Die Gesunden ("The healthy ones") was mainly the duo of Mabel Aschenneller and Eschi Rehm (who passed away on November 12, 2008). They were also joined on drums by Thomas Wydler (who later became known for being member of Nick Cave And the Bad Seeds).
Taking influences from Kraftwerk, Roxy Music, and Eno / Bowie (who were coincidentally recording 'Low' in Berlin at this time), Die Gesunden was one of the first Neue Deutsche Welle outfits. Their self-titled LP was released in 1982 on Innovative Communication, which was the independent record label founded by Klaus Schulze in 1978 after Klaus became very interested in earliest Berlin Neue Deutsche Welle bands (such asIdeal, etc). Mabel was very involved in the Berlin scene promoting local gigs for early Einstürzende Neubauten in 1981 and shows at the Exxcess club (with shows by The Cure amongst other bands) which also inspired the birth of Die Gesunden.
Die Gesunden did fairly well around Germany with one of the highlights being a tour in 1981 supporting DAF.
ZaZa (born June 5, 1951 as Peter La Bonté in Munich) is a German pop singer. He became known in 1982 with the song "Zauberstab", which is now considered a classic of the Neuen Deutschen Welle.
At the age of 12, La Bonté became a member of the Regensburger Domspatzen. After graduating from school, he trained as a commercial artist and initially worked for Siemens AG, later designing record covers as a freelance graphic artist. He continued his musical career from 1974 as a singer and drummer in various Munich rock groups. In 1978 he joined the reggae rock band The Nighthawks. Three years later, however, he went his own way again.
Under the stage name ZaZa, an androgynous mirror creature, he released the single 'Zauberstab' at the height of the Neuen Deutschen Welle. With it he rose in August 1982 in Germany to number 8 in the single charts. The song's lyrics, which were perceived as salacious -in the chorus ZaZa sings "wenn ich Dich kriege, zeigt dir mein Zauberstab die Liebe"("when I get you, my magic wand will show you love")- led to several radio stations banning the song from their programming. In the film "The Flambé Woman", however, the title was played.
For ZaZa it remained the only big hit. The follow-up single only just made it into the charts, further successes failed to materialize.
Probably the most successful re-recording was done by Slađana Milošević. With her project Neutral Design, she re-recorded the title of ZaZa"Licht von Kairo". The title became a great success in Yugoslavia in 1983. "Zauberstab" was re-recorded several times: After an EBM cover version by the duo Klirrfaktor appeared on their album 'Kunststoff' in 2000, the title was revisited by other bands. In 2006, for example, the German rock band Oomph! recorded a cover version of ZaZa's hit for their best-of album 'Delikatessen'. Another cover version was by Atrocity, which appeared on the album 'Gemini'. In 2008, Ralf Donis, former frontman of Love Is Colder Than Death, covered the song. Other versions of "Zauberstab" were recorded by John Starlight, Yü̈ksel D. feat. Flo2Soul & Nic Miles, Yaya, Stiefbrüder and Beborn Beton. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Eiskalte Engel emerged from Michael Bundt’s Mannheim-based artist circles in 1981. 'Total Normal', the band’s debut album, released by Hansa-Sub Rocktupus, hit the shelves about a year later. Combining early NDW Electro Underground grooves with NDW Pop groundworks, the record offers both: minimalist dance tracks and pleasant pop tunes. [SOURCE: BORDELLO A PARIGI]
Stratis is an electronic duo from Cologne, Germany, formed by Antonios Stratis and Albert Klein in 1981. They took inspiration from the progressive electronic synthscapes of Tangerine Dream and Vangelis and the proto-techno of Chris & Cosey and Yello, as well as jazz and funk. The duo recorded 5 cassette-only albums between 1982 and 1986 - 'Exotic', 'New Face', 'Musica da Ballo', 'Film Musik', and 'Raging Beauty'- which were released on their own label Creative Tapes (later called Temporary Music), and which were also licensed to Colin Potter's Integrated Circuit Records (ICR) label. [SOURCE: DARK ENTRIES BANDCAMP]
No More is a German band from Kiel founded in 1979 by Andy A. Schwarz (vocals, guitar, bass), Tina Sanudakura (synthesizers), Christian Darc (drums, vocals) and Thomas Welz (bass, vocals). Their music is rooted in early post-punk/no wave.
