Tocotronic

Tocotronic is a German rock band founded in 1993. Similar to Blumfeld or Die Sterne they are considered a part of the Hamburger Schule movement. They are influential for bands such as Wir sind Helden.
Tocotronic got signed to L' Age D' Or, a German independent record label situated in Hamburg, in 1994 after quickly gaining popularity in the local scene. Their early style consists of ironic sloganeering and almost diary-like songwriting, paired with a lo-fi rock sound with elements of punk rock and grunge. In 1995, they released their debut album "Digital ist besser", followed by their second album "Nach der verlorenen Zeit" only a few months later. Their third album, released in 1996, was the first to hit the German charts. The music got more complex over time, their lyrics less direct, resulting in a sound that was compared to that of Pavement on Tocotronic's 1999 album "K.O.O.K". The self-titled "White Album", released in 2002, features dreamlike songs; metaphoric, heavily produced, highly polished, it completes a slow but steady course away from their early works.