***** responses please only to: mario@inmove.de
*********
DOOMSDAY - The ORKUS Festival
www.doomsdayfestival.de
date: 19th & 20th of august
2000
venue: Germany, Dersden, OSTRAGEHEGE, Pieschener Allee
Running Order - Saturday, the 19th august:
- entry - 11:00 a.m.
-
UNHEILIG
- 01:30 p.m. till 02:10 p.m. [ !!! a new booked
ACT !!! ]
change over
20 minutes
-
ILLUMINATE
- 02:30 p.m. till 03:10 p.m.
change over
20 minutes
-
ZEROMANCER
- 03:30 p.m. till 04:10 p.m.
change over
20 minutes
- LETZTE
INSTANZ
- 04:30 p.m. till 05:10 p.m.
change
over 20 minutes
- DE /
VISION
- 05:30 p.m. till 06:10 p.m.
change
over 20 minutes
- IN
EXTREMO
- 06:30 p.m. till 07:15 p.m.
change
over 25 minutes
- PHILIP BOA & THE VOODOOCLUB - 07:40 p.m. till 08:30 p.m.
change
over 30 minutes
-
WOLFSHEIM
- 09:00 p.m. till 10:00 p.m.
change
over 30 minutes
- THE SISTERS OF
MERCY
- 10:30 p.m. till 00:00 a.m.
Running Order - Sunday, the 20th august:
... is coming soon . please watch out the topical details on
"www.doomsdayfestival.de" !!!!!
Line up: Accessory , Philtron ,
The Legendary Pink Dots , Covenant , Terminal Choice , And
One,
SKINNY PUPPY
NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++
Skinny Puppy performed their show also with Joerg Buttgereit [
"NECROMANTIC I " and "THE KING OF DEATH" ] . they
collaborate with this famous underground visual performer and producer and get
his supports.
DOOMSDAY isn't sold out at this time !!!!! We have still enough tickets
.... but in the last weeks bought so many peoples from all over the world
tickets for the DOOMSDAY Festival. we got messages from Australia, South
Africa, Isreal, Russia, Canada, U.S.A., Brazil, Argentinia, Skandinavia,
France, U.K., Italy, Austria, Switzerland, many others and of course Germany !
NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++
Tickets:
Germany: CTS Eventim AG
[ www.eventim.de or www.cts.de ]
or
Ground Amusement International
[ www.groundamusement.nl ]
or
IN MOVE GmbH [ www.inmove.de ]
delivery per cash in advance, invoice will
be sent per mail.
Dispatch by certified letter to payments received.
We need the following details for the code:
[ name, surname, city, state, country,
number and kind of ticket ]
Expenses because of the exchange rate are at the
charge of the customer.
After your order you will get a bill and a order
confirmation by using this code via Email.
Attention !!! Please send all changes of
already booked tickets by using
your code to >>doomsday@inmove.de <<
till 6th of july 2000.
Please send also a copy of your mails
to >>rock-life@t-online.de<< !!!!!!
Otherwise your order is confirmed and
you will get your bill via Email.
You will get all other details with the bill.
Outside of Germany:
CTS Eventim AG
[ www.eventim.de oder www.cts.de ]
or
Ground Amusement International
[ www.groundamusement.nl ]
or
IN MOVE GmbH [ www.inmove.de ]
delivery per cash in advance, invoice will
be sent per mail.
Dispatch by certified letter to payments received.
We need the following details for the code:
[ name, surname, city, state, country,
number and kind of ticket ]
Expenses because of the exchange rate are at the
charge of the customer.
After your order you will get a bill and a order
confirmation by using this code via Email.
Attention !!! Please send all changes of
already booked tickets by using
your code to >>doomsday@inmove.de <<
till 6th of july 2000.
Please send also a copy of your mails
to >>rock-life@t-online.de<<.
Otherwise your order is confirmed and
you will get your bill via Email.
You will get all other details with the bill.
Prices: Dayticket:
19.8.2000 .. 55,00
DM
Dayticket:
20.8.2000 .. 55,00
DM
Weekendticket
.. 98,00 DM
camping
ticket
.. 17,00 DM
ATTENTION !! you can buy here only a ticket
for the IN MOVE campingsite
[all tickets plus advance booking costs ]
Germany + Europe:
exclusive 15,00 DM transport lump sum
outside of Europe:
exclusive 20 DM transport lump sum
The current exchange rates DM-USD please check
by your bank who you plan your transfer.
Camping:
Directly beside the festivalarea "OSTRAGEHEGE" IN MOVE built
for you a limited capacity ( max. 2000 persons ) campingsite.
Camping tickets can be ordered per person by CTS or IN MOVE ( 17 DM
inclusive advance booking costs )
The tent place is in the Pieschener Allee/OSTRAGEHEGE - Dresden.
you can camp there from
Saturday, 09:00 a.m. until Monday 12:00 a.m..
Alternative camping sites
[ orders only directly at this campsites !!!!]:
Campingplatz Mittelteich
Kalkreuter Strasse 1c
D - 01468 Moritzburg
Kontakt: Herr Förster
Telefon: 0049-(0)35207-81 423
or
Campingplatz Oberer Waldteich (nähe Flughafen)
Volkersdorfer sandweg 3
D - 01668 Volkersdorf
Kontakt: HerrMartin
Telefon: 0049-(0)35207-81469
Way descriptions:
to get with car:
to get from the motorway to the "OSTRAGEHEGE":
Take the motorway exit "Dresden Altstadt" (Old City).
Follow signs for "Stadtzentrum" (centre of town). Stay on the main
road.
Turn into "Meissner
Landstrasse", pass an "ARAL" petrol station on the left hand
side at
"Hamburgerstrasse" pass the
train tracks and go straight over the traffic lights.
Once you pass the "ELF" petrol station on the left-hand side, turn
left
into "Bremerstrasse".
Follow the main road along "Magdeburger Strasse".
At the traffic lights turn left into "Weisseritzstrasse" and continue
ahead
towards "Neue Messe" and
"Ostragehege".
To get from the "Ostragehege" to the camping site
"Mittelteich" in
Moritzburg (ca. 15 km):
Take a left from "Pieschener Allee" and pass underneath a bridge.
At the
fork leave the main road
and take a sharp right into "Devrientstraße".
Turn right again immediately and pass the "Marienbrücke" (bridge).
Keep to the right and follow the signs for "Moritzburg".
Continue ahead, pass the "Neustädter Bahnhof" (train station), pass
underneath a bridge, and at the
fork take a left towards "Moritzburg" along ("Großenhainer
Straße").
Continue ahead and pass underneath the motorway (bridge).
Pass the villages of "Boxdorf" and "Reichenberg". This will
take you to
"Moritzburg" where you
continue ahead until you see the lake and castle.
There you take a left towards "Großenhain" and then immediately right
along
the lake.
* with public traffic:
to get from the train main station to OSTRAGEHEGE:
Take the "Straßenbahn" (tram) number 8 towards
"Klotzsche" and get out at
"Postplatz".
Change into the "Stadtbus" (City bus) number 82 towards
"Ostragehege" and
get off at the bus stop
named "Ostragehege".
To get from airport to "Ostragehege":
Take the "Stadtbus" (City bus) number 77 towards
"Klotzsche".
Change at the bus stop "Karl-Marx-Straße" into the
"Straßenbahn" (tram)
number 7 towards
"Gorbitz".
Get out of the tram at the "Pirnaischer Platz" stop.
Change into either of the following "Straßenbahn" (trams):
number 1 towards "Leutewitz" or
number 2 towards "Gorbitz"
or
number 4 towards "Weinböhla"
Leave the tram at "Postplatz" and change into the "Stadtbus"
(city bus)
number 82 towards
"Ostragehege".
