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]
Led by singer, songwriter, poet, actor, and all-around artistic troublemaker Pyotr Manonov, Zvuki Mu was one of the few bands of the so-called "Russian Revolution" in late-'80s pop music that merited more than a casual glance from Western audiences. (As opposed to bands like the remarkably dull hard rockers Gorky Park.) Formed in 1981 by Manonov, who was already a published author in his early 30s, Zvuki Mu (literally "sounds of moo," an absurdist name that suits Manonov's playful lyrical style) performed increasingly above-ground gigs in Russia and Eastern Europe throughout the '80s. By 1989, as Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost policies were taking effect and the Iron Curtain was starting to crumble, Zvuki Mu began to make a name for themselves in the West, to the point that Brian Eno signed the group to his own Opal label and produced their first album, 1989's 'Zvuki Mu'. For this first album, the lineup was Pyotr Manonov on vocals, Lyosha Bortnichuk on guitar, Pavel Hotin on keyboards, Sasha Lipnitsky on bass, and Lyova Pavlov on drums; nearly every Zvuki Mu album has a different lineup than the one before, with Manonov the only constant.
The group's unique blend of jazz, rock, Zappa-like weirdness, and subtle political content was quite popular among the more adventurous fringes of the Western pop scene, but a greater breakthrough never came. After the U.S.S.R.'s collapse, Russian rock & roll lost most of its exotic qualities and Western attention wandered elsewhere and all Zvuki Mu albums after that were released only in Eastern Europe, where the band maintain a rather large fan base. Some of these albums include 2000's 'Chocolate Pushkin', 2002's 'Electro T', and over a dozen others, many of which double as soundtracks to Pyotr Manonov's theater pieces. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Xex were an all-synthesizer band from South River, New Jersey who recorded their debut album 'Group: Xex' in 1980. Formed when a trio of high school misfits with funny names (Waw Pierogi, Thumbalina Gugielmo and Alex Zander) teamed up with some friends from Rutgers College. Performed entirely on then-state-of-the-art Arps, synths and electronic drums –no guitars anywhere– 'Group: Xex' aims for the future, but comes across now like a time capsule from the deepest, darkest Reagan years. Each song burrows its way into your head with repetitive, undeniably catchy synth lines and vocal chants. “SNGA” (“Soviet Nerve Gas Attack”), “Cops” and “Delta Five” are doomy evocations of Cold War tension not far removed from very early Devo. But they were also capable of being quirky and whimsical. On “Fashion Hurts,” “Svetlana” and “St. Vitus Dance,” Waw and Thumbalina come across like a primitive B-52s, replacing the dance/party vibe with resignation and cynical humor. 'Group: Xex' doesn’t sound like it’s from New Jersey. It barely sounds like it’s from Earth. However, there’s a certain residual murkiness that subliminally evokes the Central Jersey working-class suburbs. [SOURCE: DARK ENTRIES RECORDS]
Werkbund is an enigmatic industrial / experimental band from Hamburg, Germany. The sound deals mainly with marine tales and myths from Northern Germany. So far it is not known who the artists are. It has been guessed that Felix Kubin and Uli Rehberg and other artists from Hamburg might be involved. Some people pretend that both Werkbund and Mechthild Von Leusch involve the collaboration of Asmus Tietchens and Uli Rehberg, though Asmus Tietchens repeatedly and vehemently denied any participation in the band. [SOURCE: SONM ARCHIVE]
Although not as well as known as some of their peers (The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The Damned, etc.), first wave U.K. punk rockers Generation X burst onto the scene at the same time as the others. And while they enjoyed some moderate success in their homeland, Generation X would become better-known as the launching pad for their singer, Billy Idol, who would go on to achieve great commercial success come the '80s. Originally formed in 1976, Generation X (which was named after a book that focused on battles between the Mods and the Rockers during the '60s) was comprised of guitarist Bob Andrews, bassist Tony James, drummer Mark Laff, and fronted by Idol. The group was eventually signed up by Chrysalis Records, resulting in a self-titled debut album in 1978 (the U.S. and U.K. versions contained different track listings), as Generation X became one of the first punk bands to appear on the popular British TV music program Top of the Pops.
