Tocotronic

Indi(e)stinction

Tocotronic

Golden Years Summer 2025

After their performance at the HafenSounds Festival 2023, Tocotronic are coming back to the echaz.harbor in Reutlingen. Tocotronic are one of the most successful and influential German-language rock bands of recent decades. They were founded in 1993 in Hamburg by Dirk von Lowtzow (guitar and vocals), Jan Müller (bass) and Arne Zank (drums). They have their 14th album with them, "Golden Years", which was released in February 2025. It is about the journeys that lie behind you and the journeys that lie ahead; at the same time, the songs tell of the longing for homecoming and security, the passing of time and the trust in the future that only love can create. "Golden Years" is both intimate and political; anyone who knows Tocotronic will find it both familiar and completely new at the same time.

Like no other German band, they have created an oeuvre over decades - an oeuvre in the full and good sense of the word: an oeuvre shaped by an artistic development and a life lived, an oeuvre of music and songs that diverge, that respond to each other and cast doubt on each other; an oeuvre in which leitmotifs remain recognizable, which are constantly varied and renewed and which are constantly questioned anew as to how they fit in with the changing present.

"Golden Years" is about ageing, the happiness of maturity and the fear of death, but above all it is about the incessant restart from the spirit of self-reflection, about the utopias of resurrection and endless becoming. It shows a band that knew how to constantly renew itself and at the same time remain true to itself: recognizable in change. Perhaps this can explain why Tocotronic's music is still able to provide so much happiness and so much comfort after all this time and especially in our uncomfortable present.

Their debut album "Digital ist besser" was released in 1995 and combined powerful and simple guitar rock with lyrics full of slang that immediately became winged words, such as "I want to be part of a youth movement". With the following albums "Nach der verlorenen Zeit" (1995) and "Wir kommen um uns zu beschweren" (1996), Tocotronic made the leap from the small clubs to the big halls; on the fourth album "Es ist egal, aber" (1997), they enriched their boisterous guitar rock with harmonica and strings for the first time.

In the years that followed, their music became increasingly opulent. On "K.O.O.K." (1999) they play a dark, metal-influenced rock; the "white album" from 2002 is a richly orchestrated, colorfully enigmatic record in which realism and fantasy are reconciled. Since "Pure Reason Must Never Win" (2005), Rick McPhail has been a permanent member of the band as second guitarist, and his playing, infused with flowery feedback, has helped to shape the sound of Tocotronic. The next phase of the band's work deals with the self-contradictions of our existence, the irresolvable dialectic of having to and wanting to, in an increasingly refined musical and lyrical manner. "Kapitulation" (2007) is without doubt a major work of German-language pop music in the new millennium. Like no other band of their generation, Tocotronic are now able to combine political statements and philosophical reflections, explorations of the self and the world around it, and musically they have also found their very own language. "Kapitulation" opens a work phase that will later be referred to as the Berlin trilogy, which also includes the albums "Schall und Wahn" from 2010 and "Wie wir leben wollen" from 2013.

With the "red album" (2015), the band went through a new skin, their music became simpler and more direct again, and autofictional motifs were added on "Die Unendlichkeit" (2018). In April 2020, the piece "Hoffnung" (Hope) was released, which deals with the experiences of loneliness and isolation during the coronavirus crisis - and the hope that "a little bit of lyrics and music / can help against isolation". "Hope" can also be found on Tocotronic's thirteenth album, "Nie Wieder Krieg", which will be released in September 2021; all the songs on it are about the longing for hope and healing; about the desire to no longer be hurt and misjudged and isolated. The autofictional aspect that defined "Die Un- endlichkeit" is once again combined with the typical Tocotronic art of elevating everyday life to the transcendental.

Important information for our guests:

• No umbrellas allowed: Due to the risk of injury and restricted visibility, umbrellas are not permitted on the grounds. Please bring suitable rain protection in case of rain.

• Food stands: You will find various food stands with a wide range of food on the event site.

• Bringing your own food and drinks: It is not permitted to bring your own food and drink.

• No large bags: If possible, please refrain from bringing larger bags and backpacks to facilitate security checks.

• Photo and video cameras: Professional photo and video cameras are not permitted. However, cell phone and pocket cameras are permitted.

• Awareness note: Our awareness team will be available to you at all times on the event site. Please contact our team if you need support or experience unpleasant situations

Admission from 6 pm