Original subtitles

It's a well-known phenomenon in music and art history:

Some people are earlier than their contemporaries.

And they invent things, but because they're so early,

they don't fit in with the times,

and an explosive hit never comes about.

When it comes out, you don't realize how large it is.

Then it pops up 15 years later in a commercial or Hollywood movie.

So it stays alive and you realize what an impact FRAKTUS had,

for Germany, but also internationally.

I have to admit: For me, FRAKTUS were always the greatest.

I won't say "idols," but we all thought they were really, really good.

In their own way, FRAKTUS were successful,

but no one knew what to do with them. They were infinitely ahead of their time.

Indeed FRAKTUS anticipated the sound ideas of techno

that didn't become relevant for the broad masses

until ten to 15 years later.

Without FRAKTUS, I never would've gotten into music.

They were the inspiration

that made me say: "I'm doing that. That's my thing."

It's a shame they never did anything again.

I have no idea what they're doing.

After those spectacular performances,

I was sure they'd be around for ten years. But it all suddenly ended. That was it.

THE LAST CHAPTER OF MUSIC HISTORY

In the early 90s, when techno took off in Germany,

no one knew where it would lead.

Underground raves in abandoned factories and subterranean vaults

grew into one of the largest mass movements of the last millennium.

Germany was reunified and the world wanted to party.

While compiling a sampler of techno's beginnings,

I came across FRAKTUS.

Almost no one knew the band that was so influential for this epoch.

Where were they from? What were their roots?

Who were these seminal electro-pioneers?

It all began in 1980

in Brunsbuttel, an industry and harbor town in Schleswig-Holstein,

known less for its music scene

than for its protests against the atomic power plant in Brokdorf.

Dickie Schubert, son of a dock worker and youngest of eight.

And Bernd Wand, whose parents ran an optometry practice.

In 1979, they formed the band Freakazzee,

and self-released their first single:

Big Bell.

Torsten Bage joined them in 1980 and quickly took charge.

He professionalized the band's appearance and changed its name to FRAKTUS.

In the years to come, Dickie Schubert, Bernd Wand and Torsten Bage

created quite a sensation on the German music scene.

That's how it is in these bands: The charismatic front man jumps around.

Dickie was quite a guy.

In the background, there's the instrumentalist,

Wand, steering it all with his synthesizers,

with his instruments, ideas and machines.

All that as...

a huge wall of sound

to which Bage adds the finishing touches. All in all, an extremely good formation.

In the summer of 1980, they released their first LP on the Hamburg label ZickZack.

Catch the fox.

It can't escape. Hunt the fox...

Behind the record title, FRAKTUS veiled their harsh criticism of drug consumption.

Turned upside down, the digits reveal LSD = ESEL. (Jackass)

"Kleidersammlung" was the most striking track. (Used Clothing Drive)

It greatly impressed many of the bands

in the emerging primal soup of the New German Wave.

A reduction to the essence.

They did that so well. As TRIO, to be honest,

we never got it as right as FRAKTUS did.

Give me your old shoes.

Give me your old shoes.

In 1982, FRAKTUS published their timeless masterpiece, "Tut-Ench-Amour."

Ask anyone who knows anything about it.

"Tut-Ench-Amour" is the decisive album

that influenced everything afterwards in the realm of techno.

It was the centerpiece.

Many people know a popular song of mine, "Sonic Empire,"

with a really long rave signal.

Here.

Maybe I should feel guilty,

but an old FRAKTUS recording inspired that.

I'll play you the opening. There's a kind of similarity.

By the Fall of 1982, FRAKTUS were no longer a secret.

With "Pogomania," "Underground" and "Worst-Case Scenario,"

they reflected the spirit of the early 80s like no other band.

Private party, no one gets in.

Private party, no one gets out.

I want out.

Of this madhouse.

FRAKTUS' hypnotic power sound had an as yet unheard-of precision,

made possible by their self-made instruments,

such as the beater, a mechanical rhythm machine

and precursor of the electronic drum machine.

Or the light wringer, a sound generator with light-sensory modulation

based on quantum fluctuation.

Also unique was the Rodelius, singer Dickie Schubert's electric bagpipe

made of still unknown parts.

"Tut-Ench-Amour" also features FRAKTUS' trademark:

the smirkey, picked up years later by the acid-house movement

and immortalized as the smiley.

With the German New Wave picking up steam, they changed

from ZickZack to the major label Ariola to assure their breakthrough.

They saw that as their big move that would shoot them straight to the top.

In reality, it was the beginning of the end. That wasn't FRAKTUS anymore.

In March 1983 "Affe sucht Liebe" hit #45 in the German singles charts. (Ape Seeks Love)

Ape seeks love.

Ape seeks comfort.

Ape seeks warmth.

Or ape gets cold.

"Ape Seeks Love" was one of my favorites. You could shock people with it.

Everyone asked, what do they mean by that? No one knew. It had a certain something.

Although "Ape Seeks Love" didn't fulfill the label's commercial expectations,

it left its mark on posterity. Attentive music insiders see in its striking drum-break

the basis for the later smash "Blue Monday" by the British band New Order.

During production of the third LP, "Automate," dissent broke out. (Automatos)

The early fame had gone to Dickie Schubert's head.

Bernd Wand retreated into a shell of increasingly weird sound experiments.

Torsten Bage was only interested in commercial success.

In Gutersloh, Paderborn, Wuppertal, Oldenburg,

people are living everywhere.

Why do they do that?

Why are they there?

All the poor people.

What began as one of the most exciting pop experiments of the 80s,

ended in tragedy.

In 1983 at one of their Hamburg concerts, a fire broke out for unknown reasons.

The concert hall, Turbine, burned down to the ground.

The place where thousands danced every night,

is now a parking garage.

