Swiss Review 4/2020

Swiss Review / July 2020 / No.4 30 Swiss-German rap ceased being a novelty a long time ago. Be that as itmay, it feels strange that the Swiss-German pioneers of yesteryear are now forty-something dads – so seemingly ingrained is this musical genre in youth cul- ture. The men from Berne rap collective Chlyklass belong to the mature generation. The group’s individual members had already made a name for themselves at the time of their first album together. “Ke Summer” (No summer) was released in 2005, after which the rappers went their separate ways. It took ten years for Chlyklass to make their fol- low-up record “Wiso immer mir?” (Why al- ways us?). The crewhave now teamed up again, com- prising rap formations Wurzel 5 and PVP as well as solo artists Greis, Serej, Baze and Diens. Their third album “Deitinge Nord” – named af- ter the Deitingen Nord motorway service station – is proof first and foremost that age is no barrier to producing rap music of the highest quality. The rhymes still flow, the rhythms are spartan. Chlyklass re- main faithful to their roots, showcasing old-school rap at its best. These guys have been around the block and back – and it shows with each accomplished beat. Many of the lyrics also attest to the band’s maturity. Chlyklass know they are no spring chickens anymore. They look back and compare what the rap scene used to be like towhat it is now. Their conclusion? “We’re doing the same good shit as before!” Keeping it real is one of the most important virtues in rap. Chlyklass naturally do like to brag, but this is part and parcel of the hip-hop persona. They also rap about some of life’smoremundane matters. In “Nid üses Revier” (Not our territory), they tell the story of a fatherwho projects his desire for freedomonto his dog. He sends the dog away and imagines his canine friend surviving in the wild as a wolf. The 11 members of Chlyklass have adapted their narrative to the more grown-upworld that they now inhabit. “DeitingeNord” is awitty, direct, intelligent and timeless album that proves how old-school Swiss-Germanhip-hop can age gracefullywithout losing its relevance. These particular forty-somethings have never been more alive and kicking. Nor, in their bestmoments, have they ever soundedmore pol- ished. MARKO LEHTINEN “Hunkeler took a sip from his cup, satisfied with himself and the world.” Retired police- man Hunkeler is enjoying a beautiful sum- mer’s day in his favourite park cafe in Basel. Suddenly an elderly lady comes rushing in, calling for the police. Out of breath, she tells the Turkish cafe owner that a man is lying dead by the park wall. Hunkeler recognises the deceased imme- diately. He was a retired journalist who used towrite scathing literary and theatre reviews. Hunkeler spots two pétanque balls situated between the man’s legs. The third ball is no- where to be seen. Was it the murder weapon? Hunkeler, who has no inclinationwhatsoever to get involved, returns home to his house in Alsace. Yet the episode continues to play onhis mind, so he starts to make inquiries. In this thriller, Hansjörg Schneider intoduces us to the world of former Detective Inspector Hunkeler. However, Schneider’s book is more than just a murder mystery. This is because the author cares lit- tle for the conventional whodunnit. Instead he is more interested in Hunkeler, theman and hismind. The story takes us through the broil- ing streets of summer-time Basel and, in particular, into the seem- ingly untouched countryside of melancholy-tingedAlsace. It soon be- comes clear that there is something more sinister to the natural idyll than meets the eye. Schneider gives a thrilling account of Hunkeler’s excursions into the landscape and forests of Alsace. The scene featuring an intimidat- ing wild dog is particularly expressive. It symbolises the uncontrol- lablewildness that has infiltrated the cultured environs of Basel since themurder. The author portrays Hunkeler as an obstinate, unruly yet down-to-earth character who follows his own intuition. Pithy dia- logue lends vibrancy and a lovely effortlessness to the storyline de- spite the brutal circumstances. This is Schneider’s tenth Hunkeler murder mystery. Each volume in the Hunkeler series is a complete story and can be read inde- pendently of the other books. Hansjörg Schneider was born in Aarau in 1938. His plays – around 25 of them – have been performed in many theatres. The Hunkeler murder mysteries introduced Schneider to a wide audience, repeat- edly topping the Swiss bestseller list. Six of them were made into television films starring prominent Swiss actor Mathias Gnädinger (who died in 2015). RUTH VON GUNTEN Old-school hip-hop Hunkeler in the wild Sounds Books HANSJÖRG SCHNEIDER: “Hunkeler in the wild” Diogenes Verlag, Zurich 2019 224 pages; CHF 30 or approx. EUR 22 Also available as an e-book CHLYKLASS: “Deitinge Nord”. Chlyklass Records, 2020