Tell us what's right in the home of the wrong.
Die Kammer ist das musikalische Projekt der Musiker Marcus Testory und Matthias Ambré.
Die Formation tritt in unterschiedlichen Besetzungen auf. Als Duo, in Viererformation mit Cello und Bass, sowie auch in größerer Besetzung mit Viola, Violine, Cello, Tuba, Bass und Drums.
Ihre vornehmlich englischsprachigen Songs erzählen skurrile und morbide Geschichten die von Melancholie, Vergänglichkeit und Tod, aber auch von unbeirrbarer Freude und Lust am Leben geprägt sind. In den Narrativen finden sich oft feiner Sarkasmus und subtile Gesellschaftskritik, sowie autobiografische Erfahrungen und persönliche Erlebnisse.
Sie teilen ihre Schaffensperioden in sog. »Seasons« ein, die jeweils unter einem bestimmten Motto stehen. So befinden wir uns aktuell in Season V, die am 5. April 2024 unter dem Namen "Maybe forgotten. Maybe glorious" startete.
Nach fünfeinhalb Jahren veröffentlicht die Kammer ein neues, ihr fünftes Album.
Ein Lebenszeichen und erster Vorbote für die Veränderungen, die Season V mit sich bringen wird.
Batschkapp Open Air, strenge Corona-Bedinugnen
On the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, Die Kammer releases its video clip for the song "Second Man on the Moon".
On tour through Germany and Austria with the new songs, Support: Romie.
The fourth Album of Die Kammer appears, including 13 fully orchestrated tracks, Artworks based on Italian madhouses, photos taken by Seven Fennema.
For the first time Ambré/Testory releasing an EP with the label "minimized". Musically completely reduecd to two guitars and vocals. Only guest is Tabea Rotter on Cello.
With real praying mantises.
5.2.16 Leipzig, Moritzbastei, 6.2.16 Berlin, K17, 18.2.16 Hamburg, Logo, 19.2.16 Frankfurt/M., Das Bett, 20.2.16 Köln, Luxor, 4.3.16 Nürnberg, Kon71, 5.3.16 Dresden, Puschkin, 11.3.16 Tübingen, Sudhaus, 12.3.16 AT-Wien, Chelsea
With overall nine shows Die KAMMER ist playing their tour for the new album. First time with 8-person orchestra, introducing Ingo Römling as bass player. Guest cello for some of the shows is Benni Cellini, who also played the very first debut concert years ago.
Tour support is the german folk band »DELVA«. Singer Johanna Krins, who also sung on the new KAMMER album, has every night a guest duet with the song »The Way You Are«.
A new milestone in the history of Die KAMMER: »Season III – Solace in Insanity« erscheint.
First time with bass, first time with a lot of guest musicians and experimental insturments like Drehorgel and Spieluhr.
Cover artwork was realized by photographer Annie Bertram and CGI expert Thomas Klieber.
As the same time as the third album is released, the video for »Love for Life« is publihsed, too. Making-of scenes of the work on the new album, filmed in documentary style.
Location are the Gutleut Studios in Frankfurt / Germany, place of activity of the Kammer violinist Matthias Raue.
In spring of 2014 die KAMMER return to the Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival and livens up the sold-out renowned theatre.
At the Hexentanz Festival they prove that they can definitely also rock and party.
At the Blackfield Festival in Gelsenkirchen Marcus and Matthias appear spontaneously on a side stage as unannounced an entre'acte.
At the Midnight Special at the Feuertanz Festival they appear in a lineup with only strings.
Die KAMMER go on their first tour as the headliner through several German cities: 21/11 Aschaffenburg, Colos-Saal; 22/11. Munich, Strom; 28/11. Leipzig, Moritzbastei; 29/11. Hamburg, Indra; 12/12. Wuppertal, Live Club Barmen.
The mascot and gimmick of the tour is the silhouette of the supposedly wicked »Sinister Sister«.
Die KAMMER release the video for their gruesome but beautiful murder ballad »Sinister Sister«. Illustrator Ingo Römling realises the story lovingly in hand-drawn cut-out animation.
Max, Matze, Aline and Matthias busk in the Leipzig city centre on Pentecost weekend.
In spring 2014 die KAMMER accompanies the band Schandmaul as a support act. Die KAMMER present the best of seasons I and II in a total of seven shows. Thus they enjoy the opportunity to appear in renowned large halls such as the Gasometer in Vienna, the Liederhalle in Stuttgart and the Circus Krone in Munich.
An important milestone in the history of die KAMMER: »Season II – Views from the Inside« is released.
60 minutes of die Kammer music in all its colourful facets. Some of the new songs perfect die Kammer's characteristic style of storytelling in song form.
The cover is decorated by a diorama of a cosy little room. Illustrated by Ingo Römling.
