VINYL LP + digital download
38:27 min
limited to 200 copies
core 025
Release date: 19 October 2024

• Recorded and mixed 2013-2019 by Thomas Stern at Sternstaubstudio, Berlin
• Mastered by Douglas Henderson
• Artist portraits by Hasan Akyol
• Cover design by Wendelin Büchler

” (…) This album is an emotional rollercoaster of absurdity – part homage, part reinvention – where Clementi’s vocal acrobatics and Stern’s textural mastery turn Schwitters’ surreal words into sound-poetry fireworks.”
— Chain D.L.K. (USA)

” (…) Für’s gutbürgerliche Feuilleton ist die LP “Doppelmoppel – Poems by Kurt Schwitters” aber vielleicht doch zu ambitioniert-avanciert (…) Für Schwitters Freunde und Sound Poetry Fans ein kleines Fest.”
— Westzeit (DE)

“(…) The short, punchy tracks are guaranteed to catch listeners off guard.”
— A Closer Listen (USA)

“(…) Anna Clementi und Thomas Stern liefern ein Paradebeispiel dafür, wie Kurt Schwitters heute klingen kann und muss.”
— Radiohoerer (DE)

“Doppelmoppel: Poems by Kurt Schwitters” by Anna Clementi and Thomas Stern is an eccentric, sonic collision of dadaist poetry and experimental sound, shaping Schwitters’ poetic chaos into modern soundscapes. This album is an emotional rollercoaster of absurdity – part homage, part reinvention – where Clementi’s vocal acrobatics and Stern’s textural mastery turn Schwitters’ surreal words into sound-poetry fireworks.

Tracks like “Sie puppt mit Puppen” and “An Anna Blume” blend humor, tension, and nostalgia, drenched in pots, pans, backwards guitars, and snow (yes, snow). If Kurt Schwitters were to hear this, he’d probably tip his avant-garde hat, then ask for more reverb.

Clementi’s voice has an almost operatic reverence for Schwitters, while Stern’s soundscapes evoke the same disorienting chaos you might expect if a Korg MS-20 fell into a blender with a broomstick and space echo. It’s not for everyone, but it doesn’t try to be.

There’s a frenetic charm in the absurd brevity of tracks like “Husten Scherzo” and “Doppelmoppel”, both less than a minute but packed with wild energy. Yet, moments of pure atmosphere, like the haunting “Just in the middle/Autumn (Love Song)”, offer the listener a brief respite from the madness, grounding you in something almost like a lullaby. Almost.

Schwitters’ poems, like “An Anna Blume”, blur the line between nonsense and deep commentary, offering a satirical and emotional critique of modern life. His signature style, Merz – a term he coined to describe his artistic worldview – celebrates the absurd, dissects language, and mocks conventional norms.

In the album, Clementi and Stern take Schwitters’ words and transform them into a chaotic sound universe. Pieces like “Doppelmoppel” or “Lied der Miss ElektrizitÄt” retain the absurd humor of Schwitters’ work, with Clementi using her voice to embody the fragmented, nonsensical style of his poetry. In contrast, compositions like the previously mentioned “Just in the middle/Autumn (Love Song)” turn more introspective, creating sonic space for reflection amidst the absurd.

Schwitters’ use of parody, disjointed syntax, and surreal imagery is reflected through the duo’s sonic arrangements, employing a mix of backward guitars, brooms, and even the sound of snow to create a world as peculiar as the poet’s. His poems often flirt with the nonsensical but possess an undercurrent of biting commentary on the fragmentation of language and meaning, and Stern’s rich sonic textures enhance this through deconstruction and collage techniques.

Clementi’s vocal delivery morphs from pure recital to experimental vocalizations, matching Schwitters’ tonal shifts between playful and critical. Schwitters’ poems like “Sie puppt mit Puppen” poke fun at daily banalities, while “The real disuda of the nightmare” is more existential and abstract, all enhanced by the duo’s ingenious sound manipulations.

The result is a collision between Schwitters’ disruptive poetry and a sonic environment that mimics the poet’s surreal world, balancing between the serious and the nonsensical, creating a soundscape that honors the poet’s spirit of rebellion against linguistic and cultural norms.
— Vito Camarretta, Chain D.L.K. (USA)

For words – plus a really wild delivery – go to DOPPELMOPPEL – Poems by Kurt Schwitters, from Anna Clementi & Thomas Stern. The short, punchy tracks are guaranteed to catch listeners off guard, even after the warning (Corvo, October 19).
— Postrockcafe, A Closer Listen (USA)

“(…) Dazu erklingt Kurt Schwitters’ Gedicht Sie puppt mit Puppen aus dem Jahr 1944. Schon zu Beginn wird es fragmentiert, Zeilen purzeln hin und her, bis die Wörter sich im elektronischen Beatbox-Teppich auflösen. Aus dem rhythmisch-zerstückelten Geplapper kristallisieren sich einzelne Worte. Am Ende ist der kurze Text chronologisch in Gänze zu hören (…)
— Charlie Bendisch, Friederike Horstmann, Sixpackfilm (AT)

Zum Ende noch etwas HochKultur: Für’s gutbürgerliche Feuilleton ist die LP “Doppelmoppel – Poems by Kurt Schwitters” (Corvo) aber vielleicht doch zu ambitioniert-avanciert. ANNA CLEMENTI & THOMAS STERN haben sich dafür gemeinsam Texte vom OberDada Kurt Schwitters vorgenommen (ich weiß schon, dass Johannes Baader der offizielle Oberdada war, aber wer wird denn kleinlich sein). Das tönende Resultat besteht aus typischer “ich bin ausgebildete Sprecherin”-SprachPerformance, ein wenig OnomatoPoesie und dezenten elektronischen Verschränkungen (zu denen irgendwie auch der ja leider schon vor 20 Jahren verschiedene MS-20-Gott Chrislo Haas posthum beiträgt). Für Schwitters Freunde und Sound Poetry Fans ein kleines Fest.”
— Jazzjanzkurz, Westzeit (DE)

What were some of your earliest collaborations? How do you look back on them with hindsight?

