WEEKEND MUSIC TIP PT 94 – ALEWYA
Alewya releases her debut album „ZERO“ on 26th June, promising an enticing blend of…
WEEKEND MUSIC TIP PT 96 – 99
„TO BE ON STAGE IS THE FINAL REWARD“
“99” is a project, band, and label that moves along the edge between performance and observation. Founded in 2021 by two Austrian childhood friends, Amandus99 and Danziger99, they have just announced their new album, set for release on 19 June.
After their 2022 debut “99 In dein Herz”, the new tracks no longer drift through clouds but move across the cold asphalt of Vienna, Paris, and Bucharest. With “99 Nichts Für Immer”, the duo steps slightly away from their earlier post-punk sound, while maintaining rave elements, dark lyrics, and an overall mystical, almost gothic aesthetic.
Starting this autumn, 99 will present the new album on tour across ten cities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
We met the duo and spoke about the new album, tour essentials, and musical influences ranging from Ludwig Hirsch to 187.
Leonie Kampen: You’ve developed your own aesthetic with “99” and the project. Are there specific inspirations, people or things that influence you?
Danziger99:
Very different things. It’s hard to name something concrete. It’s more a mix of many things you see, and you kind of put it together. There’s not one specific influence.
Musically, I personally would name Ludwig Hirsch but then also rappers like Bushido or 187. Maybe it does not sound obvious, but we do take influences from there too.
Amandus99:
It also changes over time. The first projects were inspired differently than now. It’s a process and it’s developing in another direction, also musically. Different influences came in.
LK: Are your lyrics based on real life or more metaphorical?
A9:
There are metaphors, but most songs are still strongly based on reality. It’s personal, but I like to exaggerate things or build stories around them.
D9:
Same for me. Every song has some real situation in it. We just don’t always tell it very directly. It’s more diffuse. In the new project there are more concrete influences, musically and lyrically.
LK:
You’re from Austria, Burgenland—does your hometown play a role?
A9:
Not really in the process. We have a studio there, about an hour away. It shapes you a bit, but in sessions it’s not really a topic.
D9:
Same for me. The only influence is maybe aesthetic things like flags or logos from Burgenland that we sometimes use.
LK:
You work a lot together besides your solo projects – do you also have conflicts?
A9:
We’ve had bigger fights, but it’s settled over the years. We know each other since kindergarten, so the beginning was intense when everything started so fast. It affected the friendship, but now we handle it well. Of course we still argue sometimes.
LK:
About your new album – what can we expect? How is it different?
A9:
It’s a new sound. Still some similarities, but it developed a lot. More rough, colder, a bit dirtier. Still has rave elements, but different.
D9:
Also more dark, dystopian. Lyrically harder, more direct and provocative overall.
LK:
What about the title “Nichts für immer”? Can you elaborate on that?
D9:
It comes from a phase where it was unclear if we would continue at all. After a tour there was a low point. “Nothing forever” reflects that uncertainty.
LK: You even considered quitting?
D9:
Not really to quit overall, it was just unclear how exactly to continue, we had different ideas.
LK:
For the tour you added three more musicians – how did that happen?
D9:
It developed through this experimental music course in Vienna, where I met the people. First bass, then keyboard, then drums – our ensemble formed step by step.
LK: How does that affect your dynamic from usually playing with the two of you to now three people more?
D9:
We sometimes play as a duo, trio, or five people. It depends on what side of the music we want to show.
A9:
Five people is a planned show, very structured. As a duo it’s more experimental, like an underground set. Both have their value.
LK:
Is there something you always take with you on tour?
A9:
A vocal straw and a special scarf.
LK:
Studiosession or live performance?
D9:
Both. Studio is difficult because it’s not like a fixed schedule. It’s a balance. Live is the confrontation – you get immediate feedback. To be on stage is the final reward to me.
LK:
Any current projects?
D9:
We got many demos, but are currently focusing on the album. We’re also trying to make the project and its impact last longer beyond release.
A9:
Yes, we have many unreleased songs and also some EPs in the making.