I don't know what happened at that concert in Hamburg at the Turbine.

I wasn't there.

I was told the fire got out of control

and destroyed most of their instruments.

That was it, the end of FRAKTUS.

I was there with a friend.

What's going on here? Awesome.

Suddenly fog all around.

Until we noticed the band was freaking out.

Then it was instant

mass panic.

The Turbine burned down to the last stone and...

that was the end of FRAKTUS. I never heard of them again.

Where have FRAKTUS been all these years?

Is it true they haven't spoken a word to each other since their last concert?

Will they ever return to the stage?

I realized an extraordinary potential lay dormant here.

If I could bring the band back together,

it would go straight through the roof.

The time was ripe for FRAKTUS to make a comeback.

Accompanied by a cameraman, I took a trip to lbiza, to Torsten Bage,

the only band member still active in the music business.

In the late 80s, he had moved to the Balearic Islands

and made a name for himself producing mega party hits.

And now take off to Planet Awesome.

Everything's awesome.

Awesome. - Because I'm an Awesomian.

Awesome chicks, awesome dudes, awesome vibes.

vibe! - It's awesome to me. - Just awesome.

You're simply awesome.

Awesome. - Because you're an Awesomian.

Awesome chicks, awesome dudes, awesome vibes.

You just think that's awesome.

So this is your lbiza, Torsten. - The island is a heap of shit.

Why? - Nothing but hippies and disco bitches.

I only travel from my finca to the disco

in order to

try out my new songs.

Now to the pool, not built until 2003.

This is for barbecues with friends.

Something like a pool bar.

Back there is a pleasant nook for the afternoons. It's always shady there.

It gets hot as hell here. Now back to the house.

What's with the mountain?

What the fuck do I know?

Just shut your mouth.

What's Dieter-Miguel up to?

It's vacation time, so he's here.

Dieter-Miguel cooks all the time. Can't get him out of the kitchen.

If he comes out, I say, "Was the chain too long or how'd you get out?"

Dieter-Miguel, come here. We have company.

Ever been in Germany?

Si, I... - Tell them in German.

I've been in Germany three times.

I liked it very much, but...

I want for longer... - Tell them where you were.

Karlstadt. - Karlsruhe.

Bonn. And Karlsruhe again.

...people. - You carry on, but we'll come back. I'll let you know.

You need 30 minutes?

Now you've met my son.

We see everything you've built up here, Torsten. What's the secret of your success?

It comes down to skill. Ask Schubert and Wand if they can read music. Just ask them.

I've fought for everything in my life.

And I got fucked over, especially in the beginning.

Listen to this melody.

Sound familiar?

It's the hook from one of the first songs

I produced here in 1987.

The bastards chopped off two notes and had it copyrighted.

That cost me to date

roughly 13.7 million Euros.

Damn.

How would you describe your relationship with them today?

It's a non-relationship.

What do you expect? We haven't seen each other in 20 years. It's a non-relationship.

We're not enemies, but we're not friends.

Can you imagine a comeback of FRAKTUS?

No.

But for you it'd be... - No.

Bage was a tough nut to crack.

I'd have to start over again and break the chain at its weakest link.

I went back to Hamburg to Dickie Schubert,

that androgynous shining light, the front man and singer in FRAKTUS.

It must be around here somewhere.

If you can crack Dickie,

you'll get the others, too.

It'd be a first step.

Dickie was the guy who put on a show. An absolute spotlight junkie.

I think he was the one

people remember, if they remember FRAKTUS.

Morning. - Morning.

Dickie Schubert?

I'm Roger Dettner. This is Winnie, my cameraman. - Hidey ho.

We'll keep shooting so we have lots of material for the report.

No problem. - Great.

Shall we go in? - Please.

This is your little empire? It's very loud.

Let me explain. For financial reasons, I sublet to a bakery. To lower my overhead.

They go well together:

internet cafe and bakery. - True.

Look around. This is my little empire.

The customers sit here. My best two are Semih and Ahmad.

They've been here since kindergarten,

full of cheek and cheer, chatting the day away.

Let me show you

my little...

my little...

exhibit that I'm running here: "Journey to Human." The journey to humanity.

Not to people, but to humanity. There's a difference.

I've collected these fantasy motifs.

Over the years, I've compiled material that makes people dream.

And, briefly...

Internet, electronics and humor can go together. Let me demonstrate.

Warning:

According to the German Medical Association, more retirees are dying at their computers.

They mistakenly press the key combination old+delete.

Right?

Right?

And what role does music play in your life nowadays?

Well, music is my personal forte. That's where I'm from and what I'm made of.

I'm not made of atoms, but musical notes.

Other people are made of atoms. I'm made of notes.

If you'd blow on me, I'd fly apart like a cloud of notes.

But I can't play much here, because we have customers.

That's why I now hear my music out of normal, everyday sounds. You know?

What does that say to you?

It's...

running water.

You hear running water, right?

You probably hear running water. But not me.

Listen now.

Hear that? Hear that?

Yes. - Or this?

What's this?

The drum, the beat box. Should I do it again? Don't you recognize it? Listen.

That's my kind of music.

I see.

Let's talk about FRAKTUS, Dickie. How did you guys get along?

Torsten Bage, Bernd Wand and Dickie Schubert.

I picture a butterfly: two wings. But how do they know where to fly?

They don't know. They need a body. In FRAKTUS' case,

imagine a beautiful, gigantic butterfly, like you see in pictures, a tropical wonder.

And it's flying over a vast summer meadow of flowers.

The meadow of music.

And the left wing of this beautiful butterfly was,

let's say Bernd Wand, while the right wing was Torsten Bage.

But they had no idea which way to go. Only the body in the middle knew.

And that body

was me.

What am I? A doctor?

