JaKönigJa

JAKÖNIGJA



BANDHISTORY

JAKÖNIGJA was founded in Hamburg in September 1994 by Jakobus Siebels (formerly DAS NEUE BROT) and Ebba Durstewitz. In October of the same year the well-known German journalist and producer Detlef Diederichsen discovered the excentric duo (how it pleased the local public to call them) and signed them for his MOLL label, where the first album JAKÖNIGJA was released in the spring of 1995. From then on JAKÖNIGJA aroused interest as the local band of Hamburgs infamous Golden Pudel Club, irritated and enchanted as both personally and musically highly exotic creatures and caused desperate music journalists to come up with weird to funny attempts of finding a category for their music.

In 1997 Detlef Diederichsen produced their second, again following the good example of Brazilian songwriters of the Sixties - self-titled album, which lead musical legend ROBERT WYATT to include it among his favourite albums of the year in the WIRE magazine. The release was followed by an extended tour and shows with the HIGH LLAMAS, Sean OHagan being an acclaimed fan of the band. In 1999 Tiefsee, the third album, came out, this time with a more sumptuous instrumentation and a therefore bigger line-up for the live shows. The following years were characterized by side-projects of various kinds until in 2004 the band decided to put an end to the senseless passing of time, respond to popular demand and record the long overdue fourth album which was released in February 2005. This album, called "Ebba", presented a kind of change of paradigm in the band’s musical history (at least to the public, the band itself saw it as a logical progress) and was causing a great deal of totally deserved attention.

The recording of a fifth album has just been finished, awaiting its release in April 2008 on Buback records.



To be released in April 2008:

"DIE SEILSCHAFT DER VERFLIXTEN"

The brandnew CD will be released in April 2008 on Buback Records

The LP-version will be released on Buback Records in cooperation with Dial Records

Here’s the Tracklist:

1. Die Seilschaft Der Verflixten

2. Du Giltst An Allen Orten

3. Ich Schaende Deine Seele Jeden Tag

4. Die Herrin Der Balustrade

5. Ach, Golgatha!

6. Erkenne Die Lage



7. Man Koennte Es Auch Anders Sehen

8. Das Problem Des Dezidierten Geschmacks

9. Der Schluessel Zu Allem

10. Eine Fremde Person

11. Was Noch Kein Ende Hat

12. Kann Man Denn Davon Leben?



THE ALBUM "EBBA"

EBBA was recorded and produced in Hamburgs Trainset-studio in May/June 2004 by Ebba Durstewitz and Jakobus Siebels. Participating musicians were: Marco Dreckkötter (Dr. Eckkötter), Matthias Tex Strzoda (Rocko Schamoni, Salamander Meyer, Andreas Dorau), Johann Popp (Tempelfreuden, Die Dolche), Detlef Diederichsen (Die Zimmermänner) and Marianne Dehne.

Of the 13 songs recorded for the album 11 were mixed by Mense Reents and 2 by Joachim Schütz.

All music and lyrics were written by Ebba Durstewitz and Jakobus Siebels, with the exception of song number 13 which is the musical version of a poem by the Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa.

The German artist Jan Timme is responsible for the cover artwork.



DISCOGRAPHY



JA KÖNIG JA (CD/LP; moll 1995)



ja könig ja (CD/LP; Musikproduktion Detlef Diederichsen 1997)



Tiefsee (CD/LP; Musikproduktion Detlef Diederichsen 1999)



Ebba (CD: buback / LP: dial 2005)



as well as several contributions to compilations and film scores.

Most recent:



-PlayUp (Kontextrecords 2006) "1-0: É sorte que tivemos sorte"



-Muessen Alle Mit 3 (Tapete 2005) "Jedes Wort"



-Ein Jahr und seine 20 Songs: 1995 (Sueddeutsche Zeitung Diskothek 2005)

"Die Stadt im Sommer"



The Return of the Tüdelband / Trikont 2003 / "Kometenlied" und "Een echt Hamburger Jung"



For further information:

Buback and/or The official JaKönigJa homepage