Toto Lotto came from Frankfurt/Main, which is the financial capital of Germany. During the 1970's it was also a center of left-wing activities. Toto Lotto were rooted in this political scene and they mixed punk with musical knowledge derived from bands like Henry Cow. Toto Lotto had a lot of energy like James Chance although they sure could play their instruments and knew jazzrock. Christoph Anders later went on to play with Heiner Goebbels, Alfred Harth and Chris Cutler as Cassiber. [SOURCE: BROTBEUTEL]
One of the earliest San Francisco punk bands, The Sleepers were also one of the first U.S. outfits to stretch the boundaries of the style into what is recognized today as "post-punk." Featuring the deep vocals and inscrutable lyrics of singer Ricky Williams (formerly a drummer with Crime), the Sleepers' material stressed ominous atmosphere, throbbing bass lines, and quirky instrumental shifts that challenged the rigid bash-'em-out structures of early punk. Particularly in their later days, their recordings looked forward to elements of goth rock, in both Williams' increasingly Bowie-esque vocal delivery and the sophisticated electric guitar textures. The Sleepers' obscurity is mostly attributable to their sparse output, which was limited to a 1978 EP, a single, and a 1981 LP, all on small labels with limited distribution. Williams, an instable character who was thrown out of an embryonic lineup of Flipper for being too weird, later sang with the Toiling Midgets, and died in 1992. Drummer Tim Mooney, also a member of Toiling Midgets, went on to work with American Music Club. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Pink Turns Blue are a post-punk band from Berlin, Germany. Formed in 1985, they were part of the first generation of gothic rock in Germany, and released their first LP, 'If Two Worlds Kiss' with a sound reminiscent of new wave with very dark undertones and use of synthesizers, and went to become part of the developing sub-genre of dark wave.
The band originally was a duo consisting of Thomas Elbern (vocals and guitars), Mic Jogwer (vocals, bass and keyboards) and a drum machine. In 1985, Elbern was part of an NDW-ensemble called Seltsame Zustände but wanted to form a new band in Cologne and was looking for musicians via an ad. The music student Mic Jogwer answered, and they had several small appearances around Cologne under the name Pink Turns Blue (named after the Hüsker Dü song "Pink Turns to Blue"). Musically they were oriented towards post-punk bands like early The Cure, The Chameleons or The Sound. In early 1986, art student and drummer Marcus Giltjes joined the band. The trio won a 'new talent award' from Germany’s biggest radio station WDR which included as a prize a studio session with producer and radio host Volkmar Kramarz.
In June 1987, Mic Jogwer switched from bass to guitar and Ruebi Walter, who joined the band in 1986 as a keyboard player, moved to bass. In August the band were signed by the newly found record label Fun Factory! The band recorded a few new songs and remixed existing material from 1986 for their debut album 'If Two Worlds Kiss', released in October 1987. From October 1987 to March 1988, the band toured and the song "Walking On Both Sides" got them TV appearances and was played on the radio. They were invited to tour with the controversial Yugoslavian band Laibach, and Jogwer became friends with their soundman Janez Križaj. Križaj invited Pink Turns Blue to record their second album in Ljubljana. To pay for the recordings, the band smuggled Western studio equipment across the border.
In August 1988, the single 'Touch The Skies' was released, and Pink Turns Blue played their first concerts in England, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. In October, their second album 'Meta' was released which carried the keyboard heavy The Cure sound to extremes and which sold 2,300 units within 8 weeks. As second single, 'Your Master Is Calling', was released which got them TV appearance in Tele 5, was on rotation of many radio stations and is their most popular song to date.
The third album 'Eremite' also was recorded with Janez Križaj in Ljubljana and was finished in August 1989. However, their record label Fun Factory got into financial difficulties and Pink Turns Blue switched to the Rough Trade Records sub-label Our Choice, which released the album in April 1990. "Michelle" was remixed in Manchester and released in October as a single. Early 1990, Ruebi Walter’s younger brother Reinhold joined on keyboards, and drummer Marcus Giltjes left the band.
The fourth studio album, 'Aerdt' (Art+Earth), was recorded between January and February 1991 in Ljubljana by Mic Jogwer and Ruebi Walter as a duo. A drum machine was used. The album was released in August. The band performed the songs live with a conventional setup supported a hired drummer.
In spring 1991, after finishing the album 'Aerdt', Mic Jogwer and Ruebi Walter moved to London. The song "Seven Years" from Aerdt was re-recorded in a dance version and released as a single in September. In early 1992, two more dance oriented singles followed: 'Overloaded' and 'Star'.