A psychologist? An artist?

You see,

these customers

all have emotions.

And my job as an optician

is to lend these hidden wishes and desires expression

through glasses.

But there's one thing I can't stand:

conventional symmetry. I hate that.

That's why I style my face in this slightly asynchronous way. Maybe you've noticed.

There's diametrical opposition between my hair part and glasses. Men can't see it,

but women have an eye for that.

They think it's so hot, they get burnt. You know?

They get Bernd.

Get it? - Yes.

Bernd.

This is my mother.

We run the shop together.

We do. - Right, carry on.

We've used all the porcelain in the display window here for years.

Privately,

or here in the shop.

When we renovated, my mother didn't want

to throw it away and had this idea.

I think it's disgusting, but the worst of it is...

Mom, come here. This is insane.

My own mother tells me to go potty in the display window. Unbelievable, right?

What are you saying? That's not true at all.

I never said such a thing. How can you make that up?

You told me...

He's a bit headstrong,

and a bit demanding, and...

well, a bit extravagant sometimes,

but I have nothing against that. Why shouldn't he be?

He loves music above all. That's true.

Please let go of that.

Ouch.

Bernd, how would you describe your music?

Well, it's very electronic. very experimental.

Good music in a way.

I think

maybe a bit too slow. It's lacking that last oomph.

But it's the same as with FRAKTUS I.

I'm the only one here showing a serious interest in it.

Please let go of that.

Ouch.

Dad, listen. Wait.

Now.

Always the same spot!

We simply have to work harder on the music.

Then I'd like us to play at the Klangbad Festival in South Germany,

a noise and electronic festival.

Once we've played there, we'll definitely have a basis.

We hope it'll work out for you.

For us? - Yes, for you.

We'll stand by you. It'll work out. - Don't stand by me.

It's not a holy mass. You should just

rehearse the tracks and put some effort into it.

We do.

We do.

He's a dependable guy...

We recently redecorated the optometry practice,

but he had to spend two weeks in bed with his spritz kidney,

so he couldn't help us. But otherwise he... helps out,

and is dependable.

Speaking hypothetically: Could you imagine FRAKTUS making a comeback?

I'm not the kind of person who spends his time whining.

Not at all. But things are the way they are.

I've had a urethral disruption for the past two years.

Constant spleen spasms. That's pain you can't imagine.

These marble patches all over my body.

I have a sun allergy and shouldn't go out at all.

And now the doctor told me I might have Congo tongue.

Rough.

So I'm asking you: How should I handle all that stress?

He imagines he has Congo tongue.

That's an illness mercenaries had in the 50s.

We saw a... Tv program recently.

And they described it. Now he thinks he has it, too.

For me it's embarrassing,

because there's no truth to it at all.

But he has every complaint under the sun, to be honest.

It's sad.

Dickie Schubert was a broad-minded, hands-on kind of guy.

I just fed him some good arguments.

Like me, he recognized the extraordinary potential of a comeback.

With Bernd Wand, however, I had to be subtler.

My strategy was to separate him from his parents,

get him outdoors, and squeeze him like a spring chicken.

It has to know which way to fly.

Flapping over a fresh, green summer meadow.

Maybe Torsten Bage was the left and Dickie Schubert the right wing in FRAKTUS.

But the most important part was the body in the middle.

And the body in the middle of FRAKTUS

was you. You set the direction, you brought decisiveness.

You mean like with a rocket, right?

Exactly.

Wand and Schubert were ready for the adventure of FRAKTUS 2011.

To convince Bage, I put everything on one card. - Roger, give me one.

Fortunately I had tremendous support in my personal life.

Not for you. You're pregnant. No, no, no.

Well, have fun in lbiza, Napoleon. - Okay, sweetie.

Roger? - Yes?

Please leave your cell on the whole time, OK?

It could be any day now. I don't want to be left alone.

You'll never walk alone, Lutschi.

Bye.

If one thing's certain, it's Roger's...

nose for trends and new things.

I mean, he knows a lot about music, point one.

Point two: He knows a lot of cool people.

My plan was to unite the three highly volatile particles in lbiza,

to achieve critical mass.

But how would the former bandmates react to each other after almost 20 years?

Hey, cunt!

Are you crazy or what? Stop that.

Get lost. - I'll kill you.

People, people... - Leave me alone.

Winnie, a Boeing 747.

We have to go. - You won't try that again.

Come on.

Did you see that or what?

Let's go.

This was a great idea. Just great.

You have my bag. You have my bag. My bag.

People, stop that.

We won't get anywhere like that.

Let's go.

Come on, Winnie.

Wow, look at that.

Look, did you see the plums? They're from Pacha.

Here. There.

Yeah, look.

Erick Morillo.

Wow, Sven vath.

You know? Like this.

We never met, but nevertheless X. Big X.

We should've done something together, but never got around to it.

Wow, look at that.

Don't let him see that.

Let me see. - No, no.

Bernie, let me see. - No way.

Oh, man. - You can't.

You'd flip out. - Oh, Bernie. - It's not for you.

Here it is.

Shit. That's not German. He's speaking some... - Spanish. Let me try.

Is your father home?

I speak a little Spanish.

Dad Bage. Come in. Inside.

Awesome. Look.

A mountain in the sea.

And the little butt wants to sing in the choir.

So the little butt goes...

And sometimes it goes...

And sometimes...

What is this?

Where'd you dig her up?

There's no point. Cut. Cut.

Are you shitting me?

Get her out of there.

Listen, friend.

Don't treat my daughter like that.

I don't have friends. Out! - I believe that.

Crap studio.

Hey...

what are you doing here?

We wanted to visit you.

Hi, Torsten.

Hey, Bernd.

Guys, unbelievable. What a surprise. - Man, Torsten. You look great.