Get off the bus at the bus stop named "Ostragehege".
alternative route:
Take "Stadtbus" (city bus) number 97 and get off at the bus stop
"Post
Hellerau".
Change into the "Straßenbahn" (tram) number 8 and leave the tram at
the
stop called "Postplatz".
Change into the "Stadtbus" (City bus) number 82 towards
"Ostragehege" and
get off at the bus stop
named "Ostragehege".
To get from the "Ostragehege" to the camping site
"Mittelteich" in
Moritzburg:
Take the "Stadtbus" (City bus) number 82 until
"Maxstraße".
Change into the "Straßenbahn" (tram) number 6 towards
"Niedersedlitz" and
get off at the "Bahnhof
Neustadt" (the train station).
Take the "Regionalverkehr" (regional bus) towards
"Großenhain" until you
reach the bus stop
(Haltestelle) "Moritzburg Schloßplatz".
Informations about the City Dresden:
http://www.dresden.de
http://www.dresden.de/rooteng/home/home.html
Accompany us on a tour through the History of the City of Dresden:
Founded on the site of a Slavonic fishing village as a merchants'
settlement and the seat of the local
rulers, Dresden was from the 15th century onwards residence of the Saxon
dukes, electoral princes
and later kings. The City has experienced both splendid eras and times of
tragedy, was not only a
splendid centre of European politics, Culture and economic development, but
also the scene of
bloody wars. For the people of Dresden and for friends all over the world
it has always been a
unique City, with a fascination which has evolved throughout a turbulent
History.
[more on: http://www.dresden.de/rooteng/history/01/0101.html
]
Cityguide : http://www.dresden-tourist.de/ger/gb/gb05.html
other informations here:
Dresden-Werbung und Tourismus GmbH (DWT)
[official mainoffice of Dresden for tourists ]
Telefon: 0049-(0)351-491 92 - 100
Fax: 0049-(0)351-491 92 - 116
*******************************************************
informations about the DOOMSDAY Act's:
*******************************************************
a interview with SKINNY PUPPY member cEvin Key by the
german magazine ORKUS :
Brennpunkt: Dresden
Since their formation in 1983 the Canadian band Skinny Puppy grew to be a
powerful force in the Electro-Industrial genre, a genre that, at the time,
could hardly be said to have existed and which probably would not endure in its
present form were it not for the considerable influence of the Vancouver scene.
Bill Leeb, the man behind Frontline Assembly and Delerium, earned his spurs
there as well in the early 1980s. Along with Front 242, Skinny Puppy number
among the most influential electronic acts of the 80s, and their North American
chart success aside, they inspired an entire generation of musicians all over
the world to what more or less amounted to independent developments of that
Vancouver “sound”. The overdose death of member Dwayn Goettel, problems with
former label American Recordings, and internal conflicts led to the end of the
legend five years ago, with the remaining members Nivek Ogre and cEvin Key
devoting themselves to their own (considerably less successful) projects, among
them Download, Plateau, Tear Garden and Rx-Ritalin.
So for many fans it must have sounded like a bad joke, that after all
these years an new chapter in the Skinny Puppy story was slated to take place
at a festival in Dresden. A venture notable not only because it will be the
first Skinny Puppy concert in Germany in some twelve years, but also because it
will be the musical basis for a live album “Back And Forth Vol. 5: Doomsday”,
which will be the fifth part of the “Back And Forth” historical document
series. Dresden as the focal point of electro history? The following interview
should answer more than a few questions...
Orkus: so how is it that you found one another again, and decided to
play this festival in Germany? A lot of fans reacted to the announcement
as if it were a bad joke...
cEvin Key: my relationship with Ogre has improved a lot in the recent
past, and a lot of it had to do with the enthusiasm of the promoter, who kept
asking us every year if we didn’t want to do a reunion show. The idea was
to make the reunion something special, because it’s only one show. So we
look at it more like a party or a visit and less like an obligation. Just
that aspect of it I think we find exciting.
Orkus: So it’s not a reunion in the strict sense of the word, insofar
as that implies working together again as a band and writing new material...
CEvin: To be perfectly honest, we haven’t really though about that
yet. At this point, the show is our biggest priority, because it’s going
to be recorded for a live album. We’re working really intensely on the show and
the accompanying release, it’s almost like we’re working on a new album and a
live show simultaneously. And that’s a big step for us, if you think about the
fact that the band basically hasn’t existed for the past 5 years. At this point
we just have to wait and see how things develop and how much fun we’re
having. I cannot envision it continuing afterwards. It’s really important
to us that it’s only one show and that we can concentrate completely on
that. We’re putting a lot of energy into this project, and we’ll see if
working together again pans out or not. I think one of the main reasons we’re
doing this concert is because the last time we were in Europe, the Wall still
existed and there still was an Eastern Bloc. Even if it’s only for one show,
it’s a good feeling for me that we can finally play in the former East for
people who, before, couldn’t make the decision to see one of our concerts even
if they wanted to.
O: How does it feel, after five years, to suddenly be a part of Skinny
Puppy again?
C: We’ll see. I like talking to Ogre again, but there’s still this hole
that Dwayne’s death created. He just can’t be replaced. And we decided, for
this concert, to go into the studio and integrate his original material
directly into the set, so we can work that into the live show. So I’ll
basically be taking over his musical contribution to the band. I think that’s a
good way to pay proper tribute to him during the show...if feels good, somehow,
to be in Skinny Puppy again. For 14 years Skinny Puppy was a big part of my life.
When I write music now, it’s like I have to tear myself apart, because if I try
to write something spontaneously, it would be typical Skinny Puppy. It’s really
strange, but for me it’s much more difficult to write a song that doesn’t sound
like Skinny Puppy.
O: A lot of fans are probably wondering if you’re going to completely
rework the old material for the show.
C: It won’t be changed to the point where it no longer resembles the
originals. We’re not going to add jungle loops or anything like that, we don’t
want to go in a direction that people aren’t going to like. Our old hardcore
fans want us to sound like Skinny Puppy, they don’t want some 1999/2000 Skinny
Puppy remix album with a bunch of songs that sound like Prodigy. On stage we
hope to be as authentic and believable as possible and in the style of our last
live performances. So it’s all going to be very theatrical and planned out, and
we want it to be not just a musical but also a psychedelic experience.
Everything that Skinny Puppy used to be about live will be present in this
show. We’re starting again exactly where we left off. We even have the
same sound engineer who did sound for our last European tour. We even have the
same keyboard stands... I find it very exciting that we’re basically starting
exactly where we left off in 1992.
O: Will it just be you and Ogre on stage?
C: Yeah, just the two of us. Since it’s only one show, we thought it
best to leave Dwayne’s spot empty. People know that we make electronic music
and that you can let a lot of stuff run automatically from the sequencer. And
since it’s possible to perform that way, we didn’t want to put someone else in
Dwayne’s place. We’ve spent a lot of time on pre-production to insure that all
of his material is put to use in the show.
O: Will there also be a multimedia show? In what respects will
this show differ from your last European shows?
C: The last time we were in Europe was in 1988, and at that time we
didn’t have anything to work with. We never had the opportunity to bring the
changes and improvements of our show from 1988 to 1992 to Europe. The stage
show now is a lot like the “Last Rights” tour from 1992, with special effects,
multimedia projections and it’s interactive in the sense that all the elements
play off one another.
O: And what about the infamous splatter effects?
C: I think at this point they have become an institution and an
inseparable part of Skinny Puppy. I think I can pretty safely promise
they’ll be there (laughs).
O: When did the idea for a live album come about?
