In the latest sonic exploration from the indomitable Wolfgang Tillmans, “We Are Not Going Back” emerges as an anthem of resistance amidst a landscape riddled with socio-political turmoil. Echoing through the track is Wolfgang’s signature blend of introspection and the haunting command to “just hold on, just be strong,” capturing the spirit of defiance against the backdrop of a world where rights are under siege.
Wolfgang reveals that crafting this track was an act of solidarity—a beacon of hope in times when the fight for civil liberties, including LGBTQ+ rights, is facing relentless threats. His chosen refrain, “No turning back the clocks,” resonates as a defiant riposte to the revisionists longing for a rose-tinted past, a past marred by inequality and oppression.
“I made this song holding on to a hopeful spirit in alarming times, when in many countries around the globe civil rights, women’s right and LGBTQ+ rights are being challenged and increasingly overturned. Some paint a rosy picture of the past whilst forgetting that many people simply were not free, and inequalities were rampant. When I thought about those views of the past, the chorus including ‘no turning back the clocks’ came to me, thinking in solidarity; ‘We can’t possibly want to return to those times, however nostalgic we might feel about parts of them.’
Complementing the single’s release is a poignant video assembly, directed by Wolfgang himself, collaging archival fragments from his grandfather Karl R. Tillmans’ films. These visual mementoes, dating from the streets of 1939 New York to 1949 West Germany, offer a stirring backdrop to the persistent message of the song.
Both tracks were recorded in the creative havens of Trixx Studios, Berlin, and FlOW in Fire Island Pines, with mastering credits going to the astute Klaus Knapp, reinforcing the single’s sonic integrity in February 2024.
At the core, Wolfgang stands not only as an artist but as an icon, his work a testament to the relentless pursuit of authenticity and the unwavering voice of a community.
