Bitune

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bitune
General information
Genre (s) Alternative rock
founding 1996
Website http://www.bitune.de/
Founding members
Vocals, electric guitar
 Martin Bartscher
Drums
 Paul Wrettom
bass
 Thomas Bartscher
Current occupation
Vocals, guitar
 Sascha Wiegand
bass
 Thomas Bartscher
Drums, vocals
 Martin Bartscher
Guitar, keyboard, vocals
 Jo Goetze (since 2011)
former members
singing
 Lars Wagner (1996-1997)
Drums
 Paul Wrettom (1996-1997)
guitar
 Lars Wagner (1998)
guitar
 Peter Gala (1999)
Harmony singing
 Sonja Wiegand (1999)
guitar
 Andre Günnel (2000)
guitar
 Christian Wosimski (2001-2010)

Bitune is an alternative rock band from Eschwege, which was founded in 1996 by Paul Wrettom and the two brothers Martin and Thomas Bartscher.

history

1996-2000

“Bitune” was founded in the summer of 1996 after drummer Paul Wrettom left the band “Reaper's Pogo” and Martin Bartscher dissolved his band “Paranoia”. The first rehearsals encouraged Thomas Bartscher to join the band as a bass player. The first demo tape was recorded in this constellation. The aim was to win another guitarist and a singer / front man. Guitarist Sascha Wiegand quickly became aware of the tape, and Lars Wagner, former guitarist of the band “Petting Zoo”, did not have to wait long and offered himself as a singer. With this line-up, “bitune” played mainly regional gigs and in 1997 contributed two songs to the Powerstrike sampler.

After a short break, the band re-formed in 1998. Martin Bartscher replaced Paul Wrettom as drummer. Singer Lars Wagner handed the microphone over to guitarist Sascha Wiegand, who from then on took over the role of front man, and took the guitar into his own hands. Thomas Bartscher still on bass. This year the production of another demo and the EP "Just For You" followed.

In 1999 Lars Wagner left the band and was replaced by Peter Gala. Sascha Wiegand's sister Sonja joined shortly afterwards as a background singer. This year the band took first place at a young talent festival in North Hesse.

Peter Gala left the band after about a year and was replaced by Andre Günnel. This was followed by the production of the EP "Selfmade". A short time later Sonja Wiegand left the band. First discussions with record companies were held.

2001-2011

In 2001 "bitune" separated from their guitarist Andre Günnel and brought Christian Wosimski into the band as a substitute. The EP "Beauty Fluid" was recorded. This EP made the "Skunk Anansie" guitarist ACE aware of the Eschweger band. After a mutual meeting, he offered himself as a producer for further recordings. So at the beginning of 2003 the EP "All in One" was created in cooperation with ACE. In 2004 they jointly produced another EP called "bitune". A headlining tour and various support slots for “Billy Talent” and “4Lyn” followed. In 2005 the band had their biggest performance to date as support act for the band “Die Toten Hosen” in front of around 18,000 people. That year the band recorded their debut album "After The Fire".

In 2006 an English management offered to work with "bitune". Within a few weeks, the band received several offers from English record labels. The decision was made for the label "Headroomrecords", which released the debut album "After The Fire" in 2007, two years after completion. Germany and England tours followed.

The Great Compression, the second album, was recorded in 2008 and released a year later. Headline tours and various support slots followed.

In 2010 the band decided to take a break.

Guitarist Christian Wosimski left the band in 2011 to pursue his solo project WOSIMSKI in Berlin, who was later replaced by Jo Goetze, former frontman of Cassiopeia.

2012

In November 2012, Sascha Wiegand appeared on "The Voice of Germany" and went one round. He is currently on the "Boss Hoss" team.

Reunion concert

The band's 15th anniversary will be celebrated with a one-time concert. On December 22nd, 1996 "bitune" performed for the first time in the Eschweger Youth Center, or JUZ for short. On December 23, 2011, exactly 15 years later, the band played their old songs in their original line-up on this very stage.

Band name

The name "bitune" was a spontaneous suggestion from Paul Wrettom, the band's first drummer. The native English changed the German word “ Bitumen ” (which was in his pocket) the word “bitune”. Most of the time the band name is pronounced incorrectly, how it is pronounced correctly shows the name in phonetic writing: baɪtjuːn.

Discography

Demo tapes

  • 1996 - Stereo (MC)
  • 1997 - (MC, untitled)

Studio albums

  • 2007 - After the Fire (CD, Headroom Records)
  • 2009 - The Great Compression (CD, Headroom Records)

EPs

  • 1998 - Just for you (CD)
  • 2000 - Selfmade, (CD)
  • 2002 - Beauty Fluid (CD)
  • 2003 - All in one EP (CD)
  • 2004 - Bitune "EP 2004" (CD, Nothing To Loose Records)

Singles

  • 2007 - Fantastica (Maxi-CD, Headroom Records)
  • 2007 - Stay (Maxi-CD, Headroom Records)
  • 2009 - Get out of my Head (Maxi-CD, Headroom Records)
  • 2009 - The Otherside (Maxi-CD, Headroom Records)

Sampler contributions

  • 1997 - Powerstricke (CD)
  • 2000 - Sound of Weilburg (CD)
  • 2001 - Sound of Weilburg 2 (CD)
  • 2001 - Powerstricke 2 (CD)
  • 2005 - NoisePollution Vol. 3 (CD)

Web links