DIE SCHWARZE. A musical-literary project by Martin Paul

DIE SCHWARZE. A musical-literary project
Martin Paul, musician, composer, keyboarder of TON STEINE SCHERBEN and RIO REISER, on his residency in oesterfeld04:

The weather: rainy and cloudy, only very rarely did the sun shine into my flat from the east in the morning and wake me up. That alone made me want to spend the summer in oesterfeld04.
But I didn't want to go out at all, I wanted to work on my artistic archive and on processing the double album IV by Ton Steine Scherben (released in March 1981, also known as ‘die Schwarze’). I'm about to present the songs in a solo programme, so I'm changing the arrangements of the songs to present them exclusively with electric piano and vocals. My aim is to recall this musical part of the history of Ton Steine Scherben, because IV has remained rather unknown, although it has a lot to offer musically and is also an impressive example of collective music production.

oesterfeld04 was exactly the right place for this endeavour. A flat in which bedroom, workroom and kitchen merged into one another and where space and time for creativity flowed into one another. Accompanied by hosts who gave me the opportunity to live a hermit-like life and yet were open to contact and enriched me with interesting conversations about art and culture.
At this time of year, North Friesland is somehow extinct. I visited the next larger town, Friedrichstadt, and wondered whether anyone lived there at all; I only really met people at the bakery. But no wonder, given the weather there at this time of year.
The dull monotony outside also changed my daily rhythm. The nights became longer and longer and were used for musical work. This is another considerable advantage of oesterfeld04, that you can pursue your artistic ambitions undisturbed and loudly, no matter what time of day. I was able to give free rein to my creativity at any time and decide when and where I wanted to do what. It's a wonderful place to reflect on your artistic ambitions and the world undisturbed.