C: There was a huge amount of pre-production necessary to prepare
because of the missing member. We have to record a certain amount live
beforehand anyway. The record label was extremely interested as to whether or
not the gig was going to be recorded. And last but certainly not least was the
incredible reaction that the announcement of the concert spurred all over the
world. We got emails from fans all over the world, people wanting to fly in
from Africa, South America or China just for the show. It’s crazy.
O: So you wanted to increase the sphere of influence of the show?
C: A lot of people aren’t going to be able to make it to this one show
in East Germany. We’re hoping that everything that we’ve put into this project
will come across on the live album for these people. And people who will be
there can be just as happy because they will have experienced the event live
and through the recording they will have become part of the show. As a fan I
find stuff like that really exciting. For example, I had to wait 23 years to
finally see Kraftwerk live. That was an incredible moment for me. You feel like
a little kid again. I want that feeling possible for people for whom Skinny
Puppy maybe is similarly important.
O: Is this concert in some way an attempt to bring the pioneering spirit
that you had as forerunners of the electronic scene to the present?
C: Definitely. Since we started in the early eighties we’ve always tried
to represent current trends in our music, and we hope that every track that we
play can capture the feeling of the times. That’s the biggest challenge for me.
Alexander Maciol
Translation: Ned Kirby
******************************************
... a SKINNY PUPPY history written by Corey Goldberg :
A Brief History of Skinny Puppy
Achieving an accurate account of the genesis of Skinny Puppy is a daunting
task. Occurring almost twenty years ago, little documentation (or even clear
memory) exists of the conception of what would become one of the most
innovative, expressive, and unique musical entities ever. Furthermore,
the band did not burst
into formation in the typical tradition; but rather developed gradually as the
essential
elements came into place. This makes a retrospective history all the more
difficult.
A few things are clear, however. Kevin Crompton, having played in bands
since the age of 13, was the drummer for the Canadian synth-pop band Images In
Vogue in the early 80s. Eventually, he found the format all too
restrictive and yearned to create something without such limitations. He
began to experiment with raw,
caustic sounds on his own, inspired by the potentials of pushing the electronic
music technology he had become familiar with in Images In Vogue to new
levels. Kevin explored the concept of found sounds as the basis for music
and discovered the limitless potential of treating instruments with effects
such as delay. He was lashing out at the pop music he had become sick of
playing by perverting the very tools which it used in order to satisfy his edgy
aesthetic. One such track was Meat Flavor. It is highly possible that other
tracks from Back and Forth series 1 /2 and vol. 3 are also from this period. It
is unclear how early the name Skinny Puppy was applied to these experiments,
but it seems certain that it existed in this early primordial state before the
next vital
component would be added, that being a vocalist. Sometime in 82 Kevin
Crompton encountered Kevin Ogilvie at a party. Ogilvie had not been in a band
before but was an amateur author of sorts.
Their recollections of their meeting differ, but both seem to agree that they
ended up jamming on some music together. This eventually spilled over
into improvisations at their respective apartments. Legend has it that at
one point during one of these brap sessions Crompton had to leave for an Images
In Vogue practice. While he was gone, Ogilvie is said to have written the
lyrics to K-9. A picture of life through the eyes of a dog, it quickly became
the perfect concept for a band called Skinny Puppy, both of the members of
which just happened to be animal lovers. Ogilvie now found himself permanently
in the role of lead vocalist. Separating himself from both his drumming
duties in Images In Vogue and his identically surnamed band-mate, Kevin
Crompton donned the pseudonym cEvin Key. Ogilvie adopted the moniker
Nivek Ogre, a reverse spelling of his first name and a rather menacing
corruption of his last. At some point, most likely in 83, the band made their
live debut.
Confusion about this event is also rampant, but it seems that the band
performed at a Vancouver art gallery called Unovis. A friend named Wilhelm
Schroeder was in the audience, though he would not remain there for long.
>From the very beginning, it was not a normal concert. Skinny Puppy had a
need to distort the
perceptions of an audience tranquilized by the all too common performances of
electronic bands which were distinctly premeditated. Ogres sense of theatre,
combined with their mutual love of horror films, made for a blood soaked
performance leaving the audience questioning just what was real and what was
not. Skinny Puppy would continue to create this horror theatre through every
live performance in the bands existence.
The duo had soon finished their first collection of music, Back and Forth
series 1, the legendary demo tape self-produced in a run of only 35 copies in
early 84. The tape was compiled almost entirely from their home recordings,
save one track which was recorded at Mushroom studios. This session was
due to the help
of Dave the Rave Ogilvie. Rave had worked on some of the Images In Vogue
records and allowed for Skinny Puppy to have free studio time at Mushroom. Rave
would soon become a vital part of the bands work, co-producing their every
recording after this initial session and earning the status of unofficial band
member.
While only a minute number of copies were made, Back and Forth series 1 had a
massive impact for the band. The tape, in part, led to the bands signing to
Nettwerk Records, a new independent label started by cEvins friend and fellow
electronic music buff, Terry McBride. Their first EP was recorded at
Mushroom and
released in 84.
Their true debut, Remission features Skinny Puppy with a more refined vision
than on their previous tape, yet a wider scope conceptually. The idea of
life through a dogs eyes was quickly being expanded as Ogre improved at
his new skill of lyric writing.
For the listeners, this EP established the sound that would become Skinny
Puppys trademark and the foundation for all that would follow. Harsh
vocals, dark synths, jumping rhythms, and dialogue samples, all processed and
distorted. Skinny Puppys sound was in some respects a bridge between the old
school industrial sound, such as that of Throbbing Gristle, with the more
traditionally musical techniques of early electronic bands such as
Kraftwerk. Along with a uniquely dark tone, this made for a truly
innovative combination.
For a time, Skinny Puppy acted as cEvins expressive outlet while he continued
to play in Images In Vogue. During this period, cEvin and Ogre performed as the
opening act for Chris and Cosey, however they were billed as Hell O Death Day
rather than Skinny Puppy. This intended one-time project focused on the
more experimental soundscape side of the duos music rather than the more
danceable side shown by the Remission EP. It shortly became clear that this
music was too good to not release.
Much of it was included in the various versions of their next work, the full
length Bites LP. Bites saw Skinny Puppy developing their sound further
and utilizing the LP format for a greater diversity of styles. On the date of
its release in 85, cEvin quit Images In Vogue, making Skinny Puppy his full
time project. It would remain so
for the next ten years. Bites also featured guest appearances by Wilhelm
Schroeder on
bass synth. Wilhelm, better known as Bill Leeb, was a friend of the band who
was enthusiastic about making music. Needing another performer to fill
out their live lineup, cEvin showed him how to play bass synth and brought him
onboard. Never listed as an actual member of the band on any release,
Wilhelms input on the
records was minimal, but his presence was necessary for the North American tour
Skinny
Puppy was about to undertake. The Bites tour saw Ogre develop his
conceptual
theatrics to a new level. Featuring a massive stage set, the Bites
show was a carefully developed and choreographed combination of performance art
and music. Audiences expecting to see a normal concert were shocked to see the
lead vocalist slice his own throat and fall backwards into smoke, grinning as
stage blood seemingly poured from his wound. Ogre would continue to develop
these uniquely orchestrated and ever
more conceptual shows for each tour the band would undertake. Following the
tour, Skinny Puppy found themselves in a state of transition as they recorded
their third release, Mind: the Perpetual Intercourse.