The 7-inch EP 'Too Late' was the first release in 1980 and was recorded in a small laundry-room with a 4-track TEAC. After the departure of Thomas Welz at the end of 1980, No More worked as a trio until the end of 1983.
The song "Suicide Commando" (released in 1981 and not to be confused with the Belgian band Suicide Commando, who named themselves after that song) is the band's biggest success. The New Musical Express described "Suicide Commando" as "suitable German electro fashion" but the song spread in the following years internationally regardless of genre and scene. In the 1990s the song entered the Techno- and Electroscene, when it was remixed by DJ Hell and Echopark (Moguai & Torsten Stenzel).
In 1982 No More released the mini-LP 'A Rose Is A Rose' this time reviewed by the NME as "made by a trio of young Germans who appear to have fallen out of Lou Reed´s 'Berlin' album". After the release of 'A Rose Is A Rose' No More decided to change direction. The new style was a mixture of darkwave and oriental elements.
In 1984 Thorsten Hartung (bass) joined the band. In the slipstream of the "Suicide Commando" success No More started to tour Germany and the Netherlands but soon refuse to play the song. No More decided to go separate ways at the end of 1986, shortly after finishing their album 'Hysteria'. Tina Sanudakura und Andy A. Schwarz form the band Nijinsky Style.
In 2006 No More (condensed in the duo Tina Sanudakura and Andy A. Schwarz) release a new album called 'Remake/Remodel'. At the end of 2008 they start touring again and in January 2010 the single 'Sunday Mitternacht / A Rose Is A Rose' is released. The album 'Midnight People & Lo-Life Stars' was released in March 2010, followed by the 2012 album 'Sisyphus'.
In 2015 the band turned to a more Pop orientated sound with the release of the single 'Stardust Youth' and the album 'Silence & Revolt'.
[SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Gleitzeit was a Minimal Synth band formed in München (Germany). They released one only single in 1981, with the A-side ("Ich Komme Aus Der DDR") soundings like a no. 1 retrohit from the future. They were influenced by the groundbreaking bands from the Düsseldorf area/era like Der Plan, Pyrolator and all the other bands from Ink Records, Ata Tak and Rondo, while the words imitate the da-da-istic expression of Kraftwerk, Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft and Trio. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]
Among myriads of new bands that popped out in Brazil (São Paulo) in the early 80s came along Voluntários da Pátria ("Nation Volunteers") who played a nice going post-punk whose members were all famous names of the post-punk scene in Brazil sometime: Minho K (Verminose, Magazine e 3 Hombres), Guilherme Isnard (Zero), Akira S. e Edson X (Akira S. & As Garotas que Erraram), Thomas Pappon (Smack e Fellini), Nasi e Gaspa (Ira!).
They formed in 1982 by guitarrists Miguel Barrela (ex-Agentss) e Giuseppe Fripp.
They released an album in 1984 recorded by Miguel and Giuseppe on guitars, Nasi singing, Gaspa on bass and Thomas Pappon on drums. They split up short after releasing it. [SOURCE: POSTPUNKBRAZIL]
Muzak was a Brazilian Post-Punk band formed in São Paulo in 1984 with Nivaldo Campopiano (guitar), Osmar Buono (vocals, bass) and Victor Leite (drums) who was later replaced by Regis Tadeu. In 1985, two songs, "Jovens Ateus" and "Ilha Urbana", were featured in the compilation 'Não São Paulo'. In 1986, they only recorded their first and only EP 'Muzak'.
As Mercenárias are a Brazilian all-female rock band formed in São Paulo in 1982, by bassist Sandra Coutinho, vocalist Rosália Munhoz and guitarist Ana Machado. With lyrics that heavily criticized Brazilian government and society (and sometimes the Catholic Church as well), their sonority was constantly compared to Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Sex Pistols and above all The Slits.
