Ensemble Kuhle Wampe, whose name is derived from the communist film "Kuhle Wampe or: Who Owns the World (1932)" with its pronounced avant-garde formal language (directors: Brecht/Dudow/Ottwalt) and grandiose contrapuntal film music (Eisler), aims an artistic criticism of politics and society. Political content is musically put into context, artistically commented on, processed, and spun further: Samples, spoken texts or spoken set pieces are mingled with tailor-made compositional practice. Music with political reference is often seen in either punk-rock or workers’ songs or a strictly avant-garde context. Ensemble Kuhle Wampe chooses a different path and merges these contexts together skillfully with powerful, precise, and direct musical and political expressiveness. The ensemble has recorded a double album, which was recently released on the young Viennese label Waschsalon Records.