Christof Glowalla

In 1979, armed with a Korg MS-10 synthesier and a very simple rhythm box, Christof Glowalla began experimenting with a tape recorder and a few DIY sound generators. Influenced by outfits such as Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, and Fad Gadget, Glowalla eventually put his creation to tape at the West Berlin “Musiclab” which was a small 8-track studio in the Kreuzberg district. What resulted in 1980 was the self-released now excruciatingly rare 'Erde 80' 7 inch single. Glowalla also collaborated in a band called Exobit in 1981 with Ingolf Kurkowski and Frank Landgraf, but it was a brief existence. Also in 1981, Glowalla recorded 3 more tracks with Kurkowski which were presented to various record labels, but they unfortunately were never released at the time. Though relatively obscure in the early 1980s, the 'Erde 80' 7 inch release slowly became an underground hit with collectors with subsequently rising prices that continue to rise today. [SOURCE: MINIMAL WAVE RECORDS] 

Bourgie Bourgie

Paul Quinn was initially the lead singer with the first line-up of Jazzateers, but was relegated to backing vocals while his role was taken on by Graeme Skinner (later to find success with Hipsway) when the material was recorded and released. Then in 1984 came Bourgie Bourgie, an act signed to a major label in the shape of MCA Records and of whom great things were anticipated. Sadly, it only amounted to a couple of majestic singles -'Breaking Point' and 'Careless'-, while there are some tapes in circulation of stuff that was recorded in demo form for an unreleased LP. [SOURCE: THE (NEW) VINYL VILLAIN] 

Asphixiation

Asphixiation was a one-off side project for Melbourne provocateur Philip Brophy, best known for his work with → ↑ →, whose decade-long investigation into the aesthetics of punk, electronic and dance music began in the late 1970s. He had already released a series of seven inch singles, and had begun to incorporate elements of disco into their minimalist rock-hewn sound, when curators at Melbourne University’s George Paton Gallery approached Brophy to present something in their space. Brophy decided to put disco into an art gallery. The ensuing exhibition presented paintings lifted from Italian Vogue, single instruments displayed on plinths, tape loops playing minimalist ambient sounds, and a synthesizer pulsing a loud thump throughout the space. Brophy also created a ‘fake’ disco band -itself a perverse idea because the essence of disco was its artificiality- to mime on stage with a reel-to-reel tape visibly playing, just like disco was being presented at the time. 

'What Is This Thing Called ‘Disco’?' was recorded just days before the exhibition of the same name opened in July 1980. Aged only 20, Brophy wrote all the music in 5 days, with accomplice Ralph Traviato taking care of lyrics. Recordings were done over 7 graveyard sessions at Latrobe University studios, engineered by David Chesworth (Essendon Airport) and Chris Wyatt. Ralph, Phil and guitarist Leigh Parkhill played everything, sharing vocals with Maria Kozic and Jayne Stevenson. In February 1981, iconic Melbourne label Missing Link released a 12” of two songs from these recordings, and later that year the band released the album themselves, repressing the 12” and including it in the package. A friend posed nude for the cover, deliberately reversing disco’s penchant for half-naked women on its album sleeves. [SOURCE: ASPHIXIATION.BANDCAMP.COM] 

God And The State

God And The State were a band from Los Angeles that existed for less than 2 years. Members were David Hull on guitar and vocals (from Toronto, Canada), and Barbara Ann Jaeckel on bass and vocals (from Detroit). Drums were played by Kevin Barrett (100 Flowers, Radwaste, Urinals). In their short existence they managed to record an album in 1983 which saw the light of day 2 years later. Only 1000 copies were pressed. [SOURCE: DISCOGS]

Die Unbekannten

Die Unbekannten (The Unknown) were formed in June 1981 by two ex-pat Brits living in Berlin, Mark Reeder and Alistair Gray, for the legendary “Konzert zur Einheit der Nation” (Concert for the Unity of Germany) held in the SO36 club in Kreuzberg on 17th June 1981. Their set was hastily thrown together a few days before and the song lyrics were written in the pub opposite the club, while awaiting their soundcheck. They actually had no name when they appeared at the SO36 and were dubbed by a local journalist Andre Schwerdt as, “the two unknown Englishmen” in a local magazine review and the name Die Unbekannten stuck. 

They recorded their first successful 12” vinyl 'Die Unbekannten' shortly afterwards for Elisabeth Recker’s Monogam label. This controversial three track EP also featured their friend Thomas Wydler on drums. It was a collection of gloomy and politically themed tracks, such as the cold-war classics “Radio War”, “Casualties” and “Poseidon” (a bi-lingual song in English and German, about the sinking of a Poseidon nuclear submarine). The cover artwork acquired for this first single, was a photo of three East German border patrol guards (VOPOS), which had been obtained especially for the EP’s artwork. However, it transpired that the photographer hadn’t given his permission to also use the picture for other marketing purposes and when he saw the city covered in Die Unbekannten posters, he filed a suit against the Label and withdrew his permission for his picture. After selling a few thousand copies the single was culled from the shelves. 

