Reviews of "Stumbling Lovers"
... very abstrakt, new instruments keep creeping into your ears, you feel pushed back and forward through the decades. Not listening is impossible, no, it is punishable. Sonderfeld simply have too much to say, musically as well as in their lyrics . (az - Frankfurter Stadtillustrierte Sept. 96)
... The stylistic variety isn't easy to describe. Maybe like this: Tom Waits und Captain Beefheart meet Nile Rodgers, Robert Fripp und Johnny Cash, under the musical directorship of Gilbert Becaud. ... An absolute must for hunters and gatherers off the beaten track of mainstream. (Indigo-Notes Okt. 96)
... Although one song is weirder than the next, they become more accessible with each listening. Minimalism and a natural skewedness simply force you to listen ... An aquired taste, but excellent! (Joe Asmodo, Zillo Oktober 96)
No, this doesn't sound like a debut album ... Sonderfeld are harvesting 107 years of rock music history ... Ultimately, the dominant flavour is a slow-motion, free songwriter rock in the neigbourhood of John Cale, Tom Waits und - in emotional moments - Element of Crime. (Klaus Walter, Prinz Okt. 96)
Maybe the most unique, weirdest and at the same time most sensitive debut of a German band in 1996 ...(WeenOkt.96)
A very mature work with no concessions to any muscal trends (Journal Frankfurt 11/96)
Das four-piece band around Norbert Sonderfeld surprises with a daring fusion of tricky rhythms, skewed melodies and strange sounds. Die Band mixes elements of blues, jazz, pop, new wave, hardcore, folk, art rock, electronica, French chanson and and Weill-Brecht undertones in a breathtaking manner. Their courage reminds of creative free spirits such as Zappa, Beefheart or John Cale. ... With this very special album, Sonderfeld is among the most interesting discoveries of the year. (Musikwoche Nov.96)
Listening to Sonderfeld gives you a pleasure comparable to the one you feel when you rub a handful of heavy, black topsoil between your fingers. ... Norbert Sonderfeld is the German Nick Cave. And his murder ballads are probably the most scary and inventive horror pieces in contemporary music. Oh great, oh wonderful!(Schellackgeschrei 3, 96)
About "200 accordions"
Always open for musical experiments, Sonderfeld recorded a track for Vol.3 of the ONE series. 200 Accordéons is obviously influenced by the first two ONE series releases' minimalism, but the band charges this minimalism with the deepness of the accordions' sound. We are lucky that three of the four members of Sonderfeld play this instrument, so they were able to record this track live. (emphase)
About "Maschinworld/ Mean Clown Welcome"
A few years ago, Norbert Sonderfeld was responsible for one of the best regional productions that I ever heard - the CD "Stumbling Lovers" by SONDERFELD. "Maschinworld" is the first new sign of live of this band, and the two songs are, well, quite anachronistic and weird. Der titel song sounds like amateur techno, 15 years before techno was invented. The B-side "Mean Clown Welcome" feels like a mix of new Wave and no Wave. Nicely rough and playful. "Maschinworld" is a gem from an exceptional band who unfortunately isn't publishing often enough. (Kick'n'Roll, März 1999)
About a live concert
The band named after their singer Norbert Sonderfeld finds its own signature between the most diverse musical styles ... Each song is on a different level. Their musical maze is sometimes thick, sometimes very light, and they are masters of the surprising song ending. ... Sonderfeld grind through rock history and prepare from it an explosive fusion, played by brilliant and extremely agile musicians. ... Despite the undeniable groove, we are seeing much more than joyful music making. Some songs feel like surreal short stories. (Offenbacher Post 24.12.97)
Stand 17.6.2021