A then-unknown Edgard Scandurra initially served as the band's drummer; however, he would leave the band in order to focus on the incipient Ira!, and was replaced by Lourdes "Lou" Moreira by the time the band released their first album. Sandra would also join Smack in 1983, alongside Scandurra, Sérgio "Pamps" Pamplona and Thomas Pappon, and gothic rock band Cabine C in 1984, alongside former Titãs member Ciro Pessoa. In 1983 they recorded a demo tape, containing eight tracks, but it was never made available to the general public.
The tape caught the attention of famous Brazilian independent label Baratos Afins though, which released Mercenárias' debut album, 'Cadê as Armas?', in 1986. It was extremely well-received, with the tracks "Inimigo", "Santa Igreja", "Polícia" and "Pânico" becoming underground hits. A music video was made for the latter track.
In 1988, the band released their second (and last) studio album, 'Trashland', via EMI. It received an even better reception than the first one, and won the prize of "Album of the Year" by magazine Bizz. However, EMI fired the band for unknown reasons, and they disbanded soon after. Ana and Rosália abandoned the musical career, while Sandra formed the short-lived group AKT, before returning to Brazil in 2005. "Lourdes" underwent a sex reassignment surgery and changed his name to Leonardo, and announced himself to be an LGBT activist.
In 2006, Sandra reformed the band and hired new members Geórgia Branco and Pitchu Ferraz.
In 2012, the band celebrated its 30-year anniversary, and performed at the CCJ Ruth Cardoso in São Paulo, for free. The show counted with the participation of Edgard Scandurra and Clemente Nascimento (of the band Inocentes), among others. In November 2013, the band performed at the SESC Consolação, in a show celebrating the 35-year anniversary of Baratos Afins. Sandra's bandmates of Smack, Scandurra and Pamplona, participated in it.
In early 2015, Branco and Ferraz left the band and were replaced by Sílvia Tape and Michelle Abu. In mid-2017, Marianne Crestani replaced Tape.
In March 2015, Mercenárias announced on their official Facebook page that their 1983 demo would be remastered and finally available for purchase. The band's first release in 27 years, it came out on June 27, 2015 by independent label Nada Nada Discos.
On August 11, 2018, the band released the box set 'Baú 83–87', containing previously unreleased demos and rarities recorded between 1983 and 1987. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Vzyadoq Moe is a Brazilian alternative rock band. Formed in 1986 in the city of Sorocaba, the group caused a stir and quickly became a cult object thanks to their original mix of influences. Vzyadoq created an unmistakable sound by mixing English post-punk (Bauhaus, Joy Division, The Cure, Killing Joke) with the industrial rock of Germany's Einstürzende Neubaten, samba de raiz (Nelson Cavaquinho, Cartola, Clara Nunes), symbolist literature, comic books and visual references to German expressionist cinema. [SOURCE: VZYADOQ MOE.COM]
AKT was a short lived Brazilian all girl post-punk/experimental group formed by members of As Mercenárias, Bruhahá Babélico, DeFalla and R. Mutt.
This would have been the Brazilian post-punk supergroup. It would have, because bassist and singer Sandra Coutinho moved to Germany, leaving some recordings behind -only two songs were released, in an independent compilation ('Enquanto Isso').
Sandra (Bass, As Mercenárias) along with Denise Camargo (keyboards and voice, Bruhahá Babélico and Dequinha e Zaba), Biba Meira (drums, DeFalla) and Karla Xavier (guitar, R. Mutt), expressive musicians in expressive bands, were AKT. And its powerful repertoire, composed and recorded in the short period of the group’s existence, was recorded and produced by R.H. Jackson (Caracol). [SOURCE: MUNSTER RECORDS]
Ira! (Portuguese for "Anger!" or "Rage!", although the name was inspired by the Irish Republican Army) is a Brazilian rock band that was founded in São Paulo in the early 1980s. They were strongly influenced by the Mod sound of The Who, the hard rock of Led Zeppelin and the punk rock of The Clash.