In May 1992 Pink Turns Blue recorded their fifth album, 'Sonic Dust', with their new English drummer Louis Pavlou, and it was released in August. In December 1992, Pink Turns Blue recorded their sixth album, 'Perfect Sex', with David M. Allen, the producer of The Cure and Sisters Of Mercy. It was released after some delay in 1994. Louis Pavlou left the band to join The Cure to record "Wild Mood Swings".
In November 1994, the unplugged album 'Muzak' was released which was recorded by Mic Jogwer and his sound engineer colleague Marc Williams in his London flat. It contains a selection of Pink Turns Blue songs performed with acoustic instruments.
In 1995, Pink Turns Blue disbanded. Mic Jogwer later remarked that with the move to London, the band lost its musical orientation and spread itself too thin. Mic Jogwer made a career in the music and media industry producing CD ROMs and websites.
In April 2001, Mic Jogwer produced three songs with Violetta Superstar, the band of Brigid Anderson which was released in October 2001 on a compilation CD ('Die Fiesen Diven'). The two formed an electronic duo called Orden and started to write songs together and recorded some Demos. Early 2003, Thomas Görnert, the manager of the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig, requested a performance of Orden and he addressed Mic Jogwer’s band Pink Turns Blue. Jogwer and Andersen persuaded Thomas Elbern, Reini Walter and Louis Pavlou into a one-off Re-Union show and Pink Turns Blue performed at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in June 2003. Following this, the band reformed and played as headliners at M'era Luna 2004. The restart was announced in combination with a greatest hits album called 'Re-Union'.
The seventh studio album 'Phoenix' was recorded in Berlin in winter 2004/2005, mixed by Janez Križaj in Ljubljana and released in April 2005. The album received 'album of the months awards' in three music magazines (Sonic Seducer, Orkus, Zillo) and spent eight weeks on chart position 3 in the German Alternative Charts. The eighth album, 'Ghost', which came about in the same setting in fall/winter 2006/2007 followed in May 2007. The release was presented at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen 2007 and again got 'album of the month awards', made it to chart position 37 of the annual German Alternative Charts.
In November 2009 the band recorded their ninth album 'Storm' with the single 'Storm Rider / Run From Me' which made it to chart position 2 in the German Alternative Charts. 'Storm' also got critical acclaim from the mainstream press and brought international attention and festival invitations. In April 2016 Pink Turns Blue released their tenth studio album 'The AERDT – Untold Stories' with their 'Club EP' staying on chart position 3 for eight consecutive weeks in the German Alternative Charts. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Nasmak was an experimental new wave band from Nuenen in the Netherlands was founded in 1978 (as Nasmaak). Both nationally and internationally, Nasmak achieved success with a combination of the traditional guitar/bass/drums line-up and experiments with sound, such as the use of a squat box and tapes.
In 1978 the band started a collaboration with Truus de Groot who partly worked under the name + Instruments. In 1980 their first album, 'Nasmak Plus Instruments/Instruments Plus Nasmak' appeared, which was very well received and was named best record of the European continent in years by John Peel. Nasmak was the first Dutch band to do a Peel Session in London.
Singer Truus de Groot moved to New York in 1981 and founded +Instruments, including Lee Ranaldo on guitar. In 1982 Nasmak came up with '4our Clicks'. The band disbanded in 1984. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
God Bullies were an American noise rock band from Kalamazoo, Michigan. They were active from 1986–1995, briefly reunited in the early 2000s and most recently in the summer of 2010 to coincide with the Amphetamine Reptile Records' 25th Anniversary concert. This 2010 Tour was known as the "War On Peace" tour and featured core members David B. Livingstone (lead guitar), Mike Hard (vocals), Mike Corso (bass) and Adam Berg (drums). This lineup also featured longtime friend of the band and Mike Hard collaborator (Thrall and The Brain Saw), Johnnie Johnson on additional guitar.
Although God Bullies never found any mainstream success, creepy anthems like "Let's Go To Hell", "Ordinary Man" and "Cemetery", paired with frontman Mike Hard's theatrical delivery and over-the-top stage antics, earned the band a large cult following. God Bullies toured extensively throughout the US and Europe with artists including Hole, The Melvins, Helmet, Tar, Surgery, Cows and Helios Creed. The band has also released material with Alternative Tentacles and Sympathy The Record Industry, but the bulk of their releases were with Amphetamine Reptile Records.