Unlike other punk bands, Generation X wasn't afraid to turn a blind eye to the supposed "accepted" ideals by punk rockers as they covered a John Lennon song on their debut ("Gimme Some Truth") and even hooked up with veteran rocker Ian Hunter to handle the production chores for their sophomore effort, 1979's 'Valley of the Dolls'. Perhaps as a result, however, the group's musical direction became cloudy (some wanting the group to remain true to their punk roots, while others feeling that they should pursue a heavier rock sound) and bandmembers began to leave one by one, until Idol and James were the only remaining original members. Generation X managed to squeeze out one final album, 1981's 'Kiss Me Deadly' (which contained the original version of a song that Idol would later cover as a solo artist and score a massive hit with, "Dancing With Myself"), before splitting up.
After the group's breakup, James later turned up as a member of '80s glam-punkers Sigue Sigue Sputnik, while Idol relocated to New York and embarked on his aforementioned solo career. As Idol's solo success created interest in his first band, numerous Generation X best-of and rarity collections began to crop up, including 1991's 'Perfect Hits: 1975-1981', 1998's 'Sweet Revenge', and 2000's 'Original Debut', the latter of which was a reissue of the U.K. version of Generation X's self-titled debut. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Not so much a band as a side project supergroup comprised of some of the leading figures of the late-'70s/early-'80s French avant-garde, Video Aventures was a loosely defined collective under the leadership of musician, artist, and author Dominique Grimaud, whose first band, Camizole, had been a synthesizer duo somewhat like a French response to Cluster. Video Aventures was a much less clinical affair, with spontaneous improvisation and collaborative musicianship the guiding principles. [SOURCE: GETSONGBPM]
Total was the side project of Skullflower guitarist Matthew Bower, and actually predates his more well-known band (Total sprang into existence in 1982). It was originally the group that evolved out of Pure, with much of the early Skullflower's same lineup; some of them, particularly Alex Binnie and Stefan Jaworzyn, played in Zos Kia as well. Somewhere between 1985-1987, Total mutated into Skullflower, and Total subsequently became Matthew Bower's solo project. At that point it served as a more "ambient" counterpart to Skullflower's wall-of-noise approach; in recent years, however, the dynamic reversed itself until Total's releases were often considerably noisier and more chaotic than Skullflower's. Since Skullflower's demise, Total has become Bower's main vehicle of violent guitar expression. Total is essentially a solo project but he has drawn in the likes of John Godbert (reeds, mandolin, cymbal, etc.), Neil Campbell (A Band, Smell & Quim). There was even a big London show at Paul (Blast First) Smith's club Disobey which featured the Total Big Band; Bower (guitar/fan), Dennison (Violin), Campbell (Violin), Best (Oscillator) and Godbert (cymbal). More recently Total has been involved with more pure noise and has collaborated with Japan's Merzbow on a small run cassette and with Newcastle's Culver, an even smaller run cassette and even a live performance. Total has since packed it in and has been "replaced" by Sunroof. [SOURCE: KORPERSCHWACHE.COM]
Sleep Chamber is an American industrial band fronted by John Zewizz. The band is known for using S&M, bondage and magic imagery on their artwork, during their performances, and within their lyrics. Formed in 1981 by high school friends Zewizz, Eugene Difrancisco, and Phil Brosseau, over the years the Sleep Chamber lineup has changed many times with Zewizz being the sole permanent member. Previous members of Sleep Chamber have included Thomas Thorn, Michael Moynihan, Jonathan Briley and Elaine Walker. Since the beginning, Zewizz has stated that the constant lineup changes are because Sleep Chamber is not a "band", but rather a "concept".
From 1982 to 1999, Sleep Chamber put out a considerable volume of music (releasing over 70 recordings, and participating in over 35 various artists releases). After an extended absence, Sleep Chamber returned in 2008 with a new lineup, a slew of new releases, and a revised name, SLEEPCHAMBER.
Difrancisco and Brosseau had fronted a band called The Product; Zewizz produced their sole single. When The Product folded, Difrancisco and Brosseau began a band called Daze of Trance. Zewizz occasionally helped out with Daze of Trance, even playing on a cassette release as part of the band. Sometime between 1981 and 1982, Sleep Chamber came into existence, with Zewizz as the frontman. Their earliest works were experimental and electronic/industrial in nature. Live Sleep Chamber performances were quickly labeled as resembling a "Black Mass", with smoke (containing a special blend of incense) billowing out of machines, and the band donning black bondage masks while performing on stage. Their concerts scared some local club owners, prompting them to ban Sleep Chamber from playing. Local reviewers often accused the band of being Satanic. Zewizz, over the years, has denied this accusation. Those early concerts featured Zewizz in different combinations with Difrancisco, Brosseau, Thorn, Moynihan and also Malcom Smith (with whom Zewizz collaborated in the bands Dokument and Hidious in Strength), Darlene Victor, and Richard Gellar.
