Till Lindemann (German pronunciation:[tɪlˈlɪndəman]; born 4 January 1963) is a German singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and lyricist of Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein and solo project Lindemann. Rammstein has sold over 25 million records worldwide, with five of their albums receiving platinum status, and Lindemann has been listed among the "50 Greatest Metal Frontmen of All Time" by Roadrunner Records. Lindemann has also appeared in minor roles in films and has also published three books of poetry. He has presented some of his original poems and scripts to galleries.
Lindemann was born on 4 January 1963 in Leipzig (then in East Germany),[1][2] the son of Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) journalist Brigitte Hildegard "Gitta" Lindemann and poet Werner Lindemann.[3] His parents first met at a conference in Bitterfeld in 1959.[4] He grew up in Wendisch-Rambow alongside his younger sister, Saskia.[3][5] At age 11, Lindemann went to a sports school at the sports club SC Empor Rostock,[5] and attended a boarding school from 1977 to 1980.[5] His parents lived separately for career reasons after 1975, and divorced when Lindemann was still young.[6] He lived with his father for a short time, but the relationship was unhealthy; in the book Mike Oldfield im Schaukelstuhl, his father wrote about his own problems with alcoholism and the difficulties of being a father to a teenage Lindemann.[7]
In 1978, Lindemann participated in the European Junior Swimming Championships in Florence, finishing 11th in the 1500 m freestyle and 7th in the 400 m freestyle, swimming a time of 4'17"58; he was shortlisted to go to the 1980 Olympics in Moscow,[6] but left the sport due to an injury.[8] According to Lindemann, "I never liked the sport school actually, it was very intense. But as a child you don't object."[1] He later worked as an apprentice carpenter, a gallery technician, a peat cutter, and a basket weaver.[9] His mother dedicated a letter titled Mein Sohn, der Frontmann von Rammstein ("My son, the frontman of Rammstein") to Lindemann in 2009.[10] The first album he owned was Deep Purple's Stormbringer.[11]
Lindemann at a Rammstein concert during a performance of "Engel", wearing angel wings fitted with flamethrowers in 2012
Lindemann started to play drums for Schwerin-based experimental rock band First Arsch in 1986,[12] who released an album titled Saddle Up in 1992, and played one song ("Lied von der unruhevollen Jugend") with a punk band called Feeling B, which was the former band of Rammstein members Paul Landers, Christoph Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz in 1989.[12] During his time in Feeling B, he played the drums in the band.[12] In the 1990s, Lindemann began to write lyrics. In 1994, the band entered and won a contest in Berlin that allowed them to record a four track demo professionally. When questioned as to why Rammstein was named after the Ramstein air show disaster,[13] he said he viewed images of the incident on television, and that he and the bandmates wanted to make a musical memorial.[14]
Lindemann then moved to Berlin. During Rammstein's early years, because of his use of over-the-top pyrotechnics, Lindemann has burned his ears, hair and arms.[15] Bandmate Christoph Schneider commented, "Till gets burned all the time, but he likes the pain."[15] An incident in September 1996 caused a section of the band's set to burn, and as a result, Lindemann got his certification in pyrotechnics so the band could perform with pyrotechnics more safely than it had previously.[9][16]
During Rammstein's US tour in June 1999, Lindemann and his bandmate Christian "Flake" Lorenz were arrested in Worcester, Massachusetts, for lewd conduct performed during their song "Bück dich" ("bend over"), which consisted of Lindemann using a liquid squirting dildo and simulating anal sex on Lorenz.[17] Both Lindemann and Lorenz were released the following day after bail was met.[17] This incident did not stop Lindemann from performing in the same manner for future shows outside the United States, particularly in Australia when they performed at the 2011 Big Day Out,[18] but the United States performances of this song were changed into a sadomasochistic theme that did not feature dildos, although this was not the case for all remaining US shows on the tour. For example, on 18 June 1999, "Bück dich" was performed in the same manner at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon. In 1999, the band was blamed for the 1999 Columbine massacre, but they denied their music was a factor.[19][20] In November 2002, Lindemann's poetry book Messer was published. It consists of 54 poems compiled by Gert Hof, author of the book Rammstein, who was also the band's pyrodesigner for the last seven years.[21] In July 2010, Lindemann, along with Flake, was interviewed by heavy metal anthropologistSam Dunn for the VH1 Classic series Metal Evolution, on the topic of shock rock.[22]
Lindemann during a performance of the song "Rammstein", wearing dual arm-mounted flamethrowers in 2005
