(CSR022) VOODOO BEACH “Wonderful Life” CD

Release Date: December 1, 2023

1. Fremde Fenster (3:21)
2. Nein (2:32)
3. Die Hand (3:37)
4. Meine Freunde (5:08)
5. Immer Noch (4:07)
6. 23 (0:54)
7. Wonderful Life feat. John Moods (4:05)
8. Meine Seele feat. Hendrik Otremba (3:21)
9. Euphorie (3:07)

Born from the wish to merge their wildly varying tastes in music, the members of VOODOO BEACH have a long history of playing an eclectic brand of dark psychedelic rock. Inspired by Sonic Youth, The Horrors and Slowdive, the Berliner underground act have been turning contradiction to creativity for almost 10 years, releasing a series of impressively balanced EPs before their lead singer and guitar player decided to quit. On the brink of dissolution the band were saved by Heike Rädeker, founding member of German cult noise rockers 18th Dye, who was a fan of the band and who instantly decided to join them on hearing of their upcoming demise.

Returning from the edge of the abyss, VOODOO BEACH brim with an unmistakable lust for life on the nine tracks that comprise their debut full-length. The moody bombastic album opener «Fremde Fenster» is overflowing with droning oriental guitar leads and fuzzy bass tones which slowly entrance you as the voice of Heike provides familiar touches of the Neue Deutsche Welle sound of the 80s. In the context of this band, Heike really shines like never before and the combination of her off-the-cuff guitar playing and the gritty combo of John-Hendrik Karsten’s fuzzy bass and Josephine Oleak’s singular drumming makes for a wildly charming stage.

Being two years in the making, Wonderful Life is a natural extension of the group’s signature blend of indie rock, jangle pop and neo-psychedelia, while the extended time of writing and recording allowed the band to add an inspiring degree of depth to their sound. They say the devil is in the details, but voodoo is in the constant war drums that resonate in the night sky. The resolution of VOODOO BEACH carries through in every vibration of their music and these tracks are a testament to their lasting creativity and collaboration. Wonderful Life is a bildungsroman of sorts about a band that was meant to meet its untimely demise, but lucky for us all VOODOO BEACH are still at it with this amazing record.

Recorded by Dennis Juengel at Zum Alten Götz, Berlin. Mixed by Dennis Juengel. Mastered by Norman Nitzsche at Calyx Mastering, Berlin. Design by Philipp Dittmar.