kadavar gear Kadavar - I Just Want to be a Sound Vinyl LP

Their desire to be completely satisfied with their sound stems from a quote by their French bassist Simon 'Dragon' Bouteloup. When Kadavar founders Lupus Lindemann and Tiger Bartelt asked the Paris-born musician shortly after he joined the band in 2013 why he didn't maintain any social media accounts, he said the momentous sentence: I just want to be a sound. This stuck with them, encapsulating an aspiration that they had actually been pursuing since their formation in 2010 – one that has continued to evolve over the band's 15-year history. 

Kadavar have undergone a significant transformation on this path of sound development. From credible representatives of retroesque, psychedelic stoner rock – which always thrived on the contemporary coolness of Berlin, the city where Lupus and Tiger met in the hedonistic noughties – they soon ventured out into the big wide world. They not only showcased their musical ideas on stages in countless countries but also found new inspiration. While Kadavar initially sounded like the past, their sound became more and more contemporary over the years, shaped by the experience machine of extensive touring, crossing genre boundaries. Sound as a changing, universal language – that is what Kadavar have always known how to create. 

In the early years, the band was compared to a fast car driving through the desert. Road movie. Somehow, that fit. They really did drive around the whole world, quite fast, accelerating on the roads of all five continents. The vehicle kicked up dust that could soon be seen from afar. Inspired by the hard rock of the 1970s, the vehicle also acted as a kind of time machine. Then, out of necessity during the pandemic, but also driven by the desire to get to know each other better musically, the trio stopped the car in the present. They pushed it over a wet beach into the raging sea, exposing it to a new environment in the salt water: The Isolation Tapes was born, an album that moved away from hard rock, opened up, and let in more light.  

Now, they have pulled their vehicle ashore again. And lo and behold: it has changed again! The salt water has stripped away the paintwork, the surf has gutted the car. Gone are the leather upholstery and decorative touches of bygone times. What remains is the stripped-down frame of a racing car, weathered by time – natural and close to the element. The band, now a foursome since 2023 with Jascha Kreft (Odd Couple), gets in. They stroke the corroded metal with their working hands. They are completely at one with themselves, almost reverent. Satisfied in this moment. Just as they have always wanted. To be completely immersed in the music, in community, as a band. The sand crunches beneath them. The car shakes and, as if by magic, lifts itself into the air, aligning with the sky. Salt water trickles from the chassis. The radio crackles. A new course is set: Kadavar are leaving Earth. They set off for another galaxy. 

In 2025, the band dedicates itself more than ever to the essence of the musical experience: a feeling that transcends language, relying on infectious, community-building energy that puts everyday life in its place, opens up and creates space for listeners to see themselves in the music. This is not escapism. After all, their sound is aimed at the whole world! It is, rather, a tangible argument for the search for that which has not yet been claimed and will always elude any attempt at appropriation. In Kadavar, both are always present: the inner chaos, the search for meaning, a longing for peace – and the world out there, where everything we need is already available. This openness, to assert something beautiful with both sensitivity and confidence, with strength and gentleness at the same time, has become their focus – something they not only share with us but invite us into. Live and on record, with arms wide open. Kadavar’s music unites through the unspoken joy that the most immediate of all arts can express! Today, their vision rings clearer than ever: Sound as a meaning-giving response! 

With Clouds Hill, the independent quality label from Hamburg, they have found a new home that perfectly aligns with their understanding of music as a search for meaning through sound. Johann Scheerer, founder of the label and a contemporary audiophile, welcomes the Berlin artists with open arms, describing this partnership as a natural consequence of shared musical values: “Clouds Hill has always been a place where sound is created – a place that defines itself by what it is. I love accompanying bands on their journey and know how much strength, courage, and dedication it takes to leave the comfort zone that you’ve worked hard for over the years. I admire Kadavar for doing just that and hope that Clouds Hill can play a part in bringing the desire to surrender to the sound a little closer with this album.” 

In realizing this vision, Kadavar have built a steadily growing fan base that worships them as heroes and follows their every move across five continents. Their successes speak volumes: their last two records landed in the top ten of the German album charts; they’ve written songs for Wolfmother and, most recently, Fantastische Vier; and they’ve headlined tours around the globe. The fact that the band now sounds surprisingly different in 2025 should come as no surprise to anyone who has observed their previous incarnations. Change has always been a constant for Kadavar. What remains unchanged is their raw power. Wherever they go, you can feel the intensity – in their songwriting, their dedication, their performances. In the sound! This is the transfer that makes Kadavar incomparable. They explore the potential of music, even in quiet nuances, while always retaining the power of their rock roots. Having grown as a band, they have fulfilled their mission of being completely immersed in their sound. And here they are now – in the air, surrounded by music. The car has become a spaceship.