Torsten, after all these years. - Have you met my son Dieter-Miguel?

Good, good.

Torsten, give Dickie a hug. After 20 years, you're more emotional, OK?

From the top, please.

Guys, what a surprise. - Man, Torsten. You look great. - Torsten, come here.

Stop. Cut. - What was it this time? - A bit too stiff.

And action.

Guys, no way. What a surprise. - Man, Torsten. You look great.

Hi, Torsten. Come here.

Don't look into the camera, Dickie.

Dickie, concentrate for once. - Then tell me when it's over.

We can't use that. - Torsten. - I'm sorry. Sorry.

Torsten, what did you feel after seeing...

your colleagues for the first time in 20 years?

At first, nothing. lndifference.

Don't you think you three might get back on board,

that you could set new standards again?

That's drivel and nonsense.

How would that work? Tell me exactly, how would that work?

For me, you still have a great chance

to pick up on things back then and maybe...

stand on stage

and set entirely new musical standards again.

Wand and Schubert have,

as far as I can see,

not made a millimeter of progress.

Look at what I've achieved in the past 25 years.

Wow, look at the pool.

It's totally a 50s pool.

Nice, right?

lnsane.

What is it?

An ape.

Right.

Wicked.

Primitive. Primitive.

Be careful.

Show me.

That's...

There's something inside.

Wait.

What is that?

What is it?

And?

I don't know. Strange.

Of course, Mr. Gundel. It's going fine. It's only a question of time.

In principle, we're all set.

Without Bage, we won't do it. That's... obvious. He's as good as on board.

Yes, you can depend on that. 100%.

Are you rolling? - Yes.

Isn't it amazing?

I've succeeded

in bringing these three lone warriors

together at the same... table together...

No, wait.

Rolling.

Isn't it incredible?

If you'd told me three or four weeks ago,

I'd succeed

in reuniting these three original minds,

I wouldn't have thought it possible. And now I'm here,

under the Spanish sun,

and behind me, not 50 meters as the crow flies,

FRAKTUS are sitting together

at the same table together.

The husband says to his better half: Ulrika, the new glasses make you look horrible.

She says: Huh?

I don't have new glasses. He says: No, you don't.

But I do.

Cheers.

Typical Bernie. He's always had the best ones.

Optician's gag.

No.

How embarrassing. - What's going on?

I'm starved, let's get out of here.

Bernd, could you tell us how you came to FRAKTUS?

Back then, Dickie was the only one in Brunsbuttel interested in music.

We got to know each other through music,

because we had different family backgrounds. My family's an old...

optician's dynasty.

And the Schuberts are,

well, how can I put it without insulting them?

They're real, well, louses.

Even back then, I never really warmed to Bernd Wand.

What really bugs me is he's a hypochondriac down to the marrow.

Cement allergy, concrete hips, blackberry head, antelope eyes. He invented it all.

And you've surely noticed that Dickie Schubert's a nutcase, too.

This is getting kinda weird and dangerous, right?

Ghetto projects.

People living there have no option but to break out.

And let out their hate uncontrollably.

Could you stop babbling for a minute? - No.

Torsten Bage appears harsh to everyone,

like a cold-blooded amphibian, I'd say.

But that's only on the surface.

Because inside,

he's like a delicate jellyfish that, once you take it out of the water, dissolves.

Like a sweet little soft-boiled jellyfish.

Look at those dickheads.

They made me rich.

People, I have an idea.

If we start up FRAKTUS again,

the two of us will come to the island and move in with you, on the top floor.

We'll save all the lodging costs and be here for six months. - What?

And record here. - What? You'll come here without a single cent?

Move in here without a single cent? What are you thinking? I'm supposed to feed you?

I've worked it all out. I could get someone to fill in for three to four months.

The two of you sponging off me for three to four months? - Where else?

Where else should we record? Should we rent an expensive studio in some other town?

I'll take your damn basement then. - People, come on. What are you doing?

He grabbed me!

Why are you shirking your responsibilities?

What? - Why are you leaving me up in the air?

What you have is truly special and grand.

I've never seen anything like it. You're fighting with each other,

but beneath the surface lies a deep friendship.

Here.

Look.

Thanks, Torsten. Thanks, Dickie.

For the goosebumps.

Know what? You have a calling: music.

You have a mission. You're historical figures.

FRAKTUS is bigger than each of you. You have a responsibility to the people.

To each other and to music.

Know what?

I'm up for it.

I'm not listening to this shit.

Torsten. - Stay here. - Sorry.

Torsten, the label agreed. They're offering 100,000 in advance.

Maybe that was too much. - He just yells.

But we...

got under his skin.

Typical. - Maybe he can convince him.

I talked with my boss. All you have to do is sign. 50% for you.

I want 80%. - I don't know if I can do that.

55%? - 90%.

Fine. OK. You're in.

I'm glad we came to an agreement

after all the...

initial difficulties.

Hey,

who's that coming?

We've been friends for so long.

But separated for so long.

I wasn't sure we could connect again.

I sense something.

And we're getting closer. I sense something deep and old.

Something deep down in some crevice in us

that's really old

and smells old.

And I hope we can bring that something back to life.

I'd succeeded.

I'd lured the lions back into the ring.

My boss couldn't wait to welcome the three legends to our company.

We're all completely flashed by the idea of FRAKTUS 2011, totally refreshed.

The company is behind you,

from head office down to sales.

I'll tell you about us. We're a Full Fetch Company. Meaning 360 degrees.

Our philosophy is...

We won't talk about sales.

They generate themselves.

We called in our graphic designers.

Is that good?

It's pretty good, right?

That...

And what does ASL mean? - Awesome, isn't it?

What?

What does ASL mean? - What? What does ASL mean?

I just...

