Jens Friebe (b. 1975 in Lüdenscheid) is a musician and author living and working in Berlin. Since 2004, he has released six solo albums, on which he sings about the zeitgeist, displaying a distinctive witticism and exhilaration. Friebe has been repeatedly lauded as one of the best German songwriters, whose ambiguous lyrics are equally laconic, emotive as well as combative, and with a lack of vanity tell stories of human absurdities and longings. His debut album Vorher Nachher Bilder (before-after-images), rated by critics as one of the best German pop albums of the year, was followed by In Hypnose (hypnotized, 2005), Das mit dem Auto ist egal, Hauptsache dir ist nichts passiert (never mind the car, as long as nothing happened to you, 2007), Abändern (modify, 2010), Nackte Angst zieh dich an wir gehen aus (naked fear get dressed we’re going out, 2014) and most recently Fuck Penetration (2018).

Soundwise situated between independent- and electro-pop, Hamburger Schule, New German Wave as well as Euro disco and influenced by German fun-punk bands like Die Ärzte or Die Goldenen Zitronen as well as by the avant-garde-pop of Foyer des Arts, Friebe’s work is characterized by an intensive examination of music culture, which is also reflected in his work as an author: he regularly wrote for the music magazine Intro; in 2007, he published the book 52 Wochenenden: Texte zum Durchmachen (52 weekends: texts for making a night of it) that provides an insight into the daily routine of concerts, parties and being on tour. Friebe regularly plays drums for the band Britta and also collaborates with other musicians in his own performances and productions. Stefan Papst, of the band Ja, Panik, designed the cover of Fuck Penetration with a copper engraving collage, while Nackte Angst zieht dich an wir gehen aus was illustrated with a photograph by Daniel Josefsohn.

In the songs of his new album, Friebe dedicates himself, humorously as well as critically, to gender roles, phallocracy and lack of fantasy, failing love, disappointment and departure. After a first tour for promoting the release of Fuck Penetration, Jens Friebe presents excerpts from his work in a concert at Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.).