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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZHOELDERLIN EXPRESS(originally Hölderlin Express) German folk band performing original material with the help of electricity. Original lineup, all composing material: Olav Krauss (b 6 February 1966, Verden), six-string electric and acoustic violin; Jorgen W. Lang (b 14 November 1966, Oldenburg), guitar, low whistle; Johannes Mayr (b 31 July 1967, Augsburg), accordion; Elke Rogge (b 24 April 1965, Stuttgart), electric hurdy-gurdy. They won the German Folk Newcomers Prize at the Tanz&FolkFest Rudolstadt '93 and subsequently appeared on Tanz&FolkFest Rudolstadt '94 on hei-deck playing 'Polka des 3. Oktober', inaugurating a tradition that the newcomer act that wins plays at the next year's festival. Debut album Hölderlin Express on Akkudisk '94 introduced wider audiences to their powerhouse combination of electrified hurdy-gurdy and violin, a sort of sonic story-telling on the margins of the folk scene. Their titles were products of wit and imagination, perhaps parodying folk airs ('Jumping Eggs'), representing bad puns ('Felix aus der Asche'/'Felix From The Ashes') or adopting a mock-Zen-like gravitas ('Das fünfte Gebot: Du sollst nicht flöten'/'The Fifth Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Flute'). Their live 'Yeti' with snow flurries and yeti howls is typical of their showmanship. They adjusted the spelling of their name for the international market. Guest percussionist both live and on the album Ralf Gottschald (b 29 June 1968, Reutlingen) joined full-time '94, replacing Mayr. Electric Flies on Akkudisk '96 found them applying more colours with textured abandon as on 'Der Trommelfresser' ('The Drum Scoffer') and 'Polka des 3. Oktober'; compared with the debut it had a less acoustic feel, and they dubbed the style 'Electric Body Folk' for programmatic purposes. The core of their appeal was the frontmen, Rogge's increasingly electric hurdy-gurdy and Krauss's sonic cascade from heart murmur to thunder machine. |