncing the calm, melancholy moments. Again you feel a little reminded of the lyrics by Eric Fish. Shortly before the end, 'Weil Ich So Bin' relies on power again and even makes a lot of noise when it comes to drums. With a pinch of humor, we look back at everything Daniel has said so far and the possibility of changing at all. Belongs to the drive in every car in summer. The quiet, contemplative finale is provided by 'Wieder Mal Ne Nacht', which has a bit of a Western soundtrack thanks to the guitar and the marching beat on the snare. One forgives the easy strings and the persistent melancholy, because at the end Daniel leaves us a bright shimmer on the horizon. "
Marcus Berg from the online magazine Pressure Magazine rated the album on September 8, 2013 in the categories of sound , lyrics , cover artwork and a total of five out of five possible points each. He wrote that Wirtz's texts came from real life and would contain self-reflections from "mistakes, dreams and different points of view". The album is a “self-revelation” by Daniel Wirtz, has a “diary character” and appears “absolutely authentic”. Many listeners would recognize themselves in the texts about “separation, suffering or growing up and becoming conscious”. Musically, Wirtz manages to keep the balance between calm and faster songs. Marcus Berg named the highlights of the album: “The goosebumps number 'Today I know', and… 'Ne Weile Her', enriched with biographical self-reflection”. He concluded:
“The '11 witnesses' deliver open and authentic texts with an unmistakable grandiose voice, paired with charm and a wink - the absolute soul trip of a young musician and clearly, 100% Wirtz! 'Today I know how to move things / without creating chaos' he is right! "
Matthias Reichel from the music portal CDStarts rated the album with 7.5 out of ten possible points. He wrote about the album:
"Daniel Wirtz's musical preferences lie in the dark and rough sounds of grunge , which actually go best with his lyrics, in which he ruthlessly clears up with himself and his previous life ('A while ago', 'Today I know') and at no time around the bush ('don't worry', 'right hurt'): alcohol, drugs, failed relationships, self-destruction and a fresh start - such a directness in German-language texts that is not based on fictional ghetto gangsta hip-hop nonsense are an absolute rarity and difficult to grasp at first. Because Daniel Wirtz's unrestrictedly open way of turning oneself inside out makes one concerned and thoughtful. After all, everyone has their own bodies in the basement and can draw parallels here and there. But Wirtz takes neither himself nor his listeners into consideration: 'Yes, yes, I am sorry. I can't change it either. And it's definitely not the fine kind. Yes, of course, I could lie like the fool that you paw around you for reasons of ego. Do you want to hear the truth, ask me if it's beautiful or not. I'll tell you in the face '. Wirtz is not a shocker who writes his texts with calculation. Here someone writes from the heart for the purpose of self-therapy, combined with the appropriate music that does not necessarily have commercial potential, but undoubtedly fits perfectly. Just think of the bitter lyrics of Layne Staley ( Alice in Chains ) to guess what is being presented to the listener on '11 Zeugen ': Strong rock songs with so much depth that it is guaranteed not to be for everyone. "
trip
After the album was released, Wirtz played a tour with eleven concerts in April and May 2008. The tour was then extended to include nine more concerts in November of the same year. Wirtz said in interviews after the tour that it was difficult for him to perform his songs in front of an audience at the first concerts because they are very personal in nature, but that it had changed because the audience had received his music so well. Wirtz compared his concert appearances in an interview with nudists or with driving naked subway .
First part
- April 28, 2008: Saarbrücken - Small garage
- April 29, 2008: Munich - 59: 1
- April 30, 2008: Nuremberg - Hirsch
- May 3, 2008: Leipzig - Moritzbastei
- May 4, 2008: Hamburg - LOGO
- May 5, 2008: Berlin - Knaack Club
- May 12, 2008: Dortmund - FZW
- May 13, 2008: Aschaffenburg - Colos Hall
- May 15, 2008: Bremen - warehouse
- May 16, 2008: Cologne - Luxor
- May 17, 2008: Stuttgart - State Pavilion
Second part
- November 4, 2008: Frankfurt am Main - Nightlife
- November 5, 2008: Berlin - White Trash
- November 6, 2008: Lübeck - Rider's Cafe
- November 8, 2008: Oberhausen - turbine hall
- November 9, 2008: Koblenz - Circus Maximus
- November 10, 2008: Mannheim - Club 7
- November 12, 2008: Augsburg - canteen
- November 13, 2008: Freiburg - Waldsee
- November 14, 2008: Cologne - Luxor
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Interview with Daniel Wirtz on: terrorverlag.com. July 7, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ Honesty lasts the longest On: daniel-wirtz.com. Accessed on August 7, 2015.
- ↑ a b c WIRTZ: FSK 31 on vampster.com. May 2, 2008. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ a b Munich TV: Daniel Wirtz Interview on: youtube.de. From 2 min 46 s. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
- ↑ a b c Daniel Wirtz in an interview - An Earthling on the way to enlightenment. On: pressure-magazine.de. September 8, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ a b Interview with Daniel Wirtz ( Memento from September 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) On: hardharderheavy.de. November 16, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ a b Interview with Daniel Wirtz ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) at: eventmagazin.info. April 28, 2008. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ a b c d Michael Edele: “This is the death knell for Universal!” On: laut.de. November 27, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
- ↑ a b Daniel Wirtz EXTENDED tour in November. ( Memento from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) On: musikmarkt.de. September 2, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
- ↑ Wirtz discography on: daniel-wirtz.com. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ a b c Videos On: wirtzmusik.de. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ Sing my song 2015: Daniel Wirtz sings his song “Keine Angst” on: vox.de. June 23, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ a b Chart sources: DE AT CH
- ↑ Today I know music video on. youtube.de, October 1, 2008. Accessed August 7, 2015.
- ↑ a b c d e Michael Edele: Album review: 11 Zeugen Auf: laut.de. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ a b c d Conny Schiffbauer: Album review: 11 witnesses on: rockhard.de. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ a b c d Matthias Mineur: Album review: 11 Zeugen Auf: metal-hammer.de. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ a b c d Marcus Berg: Album review: 11 witnesses on: pressure-magazine.de. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ a b c d Matthias Reichel: Album review: 11 witnesses on: cdstarts.de. Retrieved August 6, 2015.