Jérôme Reuter, calling himself Rome released his tenth album in 2016. I think it is one of his best. Where earlier releases sometimes got a bit stuck in self pity and historical complaints, this one is more varied. This is not only because of the guest appearance of a Swedish singer that I didn’t know at all. The melodies are just better and – can I say it? – more cheerful.
Reuters lyrics refer a lot to literature, like Todesfuge. This is a poetic reaction to the holocaust, written by the Romanian poet Paul Celan in 1945. Paul Celan might be best known for the phrase Death is a master from Germany. I am not that well versed in poetry, but it does ring a bell, even for me. Yet at the same time, Hyperion is less intellectually highbrow than some of Reuter’s earlier releases. I do realise this music is not for everyone though.