Lindemann is not a stranger to injury, as he mentioned in Rammstein's early career that he'd gotten burned several times with unprofessionally rigged pyrotechnics.[15] At a performance in Sweden in 2005, he received a knee injury on stage when keyboardist Flake accidentally ran into him while riding a Segway PT.[23] This injury caused several tour dates in Asia to be cancelled.[23]
In 2005, five Rammstein albums received platinum awards and the band also received the "World Sales Awards" for over 10 million sold copies worldwide.[24]
During the filming of the band's music video for "Ich tu dir weh", Lindemann wanted a light put in his mouth to create a visually stunning effect.[25] Bandmate Paul Landers suggested that he use a flesh colored wire and run it along his cheek to shine a light into his mouth from the outside.[25] Lindemann refused, and instead opted to have a surgical incision in his left cheek, so that a light could be fed into his mouth directly, and largely out of sight.[25][26]
There is a specific performance move of Lindemann's, dubbed "The Till Hammer". This move is where he bends his knees, beats his thigh with a fist in a hammering motion while turning his head from side to side. On occasion, Flake has been seen to parody the move onstage. Unlike most frontmen, Lindemann stated in an interview that he does not like being looked at while on stage, and would wear sunglasses to block out views of the audience.[27]
The main purpose of the band's signature pyrotechnics has also been stated to actually be a tool in taking the audience's attention away from Lindemann, whilst doubling as a spectacle for the audience. Lindemann often opts to just look directly at the mixing booth in the center of the crowd, except when directly interacting with an audience member. In 2011, Roadrunner Records listed Lindemann at number 50 of the 50 greatest metal frontmen of all time.[28] In 2013, Lindemann's second poetry book, In stillen Nächten was published.[29] He commented on the poetry, saying "The vast majority of my poems could have been written a few hundred years earlier."[29]
On his 52nd birthday (4 January 2015), it was announced that Lindemann would start a new project with Peter Tägtgren named Lindemann.[30][31][32] The band released their debut album Skills in Pills in June 2015.[33] On 22 November 2019, Lindemann released their second album, F&M.
In 2021, Lindemann performed a Soviet war song Lubimy Gorod (Russian: Любимый город, Beloved Town) in Russian – originally sung by Mark Bernes in 1939 – for the Russian movie V2. Escape from Hell (Devyatayev).[34] Till Lindemann was nominated for Best Narrative at the Berlin Music Video Awards 2020 with his music video ''Frau & Mann''.[35] In 2021, his music video ''Alle Tage ist kein Sonntag'' received a nomination for Most Bizarre.[36]
Poetry
In 2018, Lindemann embarked on a book signing tour across Russia for his poetry book, Messer, originally released in German and then translated into Russian and re-released to the Russian market. Lindemann showed up to his book signing in Moscow with an unknown person in a gimp costume. The female gimp was led through the crowd by Lindemann before he sat down to sign autographs and talk to fans.[37] It is still unknown who was in the outfit, but suggestions are that of his girlfriend at the time.
Film and television
Lindemann in 2009
Two songs from the album Herzeleid were used in David Lynch's 1997 film, Lost Highway.[38] Lindemann has also played minor roles in some films, appearing with his bandmate Christoph Schneider as musicians in the 1999 film Pola X,[39] playing a character named Viktor in the children's comedy film Amundsen der Pinguin (2003), and also appearing as an animal rights activist in the 2004 film Vinzent. Lindemann and the rest of Rammstein also appeared in the 2002 movie xXx (Triple-X starring Vin Diesel) while performing "Feuer frei!"
As guest artist
Lindemann has featured alongside many other artists throughout his career, such as Feeling B, Apocalyptica, and his bandmate Richard Kruspe's solo project, Emigrate. In 2023, he appeared on Child of Sin by Kovacs.
Lindemann's vocal range is that of a dramatic baritone.[40][41][42] He has a tendency to press his voice with force from below[40] and use the alveolar trill, stating in an interview that he sings it out of instinct.[40][43][failed verification] However, this trait could be connected to his youth years in Mecklenburg.[44] In 2005, the New York Times commented on Lindemann's voice: "He commands a low, powerful bass rarely used in contemporary pop music, untrained but electrifying."[45]
The song "Cowboy" is a criticism of the hypermasculine character of Americans. Despite "Hollywood propaganda", Lindemann states that it was actually the cowboys who beat up the Native Americans.[54]
Personal life
Lindemann's daughter Nele was born in 1985, and he spent the first seven years of her life as a single father.[12] He has one grandson through Nele.[55] On 28 February 1991, his ex-wife and his Rammstein bandmate Richard Kruspe had a daughter together named Khira, who uses the Lindemann surname rather than Kruspe. Her mother had retained the name when she and Lindemann divorced, and she never married Kruspe. Lindemann's second daughter, Marie Louise, was born in 1993 to ex-wife Anja Köseling.[56] He dated actress and model Sophia Thomalla from April 2011 to November 2015.
