The creation of “All Day I Steal This Album” by Rico Friebe is a tale of dreams, mysterious encounters, personal tragedies, and unwavering artistic resilience. It’s a work that bridges the past and present, standing as both a creative statement and a manifesto against violence and injustice.
Originally produced in the summer of 2021, the album was intended to be Rico Friebe’s debut under his own name, titled “A Different Story“. Shortly after completing the production, Friebe had a mysterious dream of a black-and-white portrait of a woman’s face—a woman he had never seen before.
Two months later, the unimaginable happened: Friebe met the woman from his dream in real life and instantly recognized her. He shared the story with her and asked if she would like to be the face of his album. She agreed, becoming the only person to hear snippets of the album before its release. But just weeks later, she disappeared, and the tragic details of her life came to light. Deeply moved, Friebe decided to shelve the album and instead released a different debut titled “Jenni“, dedicated to her and aimed at raising awareness about violence against women.
Not long after this heartbreaking episode, Friebe himself faced a traumatic experience: he was physically assaulted at night, leaving him with significant hearing loss in his left ear. This event, though devastating, became a catalyst for his artistic transformation.
In 2024, amid renewed harassment and attacks on his artistic work, Friebe decided to revisit the shelved album. This time, he reimagined it with a new perspective and a striking title: “All Day I Steal This Album“. The title pays homage to Abbie Hoffman’s 1971 book “Steal This Book!“ and System of a Down’s 2002 album “Steal This Album!“, channeling the rebellious spirit of both works.
Friebe reworked the project into a creative collage of his past decade of sound design. By “stealing” and re-evaluating his own iconic ideas, he crafted a highly personal and unique culmination of his artistic evolution. The result is an album that not only tells a story but also celebrates his journey as a musician.
The album will be released digitally in four parts, allowing listeners to explore its layers gradually. For fans of physical formats, a vinyl edition is scheduled for May 2025, offering a tactile connection to this extraordinary story.
“All Day I Steal This Album“ is more than just a collection of songs—it’s a statement of defiance, a personal testimony, and a work of art that transcends music to confront profound social issues. With this project, Rico Friebe once again proves that personal hardships can be transformed into powerful catalysts for artistic creation and societal change.
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