What does it mean? - Ape Seeks Love. - What does ASL mean?

Why? - How dumb can you be? What does ASL mean?

OK, friends. Peace. You can't really see the middle face, but what about the colors?

Good.

The colors are really good.

OK, boys. Get to work. - Bye.

That went amazingly well, right? Amazing.

After the contracts were signed, work began immediately.

My plan was to isolate FRAKTUS,

and have them work on new material in the seclusion of a tried and tested studio.

People, it's really taking off.

That's so awesome.

I'm moved.

Dettner handled the record contract, and now it's taking off.

People, um...

this is... don't you see, this is our spirit from back then.

Yes, that was... quite good. But let's try it again.

Dickie,

it'd be better if you got out and simply said nothing.

Why?

Dude!

Roger. - There he is.

Tissi. You old dog.

You're looking good. Man, oh, man.

This is FRAKTUS. - The patients?

Let's take a tour of the hallowed halls.

Good idea. - Follow me through the burning tires, tigers.

This is a bit... - Awesome.

Shut your eyes or we'll fizzle away.

What's down there? More of the studio? - Our instruments.

The galactic space organ.

What's this?

It's new, Roger. You've never seen it. - Tissi.

Wow. Chill room or what?

Yeah, man. Make yourselves comfortable, but once the job's done, OK?

It's simply incredible. The creative energy around FRAKTUS is indescribable.

I just lay out a few molds for them, and they start building.

I just press in a few shells,

and the castle's finished.

That's FRAKTUS.

Winnie.

Winnie.

As I was considering what FRAKTUS's conceptual core could be,

I knew it had to come from the sound.

The story of music has all been told.

Today, it's all about synthesis.

Putting totally unrelated things together.

And that was the idea with FRAKTUS: flute and techno.

Work in the studio is wonderful,

because it runs so smoothly.

I always say, it's like a butterfly.

The butterfly is...

Dickie, didn't you already tell us that in the internet cafe?

The butterfly with no ears.

With the body in the middle and wings? Bernd Wand was one and I...

Yeah, then carry on.

The other two have had nothing to do with music for the past 20 years,

so the easiest techniques are hard for them.

But one has to show understanding,

give them a computer to mess around with for a night,

and explain a thing or two.

Awesome. Fantastic. - No, listen.

The problem with this sound is that the effect's already...

We need two towels. - Towels? - Yes.

This is a studio, dude.

There's a shelf with towels down the hall.

Take a look near the entrance. - We will. - Thanks.

Dickie, listen. Let's continue what we'd planned:

looking for sounds between a background and horn. I'll put on another preset.

Cheers. - To the lady of the house. - Torsten...

Gaby, get us some towels, please. - Sure.

So what's the word on what we did today?

Right?

What do you think, Tissi?

Sure.

Good, right? - Yeah, right? - We did a decent job.

At least we let loose. Really...

We opened up the nest,

and all the birds flew away.

So, people. Are you guys into swing?

We're electronic musicians, not jazz.

But here's a...

swing band.

Join in if you like. On the house.

At first, I thought the bar was a bit seedy, but then I got talking to the people.

Mainly about techno,

and how it started in Germany.

And I noticed how tolerant they were.

It's like a sauna here, only better.

Want one?

I first heard about it through the band Vorsprung.

From Dusseldorf, I think.

They had a single in 1981 called...

"Teknoland" or "Technoland,"

spelled T E C H N O...

Join those two chicks there.

Of course, it wasn't like today's techno,

but the term was used then for the first time.

That was 1981, uh '80. 1980.

Oh, Lutschi. Hello.

What? No. - Please come!

It's just a bellyache.

A run-of-the-mill bellyache. Take an aspirin.

And lie down.

Or... or... or a...

hot water bottle.

It's nothing.

You do this every... Lutschi, stop yelling.

Oh, God. Roger...

People, are you serious?

That's feedback and nothing else. - You don't know. It might be our new sound.

It's pretty good. - You think?

Then leave it on.

I'll take a walk around the block and then listen to it.

Those are psycho-acoustics. You're clueless. - Let's stop for a second.

Come out. - Should we come over?

Sorry. Enough is enough. - Should we come over and listen?

Say something. They're not getting it together.

Put your foot down. Who's the manager? You or them? They'll never get it together.

Musically, I think Bage has a...

good sense of style.

He says the right things most of the time.

Dude, they've been in there for two weeks and haven't finished a song.

Give them time. They haven't seen each other for so long.

They need to reconnect, you know.

It's not my problem. Stay as long as you want.

You know the rates.

You'll pay, my boy. You'll pay.

Yeah.

Well.

It was good. It has potential. - What do you say, Tissi?

Not bad. Where are the lyrics?

Still under construction. They're in English, they need work.

I think you should play live again. You have to prove yourselves on stage.

I'm up for it.

This weekend, it's time again for one of the summer's hottest events:

the Melt Festival near Leipzig. All the greats will be there.

Pulp, Jan Delay and Deichkind will be there.

But everyone's waiting for the comeback of the year:

FRAKTUS is back, the electro-shockers from the 80s

will be on stage for the first time in over 25 years.

Isn't that awesome?

How you feeling?

Ready for the uber-rave?

But first, a teeny weeny surprise act.

They're from Brunsbuttel, a town near where I grew up.

They haven't played live for 25 years.

Nevertheless, I want you to clap

your arms, legs, feet and heads.

For the giants of the globe, FRAKTUS.

More than 25 years later,

the founders of modern electronic music,

the inventors of techno,

the legends are back.

Ape seeks love.

Ape seeks support.

Ape seeks warmth.

Or ape gets cold.

If there's a feeling

that you and your family have grown up with,

you have a crass connection to it. And when I heard

they might play again, that they're doing stuff again

and might do some kind of reunion or comeback,

I am... was happy to support them. But I'll never do that again.

