Jahcoustix ADD

Review

Album Review: Iriepathie - Aufwiederhören

10/12/2013

by Gardy Stein

"Iriepathie für jetzt, für immer, nein wir werden nie aufhörn. (…) Wir sind die Jungs mit den Irie Vibes, Reggae auf Deutsch – leider geil!"
(Translation: Iriepathie now and forever, we will never stop [...] We are the guys with the Irie Vibes, German Reggae - mad, sick!)

These lines of the title track aptly summarize the upcoming release Aufwiederhören from Austrian Brotherhood Iriepathie. With their fourth studio album, Professa and Syrix lift their artistic output of the last twelve years to new heights. They took their time creating the 14 tracks contained in this complex work, even seeking refuge in an isolated alpine chalet for a week to seduce the muses into kissing them. And obviously, that's just what they did.

Already the first song is a real gem: one of those tunes that are able to open up your heart and conjure a smile on your lips because you can hear the love and care the producers have poured in. From the uplifting words to the wonderful orchestration, including refreshing effects such as the familiar crackling noise of old records, title song Aufwiederhören literally invites you to listen to it again and again. But hang on, there is more to be discovered here…

With Irie Révoltés, perfect partners for the rebellious Laut Sein have been found. Out on video for about a month now, the title has already reached well over 20,000 hits (and counting). According to the comments, the collaboration of the two Iries is highly appreciated by their respective fans - and rightfully so!

Other features on the album include compatriot RAF 3.0, who lends his voice to the contemplative Farbe, and the dream-teams Afrob & Jahcoustix in Sensimilla as well as Zos & Uwe Kaa, enriching the conscious highlight Leere Gräber. Even celebrated Jamaican singer Konshens joins the brothers for Nicht Wie Wir to the backdrop of a relaxed Modern-Roots-beat.

Basking in teenage memories, the nostalgic Ich is a reflection of the innate authenticity that makes these boys so damn likeable. You can feel in every song that they are drawing the lyrics from their own experiences, and yet they bring them across in a way everyone can relate to. Just like Träumer, to which you simply can't resist knowingly nodding your head (which might also be due to the pure beauty of the underlying music, though).

Actually, the term 'underlying' is misplaced, as each and every piece obviously is the outcome of a diligent production process, surprising the listener time and again with new twists and fresh turns. Take Laufen, for example: deliberately or not, it strongly reminds of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, thus once more expanding the stylistic musical horizon.

Continuing the above mentioned consciousness, Balance and Alles Neu critically look into subjects like mass-consumption, the destruction of our environment and our increasingly too-fast-moving lifestyle.

A dedication to their fans, Zehntausend Headz celebrates the people who make stars what they are. It has been around for some time, released in 2012 as a video-single that whets your appetite for the next festival-season. Last but not least, love finds its place in the songs Will Dich Immer and the very danceable Action Hero.

The only actual drawback for the international community is the almost exclusive use of German, which of course doesn't do any harm to the quality of the music. To miss out on the profound lyrics would be a pity, though, so maybe this is YOUR time to start learning the language of thinkers and writers!  

Having reached the end of the album, my fingers automatically jump to the control panel and skip back to number one again. Let's take Iriepathie at their word and hope for a Wiederhören in the very near future!

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