Berlin-based avant-garde band Lolita Terrorist Sounds unveiled on September 20, 2024 a multimedia collaboration with none other than Kiddy Citny, the legendary painter whose work on the Berlin Wall became iconic worldwide. This partnership has resulted in an experimental art video for the track “Living-in-glory“-a visual and auditory experience that merges Citny‘s live painting with the bandâs innovative soundscapes. “Living-in-glory” is an eclectic blend of drone meditative music, ASMR, and industrial sounds that closes the track list of the band’s debut album âSt. Lola.â
Watch the live painting performance video through the YouTube player below:
Following the success of their debut album âSt. Lola,â the band presents an Experimental video for the track “Living-in-glory,” featuring Citny‘s live improvised painting performance.
Band leader Maurizio Vitale recounts: “I met Kiddy a few years ago in Amsterdam. Last November, we bumped into each other at a Berlin train station and spontaneously decided to team up. This video is the visual translation of our most experimental track, captured in Kiddy’s Berlin atelier.â
“Living-in-glory,” the closing track of the debut album, is an innovative blend of Drone meditative music, ASMR and Industrial Sounds. It was recorded in an unconventional studio on Dresdener Strasse, located on the former Berlin Wall strip. The track incorporates field recordings from the haunted building, once home to East Germany’s secret services.
“Creating this piece with Lolita Terrorist Sounds was an inspiring process,â says Kiddy Citny. âTheir innovative sound and the historical context of this track infused my painting with a very exceptional energy. It was a fascinating blend of our artistic worlds.â
European Shows in October:
Known for their incendiary live shows, Lolita Terrorist Sounds will soon embark on a European tour. Newly joined by Hamburg-based drummer Kian Kiesling, the band’s electrifying performances are not to be missed. Check out their wild set on German Radio and TV Alex Berlin here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbsYT72ssNU
Live Dates:
Berlin – 22.10 – Hinterraum
PoznaĆ – 23.10 – CK Nowe Amore
Warsaw – 24.10 – Chmury
Prague – 29.10 – CafĂ© V lese
Stay tuned for more tour dates and updates!
Check the bands previous singles:
“Mind the gap“: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElZgVLs7zfY
“Curse“: https://youtu.be/k1ohkmcIwpw
“Prison Song“: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQahigpRCOc
“Red Carpet“: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SZ7oam0LuY
“Shaved Girl“: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DPCWjrm0CQ
About Lolita Terrorist Sounds:
Lolita Terrorist Sounds is a Berlin-based Avant-Garde band founded by Maurizio Vitale. The name is a provocative combination of Nabokovâs novel title âLolita,â and adding the challenging perception of the word âTerrorist.â Both were generated using the W. Burroughs cut-up technique and adding to it the word âSoundsâ to best describe the groundbreaking nature of the band’s compositions and performances. Vitaleâs past and present collaborations include work with members of acclaimed bands such as EinstĂŒrzende Neubauten, Swans, Iggy Pop, ThĂ„ström, PJ Harvey and Faust. His talent was at the service of the legendary Sabar percussionist Doudou NâDiaye Rose (SN) and he has played with German singer Andrea Schroeder both in the studio and live. In support of their previous release “Shaved Girl,” Lolita Terrorist Sounds has opened for the Swedish artist Anna von Hausswolff, done numerous live dates, and has played an exclusive acoustic show on the national German Radio Eins.
“Shaved Girl” was released as a limited edition vinyl release on the cult label Psychofon Records (The Residents). Graphic novelist Reinhard Kleist (Nick Cave âMercy on meâ, David Bowie âStarmanâ) curated the special artwork of the album, and also took part in some of the live performances of the band as a special guest. During the global lockdown, Lolita Terrorist Sounds ingeniously pivoted their artistic expression to create “Lolita Kitchen Sounds,” a groundbreaking live-streaming cooking show that fused the passion for music with culinary expertise. Blending delectable dishes with live music performances, the show became a virtual feast for the senses, gaining a devoted following and making waves in the digital entertainment landscape.