Times have changed. There's more to it than just marching in

and thinking it's all in the bag.

You have to rehearse, and put thought into doing an awesome show.

You have to deliver a performance with choreography and all that.

Those who weren't FRAKTUS fans

found none of those things in that "show," if you can call it that.

Fuck you all.

Shit.

The saddest thing in the world

are men returning from a lost war.

We'd gone into battle,

and been forced to our knees.

Burnt to the ground, FRAKTUS were finally willing to accept help.

Help from someone who, up to now, had returned victorious from every battle.

I'm attracted to extremes:

making something out of anything that

at first glance doesn't look commercial.

Transforming that into a musical pearl

always grabs me, so I enjoy working on such projects.

Hello.

Have a seat. Allow me to introduce FRAKTUS. - Hi, guys. - Hi.

See, I think

we have to find our way back to the original, analog FRAKTUS sound.

It has to ignite. Bam. Pow.

The thing is, at some point

I need to see money. Every day I hang around in Germany, the meter's running.

Electricity for my two solid state consoles

is higher than your pensions. Alex, you know how high the costs are.

What everyone said is cool, but...

FRAKTUS is about more than just money.

Excuse me. May I finish? May I please finish speaking just once?

It's not just about money, but about

FRAKTUS's music helping people all over the world.

That's what it's about.

Let's go to studio one, to Nico, Europe's best engineer. No one's better.

I'm Dickie. - Nico. - Everyone's after him.

I have him 300 days a year.

This is the big studio, one of the most expensive consoles.

A "Dream Constellation." Only two exist. Both in these rooms.

B&W made the speakers.

One costs as much as a Learjet, but only the best for you.

I want you to feel at ease and know you're being taken care of.

Make yourselves at home, but actually...

Actually I'd like to work alone right now and prepare a few things.

Would you please take a seat in the waiting room? Have a sandwich.

Nico and I will set up and get us closer to a hit.

So please go out front.

Help yourselves to coffee and a sandwich.

Me, too? - Yes. It's better that way. So we can work in peace.

I'll sit here. - Too much activity.

Get a coffee, then we'll begin.

I'd suggest you get a coffee, too. I really need my peace and quiet.

I'd prefer that.

I'll leave my jacket here and will be right back.

Sure. Keep the guys company and we'll make the hits.

Right. - Thanks.

To be honest, it's a bit sobering.

I was told I'd meet legends.

But this wasn't so legendary.

You notice they're a bit rusty.

They're no longer as fresh as they were. Rather, they need a kick

to get back to where they want to be.

Let's hear the drums.

Not so great. What's the sequencer doing?

That.

Remember that? - Totally. - You're on the dance floor.

These chicks came up barefoot, lay down their purses and danced around them.

Fox trot, because they didn't have dance partners. Big fat betties.

That's what it sounds like. God, they're a bunch of clowns.

What else do we have? A synth melo? - It's no good either.

Must've thought they were Kraftwerk.

Exactly.

What do we do? I can't use any of these tracks.

Difficult. - It's all trash.

Close that. We'll do our new material and throw out their dusty, analog stuff.

Everyone gets our 909 Hitbase Drum. Give it to them, too.

Let's roll. We're ready to go.

The boys are really excited.

Not there on the console, please.

Can't you sit back there? - Sure.

The console is so expensive. You'd have to sell your house and ranch.

Now that's a bass drum.

Some rattles and a little...

snare. High hats. Whatever we have.

I suggest we replace all the synths with our presets.

Yes, that has more aggression. - Absolutely.

I'd like to try other vocals.

You mean it's... no longer Dickie?

No, I've prepared something good. It has to be good.

Of course. - This isn't about egos. - No, we're completely modest.

Have you heard of us? FRAKTUS.

No. Yes. - We're working with Alex, too.

We're currently the world's oldest techno band.

How's it going back there, Alex?

Good. - Yeah? Making progress? - Yes.

It's going well. - Could I watch you work?

Honestly, it'd be better if you don't.

Maybe I can help. It's our music.

No, you need distance to the material. It's important to see it from the outside.

Or your opinion gets distorted. - I see. - Yes.

Do you think Alex can make something out of "Ape Seeks Love?"

I don't know if he thinks he can, but we're here because he can, Winnie.

Understand?

How does he do it?

By switching the...

parts of the song

that people

wouldn't normally react to in the charts.

If they heard those parts in the charts, they'd go away,

and not look at the charts anymore.

So he's making those parts the way they'd be in the charts.

Thanks, Yazz. Fantastic as ever. - Sure.

See you around. - See you around.

Bye, Alex. - Bye. - Bye.

Ready, guys? For some work in the studio?

Sure. - Listening to music?

Where you belong. - Torsten.

Torsten. - Bage. Here we go.

Awesome. - I hope you're as excited as I am.

This will take you to the next dimension. - Cool.

Play it for them.

Ape seeks love.

Ape seeks love.

Ape seeks comfort.

Ape seeks warmth.

Or ape gets cold.

Ape seeks friends. Ape in danger.

Ape seeks people, or ape be dead.

Dead. Dead.

Or ape be dead.

Ape seeks love.

What?

Shit. Watch what you're doing.

I didn't do a thing. - Of course you did.

No... - I said left, right, left. You're doing it with your entire body.

But that singer stole my song.

I don't care about that.

I'm the choreographer. You do what I say.

Know what those things cost? We've been filming for 45 minutes.

They're still fine. - They're not fine at all. Take your shit.

Really. - Get out. Get them out.

How did you get a record contract?

Get out. - Man.

Get rid of that shit. We'll try it again with the singers only.

Get lost. Turn that thing off. Piss off with your friends.

Get lost. Piss off.

