HERMANN KOPP - Der Golem

Hermann Kopp (born 1954) has always had a very close relationship with cinema, and it's no coincidence that his name is above all linked to the soundtracks of some cult films from the extreme circuit, such as “Nekromantik” and “Der Todesking” (both directed by Jörg Buttgereit).

His is a minimal, gloomy and funereal approach, honed over the years through other equally experimental works (a couple of which came out on Galakthorrö, the label run by Haus Arafna and November Növelet).

Today, using a violin, a viola and a synthesizer, the Stuttgart musician takes on a new soundtrack, this time for the classic “Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam” by Paul Wegener, a 1920 silent film and one of the most important titles of German Expressionism (the work is inspired by the legendary figure from Jewish folklore who is the protagonist of Gustav Meyrink's novel of the same name).

Hermann Kopp is perfectly at home in the narrow alleys of the Prague ghetto, where esotericism and magic meet the sounds of a deep, post-industrial unease. This is borne out by passages such as “In Die Shtern” or “Rabbi Loew”, the latter not too far removed from a darker, more oppressive brand of power-electronics.

But that's not all, since this celebration doesn't neglect the gothic element either (“The Old Book”) or the purely horror side of things (“Necromancy”, “The Rose Festival” or “Guard This Secret With Your Life”), placing even greater emphasis on the fantastical component around which the film's mesmerizing frames revolve.

Presented last autumn at the twenty-fourth edition of the highly regarded Wrocław Industrial Festival, “Der Golem” is not simply a musical accompaniment, because here Hermann Kopp manages – through a series of tracks that are anything but sketchy – to display many of the facets that have defined his long career, between gloomy minimalism, dark dissonance and pure avant-garde. Just like the closing notes of “End Theme”, as unmistakable as any creation from this talented artist, forever embedded in the darkest, most tortuous recesses of music.

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19/02/2026