Enemy Architecture by City Speak
"Enemy Architecture" is the second single of German punk rock band City Speak, taken from the upcoming album "Holding Water", out August 22nd, 2024 on Keep it a Secret Records (GER), Shield Recordings (NL), Snappy Little Numbers (US) and Cat's Claw Records (UK).
"Defensive" or "Hostile Architecture" is a term taken from urban design and describes the use of architecture to stop unwanted behavior, mostly found in highly-populated urban areas. All of us have unconsciously seen it before: individual seats at the bus stop instead of one big bench, armrests so people cannot lay down on them, studs and spikes so you cannot sit down, or skate. A lot of it is anti-homeless and anti-youth, but you can even take it one step further and segregate entire cities by urban planning.
For over a year, we have documented instances of hostile architecture wherever we encountered it. From Berlin, to Sydney, Madrid, Berlin, Hamburg, to our hometown of Mainz, where the bakery across the street has metal rods on the windowsill to prevent people from sitting down. We have walked past it for years without noticing. If you know what to look for you will see hostile architecture everywhere. …and we’re the enemy.
Tracklist
| 1. | Enemy Architecture | 2:04 |
Lyrics
It’s all around us / and I bet that you don’t see
It’s all around us / it’s made for you and me
Out of sight is out of mind
And the architect’s unkind
Just a problem you obscure
All systems go and kill the poor
It’s all around us / and I bet that you don’t see
It’s all around us / and we’re the enemy
Just a tiny stroke on paper
Turns the future into vapor
Empty phrases and red tape
Commodify the cityscape
It is clear you’re undesired
By designs some call “inspired”
And bridges are dividers
Making neighbors just outsiders
Credits
Bass and drums recorded by Pip Monheim at Kreativfabrik Wiesbaden. Guitars recorded by Doni Dröschel. Vocals recorded by City Speak. Mixed by Fernando Etchegoyen at Can't Fail Studios, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mastered by Paul Miner (US).