During the 1990s, Zewizz incorporated bondage-fetish dancers called The Barbitchuettes into Sleep Chamber's live performances. With this addition, the band's popularity exploded. During live shows, the Barbitchuette dancers would perform S&M acts on the stage as well as caress and dance with other Barbitchuettes. During The Barbitchuettes heyday with Sleep Chamber, it was not uncommon for the band to travel with up to 11 Barbitchuette dancers.
1990's 'Sleep, or Forever Hold Your Piece' started off that decade as Sleep Chamber's biggest hit yet. This new popularity also resulted in wider distribution for their music. Sleep Chamber saw their material expand from Inner-X-Musick to overseas and domestic distribution by the Italian label Musica Maxima Magnetica, the German label FünfUndVierzig, and Cleopatra Records in Los Angeles. Along with bigger sales came bigger opportunities. Sleep Chamber's local gigs required ever bigger venues. The increased popularity also allowed Sleep Chamber to do two quick tours of Texas in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These tours featured Zewizz along with Briley, Tione, Difrancisco, and Arthur PW. At the end of the Texas tour, Zewizz found himself again looking for a new collaborator with the departure of Arthur PW and Briley.
Elaine Walker entered the picture in 1991–92 to fill that void. Walker's band DDT had frequently played with Sleep Chamber at local venues around the Boston area. Walker was a Berklee College of Music graduate and impressed Zewizz with her abilities. Zewizz and Walker, together with the help of Ashley Swanson, began working on the CD 'Siamese Succubi'. Sales of this record were even better than 'Sleep, or Forever Hold Your Piece'. A successful tour of California resulted, featuring Zewizz, Walker, Swanson and longtime friend and collaborator Difrancisco. Although pleased with the lineup, Zewizz was aware that Walker's commitment was to her other projects and that she did not plan to stay with Sleep Chamber. Additionally, by the end of the tour, friction arose between Zewizz and Difrancisco. Upon returning to Boston, both Walker and Difrancisco left the band.
Zewizz then introduced another Sleep Chamber lineup, including new drummer Jay Keegan and songwriting duo Andrew Woolf and Craig Wien, as well as help from previous guitar sideman Swanson. This lineup was the last recording version of Sleep Chamber, performing on several releases, including 'Some Godz Die Young' and 'Sonorous Invokations ov Brian Jones' –the latter being solely Zewizz and Woolf. However, drug addiction, personal problems, and constant touring had ceased Zewizz's steady flow of new music by the end of 1995.
Real problems began earlier in 1995, when Zewizz was questioned regarding the murder of Karina Holmer, a Swedish au pair living in Boston. Holmer's body was found in a dumpster not far from Zewizz's home. The police considered Zewizz a suspect, but no charges were ever brought. The accusation, coupled with a growing heroin addiction, quickly began to destroy the band and drove Zewizz away from bandmates and friends.
Despite those problems, Sleep Chamber took on its most ambitious project to date in 1996, a tour of Germany. Unable to get commitments from the current lineup of Sleep Chamber, Zewizz took on two new members (Scott Walker and Tyler Newman) for the German tour, as well as Barbitchuette dancer "Lulu". The latter's job during the tour included dancing during the shows as well as recruiting dancers from local strip clubs. From the USA, Woolf organized the booking of the German tour. Many stories exist of Zewizz's escalating drug addiction during the tour, and although the band were deceived by the promoters, the shows were well received and the seeds for a large European fanbase were set because of the tour. Seeing his life beginning to spiral out of control, friends of Zewizz tried to help him when he returned from the German tour, putting on a benefit concert.
Despite the problems, releases continued on Musica Maxima Magnetica and FünfUndVierzig. Between 1995 and 1997, three more Sleep Chamber albums were released. 'Sopor', 'Sacrosanct' and 'Sirkus' kept up the appearance of productivity without any new material being recorded. After the German tour, Sleep Chamber only performed two more times. The first was a 1997 benefit concert (with Zewizz, Newman, and Walker, sans Barbitchuettes), followed by a last Sleep Chamber show on December 31, 2000 (featuring Zewizz and new collaborator B. Avikon as well as Barbitchuette dancer Semiramis). The final blow to Zewizz came in 2001 when Zewizz's girlfriend and Barbitchuette dancer Laura Graff died of an apparent drug overdose. Zewizz was questioned by police in the suspicious death before it was ruled an accidental heroin overdose.
