With their mixture of driving Krautrock rhythms, ambient synth textures, and spiky post-punk, Germany's Urlaub in Polen built a reputation during the 2000s with energetic performances and a series of albums showcasing their tight studiocraft. Almost a decade after disbanding, the duo made a surprise comeback in 2020 with their sixth album, All. Based in Cologne, Georg Brenner (vocals, guitar, synthesizer) originally formed the band in 1999 with drummer Oli, who left just after the release of their first EP that same year. The following year, Jan Philipp Janzen (drums, samples, synthesizer) became Brenner's creative partner, solidifying Urlaub in Polen's dynamic two-man lineup. Taking influences from acts like Neu! and Trans Am, they created a sound that was rhythmically sharp, but also noisy and experimental. German noise rock label RAKETEmusik took notice and signed the duo, who released a second EP, Blue Car Live, in 2000. Over the ensuing years, Urlaub in Polen would deliver a trio of exciting albums for the label beginning with 2002's Parsec, followed by White Spot in 2005 and the spacy Health and Welfare in 2006. Known for their engaging stage presence, which sometimes included creative Super-8 slideshow visuals, they toured frequently and made an appearance at Denmark's Roskilde Festival. After leaving RAKETE, the duo switched to Strange Ways Records, which issued the band's 2009 effort, Liquid. With the 2011 release of the more exploratory Boldstriker LP came the news that Urlaub in Polen were disbanding. Following a nine-year gap, they re-emerged on Tapete Records with 2020's All, which, among other aspects, revealed some of Brenner and Janzen's pop influences. ~ Timothy Monger