What shall be written about a record that speaks so clearly, deeply and profoundly in each and every song? What can be said about an album that arrives with an urgency and delivers a life-affirming quality to its creator like this album? Well, almost nothing I'd say other than that I feel honoured and happy to be able to release the first solo album of one of my best friends - Friedemann, well known as shouter of the German hardcore outfit COR.

Friedemann has been part of my own life, my family's, my friends' and the label's life for over 10 years now and I was eagerly awaiting the moment when he would be ready to record and deliver a solo album, revealing his unique soul and approach to music and content.

Now that time has come. "Uhr vs. Zeit" is an album full of honesty, wisdom and poetry, fueled by experience and a life lived by and beyond the limits.

The songs colour an approach to storytelling in its truest sense, sung and harmonised in his native language, German, but so deep and soulful that everyone will be able to relate and feel.

While he is rolling a wreath of songs off his tongue, Friedemann extols an attitude in songwriting that leaves behind your traditional narrative approach and meta-level storytelling.

In Friedmann, we don't have a singer/songwriter who remains on the safe side while taking a third-person perspective rather, he almost radically unsheathes his own soul and life history into the lyrics.

There aren't many songwriters in music history who we could name with a comparably distinct attitude - Townes Van Zandt, Nick Drake or Sixto Rodriguez would be the only ones coming to mind.

Well known as singer and lyricist behind the German Hardcore act COR - stalwarts of an uncompromising and strict D.I.Y attitude, who run their own label, booking and distribution - Friedemann has been earning merits for being one of the most true and independent figures in the German music underground.

He would never mince matters by revealing political statements through music and his fans loyally appreciate these views, not taking side or being streamlined by day to day politics.

COR f.i. just returned from a 3-weeks tour through Cuba, making them the first foreign band ever that has played a full tour in that country.

While raising funds through a crowdfunding platform they were faced with American embargo politics towards Cuba and the raised money being frozen in by PayPal while they simultaneously collected three overseas containers full of musical equipment to hand out to Cuban artists and schools for free - this just to illustrate that we meet an artist here who is not talking bullshit.

A lot has been written and talked about regarding the therapy and catharsis of music in the past but rarely has an album incorporated these cornerstones as much as "Uhr vs.

Zeit" does. Driven by inner struggles, breakdowns, anger and rage as well as times of sheer bliss, the lyrics on this album seem to float naturally, revealing pretty much all and everything you need to know about the man behind it.

The lyrical content hereby ranges from very personal intent, explaining his viewpoint to radical political statements taking side for the exploited and minorities.

The album was recorded and produced by Friedemann himself with help from friends like Janko Moede, Conny Ochs, who lends guitar and vocals.