Although out of the public eye, Zewizz never stopped recording. In 2004, he was able to overcome his heroin addiction and began remixing and recording Sleep Chamber material with a new enthusiasm. In 2004, he released a limited-edition CD titled 'Sleepsirkle'. In 2007, Zewizz changed the band name to SLEEPCHAMBER and announced a new lineup featuring Gimmie Sparks and longtime collaborator B. Avikon, featured on the 2009 release 'Stolen Sleep'. Since 2009, SLEEPCHAMBER has released over five CDs (on Klanggalerie, Old Europa Cafe, and Zewizz's own label Inner-X-Musick), a four-LP box set with a 7" single and booklet titled 'SixSixSix' (on Vinyl on Demand), and participated in several compilations.
SLEEPCHAMBER performed its first live concert in nearly 10 years with a live-on-air show on WBRS Radio One on January 1, 2010. The resulting recording was featured on the 'Stratocast' CD. This first live performance featured Zewizz, Avakian, and Sparks, along with percussionist Tick and backing vocalist Zora. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Relèvement '82 formed in 1981, and apparently remained together until 1995, even though they don’t seem to have released anything else. Most famously, however, the band were asked to perform a U2 tribute set in 1995, which led to them changing their name to U2PIA. They appear to still be active to date.
They only released one single, with definitely heavy traces of 'Unforgettable Fire'/ 'War'-era U2 on display. The A-side is a driving slice of fast-paced post-punk bliss. The flip is no less essential, but a bit moodier and bass-driven, with an excellent whistle breakdown at the halfway mark. [SOURCE: SYSTEMS OF ROMANCE]
Q Lazzarus (born December 12, 1965) is a former American singer, known for her 1988 song "Goodbye Horses", written by William Garvey, which was featured in the films "Married to the Mob" and "The Silence of the Lambs", both of which were directed by Jonathan Demme.
Q Lazzarus is known for having an androgynous deep, husky contralto voice. She was born in New Jersey, married young, fled a marriage of domestic abuse which later would inspire her to write her song "Tears of Fear". After she fled her marriage, Q moved to New York City and became a nanny for an English man named Swan who did not encourage her musical gifts, trying to steer her towards a "practical occupation". Q decided to drive a taxi instead and continued making music independently with her band The Resurrection. She was discovered as a singer when she worked as a taxi driver in New York City. She picked up famous director Jonathan Demme, who heard her demo playing in the taxi. Demme took her to Hollywood, where despite his encouragement, record companies refused to sign her because they believed she couldn't be marketed. Q replied, "I market myself, I'm an African American woman who wears locks and sings American rock and roll."
Q Lazzarus' music was featured in the films "Twisted", "Something Wild", and "Married to the Mob", where "Goodbye Horses" originally debuted. Q Lazzarus recorded a cover of the Talking Heads song "Heaven" for the 1993 film "Philadelphia". "Goodbye Horses", written by William Garvey, is most remembered from "The Silence of the Lambs" as the song playing during the famous scene in which Buffalo Bill performs his macabre crossdressing monologue. This garnered it the popular nickname "The Buffalo Bill Song". It was re-released as a single in 1991 with a longer duration after its appearance in "The Silence of the Lambs". The song has since been featured and parodied in film, television, and video games, including "Clerks II", "Fully Flared", "Maniac", "Grand Theft Auto IV", "Skate 3", "Family Guy", "The Last Man on Earth", and "Nip Tuck".
Q Lazzarus' band was called Q Lazzarus and the Resurrection. The members included Mark Barrett, Garvey, Glorianna Galicia, Janicia, and backup singers Denise, Liz and Yvette W., Howie Feldman and Ron Resigno. Q Lazzarus and the Resurrection appeared at SoHo gallery parties and often performed at Boy Bar on Saint Mark's Place and the Pyramid Club. The band disbanded sometime before 1996, and Q Lazzarus dropped from the public eye.
After decades of speculation about her status (including rumors of her death due to substantial unclaimed royalties), some news outlets were reporting that fans were able to track her down, claiming as of 2018 that she is a bus driver on Staten Island. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
