Robert Kretzschmar seems less than comfortable in your Apartment in his new single and unsettling video — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
A preview of his debut album Homecoming — due in October — Apartment artfully conveys the concept of hidden beauty in the midst of a smog-filled city under a seemingly ordinary title. The track invites you to explore the greatness of love in the confines of a flat. The production masterfully creates an atmosphere of intimacy and attraction. Soft synths, ’70s strings and an outrageously easy going rhythm section embrace the listener with a soundscape of a love story that goes beyond the physical four walls.
The song dares to dive deep into a passionate encounter that takes place behind closed doors. Glued to Kretzschmar’s words are the large images in between. The blanket serves as a shield from the outside world and the air underneath becomes so thin that nosebleeds are to be expected. Apartment celebrates the beauty of the unwritten future.
This is what you can expect from Homecoming: His almost bossa nova-like voice, alternating between hinting and singing, leads through catchy arrangements with ever surprising chord changes, reminiscent of Phoenix or the nonchalance of Mac DeMarco. Drums and bass are very present while leaving room for shimmering synth pads and disco strings.
Almost in astonishment and at the same time sympathetic, Kretzschmar describes creeping changes, farewells and encounters with the big questions of life on his debut album. He is both protagonist and observer. Laconicness, casual humour and love for individual words are often mixed together. The most casual connection between melancholic introspection and slow-disco glamour.
Raised in the Thuringian Woodlands and rooted in Berlin for 20 years, Robert writes, plays and produces all the songs on Homecoming himself. Mixed by renowned producer Olaf Opal (Notwist, International Music), mastered by Norman Nitzsche (Whitest Boy Alive, Beirut) and finished with string arrangements by Michael Mühlhaus (Blumfeld, Die Türen), his debut tells razor-sharp stories — with a sound that would make Robert Wyatt dream.
Kretzschmar has already made a name for himself as a live and studio musician in the German pop and indie landscape. He has drummer for Anna Erhard, Kat Frankie, Masha Qrella, Das Paradies and Albertine Sarges, among others. As part of the duo It’s A Musical, he released several albums and EPs with numerous tours in Europe and Asia. Since 2012, he has also been involved in theatre productions as a composer and musical director at Schauspiel Frankfurt, Theater Bonn and Schauspiel Hannover.
Homecoming finds him taking the long-awaited step into the world of solo musicians. It will be released on Oct. 13. Watch the video for Apartment above, check out more from Robert Kretzschmar below, and make yourself at home on his website and Instagram.
