MARATHONMANN

"THE CITY BELONGS TO THE BEST" - ANNUAL OPENING CONCERT '24

"This is madness", MARATHONMANN singerMichael "Michi" Lettner blurts out in the opener, miming the eponymous"maniac" right at the beginning. This is accompanied by a sound backdrop that is more reminiscent of the soundtrack to the Dark series than of the Munich band's early (post-)punk. The first moment of surprise is followed by a constantly breathless but also liberated synth-rock ride amidst neon-lit 80s aesthetics, unerring production and streamlined songwriting. MARATHONMANN are no longer the same, and yet they haven't changed direction on their fifth studio album. On the contrary, the band continues to follow their path consistently. Guitarist Leo Heinz explains how the basis for the "Maniac" sound came about: "On"Die Angst sitzt neben dir", we had already hinted at what we were now pursuing even more persistently: When writing the new songs, it turned out that the combination of old and new sounds, was exactly what we had been looking for. I'm convinced that many fans will appreciate that. Besides, everyone loves the 80s." MARATHONMANN would never think of relativizing their own past, but besides their love for punk rock, their hearts have always beaten for the synth-driven rock of the 80s and also for the aesthetics embodied by bands and films of that time. "Many inventions from back then shaped our sense of aesthetics: Home consoles, VHS, music videos, instruments, MIDI and, of course, fashion. It was a time of change that still fascinates us - we feel like children of that time. We love the movies, the music and the vibe," says Leo. Maniacs of 80s culture. To ensure that the result stylistically unites the best of then and now, MARATHONMANN was assisted in the production of their new material by Beray Habip, who has also worked with artists such as "Kettcar", "Adam Angst", "FJØRT" and "Giant Rook". The "Kochkraft durch KMA" keyboardist Nicki Frenking was also brought in as a specialist for electronic instruments. But it wasn't just the instrumentation that was tweaked, the songwriting was too. "The new material is more reduced and tidier than our old stuff," explains drummer Jo Scheer. "The new elements are chorus guitars and electronic basses. In addition, a great saxophonist helped us out on "Auryn"." " Maniac" is about what the madness we experience day after day does to us. What constantly surrounds us shapes us and at some point becomes a part of us - the madness within us. A thought that doesn't necessarily have to be interpreted negatively, however, because "Maniac" is basically a record full of love songs. A classic love song album." Michi describes the conceptual approach and draws a link to earlier works: "The mood and lyrics are all MARATHONMANN. The power, but also the melancholy, have definitely remained the same." The nostalgia theme that is omnipresent in the new music is also taken up in the lyrics on "Maniac" : It's about love that stays with you for a lifetime ("Diamond"), about events long past that leave their mark forever ("1985") and about emotional states triggered by memories or sensory perceptions ("You Are the Night"). It's about waiting and searching in vain ("Tie Fighter") and finally the realization of what you miss out on when your head is always somewhere else, but never in the here and now ("Alone in the Dark"). To summarize: "Maniac" is full of romantic and melancholic thoughts. Experience the moment and lose yourself in it at the same time - music, lyrics and not least the artwork form a unity throughout. "The artwork should capture a very specific mood," explains Michi. "It looks like a movie scene: neon nostalgia meets a modern woman. How did she get into this hotel room and where is she going? Who is she? Is it a dream or reality?" There are more questions than answers, and that's a good thing. "It's meant to capture the madness - the feeling and the atmosphere." Even after more than a decade of band history, MARATHONMANN want to open new doors and experience new things. "We want to perform with new bands, play new festivals and put out feelers even further," says guitarist Bastian Scholl, explaining the band's motivation. "But we also want to take the old fans with us on the new MARATHONMANN adventure and show them our interpretation of the 80s. We have lots of ideas for bringing "Maniac" to the stage. We will have new instruments and develop a great stage show to present the vibe of the record live. It will be a lot of work, but we just want to convince people 100% of MARATHONMANN." MARATHONMANN have released two EPs, four studio albums and one live album to date, four of which have entered the official German album charts. Most recently, the Munich-based band celebrated their biggest successes to date with "Die Angst sitzt neben dir" (chart position #41, 2019) and the unplugged album "Alles auf Null" (chart position #26, 2021), both released by Redfield Records. With " Maniac" , they are now looking to build on these successes. (Source: band info)