
The Kombinaten and their song "Vespa 50 N
The first version of the song "Vespa 50 N" by Die Kombinaten was already released in February 2021 as a release from the longplayer "Lautwort". Now the band members Thorsten Neubert and Sebastian Ellerich have added an acoustic version under the name Zwei Kombinaten. One more reason to ask where the enthusiasm for the Italian two-wheeler comes from and what the band associates with it. Thorsten patiently answered all our questions.
SIP: Who are Die Kombinaten and why and since when do they exist?
Thorsten: The four of us have been making music together in a different constellation for a long time, because we toured the country for many years with the ska rock band Lax Alex Contrax. Then at some point the idea came up to write and play songs as a classical quartet and because it was so much fun, it turned into an album, which we then recorded and produced. That's how the band DIE KOMBINATEN came into being with its first release, the album "LAUTWORT" in 2021. It was a bit unfortunate that after the release the clubs were closed due to the pandemic, but luckily we found ways to play some nice concerts for the album release. Our very first concert, for example, fell during the lockdown and we broadcast it as a live stream on the internet out of necessity, which in retrospect, in a time without concerts, brought us a lot of positive feedback. By the way, it's still on the net.

SIP: How would you describe your musical style? Which influences have an effect on you?
Thorsten: First of all, the musical direction didn't follow a "master plan" and it wasn't about market-oriented evaluation possibilities, as is often the case today, but we just wanted to hear what our music sounds like when, after such a long time with nine people, we just start out as a foursome. With the line-up of two guitars, bass and drums, it quickly became clear that it would be rocking. But not in a one-dimensional way, but rather as a bracket, because in the various songs it can sometimes be funky or a portion of punk rock can be heard. In short: rock in the most diverse tempos and styles. Compared to our previous productions with the ska-rock band, the guitar and vocals have been given more space, which ultimately also applies to the lyrics, which are an inseparable and equal part of every Kombinaten song alongside the musical component. Rich in words, sung in German and partly with a political statement, it is worth listening more closely or pressing "Replay". In general, the name of the album "LAUTWORT" says it all.
SIP: Why did you record an acoustic version now?
Thorsten: Since we were already trying out how it sounds with four musicians, we continued with two and that was also great fun. In the end we broke the songs down again and reduced them to the essence of chords (or guitar riffs) plus vocals. We did the same with other combination songs and arranged an acoustic duo programme. To give it a name, we then called it Two Comb ines. Since Vespa 50 N is one of the important numbers on the album, it was clear that it had to be in the acoustic programme. Funnily enough, the duo line-up consists of exactly the two "scooter riders" of the band.
SIP: The original song has already been around for a few months. How did the track come about back then?
Thorsten: Some of the songs on the album "LAUTWORT" are autobiographically inspired. The song "Vespa 50 N", for example, describes not only the small-frame vehicle but also an attitude to life, especially at the end of my school days and before my professional orientation, in which the Vespa was for me the image of a decelerated and stylish way of getting on. That's how text lines like: "not exactly fast, but still safe at the finish and with the model individual and with a very special style" came about. So somehow it's also about the freedom to do what you want. For me, that's what my Vespa stood for. The time period I described was also very influential musically, which is why some analogies of riding a Vespa and making music are worked into the song. So this image of freedom has also become groundbreaking for my later work as a musician.
SIP: What is your connection to the Vespa?
Thorsten: As described in the song, my Vespa took me through an important time for me in true style. At first, I bought the scooter in a very poor condition for very little money. But it absolutely had to be a 50 N Special, even though PK models had been on the market for a long time at that time. I spent many hours with my father taking the scooter apart, partly welding it, painting it and putting it back together again. So I can say that I knew every screw of the scooter and then rode a real gem into which a lot of effort and heart and soul had gone. So for me, the scooter also stands for things you can achieve if you approach a project with dedication, and that's where I find the analogy to music again. It was with a heavy heart that I had to sell the scooter, because after moving to Cologne I no longer had any parking space available, and I couldn't bear it if the scooter was parked on the street and became a moving spare parts store. Just leaving it standing around wasn't an option either, so in the end, I parted with my 50 N. For the video for the song, the Cologne Vespa Club Die Blechvespen kindly provided me with an incredibly beautiful 50 N, and despite the eternal break, the feeling was immediately back. So I can happily say: Once a Vespa rider always a Vespa rider. My colleague Sebastian still has a PK in the garage today.
SIP: Will there be more scooter songs?
Thorsten: I assume that parts of the described attitude to life will also resonate in later songs, but there are no plans to write further songs that explicitly sing about Vespas. As a songwriter, I would say that there are topics where you only have one attempt to get to the heart of the matter in a song. From my point of view, I succeeded quite well with "Vespa 50 N". Anything else would come across as calculated. But you should never say never.