Wilhelm decided to leave the band during the making of this record, facing the
prospect of a
world tour which he was not interested in doing. cEvin did not need to look far
for his replacement. Dwayne Goettel had performed as the keyboardist of a band
which once opened for Skinny Puppy. After their initial meeting, cEvin and
Dwayne jammed together, resulting in the track Antagonism. As the two
formed a musical alliance, the final component of Skinny Puppy was put into
place. Dwayne was a classically trained musician
and brought a new level technical skill to the band. This, coupled with the
introduction of new technology to the bands' arsenal, made Mind:TPI a vast
musical advancement. A more lush, carefully produced record than previous, it
showed Skinny Puppy developing the unparalleled sonic depth that was their
trademark. The album also contained their first single, Dig It, which became an
instant underground classic. With Dwayne, the band had completed the lineup
that would remain for the rest of their career and their 86 worldwide tour in
support of the Mind:TPI album established Skinny Puppys reputation among
electronic and underground music fans across the globe.
Later in the year the Chainsaw EP was released as a stopgap record between
Mind:TPI and their next full-length Puppy album. In addition, another
important EP was recorded, though not under the name Skinny Puppy. Edward
Ka-Spel, the lead singer of the Legendary Pink Dots and longtime correspondent
of cEvin, performed his solo show as the opener for Skinny Puppy.
cEvin handled his sound and before long the two were collaborating in the
studio together. The pair recorded an EP as The Tear Garden, including a
version of The Center Bullet with newly written lyrics by Edward. This
began a long and fruitful project which would
eventually include all members of the Legendary Pink Dots and Skinny Puppy
(although Ogres
appearance was limited to one song). The Tear Garden still continue their
infrequent but always glorious collaborations today. By 87, Skinny
Puppy were leaders in the electronic-industrial music scene.
With Dwayne now a full member, they recorded their fourth record for Nettwerk,
Cleanse Fold and Manipulate. Expanding upon the innovations in the
mixing, production, and use of digital technology on Mind:TPI, the record saw
Skinny Puppy fully hitting their stride. Whereas on previous albums the band
seemed to develop their
trademark sound alongside separate experimental tracks (as with the Hell O
Death Day material), CFM fully integrated their various techniques into a
coherent and solid work. As a result, CFM was their most focused record yet and
is, to some extent, the definitive example of the raw puppy sound. The
record explored dark ambient and noise/sound collage, the latter style
being used to close almost every album after. Ogre underwent a major
evolution as well. While not their first instance, CFM marked the shift
to social issues and external concerns as the central theme in his
lyrics. Following the album, the band undertook a North American tour
which would be captured on the live album and video Aint It Dead Yet?. The tour
was their most
lavish yet. Their fans now knew to expect blood from a Puppy performance, so
the focus shifted from shocking the audience to more complex onstage imagery.
While only one of the many themes of the show, introduced for the first
time was Ogres battle with drug addiction, graphically portrayed for the
audience.
As 88 the band took the tour to Europe. However, in the interim, they had
been exposed to the issues of animal experimentation. In an attempt to
show people what was going on behind the closed doors of laboratories,
Ogre
orchestrated a new performance which would be the bands most effective
show yet. Ogre played the role of experimenter, vivisecting a very
lifelike stuffed dog (nicknamed C.H.U.D. after the horror movie) before the
audiences eyes. As the show progressed, the tables were turned and Ogre
became the subject of the experiment. Continuing the theme of drug addiction,
Ogre was subdued with needles and eventually strapped into a chair. The
apparatus then threw him upside down, simulating the sudden head trauma
experiments subjected upon laboratory apes.
Their following album, VIVIsectVI, further attempted to expose the horrors of
animal testing. Testure was protest against such experimentation and by
confronting listeners with the cold, hard facts, Skinny Puppy attempted to
raise awareness of what was usually kept quiet. The album
touched upon issues of chemical
warfare, political reaction to AIDS, and industrial pollution. Surrounding
these lyrics was a much harsher
and noisier soundscape. Having built the model puppy sound on the
previous record, the band was now experimenting with it and taking it in new
directions. They constructed songs out of found sounds such as radio samples,
used an increasing amount of live drumming, and included even more detail in
the treatments of voice and instruments and the mix itself. VIVIsectVI
was the most sonically dense Puppy record yet and was absolutely
unrelenting. The single B-sides and CD bonus tracks also hinted at the
variety of styles cEvin and Dwayne were experimenting with as a team on their
own. In time, those styles which did not fit Skinny Puppy
would find their own outlets in various side projects in which the duo would
participate.
The band toured North America, utilizing the same stage show as the previous
European tour with a new set-list. Audiences everywhere were
shocked by the previously hidden horrors of animal experimentation. The band
would be forever synonymous with animal rights.
2000 by Corey Goldberg
********************************************************************
SISTERS OF MERCY:
SISTERS BIOGRAPHY
Dramatised by Michael Ashnikov, © 1998-2000 The Reptile House Ltd.
Much more background information, news, etc, etc at the official
Sisters website:
www.thesistersofmercy.com
Further enquiries to: The Reptile House Ltd, PO Box 29,
Leeds LS6 1SL, West Yorkshire, England.
Fax: +44 (0)113 257 0108.
1980
The Sisters Of Mercy are formed in Leeds by Gary Marx and Andrew Eldritch.
They may have gone their own way since, but originally the Sisters were a
product of their times.
That doesn't mean that they typified the times.
Punk had mocked traditional rock bands, which is why the Sisters had so much
fun referring to them,
and the fashion victims had turned to bad funk. Before Happy Mondays and
"baggy" made it fashionable
to like everything from Manchester (with a comedy-funk version of that
808-and-a-riff thing for which the
Sisters had been sneered at five years earlier), it was necessary for a
northern band to turn twee before it
got any attention from the fashion police in London. Look at The Smiths or New
Order. Even now,
Oasis are as cute as the Beatles. Hold on, they are the Beatles.
When the Sisters started, the times - then as now - were typified by bad
disco music. The Sisters were
fans of Gary Glitter, T Rex, Motörhead, The Stooges, Suicide, The Velvet
Underground, Père Ubu and
The Fall. The Sisters liked good disco music, and their first communal kitchen
was painted to the sound
of the first Imagination album, but they couldn't understand why even the NME
was assigning the future
of popular music to the likes of Kid Creole And The Coconuts ... to the
exclusion of intelligently savage fun.
They still can't. Click here for the Sisters' views on postmodernism.
The Sisters were to form part of an anomalous rebellion along the M62, a
motorway which crosses
northern England and joins Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds. Nearby Sheffield
can be considered a part
of this enclave. Hull never bothered; it finally produced ...the Housemartins.
Apart from New Model Army, Bradford
could only ever boast fundamentalist traces of the few youth movements which
had landed and promptly left. In each city,
the rebellion had a different dominant flavour.
Leeds, as the Sisters knew it, was a speed town, charged with a broadly
political kind of gang warfare.
The subculture in Leeds was clearly divided at the time. The punks were
almost exclusively left-wing (to
varying degrees, but united in their contempt of the right-wing) and vaguely
allied to the dub factions of
Chapeltown and Harehills. On the other hand was a right-wing alliance of
general Aryan types,
skinheads, would-be mods and a few confused teds. There were regular skirmishes
between the two
sides. The right-wing would sally forth from the Whip and the Adelphi, adding
to the routine violence of
Tetley Bittermen at closing time. The F Club offered a relatively safe base for
the punk contingent, and
every visiting band would play there which was not big or mainstream enough for
the university.
It's where the first Sisters (and many of their lifelong friends) met each
other.
The Sisters were not part of the art-school scene which threw up excellent
bands like Gang Of Four,
Mekons, Delta 5, and (indirectly) Scritti Politti. The Sisters belonged firmly
to the non-student, city end of things.
Their immediate forbears were the Expelaires, Music For Pleasure and Dance
Chapter. The
counterparts in Liverpool were The Teardrop Explodes, Pink Military and Echo
And The Bunnymen;
Manchester was primarily represented by Joy Division and The Chameleons.
