Batomae – Unvergleichlich

A soundtrack for a book? That sounds crazy at first. David Müller - alias Batomae - actually composed, lyricized, recorded and released just that. The singer-songwriter who became well-known as the bassist of the band “Luxuslärm” was inspired to write his first solo album, “Incomparable” by Jana Crämer’s novel “The Girl in the First Row.”The author is David Müller’s best friend. She was previously a fan and is now the manager of his band. And, in “The Girl in the First Row”, she works in a bit of her own biography. In her debut novel, Jana Crämer tells the story of Lea, a young girl who suffers from an eating disorder. Only when she goes with her best friend Jule to a concert by her favorite band and stands in the first row can she forget her troubles for an evening and enjoy life unburdened. Lea is stunned to find out that Ben, the band’s attractive singer, is interested in her. A relationship develops, one that allows both of them to stop hiding behind their respective masks - and Lea realizes that Ben’s life isn’t as easy as it appears to be when she sees him on stage. The book deals with friendship and music, dreams and aspirations, and in the end also with individuals breaking apart and coming back together to find themselves.

In “The Girl in the First Row” the serious topic of eating disorders plays a central role. This is reason enough for David to pick up the theme for his song “Incomparable.” The song is an homage to deviating from the norm and the answer to the pressure to always feel like one needs to compare oneself: Whether with imposed ideals of beauty or the drive towards perfection. “We are only really exceptional because of our flaws,” David says. “Besides, deciding what even defines a flaw is always in the eye of the beholder.” The interplay of music and the powerful video makes David’s alias Batomae’s song “Incomparable” a manifesto for the genuine exceptionalism of every person.