How Do We Want to Live?
| How Do We Want to Live? | ||||
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| Long Distance Calling's studio album | ||||
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Publication |
June 26, 2020 |
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| Label (s) | InsideOut Music | |||
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Title (number) |
10 |
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running time |
52 min 58 s |
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| occupation |
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Arne Neurand |
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Studio (s) |
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How Do We Want to Live? is the seventh studio album of the German post-rock - / post-metal - band long distance calling . It was released on June 26, 2020 via InsideOut Music .
Emergence
Without informing the public, the band began work on their new studio album. According to the drummer Janosch Rathmer , the musicians wanted to concentrate on their work instead of “going full throttle” on social media channels. The band did some musical experiments, for example with electronic music and trip-hop . The musicians also took inspiration from the soundtracks of the films Tron and Blade Runner . However, according to Rathmer, the music on the new album should also have a “retro charm” and sound “not too technoid”.
The recordings began in February 2020. The album was produced by Arne Neurand, who, according to Janosch Rathmer, put himself in quarantine to finish producing the album. The album was mixed completely analog and does not require any drum samples . The band wanted with How Do We Want to Live? create a counterpoint to an album like Hello World , the first music album composed by artificial intelligence (AI).
“The subject of AI-created music is difficult. She only uses the food that is given to her. I also just hope that we humans will continue to set the tone, especially when it comes to art and culture. If we give that up, it will be very dark. "
After the last studio album Boundless was completely instrumental, the singing has now returned with a song. According to bassist Jan Hoffmann, the band wanted to return to their tradition of one song on the album containing vocals. Eric A. Pulverich from the Göttingen band Kyles Tolone can be heard on the song Beyond Your Limits . According to Rathmer, Arne suggested Neurand Pulverich as a guest singer. Another guest musician was the cellist Luca Gilles. The album was completely analogue mixed and mastered by Jean-Pierre Chalbos .
publication
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the band considered postponing the release of the album. However, these plans were dropped because the musicians were of the opinion that the album would be "a good companion" for the listener in the current situation. According to Janosch Rathmer, How Do We Want to Live? "The right album at the right time". In addition, the band received a lot of positive feedback for the first single Hazard from the listeners, who were happy about new music and just needed this music. For the songs Hazard , Voices and Immunity were music videos released. The album cover was designed by Max Löffler.
At the same time as the album was released, the German magazine Rock Hard added the world-exclusive EP Immunity to its issue No. 398 . In addition to the songs Immunity and Voices from the album How Do We Want to Live? still live versions of the songs Out There and Black Paper Planes , which were recorded at the Rock Hard Festival 2019. A release concert was planned for July 2, 2020 in the Autoarena Oberhausen , where the audience can watch the performance from their cars. The Autoarena is located in the parking lot of the CentrO shopping center . For private reasons, the concert had to be canceled without replacement.
background
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Thematically, the album deals with the coexistence of humans and machines as well as artificial intelligence. The band got the idea for this topic when they musically accompanied a keynote event on this topic. During the creation process, the musicians were inspired by films such as Matrix , Metropolis , Cube and The Truman Show , television series such as Black Mirror and books such as 1984 and Brave New World .
The opening Curiosity was divided into two parts, with the first part more like an intro . Bassist Jan Hoffmann explained that curiosity on the one hand is important for mankind to discover and develop new things. On the other hand, there would be the risk of entering terrain that you can no longer control.
The basic idea of the song Immunity is that machines are immune to the diseases of mankind. The music video for the song is on the one hand about the fact that the digital world has a lot to offer people and that you can exchange ideas with people all over the world. On the other hand, these platforms are used to spread lies , hatred and conspiracy theories . The music video is a call to use technical progress and the crisis to make this world a better planet.
The lyrics of the song Beyond Your Limits were written from the perspective of a machine. In Ashes' last song , a computer voice describes humanity as a virus and plague , while artificial intelligence is portrayed as the savior of the world. Only ashes would remain of mankind , although according to Jan Hoffmann, the ashes can become a breeding ground for something new. This would start with curiosity.
“Man will dig his own grave if he continues like this. Especially at this time one is always shocked about the stupidity of our species. I am curious to see whether the majority will know how to interpret this warning shot. "
reception
Reviews
The German magazines Metal Hammer and Rock Hard chose How Do We Want to Live? for the album of the month. For Matthias Weckmann from Metal Hammer, the album looked like a “classic soundtrack ”. The band "create creative, high-quality dream worlds that listeners are happy to drop into" and which "seduce you to ponder". The album would be “definitely an exceptional experience in rock”, for which Weckmann awarded six out of seven points. For Holger Stratmann from Rock Hard, "the songwriting of Germany's best and most successful instrumental band can no longer be measured by normal standards". In “the best Pink Floyd manner, the quartet swings competently from part to part, meandering the moods to repeatedly ring in a grand finale”. The album would "definitely come out at the right time". Stratmann awarded nine out of ten points.
Chart placements
How Do We Want to Live? reached number seven in the album charts in Germany and became the band's first top 10 album . The same applies to the Swiss hit parade , where the band also posted their highest chart rating to date with tenth place. In addition, the album reached number ten on the German vinyl charts .
| Charts | Top ranking | Weeks |
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 Germany (GfK)
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7th (3 weeks) | 3 |
 Switzerland (IFPI)
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10 (1 week) | 1 |
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Frank Thiessies: Intelligent Art . In: Metal Hammer , July 2020, page 44
- ↑ a b c Stefan Hackländer: The right album at the right time . In: Rock Hard , June 2020, page 7
- ↑ a b Rainer: Interview with Jan Hoffmann (Long Distance Calling) on the new album “How Do We Want To Live?” Handwritten Mag, accessed on June 23, 2020 .
- ↑ a b c Alexandra Michels: LONG DISTANCE CALLING - 'Hazard' from the "How Do We Want To Live?" Album released. Rock Hard, accessed April 24, 2020 .
- ↑ Alexandra Michels: LONG DISTANCE CALLING - 'Voices' video released. Rock Hard, accessed May 22, 2020 .
- ↑ Online editorial team: Presentation of the Rock Hard Vol. 398. Rock Hard, accessed on June 26, 2020 .
- ↑ Simon Bauer: LONG DISTANCE CALLING - Oberhausen Autoarena concert canceled at short notice. Rock Hard, accessed June 30, 2020 .
- ↑ a b c Dominik Rothe: The eternal cycle. Metal.de, accessed on July 14, 2020 .
- ↑ Alexandra Michels: LONG DISTANCE CALLING - 'Immunity' video revealed. Rock Hard, accessed June 12, 2020 .
- ↑ Matthias Weckmann: LONG DISTANCE CALLING - How Do We Want to Live? Metal Hammer, accessed June 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Holger Stratmann: Long Distance Calling - How Do We Want to Live? . In: Rock Hard, July / August 2020, page 101
- ↑ a b Long Distance Calling - How Do We Want to Live? GfK Entertainment, accessed on July 3, 2020 .
- ↑ a b Long Distance Calling. Hung Medien, accessed July 9, 2020 .
- ↑ Long Distance Calling - How Do We Want to Live? (Vinyl). GfK Entertainment, accessed on July 12, 2020 .
Web links
- Official website
- How Do We Want to Live? at Allmusic (English)