As Reeder also worked as co-manager and sound engineer for avant-garde all-girl group Malaria! Die Unbekannten were provided with the ideal opportunity to tour extensively throughout Europe, as Malaria!‘s support act. In spring 1982, Mark and Alistair were given an early prototype of a Roland 606 drum computer, by a member of The Human League. After a few days trial (writing songs), they immediately went into Harris Johns recording studio in Kreuzberg and recorded "Don’t Tell Me Stories" (featuring Renegade Soundwave’s Danny Briotett on cooking pot-percussion), and “Perfect Love” for their next Monogam EP 'Dangerous Moonlight'. Two more tracks soon followed “The Game” and “Against the Wall” (which again featured Thomas Wydler on drums and percussion). This melancholic single was a huge success for the band and was probably one of the earliest examples of electronic “darkwave” music.

During the following two years, the line-up changed. Wydler left the band to play with Die Haut and the drum machine and electronics completely changed their sound and songwriting style. Using Reeder’s extensive eastern European dissident contacts, Die Unbekannten also performed at secret illegal gigs deep inside communist bloc in places like Hungary and Czechoslovakia. In early 1983 they undertook an adventurous tour of Germany, Austria and Hungary, together with Die Toten Hosen (where they played together in Budapest’s Karl-Marx-University and where some twat stealthily stole one of their Roland 606 drum computers). The first concert of this mad-dash tour, was for the grand opening of “The LOFT” - in the “Metropol” Berlin’s most renowned live venue- and for this gig, P1/E founder member Michael Schauemer and swedish musician, Jeppe Eckholm joined the band. 

In 1984 the line up changed again. Jeppe had gone back home to Sweden to recover and Schaumer left to form his own band, Tennis Boy Blues with Yuji Kimura and Monika Dietl. It was now that two new members were added; Leo Walter and Helmut Wittler, formally of Soif de la Vie. The band were asked to play as the support act for a huge New Order tour of Europe and so Mark and Alistair agreed a complete image change was really required, to go along with the new line up, sound and songs and thus Die Unbekannten were transformed into Shark Vegas. [SOURCE: MINIMAL WAVE RECORDS] 

Mekanik Destruektiw Komandoe

Mekanik Destruektiw Komandoe is a German rock band named after Magma 'Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh' whose members were Uli Radike on drums, Stephan Schwietzke on saxophone, Alexander Hacke on guitar, Ze-Thai on bass & Volker Hauptvogel on vocals. [SOURCE: DISCOGS] 

Frieder Butzmann

Frieder Butzmann was born in 1954 near swiss border at the Lake of Constance and lives in Berlin since 1975. He was the first Post-Punk. Appeared since 1976 at different places as SO 36 in Berlin Kreuzberg and Museum of Modern Art New York. He did things like 'Musik Für Eine Barocke Party', a Klingon Opera, more than 30 radio plays, Sound art pieces and internet projects as Spunkkrachlexikon or comish music. Still working permanently at his Studio für Komische Music in Berlin. [SOURCE: FRIEDERBUTZMANN.DE] 

Flucht Nach Vorn

Flucht Nach Vorn was a German Post-Punk ("Punk-Funk") band of the so called "Neue Deutsche Welle" (NDW) era and one of various artists performed for the film "Berlin Super 80". They released two 12" EPs: 1982's 'Flucht Nach Vorn', 1984's 'O Cubano' and an LP: 1985's 'Talking Is Over'. [SOURCE: LAST.FM] 

Din A Testbild

Few bands of the German post punk/new wave era can lay claim to "cult" status, but Din A Testbild most certainly can. Formed in 1978 by Mark Eins and Gudrun Gut, the combo played a significant role in defining the avant-garde music of Berlin and were among the pioneers of Electroclash, long before the genre even existed. In the year they started out, Din A Testbild played at the opening of the legendary Berlin underground club S.O. 36 and in 1980 they appeared at Hamburg's first "In die Zukunft" (Into the Future) festival, organized by Alfred Hilsberg. 'Abfall/Garbage', their first single, is emblematic of the entire West Berlin music scene from 1978–1982. The group also participated in the seminal "Geniale Dilletanten" event at the Tempodrom in Berlin (1981). Their contribution to German underground cinema and the art scene cannot be captured in a few simple words. Such is the measure of the cult and legend of Din A Testbild. [SOURCE: BUREAU B] 

Mona Mur

Mona Mur (born 1960 in Hamburg, Germany) first entered the music scene in 1982, collaborating with members of Einstürzende Neubauten to form Mona Mur & Die Mieter (translated "Mona Mur & The Tenants"). The band consisted of Gode B., Mark Chung, FM Einheit, Alexander Von Borsig and Mona Mur. They released one 12", titled 'Jeszcze Polska'. After this, Mona Mur & Die Mieter disbanded, and Mur emerged into a solo career. 

From 1984 to 1986, she played live shows with a backing band consisting of FM Einheit, Alexander Von Borsig, Nikkolai Weidemann, Tomas Stern and Siewert Johannsen, with Raymond Watts working as sound engineer. Despite recording in Watts's Hamburg studio, this line-up eventually dissolved with no material released. 

Mur then went on to collaborate with producer Dieter Meier to work on her 1988 self-titled debut for RCA. A follow-up album, 'Warsaw', was recorded in 1990, but went unreleased at the time. After this, Mona then decided to take a break from music and turned her energy to Taekwondo, achieving the 3rd DAN. She entered the German National Team and became International German Vice Champion twice. 

In 1996, she returned to music, founding her company "Monamur Music Production", becoming a composer and audio designer. She went on to release a 20 year, career-spanning retrospective compilation, entitled 'Into Your Eye'. Mona Mur is now back to singing and performing live, as well as continuing her composing and sound design work, for both film and gaming. [SOURCE: DISCOGS]