20:30
Sandershaus, Kassel
„Heavy music for nerdy people“, That's how someone once described the music of like all. „For“ oder „from“? Both of course. After the first “VG+” songs you have a feeling, what the world of Mint Mind looks like: Instruments and amplifiers from several decades and in different physical states, some stacked on the walls. Before, next to and in between synthesizers and effects devices, some as big as manhole covers. Two handfuls of comics on the crooked record shelf, New Order albums, Devo, the B52s, almost the entire SST catalog, as well as Krautrock classics from Can and Faust. „VG+“, Mint Mind's third album, is a big one, became a cross-generational indie rock album.
Mint Mind sitting in the Upper Room Studio, a separate area of Rick McPhail's small industry- Loft in Hamburg-Altona. The new Mint Mind album VG+ was created here. Rick, the one in Maine, USA, grew up, looks at his fellow musicians. You are a little younger than him, Christian Klindworth (Fluppe) is 40, Friedel Viegener 22. Rick has to grin and says, “I am a polite and cheerful person, but I need moments, where I can talk about things. And that's what I do in my music. I'm mostly annoyed by the same things, like young people. Many of the things, who are shit today, It was the same in the 80s and it wasn't necessarily easier back then, to fight against them.”
Your album is about anger, optimism, a pinky-fingered politician or influencer:within, who secretly lead a completely normal life. Some lyrics are funny, others pleasantly serious: “Glow” is about love and appreciating good moments in difficult times. “Youth And I” is about the question, why there are different generations with the same ideas (on topics such as the environment, Women- and LGBTQIA+ rights or even economics) not create, to form a relevant community, but instead let something as silly as age differences bother you.
Mint Mind's sound combines sweet and sour, fuzzy riffs with the freedom and feeling of 80s post-punk/indie. Synthesizers have become a more central instrument this time. Ranging from playful and strange sounds to eerie and dark, the album is littered with textures and treats for the ears, that need to be discovered.
The album title is well chosen. “VG+” is taken from the Goldmine Grading Standard for evaluating used vinyl records and means “Very Good +” – Background noises may occasionally occur, but never all the time.
The older ones could certainly take a look at Dinosaur Jr here and there. or feel reminded of The Cure, the younger ones at Diiv, Wavves or Gurr. And with that the world is Very Good for everyone for a moment + (with background noises).
Speaking of background noise: When Rick isn't playing his homemade Lego guitar at Mint Mind, he takes care of technology, Roadies and the lead guitar at Tocotronic or plays records. In the Hamburg pub Mutter he plays Album/Adult Oriented Rock under the motto “AOR-Alles Klar?“. He moderates the pieces with a telephone receiver converted into a microphone, with which the guests can also request songs. Morning is now dawning over Hamburg, Rick grabs his Billy Joel, Chicago- and Steely Dan albums together, takes his skateboard and rides, now the rising sun behind you, back to his studio.
https://youtu.be/idJErkofnYQ?feature=shared
The punk rock trio is there Mad Curling from Kassel, who have already been our guests and will open the evening for Mint Mind.
entry starting at 20 Clock / start at 20:30 Clock
The concert takes place in the basement of the Sandershaus.
Photo by Conny Winter