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The 200 lurkers are a band-project based in Cologne, Germany that has won a small but dedicated following all over the world in the past three years. Essentially, the 200 lurkers consist of singer|songwriter Philipp Hofmann, whose vision guides the project and who records much of the material in his home studio, supported by a host of collaborators in Europe and overseas. Hofmann - who wrote his doctoral thesis on the novels of Leonard Cohen - creates tunes that have a wistful, melancholy feel, but are buoyed by an innate sense of whimsicality reflected in the delicate instrumentation and the interplay of voices. Charmingly off-kilter melodies carry along lyrics which often depict a duality of the ordinary miraculousness of life wrapping around a pearl of bitterness and loss.

Musically, the 200 lurkers straddle several genres from twee pop to new folk to alt-country, though there are as many differences as similarities between these styles and the 200 lurkers. The band is fond of incorporating unconventional musical instruments or technologies (such as water glasses, children's toys, or archaic drum machines), and their principal aim is to share the joy of writing, the delight of practicing and the passion of performing songs.

Even though their songs have not been actively promoted yet, the band has already won a considerable amount of attention: songs were added to the download section of the music magazines junkmedia.org and finefinemusic.com; tracks were played by various Campus- and Internet-Radios; an interview/performance was aired on TV and director Jeffrey Wolfshohl chose the music of 200 lurkers for the soundtrack of his 2008 short film My Martyrdom In Every Case. For the press the 200 lurkers are a "worldwide local insider tip" (Ultimo) whose "finely-wrought sound is unique in the local pop-scene" (Neue Westfaelische).

with Christin Steinbrenner Cologne		with Jennifer Vogtner St. Pete

- the 200 lurkers on facebook

- the music of 200 lurkers – pdf-info sheet

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thanks to: rob, daniel, reiner, uwe & christiane, bernd, susanne, paula, gordon, aglaja, oomaha (www.editor.fotolog.pl), kerstin, dirk, the wicleff-team and everybody who supports us.

[the pilot]: words & music: hofmann. | [nausikaa]: words & music: hofmann. | [headcrash]: words & music: hofmann, drums programmed by daniel kuhfuss. | [spacewalk]: words & music: hofmann, drums & big-band sample from "fly me to the moon" words & music: bart howard, 1964. | [moving]: words & music: hofmann, bass played by reiner bunzemeier. | [when you wish upon a starr]: words: m.lewinsky & w.j. clinton, music: hofmann. | [ohne dich]: words: hofmann, music: rob terwesten, daniel kuhfuss, hofmann. | [the little lighthouse]: words & music: hofmann, percussion sample from "rosemary" by suzanne vega. | [cultural studies II]: words: hofmann, music: rob terwesten, daniel kuhfuss, hofmann, drums: daniel, guitar solo & bass: rob. | [cold smoke]: words & music: hofmann, percussion sample from "gone again" by the indigo girls. | [the nerves end at the fingertips]: words: hofmann, music: rob terwesten, daniel kuhfuss, hofmann, voice sample from "the finger" by robert creeley. | [trees lounge]: words & music: hofmann. | [estra-gone]: words: hofmann, music: rob terwesten, daniel kuhfuss, hofmann. | [first day love]: words & music: hofmann. | [you know who i am]: words & music: leonard cohen. | [was one]: words & music: hofmann, drum sample from "the obvious child" by paul simon. | [the last guest]: words & music: hofmann. | [a case of you]: words & music: joni mitchell. | [kathy's song]: words & music: paul simon, additional lyrics & voice from "untitled entry" by paula kostel. | [stubborn life]: words & music: hofmann, drum sample from "as is" by ani difranco. | [moon birds]: words & music: hofmann, drum sample from "before easter" by tracy chapman. | [i long to hold some lady]: words: leonard cohen, music: hofmann. | [dialogues]: words & music: hofmann. mixed by hofmann & jennifer vogtner, flute: christin steinbrenner, laughter: jenny, leo, leyla, michael, sebastian. | [stubborn life photonegative]: words: hofmann, music: jennifer vogtner & hofmann, vocals: jennifer vogtner, drum sample from "as is" by ani difranco. | [harbor song]: words & music: suzanne vega. | [aglajan sea]: words & music: hofmann, flute & vocals: christin steinbrenner, background vocals: gordon nowak and 'sing to soul'. | [feetfirst]: words & music: hofmann, jennifer vogtner. mixed by jennifer vogtner. | [the ice maiden]: words & music: hofmann. mixed by hofmann & jennifer vogtner. string sample from philip glass satyagraha, act II scene 3 played by the new york city opera orchestra. | [wrong tracks]: words & music: hofmann. mixed by hofmann & jennifer vogtner. drums by tobias schmidt. | [cages]: words: hofmann. music: hofmann & jennifer vogtner. mixed by hofmann & jennifer vogtner. piano by frank ingrassia, vibraphone: steven turner & jennifer vogtner.

all songs (c) by 200 lurkers | the nerve bible

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