IFA Wartburg was a Swedish student band, created by Magnus Michaeli and Nils Lundwall in Upplands Väsby. They play under the aliases Rolf Kempinski and Heinz Klinger.[1] Named after the East German auto brand Wartburg as built by IFA, and singing in the German language, their lyrics evoke the vocabulary of the GDR in a playful, apolitical tone. Many of their songs may even seem satirical. Typical song titles include Frau Gorbatschowa tanzt Bossanova (Mrs. Gorbachev dances bossa nova), Es ist nicht so schlimm auf der Insel Krim (It's not so bad on the island of Crimea) and Agrarwissenschaft im Dienste des Sozialismus (Agriscience in service of socialism).

Their music is eclectic in influence, ranging from Bossa nova (Frau Gorbatschowa tanzt Bossanova), pop/ska (Freie Deutsche Jugend), to jazz and swing (Spassjazz).

Discography

Im Dienste des Sozialismus

Im Dienste des Sozialismus
Studio album by
IFA Wartburg
ReleasedMid 1998
StudioGorbyland Studios
GenreFolk music, Classic Russian Pop, Synthpop
Length57:03
LanguageGerman
LabelPlattenmeister

The only IFA Wartburg album published so far, Im Dienste des Sozialismus was released in 1998 on vinyl and CD. The two front-men of the band are credited with writing the album,[2] and appear on the front CD sleeve.

IFA Wartburg toured Im Dienste des Sozialismus in Germany and Switzerland from 1998-1999,[3] attracting the attention of the German media.[4][5]

A fan-made music video for the lead-off track Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ) which was posted to YouTube has reached 3 million[6] views, as of October 2023.

Other media

Many IFA Wartburg recordings saw little commercial distribution, and some are now exclusive to the IFA Wartburg channel on YouTube. They include:

  • Meine Möbeln in Köln, live[3]
  • Sessel aus Kassel, RealAudio digital download, 1998[7]
  • Wenn IFA Wartburg Spielt (1999), YouTube music video, May 2023[8]
  • Das Mauer Power, YouTube music video, Nov 2009
  • Im Dienste des KGB, YouTube music video, Feb 2015
  • Wo ist mein Kassler?, YouTube music video, Dec 2023
  • Biologie und Pathologie des Weibes, YouTube music video, Dec 2017
  • Sorbisches Fischerlied, on Medikamentedose, 1999[9]

In the aftermath of their sudden surge in popularity online, the band returned to YouTube again, uploading a complete live set from 1999 and the previously unheard Wenn IFA Wartburg Spielt.

References

  1. ↑ "IFA Wartburg". Discogs.
  2. ↑ "Im Dienst. back cover". musik-sammler.de.
  3. 1 2 "IFA Wartburg Live Show 7 april 1999 at Die Kaserne, Basel Schweiz". YouTube.
  4. ↑ German TV reportage from the autumn of 1998. A TV crew from Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) visited IFA Wartburg in Gorbyland Studios in Stockholm.
  5. ↑ German TV program on Sat 1
  6. ↑ IFA Wartburg - The free German youth / IFA Wartburg - Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ), retrieved 2022-09-30
  7. ↑ "IFA WARTBURG - EIN KESSEL BUNTES". Planetsound praesentiert IFA WARTBURG. Planetsound. c. 1998. Retrieved 7 December 2023. Der Sessel-Song in RealAudio5 format.
  8. ↑ "IFA Wartburg - Videos". YouTube. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "Various - Medikamentedose". Discogs. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
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