Led by singer Nasi and guitarist Edgard Scandurra, with Ricardo Gaspa on bass and André Jung on drums, Ira! was at the height of their success in the mid-to-late 1980s. Songs like "Núcleo Base", "Flores em Você" and "Envelheço na Cidade" were huge hits when first released and still enjoy considerable airplay in radio stations throughout Brazil. The band had a decline in productivity and popularity during the 1990s, but regained popularity after playing before an audience of over 250,000 at the third edition of the Rock in Rio festival in 2001 and doing an acoustic special for MTV Brasil in 2004.
In September 2007, just before the band were due to have a break, Nasi departed from the band after a conflict with Airton Valadão Rodolfo, who was the band manager and also Nasi's brother. In November 2007, Edgard Scandurra announced that Ira! had split up and the remaining members would follow their careers separately.
On 27 June 2012, Nasi and Airton announced to the press that they have been reconciled after more than five years of court and public battles. The brothers stated that they would settle all the pending legal prosecutions that one had target to the other. It was agreed that the brand 'Ira!', which was a property of Airton, would return to Nasi. The rumor of a possible Ira! reunion were denied, though. Nasi stated in his Facebook profile and on his personal blog that he had no immediate plan to reunite the group, although he was open get in good terms with Edgard Scandurra. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Fellini was a Brazilian rock band formed in São Paulo in 1984 by Cadão Volpato (vocals, harmonica), Jair Marcos (guitar), Ricardo Salvagni (drums and percussion), and former Voluntários da Pátria and Smack member Thomas Pappon (bass and occasionally other instruments).
One of the most well-known bands of the Brazilian underground scene of the mid-1980s (and having a strong cult following to the present day), Fellini originally began as a straightforward post-punk band influenced by acts such as Joy Division, The Stranglers and The Durutti Column, but would gradually develop a more eclectic sonority that mixed post-punk with other genres such as MPB, new wave and samba rock, acquiring a unique, almost non-descript musical style.
The band's name was coined by Thomas Pappon during a brainstorm; he wanted the band to have a "weird, funny-sounding" name (in contrast to the "serious" and "gloomy" names Brazilian post-punk bands had at the time), and chose "Fellini" as a homage to The Stranglers' album 'Feline'. Fellini performed their first show at the Bar Albergue, in Bixiga. In late 1984, Fellini obtained a contract with independent record label Baratos Afins, and released their debut album, 'O Adeus de Fellini', in 1985, which contained underground hits such as "Rock Europeu" and "Funziona Senza Vapore". It would be followed by 1986's 'Fellini Só Vive 2 Vezes', 1987's '3 Lugares Diferentes' (which Cadão Volpato considers to be Fellini's finest album, and was also their last release via Baratos Afins) and 1990's 'Amor Louco'. However, the band broke up in the same year, with Cadão Volpato alleging that he was tired of the band's hectic performance schedule and wanted to give more emphasis on his "intellectual pretensions". Also, Thomas Pappon moved to Germany (and later to England) in the same year, leaving Fellini to form alongside his wife Karla the duo The Gilbertos.
In 1992, Cadão Volpato formed a very short-lived "spiritual successor" to Fellini named Funziona Senza Vapore (after Fellini's eponymous song, present in their debut album). It comprised original Fellini members Jair Marcos and Ricardo Salvagni, plus Stela Campos replacing Thomas Pappon. They recorded also in 1992 a homonymous obscure album, that was only released in 2002. After a 12-year hiatus, Fellini returned in 2002, releasing a new studio album, 'Amanhã É Tarde'. In 2003 they played at the TIM Festival alongside Beth Gibbons and Los Hermanos, subsequently doing some other sporadic shows. In 2010 they released a compilation featuring re-recordings of previous songs, 'Você Nem Imagina', before breaking up again.