Dickie.

Know what, Winnie?

I think I just broke my nose.

What should we do now?

What should we do?

Winnie,

piss off.

Just go. Enough.

Enough gawking already.

MAKEUP

Torsten, how do you feel?

I'm just tired.

For me, the journey's over,

and the adventure of FRAKTUS, too.

And what I blame myself for

is that in the end

I sincerely believed something would come of it.

Roger,

don't go.

Well, some bands come here and I know right away:

number 12, 3, and 1 hits.

I see it right away. Then there are bands you have to push.

Invest some money and at some point there's a return.

And other bands,

there's nothing you can do for them.

Nothing anyone can do.

What?

Another round of fresh, hot French fries. Anything else?

Five ouzos, please. - Sure.

Costas? Five for me, too.

Guys, I have a confession to make. I...

don't want to keep you in the dark. It's my fault. I...

turned you on to this. I brought you all together.

I organized all this.

I thought FRAKTUS could fit into the 21st century, but I was wrong.

It's my fault.

That's total nonsense.

Roger, in your own special way,

you're a total zero.

The fact that we didn't recognize that makes us all terribly sorry.

You don't know a thing about music,

and that's not your fault. Stuff happens that's beyond your control.

That's the end of it, summa cum laude, and the problem is: we have to leave.

Roger, take care. It's on us. - I didn't order them.

Never mind.

This is for you: restroom tickets from the autobahn.

You can trade them in for munchies.

Thanks. - You're welcome.

Roger.

Roger...

What'll you do now?

Turn that off.

Tell me. What'll you do now?

I said turn off the camera! - Calm down.

Jerk-off.

Watch it.

What do you want? - Look how submissive you are.

You can do your... - Leech.

crap nature lounge music, jerk-off. - Asshole.

Stop it. - Drink ten more ouzos.

Or I could kill you.

Turn off the camera.

Kiss my ass. - Get lost.

Go home, retard.

What a loser.

What do you want? Go home. Go away.

Shut your mouth.

Go away.

Winnie, you asshole, turn around.

Roger.

Good evening, Hamburg.

Rampage at Schlagermove.

250,000 people were partying wildly at Germany's largest pop music parade

when a 40-year-old man inexplicably started a rampage,

leaving a trail of destruction and injuring several people.

Bahrenfeld, Hamburg, the day after.

No more signs of the drama that began here last night.

At 10:35 PM, an intoxicated man entered and vandalized this kebab establishment.

Neighbors notified the police, but the unidentified man fled toward St. Pauli.

The owner of the kebab grill was under shock but unharmed.

Last night slow. One come early,

steal my kebab, throw down shelves.

I call police.

While fleeing from the police, he seriously damaged a U3 subway train

before joining the party on the Reeperbahn.

The apparently confused man was followed by up to 50 onlookers,

none of whom intervened.

Get lost.

Get lost.

The man approached Jurgen Drews doubles at the Fish Auction Hall,

and swung wildly with the kebab. Two men were struck on the head.

Fortunately, emergency medics on location treated the victims.

That wasn't enough for the confused man.

At dawn, he holed up on the roof of a record company,

tearing down parts of the logo and throwing them from the roof.

This is an assault on the German music industry.

Deranged individuals

have no business in this country.

Shortly after, the vandal went downtown

and all trace of him was lost. Police request assistance in their search.

Anyone with information should contact the nearest police station.

lnsane.

I didn't think he had it in him. Respect. - Taxi's here. Let's go.

I see an icy wasteland.

Endless distance. Three figures on the horizon approaching me.

One of them:

gruff, fleshy, stocky form.

Blond locks under a white helmet.

The second, a white Masai with soft hips.

Man and mustache, thin as tungsten wire.

Hermaphrodite.

Bitchy.

The third, a black devil

with teeth as white as pigeon shit.

Suddenly, I see them before me in full size,

and I see they're hanging by strings.

They're marionettes.

They look small, fawning, broken.

And I call to them: Tear the strings.

Shed your skins.

Become again what you once were.

Let's return to the place where your hearts stopped beating.

I think he means us.

And Turbine.

Dickie, Turbine is gone.

Besides, we're completely out of cash.

Luckily, money isn't an issue here.

Have you lost your mind or what?

Listen.

I just met a Russian guy on the Internet

with 200 million Euros stashed in Senegal.

Will you let me finish? Hello. - Yeah, sure.

If I send him my passport, power of attorney and account number,

he'll transfer all the money to Germany.

Then this guy will bring the suitcase with all the money straight to my house.

Yeah, sure, Dickie. Sure.

It's not about money, it's about you.

Yes, it was about FRAKTUS.

About the soul of FRAKTUS:

the analog sequencer,

the beater, the light wringer,

and Rodelius, the electric bagpipe.

Turbine had burned down, but footage from that night confirmed my visions:

The concert organizer had rescued the instruments from the flames.

Their hearts hadn't stopped beating.

I found out they'd survived all those years

in a warehouse on the edge of town.

For simplicity's sake, I decided we'd pick up the instruments ourselves.

Let's go.

Roger, go.

Man, Winnie.

Let's do it differently this time.

You do it. And give me the camera.

Me? Why me? - I'll tell you later.

Oh, shit.

Fucking idiot. Really.

Abort? This is too dangerous.

He's coming. - Open the door.

It's full of stuff. Awesome, right?

Oh, shit.

Shit.

Winnie, turn that off. Turn it off.

But how? - What an idiot. Turn it off, man.

There, you idiot.

Shit.

Get in. We're out of here.

Everyone here? - Yeah.

Oh, fuck. Cops.

Shit, the cops.

Something happen here? - Yeah, well...

someone broke into that garage. - Oh, my.

Now it was as clear as day: A concert with the original instruments

at the location where it all ended could break the curse.

