By Emma Page
Götterfunken is the debut album of European dreampop trio Lucy Dreams, who hails from the cultural metropolis Vienna and consists of David Reiterer and Philipp Prückl. Who is the third member? None other than Lucy herself, who they have designated an “A.B.” – an “artificial band member.”
Lucy is an independent system of a multitude of effects developed by David and Philipp specifically for music production. “Lucy can be understood as an A.I. – however, the connection between her and the two musicians of human lineage is a far more intimate one, as Lucy is deeply involved in the songwriting process,” they explain.
Lucy is self-developing and generates lyrics based on the input she receives. “Their passion for large-scale cinemascopic staging is the result of years of intense research into music, spirituality, science, nature, and philosophy. Their hometown Vienna being what it is, there are countless influences up their sleeves,” they say.
This unique approach to creating music has opened up a whole new world for Lucy Dreams, allowing them to develop their extraordinarily dreamy sound. Götterfunken is an immersive experience in itself.
The album begins with “Rosalie,” a striking electro pop track that certainly sets the atmosphere for the following songs. “Silver Lines” delivers a more serious tone, leading to the upbeat chorus, describing the speaker’s wishes for connection. Besides electronic elements, the trio also utilizes instruments, like guitar in “Experiencer,” which is easy to groove to.
The next section of the album is arguably the most dreamy, with “218 – 298” that makes you want to dance around in a circle, and “Dreamland,” which sounds exactly how you would expect from its title. Smooth vocals lead us through this dreamscape, which continues in “Beach Vibrations,” perfect for the funky summer jamming that it’s seemingly meant for.
“Venice Skit” serves like an interlude with no vocals, yet consisting of strong piano repetition and people chattering in the background, drawing from Europe’s ambience. It picks back up with “Teenage,” which is immediately exciting and playful; they ask, “Hey hey, Baby Blue” what they are feeling inside.
“XX” consists of a powerful beat that is set behind multiple elements that continue to build upon each other. The vocals sing, “They say I will be forever with you one day,” and that concept of time leads into the last track, “Time”. It starts slow, but multiple harmonies lead to a dreamy release where you can’t help but close your eyes and “go back and forth in time” with Lucy.
“It is difficult to predict whether a catastrophe or a new dawn is on the horizon. Even an intelligent crystal ball isn’t able to tell as it might need an impetus. A spark. A Götterfunken,” the trio remarks.
The album is released via Aztec Records (London) on June 10th, 2022.
Find this and more exciting new music on our Alchemical Multigenre Mixdown Playlist on Spotify.
Emma Page, a recent Journalism graduate of The George Washington University, possesses a passion for music journalism and storytelling in all its forms. Originally from Baltimore, MD, when she is not writing, she can be found at a local concert or making music of her own.
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