After the disbandment in 1995, Mike Hard went on to form Thrall. The majority of Thrall's releases were with Alternative Tentacles. Thrall eventually ran its course, and Hard reunited with God Bullies guitarist David Livingstone and drummer Adam Berg to form Th3y N3v3r Sl33p. This project also featured original Thrall bassist "Queen Bee" Karen Neal. Th3y N3v3r Sl33p went on hiatus in early 2011. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Active since the mid of the eighties, japanese musician Yutaka Tanaka released his works under the name S·Core. Early works are all cassette albums he put out on his own cassette label Afflict Records, many of those were recorded via mail collaboration with many sound artists from international underground scene, such as Stefano Biasin (Italy), Telepherique and Trigger B (Germany), Merzbow (Japan), Al Margolis/If, Bwana (USA), Rafael Flores (Spain). [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
G.I.S.M. were notorious for their confrontational attitude and violent live performances; frontman Sakevi was known for being particularly dangerous and unpredictable during live shows. Sakevi's live antics include running into the crowd with a chainsaw, attacking front rows with a lit flamethrower, throwing fireworks at the crowd, beating random concertgoers with a club, threatening the audience with a loaded revolver, and firing gun shots on stage. Early shows of the band included very violent visual media such as footage from Vietnam war and vivisection videos. Sakevi has also done time in prison for acts of violence unrelated to the band; one reported incident involved Sakevi attacking a salaryman in the Tokyo subway for staring at him, and he also allegedly stabbed a man for wearing a bootleg G.I.S.M. shirt. Sakevi was also known for attacking fans and especially journalists and photographers who tried to approach him.
The band split up in 2002 due to the death of founding guitarist Randy Uchida; but reunited for Roadburn 2016 at the request of Cathedral vocalist and longtime friend of the band Lee Dorrian, who curated the event. Surprisingly, there were no violent incidents at the show and Sakevi was reportedly very friendly and even took numerous photos with the fans. This Roadburn event was the first G.I.S.M. show after a 13-year hiatus, along with being their very first show outside of Japan in their 35-year history. It is unknown if the band are still active or if there are plans for other reunion shows as there have been no official statements since the Roadburn event.
The band are also noted for their secretive approach and DIY ethics, releasing their albums in limited quantities through their own label Beast Arts. Uchida and Sakevi both made collage art and hadled the artwork for the band; Sakevi also handled production and mixing.Moreover, he made a cameo appearance in the Japanese film "Robinson's Garden" in which he is shown beating up a man for teaching spirituality to children.
G.I.S.M. stands for various things: Grubby Incest Stripper Mastitis, God in the Schizoid Mind, Gay Individual Social Mean, Genocide Infanticide Suicide Menticide, Gnostic Idiosyncrasy Sonic Militant, Guerrilla Incendiary Sabotage Mutineer, General Imperialism Social Murder, Gravity Impel Slaying Machine, Get Incinerated Sorrow Mass. G.I.S.M. appeared on several Japanese hardcore punk samplers from 1982 til 1984 and since original G.I.S.M. releases are limited, countless bootlegs appeared and some of them are rarities too.
Sakevi released a solo EP, named 'The War', on Beast Arts in 2004 under the name S.K.V. (short for: "Swastika Kozmic Victorz"). He also has his own clothing label, named stLTH®. He personally designs all artwork for his brand. He also designed the sleeve for the 'Outsider' compilation LP, released in 1982. In 2006, Sakevi designed the artwork for hardcore band World Burns To Death's new album entitled 'Totalitarian Sodomy'. [SOURCE: THE METAL ARCHIVES]
New York noise rockers Loudspeaker combined the bleak experimentalism of bands like The Jesus Lizard, Swans, and Unsane with the garagey blues-punk of outfits like Laughing Hyenas, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and Royal Trux. The original Loudspeaker lineup featured two ex-members of Crucifix -guitarist/singer Matt Borruso and drummer Chris Douglas- and two ex-members of Boss Hog in guitarist Kurt Wolf (also of Pussy Galore) and bassist Jens Jürgensen (also of Swans). The group debuted in 1987 with a 12" EPfor One Little Indian. Jürgensen subsequently departed, and was replaced by Charles Hanson. Their first full-length album, 'Supernatural', appeared in 1992 on the Patois/Cargo label. At this point, their avant noise leanings had yet to give way to the bluesier style -complete with slide guitar- of later releases. That evolution started with another lineup change, which found Borruso trading in the rest of the band for a new power-trio format, with a rhythm section of bassist Christian Bongers and drummer Martin Kob. This version of Loudspeaker recorded the band's second album, 'Rubberneckers vs. Tailgaters', for Sympathy for the Record Industry in 1995. Their third and final album, 1996's 'Re-Vertebrate' (cut for Another Planet)' was their clearest fusion of noise rock and scuzzy blues, featuring Borruso on organ as well as guitar. Kurt Wolf went on to play with Emma Peel. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Ban on appearances and media hype pursued the short-lived Swiss punk/power pop outfit Kraft Durch Freude (1979-80). Rudi Dietrich embellished his Beatles-influenced pop consciousness with a particularly shocking punk habitus. [SOURCE: DEFINITIV]
