DERO GOI, former frontman of ‘Neue Deutsche Härte’ pioneers OOMPH!, has inked a multi-album deal with Dependent Records. His newly-founded retro-synth project will release its first album via the label in early 2023.
DERO GOI comments: “After more than 30 years of fronting OOMPH!, I am more than glad to have found an internationally experienced, reliable, and committed partner, who is well understanding about my new musical direction”, the frontman writes. “Already at the first meeting, it clearly transpired that we will be able to work well together and that my desire for artistic freedom is both taken seriously and accepted. This is my basic requirement for a successful collaboration. I am also thrilled to be able to release my new songs worldwide this autumn via Dependent. I also very much appreciate that label manager Stefan Herwig is a veteran of the scene like me, who grew up about the same time and experienced similar musical influences as I did.”
Stefan Herwig welcomes DERO GOI to the label: “When out of the blue, we received an offer to listen to Dero’s demo, we ended up highly impressed”, the Dependent director relates. “Particularly his vocals are exceptional as they reveal an outstanding singer. It does not happen often that harmonies from a demo keep spinning in the head for days after, but Dero’s did this big time. His songs are both catchy and fresh. And last but not least, despite all his previous achievements and his success story, Dero has remained a pleasant and down to earth conversationalist.”
DERO GOI is anything but a conformist artist. Always outspoken and never shy to share his views, his coming out as a Born Again Christian in 2020 and declared libertarian political leaning have provoked a wide range of reactions.
At a closer look, neither his intensive preoccupation with religion nor social commentary are new elements in his work as an artist. As the vocalist and drummer of ‘Neue Deutsche Härte’ (“new German hardness”) pioneers OOMPH!, DERO GOI‘s lyrics have dealt with the global economic crisis on ‘Zwei Schritte vor’ (“two steps forward”) from the album “Des Wahnsinns fette Beute” (“in the mouth of madness”), and the track ‘Sandmann’ with child poverty in Germany. Examples of the former agnostic struggling with organised religion are manifold on such tracks as ‘Feiert das Kreuz’ (“celebrate the cross”), ‘Hast du geglaubt’ (“did you believe”), ‘Schisma’ (“schism”), ‘I.N.R.I. vs. Jahwe’, ‘Gott ist ein Popstar’ (“hod is a pop star”) , ‘Gekreuzigt’ (“crucified”) among many others.
Before DERO GOI, who was born as Stephan Musiol on April 16, 1970 in the German city of Wolfsburg, founded OOMPH! in 1989, he already played in a band with his friend Thomas Döppner aka OOMH! guitarist and co-founder Crap at the age of 15 while both were still attending high school. His musical influences display an open mind to stylistic diversity as DERO GOI names among others D.A.F. NITZER EBB, FRONT 242, THE CURE, KILLING JOKE, EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN, , AC/DC, DEPECHE MODE, EXTRABREIT, KRAFTWERK, THE BEATLES, ELVIS PRESLEY, and ABBA.
Underlining his wide range of musical interests, DERO GOI announced the Swing project WHAT ABOUT BILL joined by Christian Wolff in November 2012.
When DERO GOI left OOMPH! at the end of September 2021, all kinds of speculations followed, while the explanation is rather simple. Both sides had developed into different directions in musical as well as lyrical aspects, and it was just the right choice to take instead of plowing ahead into endless arguments and conflict.
First excerpts from his upcoming solo-project have already hinted that DERO GOI will move into a more electronic direction than the songs previously heard of him. Don’t expect the singer to hold back or shut up. His debut will be released via Dependent this year.
Links
www.facebook.com/goidero
www.instagram.com/derogoiofficial
