Elleven
„8030“
Neo-Progrock/Pop. Signed CD, 2025.

Categories are nice, but in music they are often limiting. I feel the same way about the German band Elleven; it's not just neo-prog. And that nasty word also springs to mind: prog-pop. Neo-prog rock/pop, with psychedelic touches, soulful and rocky notes. My umbrella term for this is melodic prog rock. And well-crafted pop elements are a must. Otherwise, we're dealing with a concept album. Clearly song-driven, dominated by Julia Graff's vocals. And her voice fits, expressive enough to convey the various emotional aspects of this album. Jule also plays guitar. Michael Hahn is on drums, and Armin Riemer is on piano, synth, and vocoder. René Lozynski plays the beautiful bass, and Carsten Hütter is on guitar.

I thank Elleven for providing the CD.

It's about the ups and downs of a relationship that lasted 8,030 hours. I don't want to reveal any more, because a concept album is also about discovery, about adventure. Like a new relationship. I won't discuss any specific song and will focus on the impact of the album as a whole.

A developing romantic relationship is always an exciting experience. The breakup of one is no less emotional. The vocal and musical portrayal of this is very successful. It's not just Julia's versatile voice that carries the album. Musically, everything is perfect, the production is professional, and it comes out cleanly from the speakers. I personally really like the rocky sections in particular. 

Elleven's "8030" is highly recommended for all fans of female-fronted, melodic neo-prog rock. And for anyone who wants to listen to good music. Highlights? "Contact," "Uncertainty," and "Venture – Clash – Clarity."

The photos are all from my CD. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.