Sheffield had the mighty
Comsat Angels, Clock DVA, Cabaret Voltaire and the Human League in their
initial, fabulously Gerry
Anderson phase. Indeed, Andrew says the best double-bill he ever saw was that
incarnation of the
Human League, with Père Ubu, on the F Club's tiny stage.
Here again are Andrew's sleeve notes to 'Some Girls Wander By Mistake' -
that compilation of
all the Sisters indie material (i.e. 1980-1983) which he describes as "a
collection of baby
photos."
"I had moved to Leeds to learn Chinese, and I was living above the
chemist (as the Mekons put it) with
Claire and Spiggy The Cat. One day I dared to set up the drum kit which someone
had stored in the
cellar. I still can't play the drums, but at least I was the only drummer in
town who could be relied upon to
avoid anything complicated.
Gary Marx and I knew each other from the F Club. He was a big fan of The
Fall. I was a big fan of Père
Ubu, and we both loved The Stooges. Everybody loved The Stooges. Gary had no
money and no
equipment, but he wanted to hear himself on the radio. So we made a record with
no money and no
equipment, and we heard it on the radio. Pressed a thousand copies (thanks to
Red Rhino in York,
whose credit we used at the plant), sold a few. Even at the time, it was hard
to get and even harder to
listen to. That should have been the end of it, but...
We hooked up with Craig Adams, probably because he lived above the chemist
too. He was a big fan of
Hawkwind and Motorhead, and he had this bass sound which suddenly defined The
Sisters - along with
the drum machine, which we bought because we all loved Suicide. Everybody loved
Suicide. The drum
machine became Dr. Avalanche. Gary became a guitar player, and I became the
singer, almost by
default.
I think we spent the next few years in the back of a van. When it wasn't
parked above the chemist we
were making the loudest noise possible in some of England's most disgusting
clubs. We still had no
money and no equipment: almost everything went towards making the next gig
louder than the last.
Thanks are due at this point to Pete Turner, who still mixes the live sound. He
managed to turn a
throbbing howl into a shimmering, pulsating machine of sorts. Some nights you
could even hear songs.
I like to think it was the songs that made this band. I know it wasn't. We
used a lot of smoke, very few
lights, stepped right back and just made a space where you could lose yourself
(but more probably find
yourself) in a tide of colour and noise. It sounds simple, but no-one that
really wanted to be a rock'n'roll
star could have done it. Apart from anything else, it took a long time and
burned more than a few people
out.
The records were never supposed to reflect that experience - it's a
different medium, and one we're still
learning. Maybe some of it comes through. Anyway, in those first four years,
when we had the money
(and often, when we didn't), we would drop in on Kenny Giles in Bridlington. He
had an eight-track and he
was the only person who would help us make records the way we wanted. Thanks
Ken. They may not
sound like anybody else's, they may not even sound like records, but we loved
them. For what it's worth."
With one guitar, a three-watt practice amp and no money, they record a
single "to hear ourselves on the radio". The Merciful Release label
is founded to issue it and one thousand copies are pressed. The record gets
played on the radio. Described by the band as "unobtainable and even more
unlistenable", 'THE DAMAGE DONE / WATCH / HOME OF THE HIT-MEN' is now
worth hundreds of pounds - and it's still rubbish.
1981
Sensing that something horribly huge is within their grasp, the duo decides
to "start again,
properly". Andrew Eldritch, by his own admission "a very bad
drummer", becomes by default
the band's lead singer as Gary Marx concentrates on guitar and Craig Adams is
recruited on
bass. An essential move seems natural to the Sisters but is to set them
crucially apart from
(and ahead of) their peers: they are now anchored and driven by the
legendary Doktor
Avalanche, drum machine.
The band makes its live debut on February 16th, somewhere between The Stooges
and
Suicide, or Motörhead and Chrome. Marx has connected his guitar to a
record-player
pre-amp which feeds back uncontrollably and Eldritch has shifted the vocal echo
into
overdrive. It's metal dub without any spaces, on a
shuddering mechanoid backdrop. The
first-ever set kicks off with a twisted cover of
Cohen's 'Teachers' and ends with a juggernaut
howl which might have been 'Silver Machine' but was in
fact 'Sister Ray'. The audience gets
the point. The Sisters Of Mercy gradually refine their
noise and their ability to be loved and
hated. Towards the end of the year Ben Gunn is added
as a second guitarist.
1982
The second record, 'BODY ELECTRIC / ADRENOCHROME',
is Single Of The Week in
Melody Maker. It will be almost three years before a
Sisters single does NOT become
Record Of The Week somewhere. Unfortunately, the
subsequent backlash will last forever.
The Sisters Of Mercy eventually deign to play London,
and Tony James of Generation X asks
Mr Eldritch to join a band ( - offer declined, with
thanks). A radio session for the BBC
foreshadows the next classic single and the Sisters
tour Britain with the Psychedelic Furs.
November sees the release of 'ALICE / FLOORSHOW', that
now-familiar blend of persistent
and irresistible melody, hypnotic technoid riffing and
a vicious hook shining seductively above
the riptide.... The band begin to dominate the
independent charts like nobody else before or
since.
1983
Early months are spent touring the country with an
army of supporters. A set of Sisters
standards is variously spiked with an audacious
selection of covers, including 'Gimme
Shelter', Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' and Hot Chocolate's
'Emma'. A second radio session follows
the release in March of the new single 'ANACONDA /
PHANTOM'. The twelve-inch EP
'ALICE / FLOORSHOW / PHANTOM / 1969' is also the
band's first American release. In
May, instead of capitalising on their notorious brand
of melodic overdrive, The Sisters Of
Mercy issue 'THE REPTILE HOUSE EP', some of the finest
and most haunting Sisters
songs swamped in a magnificently perverse mix of
slithering cruelty. After their first dates on
the European mainland, and before a short series of
concerts in America (Ben Gunn's last),
it is decided to spend the proceeds on the band's
first trip to a 24-track studio. This requires
guitars to be multi-tracked ad infitum - or until the
money runs out. The Sisters come out
with a three-song single in October. 'TEMPLE OF LOVE'
is in every respect a monster.
Backed with 'HEARTLAND' and 'GIMME SHELTER', it is
destined to be their last
independently released record.
1984
Wayne Hussey joins the Sisters. Concentrating upon
the acoustic and twelve-string guitars,
he makes his debut in April. Prior to a UK tour in
May, the band announces that it has
signed to WEA. 'BODY AND SOUL / TRAIN / BODY ELECTRIC
(re-recorded) /
AFTERHOURS', a four-track single described by Eldritch
as "a vision of heaven with
everyone on speed", narrowly misses the UK Top
Forty, and a third BBC session
showcases some of the material which will later
comprise the Sisters' first album. Demos
are recorded and the band travel to New York in August
to play two sell-out dates. Work on
the LP is postponed due to Eldritch's exhaustion yet
the band continues to play live,
culminating in the 'Black October' tour. The Sisters'
European audience continues to grow,
particularly in Germany and the UK. 'WALK AWAY /
POISON DOOR / ON THE WIRE' is
released. There are, however, barely concealed
tensions within the band. Many are tempted
to read into the lyrics of 'Walk Away' a public appeal
to Gary Marx. Worries about Eldritch's
exhaustion and his not-so-private leisure pursuits are
fuelled by the lyrics to 'On The Wire'.
1985
Another single, 'NO TIME TO CRY / BLOOD MONEY /
BURY ME DEEP', is issued in
February and the 'Tune In, Turn On, Burn Out' tour
opens in March. Gary Marx's departure is
announced as the debut album goes straight into the
Top Twenty. Flawed and scarred it may
be (certainly from a production standpoint), but
'FIRST AND LAST AND ALWAYS' is still
regarded as a collection of classic songs.
