Album a Day (Single Edition): miLù mit Kim Sanders & Peter Heppner - Aus Gold

This three track 2004 solo-debut single for artist miLù (Anke Hachfeld of Mila Milar) would see the frequent Schiller collaborator enlisting the aid of two other Schiller collaborators in the form of Eurodance alumni Kim Sanders (Flame, Captain Hollywood Project, Culture Beat) and EBM mainstay Peter Heppner (now ex-Wolfsheim) for the title track Aus Gold (From Gold). Aus Gold is a really beautiful track and miLù's vocals remind me of a slightly pulled-back Björk and while listening to it I was really digging on it. The structure of the song introduces Kim Sanders during the 2nd verse and Heppner in the 3rd with the song ending on all three performing the chorus. I really love songs like this because it really allows for the collaborative process. In fact the lyrics to Aus Gold were co-written by miLù and Peter Heppner with producer Dirk Riegner (Secret Discovery, Space Jazz Dub Men) contributing to the music writing. With Sanders vocals you have four talented artists all coming together to create a song that has both mainstream appeal (well mainstream if you either speak German or enjoy singing in the German language) and appeal to the artist's respective main-genres. The main reason I actually bought this CD was being such a Wolfsheim fan and wanting to the hear the guest vocals by Peter Heppner, who has shown in the past to always choose great projects to lend his vocals to in addition to consistently being a positive addition to any song having worked with the aforementioned Schiller, Umbra et Imago, Paul Van Dyk, Joachim Witt, Goethes Erben, and José Alvarez-Brill amongst others. What I find particularly interesting about the timing of this contribution is that it was around the same time as Wolfsheim's Casting Shadows, the band's last album before the split of Heppner and Markus Reinhardt. Though the real split is said to have happened in 2005 after Heppner signed a multi-album solo record deal, it wouldn't be hard to guess that the collaboration on this slightly more mainstream-sounding disc might have foreshadowed Heppner's inklings towards wanting to brand himself more for a run at a solo career. The second track Du Mensch is sort of a more fun track with only miLù on vocals this time. I really like this track and see the radio appeal (again really only if you are in a German speaking country or a fan of the German language). The third track is the first track again but minus the guest vocals by Sanders and Heppner which to me basically makes it a throwaway track. The CD also includes a video for Aus Gold that is really only worth because of some cool vintage footage (hopefully found and not recreated) and the chance to see Peter Heppner in a jean jacket (though he's wearing two jackets which just goes to show how fucking cold it must have been on whatever beach they filmed it). The big thing you have to really appreciate about this release is that it set to work in support of the German Red Cross for the aide of Afghan Poorhouses. Favorite Tracks: Aus Gold and Du Mensch