In 2015 Volpato and Pappon reunited to form the experimental rock duo Pappon & Volpato. In 2016 the band announced on their official Facebook page that a brief reunion of its original line-up would happen; accompanied by drummer Lauro Lellis, they would play in its entirety their album 'Amor Louco' across some venues in São Paulo beginning in March. According to Cadão Volpato, this would be the last reunion ever of the band, and no further performances are scheduled. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Chance was an influential São Paolo Não Wave band, mainly known abroad for their appearance on both 'The Sexual Life of the Savages' and 'Não Wave' compilation. Their chilly, slow sounds were highly influential on the scene and though they only recorded a handful of songs their live appearances are still quite mythic. [SOURCE: NTS]
Azul 29 (Portuguese for "Blue 29") was a short-lived Brazilian new wave band, founded in 1982 by two former members of synthpop band Agentss. They are famous for their 1984 hit "Videogame".
Azul 29 was founded in the city of São Paulo in April 1982, by Agentss guitarist Eduardo Amarante and Thomas Bielefeld. Their first recording was the song "Ciências Sensuais". After Agentss disbanded in 1983, Amarante and Bielefeld were joined by Malcolm Oakley and Thomas "Miko" Susemihl (who also played for Agentss). In the same year, they would release a self-titled EP via WEA (present-day Warner Music Group), containing the tracks "Metrópole" and "Olhar".
In 1984 they released a second self-titled EP, also via WEA, containing the songs "Videogame" and "O Teu Nome em Neon"; in this EP, the electronic elements in their music are noticeably more prominent than in their previous release.
"Videogame" would become Azul 29's greatest hit after being used in the soundtrack of the popular 1984 film "Bete Balanço", directed by Lael Rodrigues. Despite their success, the band came to an end in 1985. Futurely, both Oakley and Amarante would join New Romantic post-punk band Zero.
On August 18, 2016, it was announced that Thomas Bielefeld had died at his hometown of Pindamonhangaba, after suffering from heart and respiratory failure. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Akira S E As Garotas Que Erraram ("Akira S & The Girls Who Fucked Up") were a conceptual outfit made up of Brazilian / Japanese maverick Akira S on bass and programming and writer and activist Pedreira Antunes on vocals and lyrics, plus Edson X on drums, Anna Ruth on bass, Corina Crawford on keyboards, Giuseppe "Frippi" Lenti and Miguel Barella on guitars.
Their music had a punk funk disco feel with great half spoken, half sung vocals.
Formed in São Paulo (Brazil, 1984), the group took part of the post-punk movement around clubs like Carbono 14, Lira Paulistana, Napalm, Rose Bombom and Madame Satã, as one of the most experimental acts of that underground scene. There was a short-lived formation with Nelson Coelho (guitar) and Victor Leite (drums) circa 1987. And Claudia "Kakaya" played some gigs before Corina and the guitars joined -in a early period with two basses and no guitar.
Rio de Janeiro’s Black Future (founded by Carlos Antônio de Mattos aka Tantão and Márcio Bandeira aka Satanésio) are an eclectic combination of post-punk, reggae/dub and Latin American culture.
PiL /The Fall/ Wire influenced bass grooves mix with traditional carioca rhythms played on a drum machine and accompanied by acoustic percussions -the result has been described as “samba-noise”.
Bandeira’s lyrics depict the dark side of Rio that the postcards never promote, creating anti-anthems for tourists, or, better still, anthems for Rio’s outcasts and underdogs, among whom Black Future consider themselves.
The band released only one album ‘Eu Sou O Rio’ (1988) on the RCA Victor label. The album is highly regarded by critics and record enthusiasts alike and has reached ‘cult status’ for a few. [SOURCE: REDDIT]
The Brazilian band from São Paulo Agentss was set up by Kodiak Bachine, Miguel Barella and Eduardo Amarante in 1980/1981.
The group was a pioneer and actually influential band in Brazil of the New Wave movement that embodied elements of Electronic and Minimalist music. The band made a spacious use of icons and scenarios that aided in the dissemination of the newest ideas and musical concepts in the emerging Electro-pop musical universe of the 80's. Agentss was fine-tuned to the international music scene, "synchronized" with bands and artists such as: Kraftwerk, Devo, Talking Heads, Gary Numan, The Residents, Bauhaus, The B-52's, The Cure, Blondie, Television, Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, etc.