The band stage an end-of-tour concert in July at
London's Royal Albert Hall as The Sisters
Of Mercy celebrate the first pinnacle of their
existence. The resultant concert video will soon
be released under the title 'WAKE'. Eldritch is
expected to leave the stage with his usual
"Goodnight!" but tonight it's
"Goodbye". It will be five years before The Sisters Of Mercy play
live again.
1986
Craig Adams and Wayne Hussey have left the band;
disagreements over material and
touring were understandable, particularly those
arising from Hussey's desire to launch a
separate career (taking Adams with him). The split was
amicable enough ...initially.
Merciful Release issues the single 'GIVING GROUND'
and album 'GIFT', by 'The
Sisterhoood'. Written and produced by Andrew Eldritch,
this material was performed for
contractual reasons by associates, and released
independently.
It's 1986. Craig Adams and Wayne Hussey have left the band; disagreements
over material and touring
were understandable, particularly those arising from Hussey's desire to launch
a separate career (taking
Adams with him). The split was amicable enough ...initially.
Nevertheless, an understanding was breached when the duo's demo tapes began
to re-appear under
various permutations of the Sisters' name. Most of the names were clearly too
close to get away with for
long, but eventually the dear departed are advised that they have a legal right
to call themselves 'The
Sisterhood', despite Eldritch's objections.
In a matter of weeks they are due to play live under this name. As a
recording artist, Eldritch has an
exclusive recording contract with WEA, who protect their option on the other
band, and Eldritch currently
has no way of making a challenge via the concert platform.
Even worse, RCA (who are publishers to all involved) plan to give half of
the Sisters' publishing advance to
the other band, although it's generally agreed that RCA were earning so much
money from the various
Sisters that they should have paid both bands the whole advance - each.
Thoughtful parties follow the contractual logic, look at the calendar and
realise that the whole advance will
go to the first party to make an album. Eldritch is presently a vocalist
without a band, new songs, or any
record company support. But he is thoughtful. He issues a final polite warning
to the other parties, which
is ignored.
Days later, Merciful Release unleashes 'GIVING GROUND' by its own
'Sisterhood'. An Eldritch
production, the single streaks to the top of the independent chart. The other
band will be forced to change
its name. The album 'GIFT' follows quickly. Performed by a loose coalition of
forces allied to Merciful
Release, but written by Andrew Eldritch. As they give him the cheque, RCA are
left pondering the
significance of the opening line "two five zero zero zero ..." An album
review from Wayne reveals that he
has completely missed the significance of the whole album, politically or
musically.
Some say the Sisterhood album was recorded impossibly fast, and written to
be unpalatable: to sting
RCA for the whole advance, and escape the contract for good measure. Eldritch
was promptly dropped by
his publishers. By this time he was in Hamburg. "Gift" is the German
word for "poison"...
...but the Sisterhood album has become a classic; it parallelled the New
Beat of the Continental
avant-garde which eventually spawned techno.
'GIFT' is distributed in Europe by Rough Trade Germany.
1987
Eldritch had thrown everything in the air and it
had not come down. The Sisters Of Mercy
were the most bootlegged band of the decade, but had
completely stopped playing live when
they seemed at the height of their power. Eldritch had
set up camp in Germany, so the
English press pronounced him retired or dead. After
'Gift' they should have known better.
Ahead of its time, this dense soundscape extrapolated
some of the most important elements
of the Sisters' psyche. Without losing sight of the
original Sisters' vicious trash aesthetic, it
assimilated the advances in continental dance music,
and developed them further. The
layers of ersatz Elgar and chant added an aching
poignancy to the terse and savage wit of
the lyrics. Insistent and tuneful, the songs were
harnessed to a menacing synthetic groove
somewhere between the New York underground and the
hardcore techno-beat of Brussels
and Berlin. Eldritch was enjoying his new-found
freedoms. Rumour fed on rumour, and in the
apparent absence of the band the legend just grew. As
it always does. The Sisters were
bigger than ever before, and in a position to refocus
with confidence on the future.
Expectations rose to fever pitch as the next phase was
launched.
'THIS CORROSION / TORCH / COLOURS' is released by
WEA. The single enters the UK
Top Ten and becomes the #1 Alternative Record in
America, despite the lack of record
company support - as usual. It is announced that
Patricia Morrison has been recruited and
that the band has no plans to enlarge further. This
presages a phase of video-based
promotion. Video is a gratuitous and expensive medium
which the band has traditionally
scorned. Nevertheless, on TV screens all over the
planet, the torrential rain of 'This Corrosion'
sets the pace for a series of spectacular videos. The
second album 'FLOODLAND' is
released in November. 'Floodland' places the guitars
of the first album against a backdrop of
keyboards inspired by the experimentation of 'Gift'. A
fifth-generation Doktor Avalanche drives
a body of songs which highlight Eldritch's maturity as
a singer and songwriter.
1988
A dramatic video set in the ancient Jordanian city
of Petra heralds 'DOMINION / EMMA'
which charts at number 13 in the UK. 'LUCRETIA MY REFLECTION
/ LONG TRAIN' then
provides the Sisters with their third chart single
from the 'Floodland' LP.
1989
A compilation video ('SHOT') is issued, featuring
the three singles from 'Floodland' and an
additional clip of '1959' which was filmed in India
during the shooting of 'Lucretia My
Reflection'. Incidentally, '1959' is still the only
Sisters video produced and directed by Andrew
Eldritch, and the absence of anybody else's agenda
makes it different from (and better than)
all the others ....although it can be remarked of the
later videos that 'Dr Jeep' is funny,
'Detonation Boulevard' is eminently watchable, and
Eldritch is a genuine love-god in 'Under
The Gun'.
1990
Guitarist Andreas Bruhn joins the band; he and
Andrew Eldritch write songs for the next
album. Tony James replaces the recently departed
Patricia Morrison. Guitarist Tim Bricheno
completes the line-up, as the third LP 'VISION THING'
is being finished. 'Vision Thing' is
released in November. It is preceded by a single,
'MORE / YOU COULD BE THE ONE',
which continues the band's hard-earned tradition of
international chart success, particularly
in Germany. Compared to its predecessor, 'Vision
Thing' is a stripped-down affair. Half of the
finished mixes for the album are shelved in favour of
rough mixes from earlier stages of the
recording session, 'monitor mixes' which retain the
immediate feel of the songs. The guitars
are more direct than they were on 'Floodland' and
there is far less emphasis on the layering
of sound which characterised the previous Sisters
album. Keyboards are kept to a bare
minimum, and the baritone voice of Eldritch is clear
amid the storm. The lyrics retain their
usual oblique sub-texts, but there is a new directness
of language on the surface. It has
been noticed that there is no sense whatever of
'victim' on the 'Vision Thing' album (maybe
because this had too often been fallaciously inferred
from the overlooked ironies of previous
records). 'Vision Thing' is confident to the point of
arrogance, commanding to the point of
sheer callousness, an intellectual tour-de-force of
beautiful cruelty. The band play surprise
concerts in Ireland. 'DOCTOR JEEP' is released as a
single, coupled with rare live tracks.
Brazilian warm-up dates are followed by a European
tour starring two nights at London's
Wembley Arena.
1991
The Sisters Of Mercy mark the tenth anniversary of
their live debut with two shows for the
members of The Reptile House (the Sisters' information
service) in their birthplace of Leeds.
There is a tour of southern Europe. 'WHEN YOU DON'T
SEE ME / RIBBONS (live) /
SOMETHING FAST (live)' is released as a single in
Germany. A North American tour opens
on March 25th in Ontario. The first concert sells out
in two hours. Another trip to northern
Europe follows in April and May, Poland and Hungary
fall to the Sisters before an arena-tour
of Germany.