With Tosca (Rupert Huber & Richard Dorfmeister) and following a collaboration with Rupert Huber, who encouraged me to start doing my own stuff …

There are many potential models for collaboration, from live performances and jamming/producing in the same room together up to file sharing. Which of these do you prefer – and why?

I like jamming/producing and live performances.

I enjoy sharing and exchanging energy and creativity on all levels.

How did this particular collaboration come about?

I’ve known Stern for many years. I think we met in 1991 something. Only 10 years later I started feeling that it was about time to start something new. So I asked Stern if he would be willing to record some vocals. Then we started arranging the vocals and so on.

Everything just happened. I think it took us one afternoon to find out that there was a lot of potential in this collaboration.

What did you know about each other before working together? Describe your creative partner in a few words, please.

As I mentioned, we met in 1991 or 1992. He was involved in an opera by Iris ter Schiphorst and I was the soloist. It was a one woman opera. But I got to know him better after 2001.

I really liked that we were both very honest and very fast in making decisions. I still enjoy working with him. We listen to each other and are very direct. And we trust each other. I like that he never tries to please anyone. In general.

What do you generally look for in a collaborator and what made you want to collaborate with each other specifically?

I did like his ‘simplicity’. Honest, direct and clear.

Tell me a bit about your current instruments and tools, please. In which way do they support creative exchange and collaborations with others?

My tool is my voice, my creativity. And of course my brain.

Stern has all the technical tools and an immense knowledge. He is creative and often understands what I’m aiming for without me having to explain a lot of things. We basically always have fun!

Before you started making music together, did you in any form exchange concrete ideas, goals, or strategies? Generally speaking, what are your preferences when it comes to planning vs spontaneity in a collaboration?

We didn’t. We just started. Generally speaking I follow my gut feeling.

Describe the process of working together, please. What was different from your expectations and what did the other add to the music?

Well … I had no expectations at all. And I prefer spontaneity.

I usually have an idea, a seed, take it to the studio and see what comes out. If nothing comes out, I don’t insist too much. I wait for the next idea.

Is there a piece which shows the different aspects you each contributed to the process particularly clearly?

Not really. He works on effects and sounds. I search for the vocality. But in the end it all goes together.

Sometimes I come back to the studio and he welcomes me with new ideas and sounds and vice versa.

What tend to be the best collaborations in your opinion? Those with artists you have a lot in common with or those where you have more differences? What happens when another musician take you outside of your comfort zone?

Of course it’s great to have a lot in common. But that doesn’t mean taste or musical background. I believe in the right energy.

The challenge of being taken outside the comfort zone can be very exciting. One should always check for what’s outside the comfort zone.

Decisions between creatives often work without words. How did this process work in this case?

Often without words. Or … a few words could be: ‘that’s crap’ let’s delete it!’

Then we laugh and go on.

What are your thoughts on the need for compromise vs standing by one’s convictions? How did you resolve potential disagreements in this collaboration?

I think listening to each other and trying to understand the different point of view is fundamental. Also in life. Openness feeds creativity.

Was/Is this collaboration fun – does it need to be?

It was and it is.

Do you find that thanks to this collaboration, you changed certain parts of your process or your outlook on certain creative aspects?

I think so. I think I found a new freedom.

Collaborating with one’s heroes can be a thrill or a cause for panic. Do you have any practical experience with this and what was it like?

The thrill, the challenge, the panic makes you grow. When I first performed ‘Pierrot Lunaire’ at the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum. The director was Urs Troller, an amazing theatre person. It was all by memory, staged and choreographed.

I wished the theatre would burn down. I was scared to death. But then it was magical …and I learned so much from that experience.
— 15questions.net (USA)

Wie sollte Kurt Schwitters heute klingen und ist das überhaupt noch zeitgemäß? Nun, Anna Clementi und Thomas Stern liefern ein Paradebeispiel dafür, wie Kurt Schwitters heute klingen kann und muss. Anna Clementi macht mit ihrer stimmlichen Gewandtheit aus Kurt Schwitters‘ Versen heutige Klangpoesie, Sie begreift die Texte von Kurt Schwitters als Material,und dank ihrer großen Erfahrung hat sie ein Gespür für die Möglichkeiten, die ihnen zur Verfügung stehen. Und das so überzeugend, dass mir nichts anderes mehr einfällt. Und Thomas Stern weiß sie bei ihren Vokalausflügen zu unterstützen und zu beflügeln. Ein Vergnügen der besonderen Art und Kurt wäre sicher begeistert, denn so soll er heute klingen. Genau so!
— Port Fuzzle, Radiohoerer (DE)