The Rorschach Garden
"Everything Must Burn"

Label: Bazooka Joe (2017)

Everything must burn - and we all have to walk the nine circles of suffering, towards the blaze of purgatory. Meanwhile, The Rorschach Garden provide their usual observations of daily life - and insights into Philipp Münch’s innermost thoughts and feelings. ‘Everything Must Burn’ is 15 tracks, mostly in the classic under-four-minute format, a sound from one mould, a good hour of moody, yet entertaining electronic pop music that totally defies classification. And mind you, ‘Everything Must Burn’ is not retro, it is very classic - and classy - Rorschach Garden!

Just a good year short of the 30th anniversary of the first Rorschach Garden recording, it is time for a full length that was spawned by the recovery of the original TRG spirit. can you just refuse all trends, record an album totally devoid of pretense and ambition, and simply bear your heart to the TRG faithful? Yes, you can, if you have that kind of legacy behind you. And also you can include downcast instrumentals like ‘noel melancholique’, ‘view through water’ and ‘my world is full of wonders’ as well as gloomy introspection like ‘truth’ and ‘on a bench in a park’ among the lot of idiosyncratic pop songs; and you can let the listener wait for almost an hour before you unleash the title track, which turns out to be a perfect late-80s-style dark electro hit (it even has the faux metal percussion for your pleasure).

But of course, the majority of material to be discovered are the trademark TRG songs (sic!), tackling various issues with witty lyrics: We are told simple truths like ‘no one needs to be a jerk’ (on social indifference in ‘happy modern humans’), personal relationships are easily managed nowadays because ‘I’ll keep all your secrets, and store them as a file’ (speaks the mobile device in ‘plan behind the plan’), and what about the goths and ghouls - ‘too many tears for the creatures of the night!’ (in ‘tear for a funeral’). More than ever, The Rorschach Garden takes a clear stand: this is music from the heart, a peak into an introvert’s soul, and you’re welcome to have a look inside, and dance if you like, before everything must burn. Nothing more - nothing less.
1. happy modern humans
2. war song
3. love complaining
4. truth
5. stand together
6. noël melancholique
7. the plan behind the plan
8. the voice
9. time travel
10. view through water
11. a tear for a funeral
12. on a bench in a park
13. my world is full of wonders
14. everything must burn
15. vulnerable

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