Madsen (band)

Madsen is a German rock band that hails from Priesseck, a section of Clenze in the Wendland. Three of the members are brothers with the surname Madsen, hence the band's name.

Their music combines elements of pop, rock, indie and punk together with lyrics in German. They released their self-titled debut album in 2005 and reached No. 23 on the German music charts. In 2006, they released their second album, Goodbye Logik. Frieden im Krieg was released in 2008 and Labyrinth in 2010.

History

The Madsen brothers began playing music at an early age. Towards the end of the 1990s, they had already been in two bands: Alice's Gun and Hoerstuatz. One group based itself upon the hard rock genre, while the other experimented with hip hop music and crossover elements. In 2004, the band wanted to further develop their music and lyrics and choose to change their name to Madsen. They sent their demos to Universal Music, which listened and signed Madsen to a contract at the end of 2004.

The band played many local and regional shows and became local heroes of a sort in the Wendlands area. After playing before predominately small audiences in 2004, the band – through publicity generated by Universal Music – received the opportunity to play before larger audiences. They have since performed in several open-air music festivals, and have made appearances on MTV and various radio stations. In April and June 2005, Madsen's first two singles appeared, and in May 2005 their self-titled debut album was released. The album peaked at No. 23 on the German Charts and No. 39 on the Austrian Charts.

In 2005, the band performed in many German music festivals, including: Rock im Park, Rock am Ring, Highfield, and Hurricane. In June 2006 Madsen performed at the Nova Rock music festival, which has boasted such performers as Audioslave, System of a Down, Green Day, Metallica, and Guns N' Roses.

Madsen spent much of late 2005 and early 2006 in the recording studio. In August 2006, they released their second album Goodbye Logik which reached No. 8 on German charts and No. 18 on the Austrian Charts.

In March 2008, the third album Frieden im Krieg (Peace in war) was released.

They performed at Nova Rock 2009, along with such acts as Metallica, Faith No More and Nine Inch Nails.

They played their first concert in the United States on October 16, 2011 as a part of the Goethe Institute's "Do Deutsch" project. They played their first stop in Boston, Massachusetts.

Music

Madsen's music contains elements of punk and rock, and includes sequences ranging from quiet reflection to passionate displays of emotion. Many fans say the band's lyrics are insightful and well-developed, as they reflect a wide variety of themes and subjects —- including "you, me, the world, the sky, hell, heaven, and everything else." Madsen's upbeat songs and passionate vocals are said to be a major factor in their relative success in Germany.

Madsen's style of music reminds some of a former popular German group, Tocotronic, and many music critics see the band as a new hope for the German music market.

Political views

While the band hasn't taken any specific positions on political issues, they're known for their anti-racist views. The band members can be seen wearing anti-fascistic T-shirts with slogans such as "Nazis Raus" ("Nazis get out"). They also starred in the DVD film "Kein Bock auf Nazis" ("No room for Nazis") along with other prominent German bands such as Die Ärzte, ZSK, Beatsteaks and Wir sind Helden.

Members

• 
  Sebastian Madsen: vocals and guitar
• 
  Johannes Madsen: guitar
• 
  Sascha Madsen: percussion
• 
  Folkert Jahnke: keyboards
• 
  Niko Maurer: bass guitar

Discography

Albums

Madsen released their self-titled debut album on May 5, 2005. The track listing is as follows:

1. "Vielleicht" (Maybe)
2. "Immer mehr" (More And More)
3. "Die Perfektion" (The Perfection)
4. "Unsichtbar" (Invisible)
5. "Diese Kinder" (These Kids)
6. "Immer wieder" (Again And Again)
7. "Panik" (Panic)
8. "Im Dunkeln" (In The Dark)
9. "Lüg mich an" (Lie To Me)
10. "Mein Therapeut und ich" (My Therapist and Me)
11. "Wohin" (Where To)

Madsen's second album, Goodbye Logik, was released on August 11, 2006. The track listing is as follows:

1. "Du schreibst Geschichte" (You're Writing History)
2. "Ein Sturm" (A Storm)
3. "Piraten" (Pirates)
4. "Goodbye Logik" (Goodbye Logic)
5. "Ich rette die Welt" (I Save The World)
6. "Unzerbrechlich" (Unbreakable)
7. "Ich komme nicht mit" (I'm Not Following)
8. "Der Moment" (The Moment)
9. "Happy End" (Happy Ending)
10. "Ein Produkt" (A Product)
11. "Euphorie" (Euphoria)

Madsen's third studio album, Frieden im Krieg, was released in 2008. The track listing is as follows:

1. "Ja oder Nein" (Yes Or No)
2. "Nachtbaden" (Nightswimming)
3. "Nitro"
4. "Vollidiot" (Jackass)
5. "Du bist wie Du bist" (You're Being Like Yourself)
6. "Grausam und schön" (Cruel And Beautiful)
7. "Verschwende Dich nicht" (Don't Waste Yourself)
8. "Liebeslied" (Love Song)
9. "Astronaut"
10. "Kein Weg zu weit" (No Road Is Too Far)
11. "Wenn der Regen" (When The Rain)
12. "Frieden im Krieg" (Peace In War Time)

Madsen's fourth studio album, Labyrinth, was released in 2010. The track listing is as follows:

1. "Labyrinth" (Labyrinth)
2. "Mein Herz bleibt hier" (My Heart Stays Here)
3. "Das muss Liebe sein" (This Must Be Love)
4. "Zwischen den Zeiten" (Between The Times)
5. "Berlin, was willst du von mir?" (Berlin, What Do You Want From Me?)
6. "Lass die Liebe regieren" (Let Love Rule)
7. "Blockade" (Blockade)
8. "Jeder für jeden" (Everyone For Everyone)
9. "Mit dem Moped nach Madrid" (With The Moped To Madrid)
10. "Schön, dass du wieder da bist" (Good To Have You Back Here)
11. "Obenunten" (Topbottom)
12. "Sieger" (Winner)

Limited Edition Bonus Tracks:

1. "Leben" (Life)
2. "Legende" (Legend)

Madsen's fifth studio album, Wo es beginnt, was released in 2012 (Germany). The track listing is as follows:

1. "Wo es beginnt" (Where It Begins)
2. "Lass es raus" (Let It Out)
3. "Baut wieder auf" (Build Up Again)
4. "Lass die Musik an" (Leave The Music On)
5. "Die Welt liegt vor dir" (The World Lies Ahead Of You)
6. "So cool bist du nicht" feat. Lisa Who (You're Not That Cool)
7. "Für immer dein" (Forever Yours)
8. "Generation im Arsch" (Generation Fucked Up)
9. "Nimm den Regen mit" (Take The Rain Along)
10. "Love is a killer" feat. Walter Schreifels
11. "Alarm im Paradies" (Alarm in Paradise)
12. "Es wird schon wieder gut" (It's Going To Be Fine Again)

Madsen's sixth studio album, Kompass, was released in 2015.

Singles

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Madsen.

• Official website
• Interview with MADSEN on www.grundfunk.net

References

1. ↑ Singles database at musicline.de
2. ↑ Singles database at austriancharts.at
3. ↑ Singles database at hitparade.ch