Come now.

Come now with me.

Into the underground, yeah.

Let's go. - Let's go?

Come on, Winnie.

Underground, yeah.

That works.

Awesome.

Hey, watch this.

And...

Come on.

Posters everywhere. Now that's promotion!

Let's see how it turned out.

Look. Awesome.

The whole city will see it. - No one will see it.

Huh? - You can't even see it from here.

Anyone who sees that there is bound to come. - Definitely.

The one person who happens to be up there once a year? - Still.

People, I'm moved. After 25 years, we've finally landed where it finally all began.

Dickie, stop acting for the camera.

I thought that's routine. - Not today.

Roger. - Morning, boys. - Morning.

The PA is here.

You're at the right place. This is our concert hall.

The circle is complete. We're playing where it all ended.

Maybe we'll start all over again. In a parking garage.

A parking garage is a massive amplifier.

We'll shoot our sounds into the garage, and what'll come out,

no one knows yet.

Not even Dettner. It's a grand experiment.

Look.

If this is the body,

then this is...

the heart. Now look.

The original FRAKTUS sound.

If we add the light organ, and I do this...

What a sound. - Awesome.

Winnie? - That's sound.

Invented by the maestro. - Bravo.

The brilliance of FRAKTUS is that it originates in real time.

You turn on the instruments and see what happens. There's no composition.

The composition emanates from the process, which is impossible on a computer.

On a computer, I have to know what I'm doing. Here, it flows by itself.

I switch on and react to the instruments.

The machines play me, of course, or in this case FRAKTUS.

I also invented things that aren't as complicated as Bernie's,

but we're known for this electric bagpipe, too.

Great.

It's a mixture of analog instrument and technology.

It includes both.

Aren't you afraid it might turn out like at the Melt?

If it doesn't work out with FRAKTUS now,

it wouldn't be that bad. If it really doesn't work, we'll just do FRAKTUS II.

I already do FRAKTUS II with my parents.

FRAKTUS III, then.

We'll start FRAKTUS III again.

I'd give these two a chance to join me in FRAKTUS III.

I'd like to keep it separate.

I mean, I'll keep up FRAKTUS II with my parents,

like I've been doing.

And we'll do

something different with FRAKTUS III.

Yeah. Like FRAKTUS I. Like FRAKTUS, actually.

That'd be one possibility.

Come on, guys. Let's do it.

Gimme an F.

F. - F.

Gimme an R. - R.

An A. - A.

Gimme a T. - T.

Gimme a U. - U.

Gimme an S. - S.

What's it spell? - FRAKTUS.

But he said FRATUS. - He meant FRAKTUS.

He said FRATUS. - Are you nuts or what?

He should say FRAKTUS. - We can't go out like this.

I think it's here.

No, this is wrong.

Down here.

FRAKTUS! - OK. Ready?

What kind of shit is this? - Come on. It has to be here.

Oh, man.

Nothing again.

People, this way. What's keeping you?

And even more power. Awesome. - Winnie, let's go.

Have fun.

Let's rock.

What's that?

Hi, people.

Hmm.

What now?

I don't know either.

Shit.

I never expected that. We walked into the concert hall,

and no one was there. I thought it'd be a disaster.

Then people came running in. I think they couldn't find the concert hall.

Suddenly it was full. And it was awesome.

FRAKTUS.

Ready?

Private party, no one gets in.

Private party,

no one gets out.

I want out.

Of this madhouse.

Let me out.

Of your madhouse.

This is the ice age.

Ice age.

It's the worst-case scenario.

Hear it coming? It's coming, it's coming. It's the worst-case scenario.

Worst-case scenario.

The worst-case scenario has arrived.

Warning. Warning.

Feelings verboten.

People,

this is the man

we owe everything to.

Roger

Dettner.

There's nothing more charming than old jeans-wearing guys in a comeback mood.

All I can say is, these three sweet psychos deserve their success,

and I'll continue working with them. There are many more parking garages to play.

Whynotski? I'm up for it.

"Kleidersammlung." (Clothing Drive)

I want out.

Of this madhouse.

Gimme your teeth.

In Gutersloh, Paderborn, Wuppertal, Oldenburg,

people are living all over.

In Offenbach, Birkenfeld, Tubingen, Rosenheim,

people are at home all over.

In Bielefeld, Osnabruck, Memmingen, Regensburg,

people are living all over.

In Wilhelmshaven, Magdeburg, Norderstedt, Hildesheim...

Cool gig. Who would've thought?

I wish the boys good luck for their tour. If I manage,

I'll stop by.

It's the only band doing it right on tour

by bringing out the old analog instruments.

That's the right approach.

Helmut Kohl had more to do with the reunification

than FRAKTUS with the techno movement.

FRAKTUS is great. - Yeah.

FRAKTUS are masters. - Absolutely.

The best! - Why does no one remember them?

I don't know, but they're the best.

So cool. - Fantastic.

People, look.

Isn't that sweet?

My first twins.

Twins? - You're Lutschi?

Yeah. - So you're not a Dettner either.

Dettner, come here.

You're so wicked.

Is there a Dickie Schubert here?

Me. Why?

The Russian money from Kenya is here.

What? - Two million. - No.

What did I tell you? - No way.

I can't believe it. - It's real.

At 7:37 AM, the maniac at large who injured several people at this year's Schlagermove

and caused over 100,000 Euros in damages

was arrested after a concert of the pop band FRAKTUS.

My commodore,

what have they got in store for us,

these evil, cold people?

They're phasing us out.

We're no longer modern. We'll land on the trash heap.

Soon, new computers will come that are faster and better than us.

We have to defend ourselves.

We can't defend ourselves.

Then let's run away.

Subtitles by SUBS Hamburg Matthew Way