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Tokio Hotel - Humanoid
 
Tokio Hotel

Bill Kaulitz (vocals)
Tom Kaulitz (guitar)
Georg Listing (bass)
Gustav Schafer (drums)

No one in the world is more prepared to bask in the glow of American rock stardom than the members of Tokio Hotel. Humanoid is only their second U.S. release, the follow up to 2008's Scream, but to millions of fans across the globe, they're already icons.

"Things are just starting for us in the US," says Bill Kaulitz, the band's front man, the leader of a worldwide army of black leather- and eyeliner-clad devotees. "What we’ve already experienced has been just great, and we’re looking forward to it starting again."

The biggest act to come out of Germany in 20 years, Tokio Hotel has gone 10x platinum, scored four No. 1 singles and sold out arenas and stadiums across Europe. They scored a Best New Artist VMA from MTV in 2008.

Their rocket to success launched in 2001 when Bill and his twin brother Tom -- the band's hip-hop-tinged, dreadlocked guitarist -- formed the band along with bassist Georg Listing, now 22, and drummer Gustav Schafer, now 21. They started at age 10 performing for small crowds around their hometown, Magdeburg, a salt-mining village that was formerly part of East Germany.

Growing up in one of the most dismal parts of Germany, Bill and Tom were different from their classmates, almost alien. They were the underdogs. The twins knew that they had to break out of there.

Tom had started fooling around with a guitar at age 7 and at 13 together with an already spiky-haired Bill, they caught the attention of some of Europe's best-known producers (including Humanoid producer David Jost) and solidified their heartfelt pop-rock formula.

Originally called Devlish, they changed their name before releasing their first German-language record, Schrei (Scream in English). By 2005, they embarked on what would be the most successful debut tour of Germany by a new artist. In 2007, they released their second German record, Zimmer 483 (Room 483 in English), and were selling out monster European arena shows in minutes.

Like wildfire, the band gained the attention of an entire generation. In France, the group's popularity exploded. They went from playing small club gigs for 500 to performing at the foot of the Eiffel Tower for a crowd of 500,000 screaming fans phonetically belting out the words to Tokio Hotel's German hits. Soon after they made a history by becoming the first German band to score a #1 hit on the Israeli radio charts.

In 2008, after a grueling 43 shows, Bill endured surgery for cysts on his vocal cords but was back on the road performing around the world within two months, shortly after Scream was released for the first time in the U.S. in 2008.

Humanoid is packed with much of the same emotion that has connected with multitudes of young fans. And in this age of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, the record is full of opportunities for audience participation.

The first single, "Automatic" is a metallic anthem with layered, buzzing guitars, stomping percussion, and a falsetto chorus made to be belted out by a stadium full of people. "World Behind My Wall" redefines the power ballad with depth, introspection, musical confidence and an irresistible sing-along chorus.

While recording this time around, though, the band was in its most experimental phase to date. They tracked songs in Hamburg, Miami, and L.A. "Bill drove us all crazy, constantly coming in with things, even though the old songs weren’t finished yet," says Tom, who's fond of frequently ribbing his brother. "Apart from that, we just didn’t limit ourselves, and we used new instruments."

There are more electronic sounds on Humanoid. The first single "Automatic" explores the relationships between every day emotions and every day conveniences.

"How many things happen automatically every day?" Bill asks. "The door opens and closes automatically, shifting gears in a car; a camera lens -- all of those are always positive things, but when the mechanical quality of the automatic meets human things like love, then suddenly it becomes extremely negative. Love has to be spontaneous and genuine, never automatic and cold.”

Along with the new sounds, new subjects, new live show, and even Bill's new style, longtime fans will still find the constant connection to Tokio Hotel's raw honesty and emotion.

"We love our fans because they are the loudest of all and do such crazy things," Bill says. "They always support us, no matter what has happened, and a lot has happened."

Here's the Exclusive First listen to "Automatic."

Behind the Scenes of Tokio Hotel's "Automatic" Video
News:
Tokio Hotel took home the "Best Group" award at the MTV European Music Awards in Berlin last night beating out the likes of Black Eyed Peas, Jonas Brothers, Kings of Leon and Green Day. Bill, Tom, Georg and Gustav also rocked an epic performance of their international single "World Behind My Wall" complete with insane pyro and explosive stage effects. The track appears on the recently released Humanoid which is available now.

Tokio Hotel sat down with The Myspace Music Feed to talk about their new album Humanoid. Tune in to the 3:20 mark to find out the band's thoughts on the American music scene, their dedicated fans and what it was like playing small venues in the US after rocking massive arena shows in Europe.
Tokio Hotel stopped by MTV's "It's On With Alexa Chung" yesterday for a live performance of their single "Automatic." In true Tokio Hotel fashion, Bill, Tom, Georg and Gustav rocked the stage in front of die-hard, screaming fans. "Automatic" appears on the sci-fi themed Humanoid which is available on iTunes now.
Getting mobbed by screaming girls is just another day in the life of Tokio Hotel! Watch this new clip on MTV's Buzzworthy blog to see the German quartet signing autographs for adoring Spanish fans. The video also gives a behind-the-scenes look at the band goofing off in their hotel room and appearing on the Spanish TV show "El Hormiguero."

Check out a new behind-the-scenes video of Tokio Hotel in South Africa. Bill, Tom, Georg and Gustav battle freezing temperatures with a broken heater and no warm water. After much complaining from Tom throughout the clip, Bill and Georg lighten the mood with a dance off.

Sneak a Peek at the recording of Humanoid:

Tokio Hotel also just announced the track listing for Humanoid! The forthcoming release will be available in a standard version which is the key to an exclusive area of the band's official site. Buyers can access karaoke videos of three new tracks, a behind the scenes picture gallery, and a 3D photo from the "Automatic" video shoot. The deluxe edition includes the twelve songs from the standard version on two discs with four bonus tracks. Pre-order now!

Standard:

1. Noise
2. Darkside of the Sun
3. Automatic
4. World Behind My Wall
5. Humanoid
6. Forever Now
7. Pain of Love
8. Dogs Unleashed
9. Human Connect to Human
10. Hey You
11. Love & Death
12. Zoom Into Me

Deluxe: Includes all of the above on 2 discs, plus:

1. Phantomrider
2. That Day
3. Alien
4. Screamin'
Tokio Hotel have just premiered the video for "Automatic!" Head over to TokioHotel.com today to check out the sci-fi themed video shot in the South African desert.



 
 
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Pop Culture Madness is your one-stop information location for Popular Culture, Popular Music, Trivia, Jokes and a bunch of other stuff! We update our Pop Culture News daily and our Pop Music section has hundreds of pages featuring the best and worst songs of all time. Our aim is to maintain a family-friendly, "PG" site. We have no swearing and no gory stuff, although some humor may need a creative explanation for younger visitors.
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