A big name in the schlager business: 41 years after Andreas Martin releases his very first studio album, he is still active. It is named Hier in dem Moment, “Here in this moment” and has been released on 15th December 2023. The album is named to be his farewell one.
Andreas Martin – About The Artist
Andreas Martin are the first and second name of the 23rd December 1952 born artist from Berlin. His full civil name is Andreas Martin-Krause. He is well-known as a German schlager artist and already released his first albums in the early 1980’s. A single release from his self-titled debut album already lead to his best single chart placement so far. The 1982 song Amore Mio just barely made it into the Top 25, but stayed in the German charts for almost half a year. Martin’s latest album release has been the 2019 Von Vorne. He also joined forces in the early 1990’s as the revival duo New Mixed Emotions.
Andreas Martin – Hier in dem Moment – Track by Track
The 15 song album lasts 50 minutes.
1. Hier in dem Moment
The title track is a very autobiographic song, which is about his life as an artist, interacting with the people, but also missing beloved people. The sound? Hier in dem Moment could have been released in the 1980’s exactly the same way. The press kit calls it “characteristic sound”. This is a valid perspective, indeed.
2. Ich will nicht nur diese Nacht mit dir
I don’t just want to have that night with you – schlager lyrics can be rather explicit. If you like the genre, you feel comfortable from the very first moment. Even the keyboard-synth chords feel… timeless. Andreas Martin does Andreas Martin music. If the people would not like it, they would not have kept him on stage for more than four decades.
3. Gestern heut und immer wieder
The third song is a bit slower and comes with an overdose of kitsch. The song is driven by stomping bass drums. Regardless if you like the chorus or not, it definitely stays in your mind. Thus, Martin and his team (which, for this song, also includes one of the very big ones, Bernd Meinunger) did a very good job.
4. Ich wollt alles teilen mit dir
The fourth song’s title translates to “I wanted to share everything with you”. The drum machine is clearly focusing on disco fox vibes. Especially in the context of the songs before, the chorus feels a bit too random and does create a catch as the predecessors did.
5. Ich lieb’ dich
I guess that this title is the one I need to translate for your the least. The song introduces some slower notes and Latin-Iberian vibes. The vibes of he chorus remind me of Jeanny (Part 1) by Falco. The atmosphere of the song is really cool, though.
6. Glaub an mich
In the sixth song, Martin asks to “Think of Me”. This section of the album develops more unique sounds and ideas. I like the way the song is driven by the piano put on top of a bit of an uninspired drum rhythm. Very nice song.
7. Gegen den Strom
The fight “against the stream” is comparably slow. I love how Martin and his producers nicely focus on his slightly raspy voice, which creates (together with some reverb) a really nice atmosphere.
8. Was ich für dich fühl
The eighth song re-introduces the stomping drumming. Thus it is time for another schlager dance song. Especially in contrast to the first songs of the album, Was ich für Dich fühl (“What I feel for you”) feels rather modern.
9. Erste Hilfe für die Liebe
The contrast of this song to the predecessor is just too much. The song rather feels like a 1970’s recording than a 1980’s one. Might be a favorite listen to Andreas Martin first steps die-hard fans – but to me, this “First Aid for Love” is too outdated. I guess that this first aid kit urgently needs a replacement. The in-lyric request for a mouth-to-mouth respiration feels a bit too cheap to me.
10. Die ganze Nacht
it’s hard for me to describe Die ganze Nacht (“The Whole Night”) with words. I would rather name the song to be something like a “rhythmic” ballad. There are not too many songs like this one on the album. As the sound is rather pleasant, I definitively like it.
11. Yokohama
“Yokohama – the love, which felt to be immortal”. This schlager trip to Japan comes with rather stereotypical lyrics. I ask myself how random they select the city in which this song plays just by the rhythm they need for the right vibe. There are similar songs by other schlager artists (e.g. Lotusblume by Die Flippers) – the song does not really touch me.
12. Stark wie ein Feuer
You just cannot state that Andreas Martin does not want to deliver a wide range of songs. The song starts rather energetic, the rhythm reminds me of 1990’s dance tracks. The song has a some potential. However, the falsetto (or however he creates that sound) part at the beginning of the chorus is too much of a fail.
13. Wenn du kommst heute Nacht
“When do you come tonight?”. I am not really sure if that song solely points on the pure state of arrival or also has some sexual background. Whatever is the intention, the song reminds me of a lullaby. Bad luck.
14. Weil ich im Herz dich hab
After the last songs did not really work out, this one is aiming for a safe haven for the listener. A bit of kitschy, stereotypical, also boring. But I am sure people love to dance to it. Andreas Martin makes it so easy for us to think back to the times when we were younger – and this song would have potentially been an airplay hit in Germany.
15. Sonne im Gesicht
The final track is about “Sun in the Face”. The melody of the chorus is really nice and that turns the song somehow to a reasonable listen. The lyrics are damn thin, though.
Andreas Martin – Hier in dem Moment – Spotify
Here is the album on Spotify:
Andreas Martin – Hier in dem Moment – My View
I feel that Andreas Martin deserved a better farewell from the music industry than Hier in dem Moment. I really feel sad about it, as the album itself shows that he could have made it. The first part is not bad at all – and the middle of the album features some really good songs. However, it ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings – or, in this case, the schlager artist. The third act of this play is too weak, unfortunately.
Favorite Song: Was ich für Dich fühl
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