The band returns to the States for an amphitheatre
tour with Warrior Soul, Gang Of Four and
Public Enemy as opening acts. Before this tour starts,
most promoters (and the whole of the
US media) have unfortunately decided that a mixed-race
event is a dangerous thing. Radio
City Music Hall is sold out, but the authorities in
Detroit refuse to allow a concert to take
place at all. The Sisters cut loose in Miami, and seal
their year with a guerrilla-raid on the
European festival circuit, most particularly at 'Rock
Am Ring' and a headline appearance at
the Reading Festival. Another day, another thirty
thousand people. Tony James decides this
is a suitable moment to move on in his quest for
Showbusiness Valhalla.
1992
The compilation album of early material 'SOME GIRLS
WANDER BY MISTAKE' is released
in May. A completely re-recorded 'Temple Of Love'
(featuring Ofra Haza) is released as a an
accompanying single: 'TEMPLE OF LOVE (1992)' crashes
into the UK chart at number 3,
and becomes the Sisters' biggest international hit so
far. Summer festivals in Germany are
followed by a sellout show at Birmingham's NEC. The
final gig of the year is in front of thirty
thousand Belgians at the Pukkelpop Festival, preceded
by a warm-up show in the living room
of a Reptile House member in Oberhausen. Bricheno and
Bruhn initiate solo projects.
1993
Summer shows with Depeche Mode in Europe are
followed by the first Greatest Hits album
'A SLIGHT CASE OF OVERBOMBING'. A single featuring new
guitarist Adam Pearson
'UNDER THE GUN / ALICE (1993)' is released
simultaneously, and assumes its automatic
place in the top ten. The compilation video released
in 1988 is updated by the addition of the
'Vision Thing' promos, and re-released as 'SHOT REV
2.0'. The year ends with a tour of
Germany, supported by The Ramones, and three British
shows in Brixton and Birmingham
(at the NEC again). For a time there will be
silence...
1994
...while Eldritch argues with East West. Signing to
WEA was one thing, finding oneself with
East West is another. Since 'Vision Thing' the band
have been "seriously underwhelmed".
1995
Still arguing with East West, or rather: not
talking to East West any more. As far as its
recording contract goes, the band has effectively been
on strike for five years now. Andrew
Eldritch starts remixing industrial dance records and
is rumoured to be active in trance
music. Adam, as usual, is also making soundtrack
music.
1996
No progress at the record company, but live goes
on: guitarist Chris Sheehan joins up.
Ravey Davey caught playing Nurse with the Doktor as
The Sisters Of Mercy swing into
another summer of festival appearances in Europe.
1997
The 'Distance Over Time' expedition. The Sisters
headline another five summer festivals and
a fistful of hall dates. Back to the USA for the first
time since the tour with Public Enemy.
Towards the end of this year, East West buy the
dodgy SSV album which ends Eldritch's
contract with East West. Chris Sheehan embarks on an
extended sabbatical break with
some friends from Down Under; Mike Varjak assumes his
place in the first team.
1998
Strange as it may seem, East West are still intending to put out their SSV
record;
pre-release propaganda proclaims SSV as the new incarnation of the
"long-dead" Sisters;
foolish but predictable nonsense. To counteract all this stuff (which, as we
know, the press
is all too happy to run with), and to celebrate Mr Eldritch's liberation, the
Sisters decide to
brave the snow and hit the road again. Only one promoter is found who is willing
to risk a
January tour. Every date sells out before the tour starts. Such is life for the
Sisters Of
Perpetual Vindication. Just to prove that they're not right all the time, the
Sisters fail to
release a trio of independent singles...
Twelve 'Event Horizon' dates through Europe, followed by six in North
America, followed by a
'Summer' headlining festival dates. In the absence of the Verve, the Sisters
headline
Europe's biggest festival at Roskilde.
Back home to think about the next album.
1999
In the second half of the year, a Portuguese festival and a month-long hall
tour of North
America ('To The Planet Edge') provide the band with sufficient distraction
from songwriting
and recording. Adam hasn't finished building his studio anyway.
2000
January: Chris Sheehan puts out a solo album of "bleak psycho country
music". Everybody
else is available for the usual events: weddings, barmitzvahs and any
discussion involving
both Gary Glitter and Hegel. They are:
Andrew Eldritch - vocals
Adam Pearson - guitars
Mike Varjak - guitars
Doktor Avalanche - drums, etc
Nurse - nurse to the Doktor
It's worth mentioning that new and hence unreleased songs make up about half
of any live
Sisters set these days, although the classics get a good thrashing in rotation.
Having derived
their light show from the Big Bang (gleefully inventing rave lighting in the
process), the
Sisters see no reason to tone it down, and will be exploding in all their glory
again this
summer.
It's loud, it's grindingly beautiful, and it's probably heading your way.
Update July 2000: The long-projected September trip
to South Africa has not
materialised, so the Sisters can be expected to throw
in a few European hall
concerts instead, probably in Britain and Spain.
Some personal information:
Andrew Eldritch was studying French and German
literature at Oxford University when he got
waylaid by the first Père Ubu album. He was studying
Chinese and politics at Leeds
University when he got waylaid by the Sisters. His
current interests include obsessive
computing, cognitive science and FC St Pauli. He lives
in a stretch limbo.
Adam Pearson tries to avoid pain and gain pleasure.
He enjoys discovering which of his
actions lead to one or the other. During his
experiments, he has worked extensively with
Johnny Thunders, Andrew Eldritch, and small children.
He lives in hope.
Mike Varjak has slept with your best friend, and
she enjoyed it very much. He lives in your
spare room, but many floors higher.
Nurse claims that his relationship with Doktor
Avalanche does not involve the exchange of
body fluids. He's lying.
Doktor Avalanche is God.
"Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Chris
Sheehan's work is how deeply it succeeds
when it veers toward queasily unpleasant moral
territory. Not only can you feel the hate, but -
a very odd sensation - you can share a glimmer of it
as well." ...Musician Magazine.
The Sisters Of Mercy are a left wing institution.
The Sisters Of Mercy do not sing with an assumed
American accent.
The Sisters Of Mercy have heaps of gold records.
The Sisters Of Mercy deserve more gold records than
they've got.
The Sisters Of Mercy are grindingly computerised,
and very often pixellated.
The Sisters Of Mercy have a Nobel Prize for
chemistry.
The Sisters Of Mercy are savage and beautiful.
The best Sisters songs, according to Mr Eldritch:
the next one
We Are The Same, Susanne
Summer
Under The Gun
I Was Wrong
Ribbons
Temple Of Love (1992)
Driven Like The Snow
Never Land
1959
The best Sisters t-shirt, according to everybody:
"Utterly Bastard Groovy"
Much more background information, news, etc, etc at the official
Sisters website:
www.thesistersofmercy.com
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WOLFSHEIM:
www.wolfsheim.de
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PHILIP BOA & the VOODOOCLUB:
Phillip Boa & the VoodooClub »My Private War«
Phillip Boa – Vocals \ Guitar\ Keyboards \ Percussion \ Bass
Toett – Strings \ Keyboards \ Samples
Moses Pellberg – Drums \ Percussion
Maik T – Bass \ Guitar \ Piano
Alison Galea – Vocals
David Vella – Keyboards \ Guitar \ Synth \ Drums \ Samples
Recorded + Engineered by Beppe Fellegara
Produced by John B. Wilson (Lou Reed, Mazzy Star…) at Temple / Malta
Mixed by Black Pete (Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, David Bowie…) on Neve at
Temple/Malta
Mastered by Eroc at The Ranch
I’ve been watching the progress of Philip Boa with great interest ever since
his albums for the legendary Constrictor label. One of his trademarks has
always been an awareness of modern communications technology , its use and a
desire to play around and experiment with all possible forms of pop
music. Without needing to chase the ambulances of fashion, he makes
skillful use of technical innovation in various projects, without letting his
brand of pop/rock slide into pure escapism. In amongst loops and
sandpapered guitar comes an extremely powerful expression of what pop/rock can
sound like. Away from conventional structures, he works with collage and
montage, uses elements from radio drama and realizes his new songs like
playlets.
