IFA Wartburg is a Swedish student band, created by Magnus Michaeli and Nils Lundwall in Upplands Väsby. They play under the aliases Rolf Kempinski and Heinz Klinger.[1] Named after the East German auto brand Wartburg as built by IFA, and singing in the German language, their lyrics evoke the vocabulary of the GDR in a playful, apolitical tone. Many of their songs may even seem satirical. Typical song titles include Frau Gorbatschowa tanzt Bossanova (Mrs. Gorbachev dances bossa nova), Es ist nicht so schlimm auf der Insel Krim (It's not so bad on the island of Crimea) and Agrarwissenschaft im Dienste des Sozialismus (Agriscience in service of socialism).
Their music is eclectic in influence, ranging from Bossa nova (Frau Gorbatschowa tanzt Bossanova), pop/ska (Freie Deutsche Jugend), to jazz and swing (Spassjazz).
Discography
- Im Dienste des Sozialismus, CD Album, 1998
- Der Berliner, CD EP, 1998
- Im Dienste des Sozialismus, Vinyl LP (picture disc) with the faces of Erich Honecker and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
Im Dienste des Sozialismus
| Im Dienste des Sozialismus | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by IFA Wartburg | |
| Released | Mid 1998 |
| Genre | Folk music, Classic Russian Pop, Synthpop |
| Length | 57:03 |
| Language | German |
| Label | Plattenmeister |
The only IFA Wartburg album published so far, Im Dienste des Sozialismus was released in 1998 on vinyl and CD. The two front-men of the band are credited with writing the album,[2] and appear on the front CD sleeve.
IFA Wartburg toured Im Dienste des Sozialismus in Germany and Switzerland from 1998-1999,[3] attracting the attention of the German media.[4][5]
A fan-made music video for the lead-off track Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ) which was posted to YouTube has reached 3 million[6] views, as of October 2023.
In the aftermath of their sudden surge of popularity online, the band was reactivated in the Spring of 2023, and on 9th of May, released their first new song in nearly 25 years, the single Wenn IFA Wartburg Spielt 1999 (When IFA Wartburg Plays In 1999).[7]
References
- ↑ "IFA Wartburg". Discogs.
- ↑ "Im Dienst. back cover". musik-sammler.de.
- ↑ "IFA Wartburg Live Show 7 april 1999 at Die Kaserne, Basel Schweiz". YouTube.
- ↑ German TV reportage from the autumn of 1998. A TV crew from Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) visited IFA Wartburg in Gorbyland Studios in Stockholm.
- ↑ German TV program on Sat 1
- ↑ IFA Wartburg - The free German youth / IFA Wartburg - Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ), retrieved 2022-09-30
- ↑ IFA Wartburg - Wenn IFA Wartburg Spielt 1999 / Wenn IFA Wartburg Spielt 1999, retrieved 2023-11-21
