Julia de Jouy, the expressive vocalist for Munich’s dark synth trio Rue Oberkampf, mourns the loss of club culture and life’s ecstatic moments in general in the video for “Hope and Fear”, a captivating song taken from the band’s new album Liebe.
Rue Oberkampf, the brainchild of the DJ/producer team of Julia de Jouy, Oliver Maier, and Damien De-Vir, constantly forges a bridge between different electronic subcultures, stemming from their roots in early industrial, techno, and darkwave music.
Their new LP, LIEBE, opens with the nihilistic lyrics “When nothing’s left but hope and fear” – reflecting on all those days we spent in uncertainty and fear and missing those joyful moments of euphoric communion. Although the melody is upbeat, perfect for a dance night out in a club, the words are bittersweet and…full of melancholy and perhaps the regret of taking for granted moments that were previously in such abundance, that now find themselves both rare and precious.
The official video, created by Christina Stuhlberger and Christian Störzer, was shot in Vienna, one day after a Rue Oberkampf gig. It stars the three band members, local promoters, and a friend in front of the camera. It’s dreamy, psychedelic, and pensive, reflecting the melancholy song beautifully. Christina Stuhlberger (Brussels/Vienna) previously worked with the band’s on their video for “Es Versucht”, and Christian Störzer (Vienna) experiments with layering effects and animations, visualising closeness and touch between different distant persons.
“When nothing’s left but hope and fear” – unintentionally and unfortunately, with war breaking out in Europe, these words are more timely than ever.
Watch the video for “Hope and Fear” below:
LIEBE, Rue Oberkampf’s long-awaited second LP, wavers between 90s EBM- and techno-fused stompers to surprisingly gothy synth-pop and darkwave tracks.
Mixed by Daniel Hallhuber (Young and Cold Records), LIEBE creates a heavy, but crystal clear sound. The album was mastered by industrial artist Eric van Wonterghem (Absolute Body Control, Monolith, Klinik).
With her album artwork, Merchbabe (Kinnat Sóley) created the perfect visual twin for LIEBE. Based on photography by Silvie Tillard and combined with lettering by tattoo artist Ehidne Slime, the design confuses the observer with an eerie uncanny valley effect reminiscent of 90s punk and techno aesthetics.
Rue Oberkampf’s Liebe is out now.
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