John the Postman (real name Jonathan Ormrod) was an English punk rock singer from Manchester. Among his various jobs, the best known was that of a postman, hence the nickname. Jon was a postman in Manchester in the 1970s and after many years travelling and in various other jobs he is once again working for the post office in Manchester. One of the attendees at the first Sex Pistols gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall, he has been described as "a committed and omnipresent figure on the punk and post-punk scene in Manchester", and he became known for his eccentric behaviour at many local rock gigs during the late 1970s, including those of acts such as Joy Division and The Fall. He initially became known for waiting until headline bands had finished their set (sometimes before they had finished) before mounting the stage in a drunken state, grabbing the microphone, and performing his own versions of rock 'n' roll classics such as "Louie Louie". The first time he did this was at a Buzzcocks concert at the Band on the Wall venue on 2 May 1977.
He attracted a cult following and became a local celebrity in Manchester, playing his first official gig on 29 May 1977 in support of Warsaw (later renamed Joy Division). After a handful of solo performances, he was joined by local musicians, forming a band and becoming a regular support act, and when a special concert was held to mark the last night of Manchester's Electric Circus venue (captured on the Virgin Records album 'Short Circuit: Live at the Electric Circus'), with a bill that included Joy Division, The Fall, Steel Pulse, and John Cooper Clarke, he closed proceedings by performing "Louie Louie" backed by Buzzcocks, with an introduction from Pete Shelley.
He released two albums, 'John the Postman's Puerile' (which was the first record to feature Mark E. Smith, who introduced "Louie Louie"; A version of the song by The Fall with John on vocals appears on The Fall's 'Live 1977' album) and 'John the Postman's Psychedelic Rock 'N' Roll 5 Skinners Steppin' Out of Holts' Brewery', both released on Dave Bentley's Bent Records. The first featured an extended version of "Louie Louie", which was described by Stewart Home in his book "Cranked Up Really High: Genre Theory and Punk Rock" as taking "the amateurism of the Kingsmen to its logical conclusion with grossly incompetent musicianship and a drummer who seems to be experiencing extreme difficulty simply keeping time," while the second included a similar treatment of Van Morrison's "Gloria". Both albums were reissued on a single CD by Overground Records in 1998. A further recording session known as 'John the Postman's Legendary Lost Session' was never released other than on a bootleg, although two songs turned up on a long-unavailable compilation LP entitled 'The Disparate Cognoscenti' released on The Fall's now-defunct Cog Sinister label, which John helped to run (along with The Fall's fanclub), while studying for a degree in Politics & History at Salford University. After he lost his job with the GPO, John travelled around Europe and spent five years living in San Francisco, before returning to Manchester. John's body was discovered at his home on 26 July 2015 - he had apparently been dead for 3 days - from a burst mitral valve caused by an infection. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Iko was a minimal/synth/wave outfit from Canada. The most notable release by Iko is their LP simply titled '83', which was released on a small Canadian disco label called Manhattan-Formula. It is a common mistake that the group’s name is “Iko ‘83”, however, it is just Iko. Not much is known about the group due to little information in their record sleeves and little to no traces of information about the label they released on. [SOURCE: MINIMAL WAVE RECORDS]
'Heartache' is the only LP from Hambi & the Dance, though a handful of singles were pulled from the record. Two singles followed, the former exclusive and the latter pulled from a second LP, which was released just as Hambi. There were quite a few big names involved in this project over the years, including ex-Adam & the Ants drummer Chris Hughes, second Frankie Goes to Hollywood vocalist Paul Rutherford, and even The Mission / Sisters of Mercy’s own Wayne Hussey (who must have been an early member, as there aren’t any credits on their recorded output). Vocalist Hambi Haralambous previously worked with other members of this band in Tontrix, also notable for featuring a pre-A Flock of Seagulls’ Mike Score. [SOURCE: SYSTEMS OF ROMANCE]
The Games truly were visionaries and pioneers. They never got the credit they deserved because they were not in the right place at the right time and lacked the contacts good management could have provided. However sharp eyed local musicians such as Andy McCluskey from OMD and Wayne Hussey from The Mission understood their potential. A must for all synth-pop enthusiasts and lovers of quality pop anthems. [SOURCE: CLONE.NL]
The Edsel Auctioneer were a band formed in Leeds in 1988 by Ashley Horner (guitar/ vocals), Phil Pettler (bass/ vocals), Aidan Winterburn (vocals, guitar) and Chris Cooper (drums). They were named after the ill-fated Ford automobile whose front grille was supposed to have resembled a woman's pudenda. Best friends with Pale Saints, they lived on the same street in Leeds, Harold Avenue (which spawned the so-called 'Voice of the Harolds').
