It’s always difficult to quantify what exactly a debut single is going to sound like, there’s no reference point beyond the influences of the artist to compare it to. This becomes even trickier when dealing with a more experimental genre. This is amplified even more when another language is brought into the mixture.
BETONPROSA’s debut is a prime example of this. Hailing from Berlin, with the lyrics being completely in German, it’s difficult to tell what exactly is being said. Despite this, the intention of BETONPROSA is very clear, with the violent, psychosexual beats being intentionally uncomfortable and abrasive.
This is the clear intention though in Wie Es Ist (meaning As It Is in English), the dark and disturbing elements being plain as day within the track. Utilising a variety of hard notes, heavy beats, and vocals that a distorted and express screams of pain and pleasure throughout.
It’s difficult to explain the disturbing content of the track without getting into territory that may disturb some listeners. It’s obvious that the track is tackling themes of sexual violence and assault, and this is obvious to those who don’t even speak the language due to the music expressing the ideas clearly.
It’s an excellent marriage of the experimental noise genre, more accurately described as Neue Deutsche Welle within the German music scene. A mixture of post-punk and new wave that acts as Germany’s answer to the post-punk and noise rock movement of countries like America and the UK. But by mixing in an unusual rhythm that comes with the German language versus that of English.
In conclusion, Wie Es Ist (As It Is), is a dark track that distills the disturbing thoughts of sexual assault and other such topics that are on the fringe of the human mind. Thoughts are being discussed now more than ever in the current political and social climate. It makes the listener face those dark thoughts and themes with an equally dark musical track that’s unabashedly wicked in its delivery.