Lindemann is an atheist.[57][58] In a 2011 interview, he said that he still has strong connections to the traditions of East Germany,[27] and that he finds "de-traditionalisation" disturbing and believes there is "no longer any authenticity".[27] He has said that he "hates noise" and often spends time in a small village somewhere in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the name of which he has not disclosed.[55]
In 2014, Lindemann presented two sculptures and his original scripts of poems in his book In stillen Nächten (In Silent Nights) in a Dresden gallery.[59] He also wrote some lyrics in 2014 for German Schlager singer Roland Kaiser for his album Soul Tracks.[60]
Allegations of misconduct
In June 2023, a woman came forward with allegations that she was recruited by a Russian woman on social media and "groomed" for sex with Lindemann. She claimed her drink was spiked at a concert in Lithuania. She said she was ushered into a small room underneath the stage. "Till comes in and I immediately say: 'Till, if you're here for sex. I'm not doing that.'" She said Lindemann reacted angrily and left. She has emphasised on social media she wasn't sexually assaulted, said her memory of the evening was "blurry" and she recalls feeling nauseous and vomiting at a party after the concert. She has no memory of part of the evening and was left bruised after the concert.[61]
Subsequently, several other women made sexual misconduct allegations against Lindemann.[61] His band denies any wrongdoing,[62] though they stated that they were conducting an internal investigation.[61] Berlin public prosecution's office also stated that they had opened an investigation: "Preliminary proceedings have been initiated against Lindemann on allegations relating to sexual offences and the distribution of narcotics." They opened the investigation on their own initiative as well as "on the basis of several criminal complaints filed by third parties", referring to people not directly involved in the alleged incidents.[63]
In August, Der Spiegel published reports from an anonymous woman who claimed she was in a sexual relationship with Lindemann when she was 15. Although such relationships are legal in Germany, she stated that she "was way too young" to fully understand what was happening at the time. She also said that she shared her story because it caused her "long-lasting damage" and because she was angry that, in her view, the band had ignored allegations against Lindemann.[64]
On 29 August, the German prosecutors dropped the case, saying that the investigations did not provide any evidence and that they were unable to substantiate allegations as law enforcement agencies had not received direct testimony from the accusers.[65]
"Alle Tage ist kein Sonntag" (with David Garrett) (2020)
"Любимый город" (Lubimiy gorod, Beloved Town) (2021), performed in Russian
"Ich hasse Kinder" (2021)
As a guest artist
Lindemann appeared as a guest – drummer on the album Hea Hoa Hoa Hea Hea Hoa by Feeling B for the song "Lied von der unruhevollen Jugend", which is in Russian. The song was played at a Rammstein concert in St. Petersburg on 19 November (2001) during the Mutter tour.
Lindemann provided vocals for the track Helden (a cover version of Bowies Heroes) on the Apocalyptica album Worlds Collide
Lindemann also sings the song "Wut Will Nicht Sterben" by Puhdys.
Lindemann and Richard Z. Kruspe covered the Aria song Shtil and released it as Schtiel Schtiel (Aria Cover) (2003).
Lindemann has also appeared on Knorkator's music video Du nich.
Lindemann also sings on some songs with Richard Z. Kruspe, the songs Let's Go and Always On My Mind by Emigrate.
Lindemann also sings a song with Zaz, the song Le Jardin Des Larmes (2021).
Lindemann also appears on the song "Child of Sin" by Kovacs (2023).
Poetry
Lindemann, Till (2002). Messer[Knife]. Frankfurt am Main: Eichborn. ISBN3-8218-0927-2.
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band formed in Berlin in 1994. The band's lineup—consisting of lead vocalist Till Lindemann, lead guitarist Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, drummer Christoph Schneider, and keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz—has remained unchanged throughout their history, along with their approach to songwriting, which consists of Lindemann writing and singing the lyrics over instrumental pieces the rest of the band has completed beforehand. Prior to their formation, some members were associated with the punk rock acts Feeling B and First Arsch.
Herzeleid is the debut studio album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, first released on 25 September 1995 via Motor Music.
"Seemann" ("Seaman"/"Sailor") is a song by German band Rammstein, released as the second single from their album Herzeleid.
"Engel" is a song by German industrial metal band Rammstein. It was released in April 1997 as the first single from their second album, Sehnsucht. The female part of song's chorus is sung by Christiane "Bobo" Hebold of the German pop band Bobo in White Wooden Houses. An English version of "Engel" can be found on US special editions of Sehnsucht. According to an interview, keyboardist Christian Lorenz came up with the main riff for this song on a synthesizer along with a whistle melody.
Richard Kruspe is a German musician. He is the lead guitarist of the Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, as well as the lead singer and lead guitarist of the US-based industrial metal band Emigrate.
Paul Landers is a German musician, notable as the rhythm guitarist for the Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, and the punk rock band Feeling B.