In early 1988 they recorded a number of songs for a small independent record label in Glasgow but this never got released. Instead the songs found their way to BBC Radio 1 DJ, John Peel, who described in Offbeat magazine the moment he heard the cassette he drove off the A12 to Suffolk in shock. Peel subsequently invited the band into Maida Vale to do a session. They recorded four songs ("Brickwall Dawn", "Blind Hurricane", "Between Two Crimes" and "Place In the Sun") and it was broadcast in late 1988, and again in 1989. On the back of this they signed to Decoy Records, a sub-division of Rhythm King Records that also was the home of Mega City Four. They recorded their first single 'Our New Skin / Strung' in Camden with Iain Burgess and followed this with EP 'Gutted'. These first two releases were collected as a mini-album, 'Voice of the Harolds'. The music has often been classified as something like Dinosaur Jr., Hüsker Dü and My Bloody Valentine, although there were also traces of The Byrds, The Monkees and sixties garage bands as well as The Go-Betweens and Pixies.
At this time, they were moderately successful in the UK, supporting Teenage Fanclub, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Senseless Things, The Telescopes, Buffalo Tom, Silverfish, The Lemonheads and The Wedding Present. They were televised on Transmission, an early morning ITV show and Snub TV on BBC Two where Aidan Winterburn the lead singer can be seen attempting to stop security beating up his brother in the crowd. Chris Cooper left in 1992 to join Pale Saints full-time (he had been in both groups at the same time) and Tris Williams joined the band as replacement.
Edsel Auctioneer recorded their first proper album 'Simmer' with Chris Nagle (who had produced The Charlatans) in Edinburgh and Strawberry Studios in Stockport in late 1990. The record label had financial problems, and the album was not released for nearly a year, by which time a lot of momentum had dissipated. The album spawned a series of singles including 'Starfish' (which included a cover of Madonna's "Borderline") and 'Undertow' in 1992 and 1993. The label subsequently folded and the group were forced to look for another label. Alias Records (home to Archers of Loaf and Yo La Tengo) came to the rescue in 1993 after they played the CMJ festival in New York and toured the US. Their second album 'The Good Time Music Of...' was recorded in Huddersfield in 1994 by Steve Whitfield (engineer of The Cure) and released by Alias in 1995. The album spawned one single "Summer Hit", an atypically breezy bubblegum pop song with Meriel Barham from Pale Saints singing back-up. The album also had a guest spot from Paul Yeadon from Bivouac. The album was not commercially successful, and the band broke up in late 1995 with various kinds of job and family obligations taking over. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Originally a product of Britain's new romantic movement, Depeche Mode went on to become the quintessential electro pop band of the 1980s. One of the first acts to establish a musical identity based completely around the use of synthesizers, they began their existence as a bouncy dance-pop outfit but gradually developed a darker, more dramatic sound that ultimately positioned them as one of the most successful alternative bands of their era.
The roots of Depeche Mode date to 1976, when Basildon, England-based keyboardists Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher first teamed to form the group No Romance in China. The band proved short-lived, and by 1979 Clarke had formed French Look, another duo featuring guitarist/keyboardist Martin Gore; Fletcher soon signed on, and the group rechristened itself Composition of Sound. Initially, Clarke handled vocal chores, but in 1980 singer David Gahan was brought in to complete the lineup. After one final name change to Depeche Mode, the quartet jettisoned all instruments excluding their synthesizers, honing a slick, techno-based sound to showcase Clarke's catchy melodies.
