Das Ich

Live at Los Globos

Los Angeles, CA

July 6th, 2018

Review and photos by Travis Baumann

Legendary Gothic-electronic pioneers, Das Ich return from their homelands of Germany to bring a special presentation to the Los Angeles fans. For nearly thirty-one years the duo of Stefan Ackermann and Bruno Kramm have been performing intellectually challenging, dark electronic music.

Das Ich played an intimate show in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles amongst a sweltering, record-breaking heat wave. Luckily Das Bunker was able to set this concert up in a club with sufficient air conditioning to not let the hellish climate affect the evening.

I have seen Das Ich many times over the years but this was an anomaly of a show in that Bruno spoke at length to the audience in between songs about how the dark alternative scene was a nation in and of itself, without borders and without discrimination.

He railed against the rising racism around the world, citing here in America, as well as in Germany, the UK and all around Europe and Scandinavia.

Without naming the current president by name, Bruno said that he has no right to be against illegal immigration when he is an illegal earthling.  Bruno spoke of the amazing events in Leipzig each year with the Wave Gotik Treffen festival and how this scene comes together through diversity with a common mind. He encouraged everyone to go out and vote and help shape our future.

This was all in way of an introduction to their first new song in over twelve years that is based on the ego and all of us overcoming it to come together for a common love and interest.  Bruno said that Germany is very excited and anticipating new material but that here in the U.S. we were the first to hear it.

In addition Bruno spoke about how when he and Stefan had started the band over three decades ago that his German peers laughed at them and their "little Gothic project".  

No one realized the longevity that would come nor the place they would rise to in the underground community the world over, despite singing entirely in their native tongue.

Bruno and Stefan said that after all of these years they are still very best friends and steadfast partners in their endeavor to communicate esoteric and intellectual concepts through their art.

Das Ich played an extensive set list that contained all of their fan-favorite songs from throughout their extensive career, starting with "Die Propheten". For "Der Schrei", Stefan would reach the mic stand out into the crowd to get the audience to participate in screaming the song's namesake.

Stephan is an extraordinary front man, utilizing extreme facial expressions and body contortions to emphasize the emotions and impact of the songs.

Over the years, Bruno has provided more and more melodic vocals in tandem with Stephan's more sinister delivery which really brings an accessible, heart-felt element to these songs. They had an additional keyboard player, Damian “Plague” Hrunka, who also sang back up vocals on most songs.

The set list continued to unfold with "Kannibale" followed by "Engel" and "Das Dunkle Land". A highlight of the set was definitely the new song, "Was Bin Ich?". In typical Das Ich verse, it can have a double interpretation, both meaning "What am I?" literally, but also in the Freudian meaning that the band's name implies, "What is Ego?".

Giving the audience an epic show, the set moved on with "Schwarzes Gift", "Uterus", and "Kain und Abel". The small venue was packed up front as fans pushed to get near the duo as they performed "Des Satans neue Kleider" followed by the crowd favorite, "Re_animat".

They finished up the main set with "Kindgott" before taking a short break. Cheering brought them back to the stage for one of my personal favorites, "Gottes Tod". The crowd sang along with the chorus while Stefan raised dual middle fingers to the heavens.

Bruno said they had time for one more before they called it a night and made their way up to Seattle for the next night's show. The crowd screamed out requests but one resounded louder than the others and they finished the night with the awesome, "Destillat".

It was a really great show that gave the audience a personal experience with the band as well as some new material, really cool to say the least. I highly recommend seeing these guys live, they are true artists like no other.

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