Freundeskreis

Formed in Stuttgart by MC Max Herre alongside producers Don Philippe and DJ Friction, Freundeskreis—whose name means “Circle of Friends”—issued its first full-length album, Quadratur des Kreises, in 1997. Politically and socially charged lyrics combined with exuberant live performances, frequently augmented by a live band in addition to the DJs, quickly attracted a devoted audience. The group returned in 1999 with Esperanto, an album distinguished by multi-lingual rapping. Shortly afterward the members turned their attention to separate projects, yet they reassembled in 2007 to appear at summer festivals and to mark ten years together, an anniversary also acknowledged by their label, Four Music, through the release of a retrospective collection later that year.