Weltklang is a German electronic music project that was formed in 1980. Current members are Thomas Voburka and René Steuns.

Background

Weltklang was formed in the East-German town of

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the capital and second-largest city of the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as of the region of Mecklenburg, after Rostock. ...

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

in 1980. The mastermind behind Weltklang is Thomas Voburka, who also founded the Berlin based electronic music label Exil-System in 1979. Weltklang is particularly noted for the innovatively sparse and yet classic

Minimal wave Minimal wave is a broad classification of music that comprises obscure, atypical examples of genres such as new wave, stripped-down electronic or synthesizer music, synth-pop, post-punk, and coldwave. Most of the music tends to focus on elect ...

track “VEB Heimat”, which was originally released in 1980.

"VEB Heimat"

Weltklang's first release, the 7” single “VEB Heimat/Hoffnung / Sehnsucht ??” was brought out in 1980. Inspired by the fast rise of

Neue Deutsche Welle Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW, , "New German Wave") is a genre of West German rock music originally derived from post-punk and new wave music with electronic influences. The term was first coined by Dutch radio DJ Frits Spits on the popular nationwid ...

and by the

Punk subculture The punk subculture includes a diverse and widely known array of ideologies, fashion, and other forms of expression, visual art, dance, literature, and film. Largely characterised by anti-establishment views, the promotion of individual freedo ...

's DIY attitude Voburka's main principle was to remove all dispensable ornamentation and polish from his music, and to use the simplest and most minimalist structures. On "VEB Heimat" for instance he made sole use of a simple Roland SH09 Synthesizer line - a very stripped down monophonic analogue synthesizer from

Roland Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment, and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on 18 April 1972. In 2005, its headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. It has f ...

's classic SH-series. The song itself was based upon a very minimalist, radically filtered bass sequence and a yet destructive, (un)musical arrangement. In addition to this sparse backing, the track featured a furious and repetitive vocal line by Voburka, reiteratively quoting an excerpt from the national anthem of Austria,

Land der Berge, Land am Strome The national anthem of Austria (), also known by its incipit "" (; ), was adopted in 1946. The melody, originally attributed to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart but now disputed among various composers (most probably by ), was matched with a text by Pau ...

. Whereas the first half of the song title “VEB Heimat” refers to the socialist-tinted expression "

Volkseigener Betrieb The Publicly Owned Enterprise (german: Volkseigener Betrieb; abbreviated VEB) was the main legal form of industrial enterprise in East Germany. They were all publicly owned and were formed after mass nationalisation between 1945 and the early 1960 ...

" (a state owned workplace or establishment in the

) the second word “

Heimat ''Heimat'' () is a German word translating to 'home' or 'homeland'. The word has connotations specific to German culture, German society and specifically German Romanticism, German nationalism, German statehood and regionalism so that it ha ...

” is a thoroughly and hard to translate German term, comparable to "homeland" in English.

Response

Not hugely successful at first, the unique and futuristic sounding “VEB Heimat” managed to equal an international cult status over the following years, particularly within the

and Minimal Electro music scene. Today Voburka's Weltklang project is seen as one of the true classics in

electronic music Electronic music is a Music genre, genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or electronics, circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromech ...

and for many DJs and Musicians “VEB Heimat” has grown to an all time favourite. Weltklang has since then often been referred to by artists such as

DJ Hell Helmut Josef Geier (born 6 September 1962), known professionally as DJ Hell, is a German DJ. Biography 1970s and 1980s DJ Hell described his musical beginnings in an interview with '' The European'', telling them “I was socialized with ...

or Optimo (Espacio). In 2003 for example - 23 years after its original release date - "VEB Heimat" made it into the top 3 of DJs Hell's charts of the year. Ever since its original release in 1980 “Veb Heimat” has been re-released on numerous occasions, primarily for compilation albums. Apart from its integration in compilation albums such as 80's Minimal Electronics (Volume 1), Return Of Flexi-Pop 3 (Tribute To Flexi-Pop 13) and The Call Of The Banshees, in 2003 "VEB Heimat" was also used as opening track for DJ Hell's hugely successful New Deutsch compilation which was released on

International DeeJay Gigolo Records International DeeJay Gigolo Records is a German electronic music record label run by techno artist DJ Hell (real name Helmut Geier). The label was founded in Munich in 1996 as an affiliate of label Disko B. It is Germany's most successful electro ...

