The duo URSULA from the eastern part of Germany has been secretly building up a fan base and a certain level of recognition since 2019 with annual releases and occasional live appearances, for example at the „Ja Aber Nein-Festival“ 2024 in Hamburg. The band with the practically un-googleable name - „Ursula“ is an old-fashioned German women's first name - is now releasing their new album „Wohngebiet“ on vinyl on YOUNG & COLD RECORDS, which has already been available digitally and as a small-edition tape for some time.
Although, or perhaps because, not much has changed musically, URSULA will certainly be able to build on the status they have achieved so far and hopefully play live more often.
The opener „Endoskelett“ is guaranteed to be a live hit, a catchy tune and dancefloor banger of the first order. „Urbane Rhythmen“ is more wavy but no less danceable, as is „Vor Den Toren der Stadt“. This continues throughout the eight 2-3 minute songs, all of which are driving and rhythmic, sometimes more, sometimes less minimalistic. The legendary German Electro act Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft (DAF) was for sure not only an unconscious inspiration here.
The German lyrics deal with the usual topics of the genre, as titles such as „Wohngebiet“ or „Industriestandort“ make clear. The fact that the vocals are a little bumpy here and there only makes the whole thing more likeable and so the short, under 30-minute album „Wohngebiet“ becomes a sweat-inducing affair, as it is unlikely to leave any fan of this type of NDW-Minimal-Wave-music unmoved.
As with the last album „4“, the list of stylistically and in spirit comparable bands applies, be they old (Stahlnetz, Zaza, Recht Herzlich, Profil), from the 2000s (Graphik Magazin, ZE422) or current (Kühle Matrosen, Tilly Electronics, Gen Null).
Released August 2025 on Young & Cold.
Track Listing:
A1 Endoskelett
A2 Urbane Rhythmen
A3 Vor den Toren der Stadt
A4 Sicherheit
B1 Der Stein
B2 Wohngebiet
B3 Angeschlagen
B4 Industriestandort
English