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]