In a short period of time the group became a cult among the young people in the city of São Paulo, bringing a faithful legion of fans that crammed into the places where the band performed.
The band's first show occurred on September 25th 1982. The group played a total amount of just five concerts over a year's period, this being enough to leave an impressive mark on the local scene. The musicians in Agentss were extremely careful concerning their performance's quality, this somehow made it difficult for them to increase the number of concerts. They didn't have any support from record companies or sponsorships.
Agentss recorded two singles. The first in 1981 was an independent production with the songs "Agentes" and "Angra". The second one in 1983 was released by the WEA record company with the songs "Professor Digital" and "Cidade Industrial" on it. It was produced by Pena Schmidt (re-mastered in the year 2000 on CD format in a compilation from Warner Music of the 80's bands).
Besides the 4 songs ("Agentes", "Angra", "Professor Digital" and "Cidade Industral"), Agentss
had a repertoire of about 20 to 30 songs (and 1000 ideas going on).
Although, there are no records of those songs, and the ones that do
exist are extremely rudimentary for they were recorded on cassette tapes
and the like. This makes it impossible to have a decent publishing of
such material, in spite of all the immense capacity of the updated
technology.
The band had a friendly split up at the end of the year 1983 because of philosophical reasons. Like Halley's Comet, that at the time was approaching Earth, Agentss passed quickly leaving in its cosmic trail remarkable impressions in the eyes, ears, hearts and minds of those who were privileged to know it. Miguel Barella formed the group Voluntários da Pátria. Eduardo Amarante together with Thomas Susemihl set up the group Azul 29 (also in the 80's CD compilation released by Warner Music in 2000). Later Eduardo Amarante joined the ex-Voluntários da PátriaGuilherme Isnard and they both formed the band Zero. Kodiak went solo [SOURCE: WIKIBIN]
Caroline Loebis a French actress, singer and theater director.
Daughter of the gallery owner Albert Loeb and granddaughter of the gallery owner Pierre Loeb, she spent her childhood in New York.
Passionate about theater, she enrolled in the famous Florent Courses in Paris under the direction of Francis Huster. She acted in "Succès", written by the first authors of the TSE group, whose costumes and sets were created by Paloma Picasso. She also participated in numerous films made by Adolfo Arrieta, James Ivory and Jacques Demy.
In 1983, her first album,'Piranana', is released by Ze Records, being the author of all the lyrics. The album was recorded in New York, with the cover art by Jean-Baptiste Mondino. In 1986 she becomes a star with the title "C'est La Ouate" of which she is interpreter and co-author. The song becomes an international hit (No. 1 in Italy, No. 3 in Spain, No. 5 in France, No. 10 in Germany, Austria, Argentina...). She released a second album, 'Loeb C.D.', in 1987.
Since 1993, Caroline Loeb has been conducting numerous artists with repertoires by Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich, Jacques Prévert, etc. In 1999, she directed "Shirley" at the Avignon Festival, following Shirley Goldfarb's notebooks. The performer, Judith Magre, was awarded a Molière, the highest award of the French Theater.
In 2007, she directed and performed in "Les Monologues Du Vagin" ("The Vagina Monologues") in Paris.
In 2008, Caroline Loeb launched her career in filmmaking with the short film "Vous désirez?" ("What Do You Want?"), made for the X-plicit Films collection. The film was presented at the Venice Film Festival in September with short films by Laetitia Masson, Arielle Dombasle , Helena Noguerra and Lola Doillon.
In July 2008 at the Avignon Festival, she returned to the stage with the musical show "Mistinguett, Madonna & Moi". Evoking the icons she has always admired: Mae West, Tallulah Bankhead, Zizi Jeanmaire or Arletty, she sings their songs alongside titles by Serge Gainsbourg, Joséphine Baker, Fred Astaire, Yvette Guilbert and Madonna. Since October 2, 2008, she has been performing this show at the Théâtre des Blancs Manteaux in Paris. On January 5, 2009, she released her album 'Crime Parfait' ("Perfect Crime"), a mix of poetic and emotional songs with shades of black humor. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
