31 minutes, 56 seconds

Prager Handgriff
XV Jahre

Haven't heard much from Prager Handgriff lately, not since the two-disc Handarbeiten retrospective, from 2005. And their most recent original full-length, 1000 Feuer, was released back in 2002. So what's up? Have they traded their stage jobs for desk jobs? Are they stay-at-home dads now?

Doesn't sound like it. According to the news section of their Web site, they were scheduled to play live as recently as August 3, in Germany. Unless that's just a ruse designed to fool their wives, when in reality they'd planned some sort of pervy sex holiday in Thailand.

Also today:

31:56 Sleepwalk, Final Impact
31:55 Dark Ages, Chronicle of the Plague
31:43 Schwadron, Ave Satana: The Devil Is a Socialist
31:36 Changes & Allerseelen, Men Among the Ruins
31:33 This Morn' Omina, The Drake Equation
31:14 TWZ, Prologue: Death's Dance
30:53 Black Lung, Profound and Sentimental Journey
30:48 Vinterriket, Weisse Nächte des Schwartzen Schnees
30:40 Dead Man's Hill, Lakes of Sacrifice (CD 2 of 2)
30:36 Seelenthron, Heimkehr
30:33 Deutsch Nepal & The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud, A Night in Fear
30:18 Westwind, Everyone Can Be a Dictator
30:17 Fin de Siècle, Bleu Élégiaque
29:55 Keef Baker, Pure Language
29:52 Semper Eadem, Divagations Esthétiques
29:51 yelworC, Blood in Face
29:45 Rukkanor, Ende
29:42 Sigrun Heid, Werkmeister
29:41 The Joy of Nature, The Shepherd's Tea
29:22 AM Inc., Feuchte Hosen
29:13 Z Prochek, In My Mind

45 minutes, 19 seconds

Prager Handgriff
Schlagende Wetter

When I try to describe to friends the music I tend to like, it inevitably gets interpreted as "German techno." As in, "Oh, heard any good German techno lately?" Or "Hey, you like German techno. Have you heard that song by blah blah blah..." It's a catch-all phrase that allows them to categorize a range of genres and subgenres neatly, never mind that it's about as accurate as calling someone a country-music fan because he listens to Bob Dylan.

However, when I listen to Prager Handgriff, I sometimes think, Yeah, this is probably what they imagine I listen to. It fits their stereotype--stiff, pounding rhythms; deep, gruff vocals; everything done with machines. Hell, it fits my stereotype of EBM or "German techno" or whatever else you want to call it.

And it always makes me think of Dieter.



Also today:

45:18 Dernière Volonté, Commémoration (CD 2 of 2)
45:17 Algiz, Claire-Voie
45:14 Artesia, Chants d'Automne
45:12 Julia Kent, Delay
45:11 Tamtrum, Elektronic Blakc Mess (CD 2 of 2)
45:09 Moon Far Away, Lado World