At the beginning of 2014, as a teaser for the coming second album, die KAMMER release the video for the song "Be Careful". In a cosy home environment, sitting in a circle, the entire band can be seen in one video for the first time.
The video was shot in the room that was also the model for the cover art of »Season II«.
The ladies and gentlemen of die Kammer appear for the first time by daylight before a broader audience. These appearances include the Blackfield Festival in Gelsenkirchen and the gigantic 20 Years of Schandmaul anniversary festival at the Cologne Tanzbrunnen.
With the slogan "Beyond Seasons" – thus outside of the usual "seasons" – the first, original version of the video series »Hither and Thither« begins. In the following season, die Kammer release a variation of the video and song with different lineups.
The setting is always the same: before a tree on the idyllic bank of a brook in the »KAMMERgarten« (chamber garden).
Die Kammer's first album containing 12 songs appears as a Digipak CD and for download. The overarching concept of the album and the season is "The Seeming and the Real"; many of the songs deal with conflict and an autobiographical treatment of the theme of "false and true friends".
The cover illustration, a kind of optical illusion of the images of Testory and Ambré, was created by illustrator Ingo Römling. The underlying photographic imagery is from photographer Sven Fennema.
The trailer for the album was produced in 3D by CGI expert Sebastian Schminke based on the existing artwork. The voice is that of well-known speaker Luise Lunow.
Die KAMMER release their first single "The Orphanage" for download only. The video for the song is released on YouTube at the same time.
The video was produced in the style of a historical silhouette animation by illustrator Ingo Römling.
Die KAMMER play their debut concert on Pentecost Sunday 2012 as part of the Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival in Leipzig. The venue is the visually and acoustically impressive interior of the Monument to the Battle of the Nations, which is completely full for the concert.
Fellow musicians Benni Gerlach (cello), Rico Schwibs (violin), Aline Deinert (violin), Dirk Klinkhammer (tuba) and Oliver Himmighoffen (drums) appear as well. Matthias Keller narrates the premier of the eighth episode of »Sophie’s Quest« live on-site.
Die KAMMER decide to divide their creative periods into so-called »seasons«. »Season 0 – Early Adoptions« tells the origin story of die Kammer in the form of a fairy tale. The protagonist is little Sophie, who was no longer welcome in her homeland after the death of her grandfather and now travels the world with old and new friends in search of her own »Kammer« (chamber).
The fairy tale was released in eight video episodes under the name »Sophie’s Quest«. The narrator Matthias Keller reads the episodes, interspersed with interview excerpts and statements from the two founder of the band, Testory and Ambré. The mininalistically staged videos were shot in the recording rooms of Ashborn Sound Studios.
Matthias Ambré and Marcus Testory found die KAMMER on 22 December 2011
19. Oktober 2018
Wo das Falsche richtig liegt.
13 Songs – rauher, roher, echter.
16. März 2018
Die Kammer reduziert auf zwei Gitarren und Gesang:
3 alte Kammersongs, 3 Cover, 3 neue Songs.
05. Februar 2016
Neue Klänge, neue Instrumente, neue Experimente.
15 Tracks, 60 Minuten Spielzeit.
14 February 2014
Der zweite Longplayer. Mit »Sinister Sister« und »Mirror«
15 Tracks, 60 Minuten Spielzeit.
15. Oktober 2012
Das allererste Album der Kammer.
12 Tracks, 56 Minuten Leidenschaft
18.03.2018
Neuauflage eines alten Songs von Marcus Testory und seiner damaligen Band 'Chamber'.
29.03.2018
Minimized Coverversion eines Songs der früheren Band ASP von Matthias Ambré.
03.01.2017
Eine Hommage an die Gothic-Bewegung der 80er-Jahre und ihr Treffen in Leipzig.
28.1.2016
Stimmungsvolle Impressionen von den Studioarbeiten an »Solace in Insanity«.
15.9.2014
Schaurig-schöne Legetrick-Animation zur Moritat. Gezeichnet und animiert von Ingo Römling.
21.1.2014
Erste Single zur Season II. Gemütliches Hausmusizieren im Original-Vorbild-Zimmer für das illustrierte Cover des Albums.
Eine Kammer (englisch "chamber" lateinisch "camera"; griechisch "kamára") ist ein Raum, kleiner Wohnraum oder Zimmer das einen bestimmten Zweck erfüllt.
Der Bandname "Die Kammer" ist eine Andeutung an den Begriff der Kammermusik und des Kammerorchesters.
"Die Kammer" bezeichnet einen ersehnten Rückzugsort, an dem die beiden Musiker ihren Gedanken freien Lauf lassen können.
Der Begriff "Die Kammer" ist eine Reminiszenz an Testorys frühere Band Chamber, deren rein akustische Tradition hier durch Ambré/Testory fortgeführt wird.
bass
viola
cello
tubax