BABELSBERG PALACE in Potsdam, Germany, was the summer residence of Kaizer Wilhelm I, and since 1990, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Tower of Babel is from a Biblical story explaining (or criticising ) the existence of different languages.
Both have been fused, and served as inspiration for Babelsberg, the latest solo album by Super Furry Animals lead singer, Gruff Rhys, which he will perform at the Róisín Dubh on Sunday December 2 at 8pm.
“I’d made a note of the name after driving past a sign when I was on tour in 2014," says Rhys. "A few years later and the studio where I recorded the album was being knocked down just a week after I finished, to make way for a ‘luxury’ apartment development. I was looking for a name that evoked the Tower of Babel - people building towers to reach an idea of heaven, but maybe creating a kind of hell - I’m an atheist by the way! In any case I had written Babelsberg down and when I listened to the songs together, it finally made sense why I’d done that.”
The album was released in June via Rough Trade Records, with its 10 songs examining the current state of the world. It has become his most acclaimed work since his marvellous 2007 solo outing, Candylion. "Babelsberg is without doubt one of the finest expressions so far of Rhys’ talent" (MOJO ); "A melodic and consistently playful record" (DIY ); "A rich, nuanced pop album that feels like something French from the late ’60s" (Paste ); "Prozac for these dark times" (Shindig ); "His best solo album yet" (Q ).
Tickets are available from www.roisindubh.net; the Ticket Desk at OMG@Zhivago, Shop Street; and The Róisín Dubh.
