A quarter of a century of punk rock with Ruhrpott-attitude, charismatic lyrics, and honest music with a certain charm – Emscherkurve 77 celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2025. And how! Two brand-new songs released on the premium 10-inch vinyl, a true highlight not only musically but also in terms of timing. For their anniversary, the band has enlisted a very special collaboration for "Eins ist geblieben" (One Thing Has Remained): Reinhard Mey. Yes, the Reinhard Mey!
This unexpected, yet all the more powerful, collaboration shows what happens when punk and singer-songwriter come together as equals: not a cheap crossover, but genuine solidarity between generations and genres that unites them.
Reinhard Mey may have released his first single exactly 60 years ago, back when the Sex Pistols and Die Toten Hosen were still in diapers and the guys from Emscherkurve 77 weren't even born yet, but he was already there, paving the way with his friendly radicalism: No one's master and no one's subject!
"Eins ist geblieben" (One Thing Has Remained) by Emscherkurve 77, a duet with Reinhard Mey, is therefore not only unsurprising but absolutely natural, even overdue. The generation gap is irrelevant; the mindset, the love of freedom, the distrust of any form of excessive power, and the humility before life unite them all: "Thank heavens; forever a punk!"
The second song, "Alchemie" (Alchemy), is a classic Emscherkurve 77 song in a modern guise. A song about life that builds a bridge from childhood to the present, combined with the clear message that one should enjoy every phase of life and be content.
Celebrate 25 years of Emscherkurve 77 with us – and one of the most unusual and exciting musical alliances of the year!
1. Eins ist geblieben (feat. Reinhard Mey)
2. Alchemie