. In 2018 "VEB Heimat" was chosen by JD Twitch for his German Post Punk Compilation "Kreaturen der Nacht", released on

Strut Records Strut Records is a British record label that focuses on dance music and afrobeat. History The label was "acquired and re-launched in January 2008." The label website states that "from 1999-2003, the label became renowned for its uncompromis ...

and distributed by !K7 Music.

2004 - Present

On the occasion of Weltklang's 25th anniversary, in 2004 Voburka decided to reform the project, together with London based programmer, producer and engineer René Steuns. Since then Weltklang have produced various remixes for artists such as Aeronautica, Alter Ego,

Asmodeus X Asmodeus X is an American electro-industrial band whose music is frequently characterized as a mixture of EBM and darkwave and typically includes the use of environmental sampling.Dj Cybergoth''Asmodeus X Mourningstar (Electrogeneration album of ...

, Fall Of Saigon, Kinder Aus Asbest, Mono 45UPM, P1/e, Plastic Japanese Toys, Soldout and Sonnenbrandt as well as the somewhat obscure "Liebesgrüsse aus Ost-Berlin" compilation album. Not only for their original Material but also for their remixes Weltklang remain true to their minimalist and deconstructive DIY approach. In 2009 the remixes were bundled on the 2x12" "Weltklang - Remixes", released on Exil System. In 2019 the album "Klášter" and the 12" "Vorwaerts" were released on Exil-System. Due to the 40th anniversary in 2020, the single sided 4" "Freundschaft" was released on vinylograph. In 2021 the 12" "Rueckwaerts" and the 2x12" "Vorwaerts/Rueckwaerts" were released on Exil-System. The 6 Tracks of the 2022 Weltklang album "Weltraum", released on Exil-System, were mainly recorded by Voburka between 1972-1976 and edited by him in 2021. Instruments used on this record are the

Arp Odyssey The ARP Odyssey is an analog synthesizer introduced by ARP Instruments in 1972. History ARP developed the Odyssey as a direct competitor to the Moog Minimoog and an answer to the demand for more affordable, portable, and less complicated "per ...

Moog Sonic Six The Moog Sonic Six is a duophonic analog synthesizer that was manufactured by Moog Music from 1972 to 1979. Because of its portable design and built-in speaker, the Sonic Six was widely used for lectures and educational purposes, often by Bob Moo ...

and the

Roland Space Echo The Roland RE-201 Space Echo is an audio effects unit that produces delay and reverb effects. It was produced by Roland Corporation from 1974 to 1990. Roland produced several smaller versions in later years. Background A tape echo device reco ...

On Stage

Furthermore from 2005 on Weltklang have played various, sporadic live shows throughout Europe, with critically acclaimed gigs in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

, Sweden and most recently

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...

Discography

Selected Releases: Tracks Appear On: Unofficial Releases:

References

External links

Official Weltklang Myspace Website

Exil-System Label Website

Official Exil-System Myspace Website

Website of programmer, engineer & producer René Steuns

Weltklang at Discogs

Weltklang at Musicbrainz

Weltklang at Last.fm

Youtube video, Weltklang live in Bochum, Germany

Youtube video, Weltklang live in Gothenburg, Sweden

Youtube video, Weltklang live in Kiev, Ukraine

Playlists, Radio WFMU

Playlists, East Village Radio

Playlist, Mark Williams, Washington DC

Minimal Wave/Neue Deutsche Welle Forum
* Skug https://skug.at/zurueck-im-veb-heimat/ {{Authority control German musical groups