Trabanten from Hiddensee by CEEYS
TRABANTEN
inspired by the song “Based in East Berlin“, included on WÆNDE, previously unreleased
Our last album WÆNDE started out with “Based in East Berlin”. What made this intro so special was that we had switched instruments: Sebastian was playing piano, Daniel took over the cello. We wanted to continue the tradition on this record – of course not to test listeners but as a sort of initiation process: we cannot think of a better way to prepare for a joint session as it allows us to get to know the other’s setup up close. Out of the numerous definitions, explanations and meanings of the word “trabant”, we love especially the slavic and medieval one, which names a permanent companion to a noble person of rank. In the end, we prefer to apply this meaning to our own time, but to choose the right and trusted company has always played a crucial role in our musical career.
Since the album bears in itself some characteristics of a travel journal, we hereby enter our “Trabant” – the iconic automobile of the GDR also known as “Trabbi” that by far not everyone could call their own. You can hear us start the engine – following a well-known rhyme of the time that translates to:
HAST DU HAMMER, ZANGE, DRAHT, KOMMST DU BIS NACH LENINGRAD!
(You only need a hammer, pliers and a little bit of wire to make it to Leningrad!)