Among several single releases, “Prison Songâ stands out in the band’s trajectory. Featuring the masterful lap steel guitar work of Kristof Hahn from Swans, “Prison Song” showcased the band’s ability to collaborate with exceptional talents, pushing their sound into uncharted territories. The critical acclaim for “Prison Song” was not only limited to its musical arrangement but also extended to the airwaves. Notably, the song received praise and recognition on Mike Wattâs (The Stooges, Minuteman) radio show. Additionally, Mally Harpaz of Anna Calvi‘s band featured the song on her radio show, further solidifying Lolita Terrorist Sounds‘ reputation as an emerging force in the Experimental Music scene. Adding to their momentum, an unreleased studio version of “Shaved Girl” emerged in June 2021, an anthem of liberation released during Pride Month. This track also paid tribute to the visionary Bob Rutman (â ), who left an indelible mark by joining the recording sessions for the song with his Avant-Garde genius before his passing. The song resonates as a celebration of identity and a testament to the enduring power of artistic
collaboration. Lolita Terrorist Sounds now shine at their creative zenith. Between impressive releases and worldwide
performances, their debut album “St. Lola” was released in October 2023 gaining praises and attention from industry veterans, radio, and press, and saw the band busy performing live in clubs and as a guest on the German Radio TV Alex Berlin for a special show for FĂȘte de la Musique.
About Kiddy Citny:
Kiddy Citny (*1957 in Stuttgart) is a German musician and visual artist. Citny grew up in Bremen and moved to West Berlin in 1377 He has also lived in Amsterdam and London (1979), Zurich (1980), Bern (1989/90), and Los Angeles (1993/94), and maintained a studio in Munich until 2000. Kiddy Citny gained fame as one of the Berlin Wall Artists, along with the French artist Thierry Noir and others. Citny’s 3.6-meter-high heads, painted in 1985, spread worldwide via tourist photos and postcards. The illegal action was an attempt to “encircle East Berlin with art.” With the fall of the Berlin Wall, his paintings, along with the concrete segments they adorned, entered international art collections, including the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Another segment of the Wall stands in front of the MĂ€rkisches Museum in Berlin. In 1990, 45 segments of the Wall were auctioned off in a state-organized event, declared “historically particularly valuable.” Citny‘s faces featured on the cover of the auction catalog. The East Berlin foreign trade company Limex sold parts of Citny‘s frieze, including to MoMA. Citny attempted to claim a share of the proceeds through a lawsuit, arguing it was unjust enrichment. Limex accused Citny of “property damage to border installations” and called the works, for which it had received 500,000 Deutsche Marks, âscribbles.” A section of the Wall painted by Citny and his friends served as a backdrop in Wim Wenders’ 1987 film “Wings of Desire.” For the film’s soundtrack, Citny also recorded the track “Pas Attendre” with his band Sprung aus den Wolken under the label “FAUX PAS.” After his first project named “Out” (a music project with Nina Hagen in 1980), Citny toured with Sprung aus den Wolken, initially sharing the program with EinstĂŒrzende Neubauten, throughout Germany and its western neighboring countries until 1989. During this time, the Citny crew also practiced what is now known as crossover, combining music, movement, and painting in video-documented performances. Additionally, Citny is among the first artists to create computer-generated images, storing their works on PC disks and CD-ROMs, and later disseminating them via the internet. In 2012, fashion created by Julia Starp in collaboration with Citny was showcased at Berlin Fashion Week. The collection SHE featured haute couture made from canvases painted by Citny. These works were also exhibited at the State Textile and Industry Museum in Augsburg’s Textile District.
More at https://www.kiddycitny.com/
âLiving-in-gloryâ is available on all digital platforms.
Debut album âSt.Lolaâ is available on all digital platforms, CD, and limited hand-made cardboard CD sleeve.