Christian "Flake" Lorenz is a German musician. He is best known as the keyboardist in Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, as well as the main composer of the band along with guitarist Richard Kruspe. He was also a member of the East German punk band Feeling B.
First Arsch was a German, Schwerin-based punk rock band formed in 1986 by Till Lindemann, the subsequent lead singer of German band Rammstein. In First Arsch, Lindemann played the drums.
Feeling B was a punk rock band founded in East Berlin in 1983. They started out firmly grounded in the underground punk scene. Over time, Feeling B's popularity grew greatly, and climaxed around the end of the German Democratic Republic.
Alf Peter Tägtgren is a Swedish musician and record producer. He is the founder, main songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of death metal band Hypocrisy as well as the industrial metal band Pain in which he is the only member. He is also the owner of The Abyss recording studio and the co-founder of Lindemann, a music project between Tägtgren and Rammstein vocalist Till Lindemann. Tägtgren left Lindemann in 2020.
"Shtil" is a song by Russian heavy metal band Aria from their 2001 album Chimera and their 2002 EP Calm.
"Mein Herz brennt" is a song by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. The song first appeared as the opening track to the band's third studio album, Mutter (2001), and was used as the opening track for concerts during that era. It also appeared on the band's greatest hits album Made in Germany 1995–2011 (2011), being the only song on the album that, at the time of release, had not been released as a single or had a music video. The song was released as a single in 2012 to promote the then-upcoming video collection Videos 1995–2012. A piano version of the song was released as a single on 7 December 2012.
"Ich tu dir weh" is a song by the German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was the second single released from their sixth studio album, Liebe ist für alle da (2009), on 5 February 2010. A music video for the song had previously been released online on 21 December 2009.
"Haifisch" is a song by German band Rammstein. It was released on 28 May 2010, as the third single from their 2009 album Liebe ist für alle da. Just before announcing the premiere of the song's video, Rammstein's website left this quote regarding the song: "the shark not only has teeth – he's got tears as well. But since it lives in the briny deep, no one sees them. A shame. After all, this cartilaginous fish is one of the oldest of the world's many misunderstood creatures. A bit more sympathy couldn't hurt!"
Lindemann is a German musical project fronted by vocalist Till Lindemann. It was formed in 2013 as a super-duo alongside Swedish multi-instrumentalist Peter Tägtgren. Tägtgren originally defined their sound as a cross between his project Pain and Lindemann's main band Rammstein, adding "at least it's a mix of Rammstein vocals and Pain music." Together, they released the two albums Skills in Pills (2015) and F & M (2019). Tägtgren departed Lindemann in 2020, leaving Lindemann as a solo project.
Skills in Pills is the debut studio album by the European supergroup Lindemann, featuring Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann and Peter Tägtgren, founder of Hypocrisy and Pain. It was released on 23 June 2015 through Warner Central Europe. It was preceded by the lead single "Praise Abort", released on 28 May 2015, with "Fish On" receiving a single release later on 9 October. The album reached number one in Finland and Germany, also peaking within the top 10 in Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Norway, and Switzerland. This was the only Lindemann album to have been recorded completely in English, as Till reverted to his usual native of German on the group's second studio album F & M.
Clemens "Ardek" Wijers is a Dutch keyboardist, pianist, and composer best known as the keyboardist of Dutch symphonic black metal band Carach Angren. Prior to forming Carach Angren with his brother Ivo "Namtar" Wijers and Dennis "Seregor" Droomers, he played with Dark Mutation and Vaultage. Wijers has written songs for Rammstein singer Till Lindemann's side project Lindemann and solo album, in addition to contributing orchestration and orchestral arrangements for Lindemann, Pain, Ex Deo and Joe Lynn Turner. He has also composed several soundtrack albums and provided soundtracks for short films.
F & M is the second studio album by German-Swedish super-duo Lindemann. It was released on 22 November 2019 through Universal Music and Vertigo Berlin. The album was preceded by three singles; "Steh auf", "Ich weiß es nicht" and "Knebel", with "Steh auf" peaking at No. 8 in Germany. Vocalist Till Lindemann reverts to singing in German on this album unlike the group's debut album, Skills in Pills, which he sang entirely in English.
Sky van Hoff is a German record producer, songwriter and musician. He works primarily with acts in the metal and rock genres, including Rammstein, Emigrate, Till Lindemann, Kreator, Enslaved and Sleep Token. Before becoming a producer, van Hoff was a guitarist for metal band Machinemade God and toured extensively with the band until opening his own studio in 2008.
↑ von Hof, Elisa; Hoppenstedt, Max; Höfner, Roman; Löffler, Juliane; Müller, Ann-Katrin; Schrader, Hannes (4 August 2023). "Frau über Verhältnis zu Till Lindemann: "Ich war viel zu jung""[Woman about relationship with Till Lindemann: "I was way too young"]. Der Spiegel (in German). Archived from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
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