After building a following on the London club scene, Depeche Mode debuted in 1980 with "Photographic", a track included on the Some Bizzare Album label compilation. After signing to Mute Records, they issued "Dreaming of Me" in early 1981; while neither the single nor its follow-up, "New Life", caused much of a stir, their third effort, "Just Can't Get Enough," became a Top Ten U.K. hit, and their 1981 debut LP, 'Speak and Spell', was also a success. Just as Depeche Mode appeared poised for a major commercial breakthrough, however, principal songwriter Clarke abruptly exited to form Yazoo with singer Alison Moyet, leaving the group's future in grave doubt.
As Gore grabbed the band's songwriting reins, the remaining trio recruited keyboardist Alan Wilder to fill the technological void created by Clarke's departure. While 1982's 'A Broken Frame' deviated only slightly from Depeche Mode's earlier work, Gore's ominous songs grew more assured and sophisticated by the time of 1983's 'Construction Time Again'. 'Some Great Reward', issued the following year, was their artistic and commercial breakthrough, as Gore's dark, kinky preoccupations with spiritual doubt ("Blasphemous Rumours") and psychosexual manipulation ("Master and Servant") came to the fore; the egalitarian single "People Are People" was a major hit on both sides of the Atlantic and typified the music's turn toward more industrial textures.
Released in 1986, the atmospheric 'Black Celebration' continued the trend toward grim melancholy and further established the group as a commercial force; it eventually sold over 500,000 copies in the U.S., which earned it gold status. Released in 1987, 'Music for the Masses', featuring three Hot 100 singles in "Strangelove", "Never Let Me Down Again", and "Behind the Wheel", propelled the group into the mainstream. The album would sell over a million copies in the U.S. alone. A subsequent sold-out tour yielded the 1989 double-live set '101'. Recorded at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, it was accompanied by a concert film directed by the legendary D.A. Pennebaker.
With the alternative music boom of the early '90s, Depeche Mode emerged as one of the world's most successful acts. The triple-platinum 'Violator', released in 1990, was a Top Ten smash that spawned the hits "Personal Jesus" (a number eight single), "Enjoy the Silence", "Policy of Truth", and "World in My Eyes". Their 1993 LP 'Songs of Faith and Devotion' -featuring a significant change in its heavy use of electric guitars- entered the charts in the number one slot. However, at the peak of its success, the group began to unravel, beginning with Wilder's 1995 exit. Gahan attempted to take his own life and later entered a drug rehabilitation clinic to battle an addiction to heroin.
After a four-year layoff, Depeche Mode continued onward as a trio and released 1997's 'Ultra', which featured the hits "Barrel of a Gun" and "It's No Good". A year later, the band embarked on a tour in support of its newly released hits album, 'The Singles 86>98'. Depeche Mode played 64 shows in 18 countries for over one million fans. Each member took considerable time off after the tour's completion, and Depeche Mode would not regroup for another three years.
'Exciter', the band's follow-up to 'Ultra', was released in 2001, with the singles "Dream On" and "I Feel Loved" finding moderate success on international radio outlets. Two years later, Gahan issued his debut solo album, the dark and sultry 'Paper Monsters'. Gore also followed suit by issuing the all-covers 'Counterfeit²', a full-length sequel to his similarly themed 1989 EP. Each member supported his work with respective tours of the U.S. and Europe; however, the bandmembers soon resumed working together, and 'Playing the Angel', their 11th studio album, became a Top Ten hit upon its release in October 2005. Produced by Ben Hillier (Doves, Blur, U2, Elbow) and studded with singles like "Precious" and "John (The Revelator)", it topped the album charts in 18 countries and went multi-platinum and/or gold in 20 countries. Depeche Mode went on to play for more than two-and-a-half-million fans worldwide, and the 2006 video release 'Touring the Angel: Live in Milan' captured one of the band's greatest shows.
'Sounds of the Universe', also made with the assistance of Ben Hillier, arrived in early 2009 and debuted at number three in the U.S. The 2013 release of 'Delta Machine' made for a trilogy of Hillier albums, while the album was mixed by longtime Depeche associate Flood. 'Delta Machine' debuted at number two in the U.K., and peaked at number six on the U.S. Billboard 200. The concert film and album 'Live in Berlin' (directed by Anton Corbijn from a late-2013 show) followed in November 2014.
The band returned in early 2017 with their 14th studio effort, 'Spirit'. The album's material was largely inspired by the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election and was produced by Simian Mobile Disco's James Ford (Foals, Arctic Monkeys). Buoyed by the single "Where's the Revolution", 'Spirit' debuted at number five on the Billboard 200. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
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]
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 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 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 (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 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 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 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]
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]