Philip Boa’s newly-formed VoodooClub features superb musicians who fit
seamlessly into his new concept. Moses Pelberg and Maik T provide a solid
platform for the other musicians to play with power and drive, without
thrashing around with brute force. Making his VoodooCub debut is backroom
boy Toett, a keyboarder of the first water: you could stick a DX7 in front of
him and he’d still come up with something exciting. The tension between
Boa and David Vella creates the space not only to play their excellent brand of
pop/rock, but also to play with the genre.
Singer Alison Galea deserves a special mention for her work on the album, whose
celestial tones are usually to be heard with the Malayan-British Indie band
Beangrowers and who lends a poetic touch to the songs on My Private War.
Philips Boa doesn’t accept the preformed pigeon-holes of pop/rock, but
prefers to happily cross borders. His new album My Private War presents
him as an apologist for the apocalypse, able to dissolve contradictions by
playing with words. Semantic fields, associative juxtapositioning and
stimulating pictures are not only to be found in The Great American
Diner: His lyrical conception of language makes a refreshing change from
the school English of Krautrock fame.
His new album documents Boa’s maturing into a remarkable songwriter. It
is the identity of singer and songwriter that enable his listeners to discover
an ironic quality. It speaks for Boa’s quality that he is able to point
out these contrasts and let them stand in their own right. He takes his
listeners seriously by allowing them to make their own judgement.
So What has an innate irony and tells of the many people who understand life as
a process of waiting for something that never comes. Almost incidentally,
he makes being thrown into the world into a central theme. The song
reminds listeners of the fairy tale of the bad-tempered child who always wanted
“More!” Loss of identity and globalisation are the sub-text, a subject
which he also pursues in the title track, and in Freudian Underwear he
sarcastically comments with the line “I switch on my TV/What a paradise of
fools”.
But it is not the angry young man who is here in the foreground, but rather
the poet. It is striking how many love songs the album contains.
Chelsea girls and West End boys, there’s a pearl of pop here for
everyone. “I love to listen/I love to hum/To the great sound of your
heart”, when if ever have we heard such lyrical sentiments from Philip
Boa?! Listen to the unmatched fragility of As You Walk By, love as a
traffic accident, or For Her, a relaxed Summer in Saigon, and the incomparable
Rome in the Rain, a love song of the highest order.
You won’t believe your ears, you’ll think that, with Diabolique and the
divinely nervous Baby, Take the Strain Out, you’re back in familiar
territory. Or are you?
My Private War is Philip Boa’s most mature album to date. The cult
star has become a classic, who has earned respect.
A.J. Weigoni, November 1999
Phillip Boa – Biography
1985 – 1987 on EFA / Constrictor
1988 – 1993 on Polydor
1994 – 1999 on Motor
2000 on RCA (BMG)
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IN EXTREMO:
www.inextremo.de
DE/VISION:
DE/VISION
Progressive pop
Steffen: Voice, Synthesiser,
Markus: Synthesiser, Voice,
Thomas: Synthesiser, Voice
DE/VISION come from Bensheim, a small town near Frankfurt. Since 1988
they have been making synthesiser music and over the years they have
developed their
own style. Their lyrics deal with the world around them. DE/VISION has no
intention to cover songs. They want to translate their own ideas into
music.
On several tours around Germany they have presented their extensive
repertoire and showed that synthesiser music doesn’t have to be
monotonous.
DE/VISION´s 150 concerts are just a part of their continuous work and
include two concerts in support of Camouflage, some in Scandinavia and
one in the
course of the Depeche Mode Fan-meeting , where DE/VISION played in front
of more than 2000 people. So it is not astonishing that the German music
magazine,
‘New Life’ called DE/VISION the 'Synthy-Pop-Band no.1 in Germany’.
The first record they released was the 12’ single, ‘Your hands on my skin’
in 1990. This song was also released on the international ‘Electro
Revenge’
CD-Sampler. In September´92 DE/VISION released their second 12’Single,
‘Boy on the street’ which appeared on their own ´SPR´ label and was produced
and
distributed all by themselves.
In the summer of 93 DE/VISION signed a contract with Strange Ways
Records in Hamburg. Through this deal, DE/VISION had the chance to
present their
whole talent to a bigger audience. After the dancefloor success of their
third single, ‘Try to forget’ (August ´94) they released their first
full-length CD, ‘World
without end’ in January 94, which was mixed by Axel Henninger (former
producer of Camouflage). The next two singles, ‘Dinner without grace’(May
'94) and
‘Love me again’ (August '94) were produced by A.Henninger.
In January 95 DE/VISION released their Hit-Single ‘Blue Moon’ (also
available on Video) and the second full-length CD, ‘Unversed in love’.
20.000 copies sold,
lots of radioplay, club, recordshop and magazine charts and successful touring
through Germany, made DE/VISION into a Top-Synth-Pop-Act in Germany. In
Autumn 95 they released ‘Dress me when I bleed’, and then released a
full-length, ‘Antiquity (unreleased tracks from 90-92)’ dedicated to their
fans. At the end of
95 they find themselves on the ‘E-Beat’ Sampler, together with the top-acts
of the German-independent scene. DE/VISION also released, ‘Live Moments
we
shared’, a Live video including a CD.
The 96 release ‘Fairyland?’ entered the official German sales charts
on place 87. The first single from this album is ‘Sweet Live’. ‘I regret’
followed. „Fairylive!“
(Livevideo with CD) was released February 97.
Now DE/VISION are signed by the major company WEA-Records. The first Major
MCD called „We fly...tonight“ came out in march 98, and entered the German
sales charts on Place 47. The CD „Monosex“ climbed to place 30 and the
following German tour was a big success. There were sometimes more than 1000
visitors. After the Tour the band released the second MCD called „Strange
Affection“. German VIVA1, VIVA2 and VH1 television and also MTV shows the
Video several times. The band released in November 98 a collection of released
songs with some remixes. The name of the CD is „ZEHN“ (88-98) , what
means
in english TEN, like 10 years of DE/VISION. DE/VISION performed many
shows in small clubs (like the time as they started) in Germany. During the 5
week
tour, the band visited Norway, Sweden, Holland, Switzerland and Spain. On
stage there are sometimes 4 people, because the band used a guest-guitar player
for a
better live-performance.
In February 99 they entered the studio again. Together with their new
producer Georg Kaleve they recorded new HIT-Material. The new album
“VOID” will be
released Februar 2000, the first single is called “Foreigner”. De/Vision
disappeared on this album from the traditionell electro-sound. This time
they are more open
for other music styles than ever. The want to avoid the be compared with other
bands or traditional music styles. De/Vision developed now their
own definition of
music and that makes them more than intresting for everyone.
http://www.devision.de
e-mail: contact@devision.de
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LETZTE INSTANZ:
DAS SPIEL
Following the critical acclaim of their 1998 album
"Brachialromantik" and the extensive touring which went with it,
LETZTE INSTANZ are now back with their second studio album. "Das
Spiel" (The Game) is the name of the album which sets new standards in the
fusion of classical and folk music with modern crossover.
While still enjoying the "scene" success of their debut album the
band has made a further step forward. The sounds and methods of the 90s have
increasingly influenced the style of LETZTE INSTANZ. At an average age
of twenty-four, the creditability with which they embody these influences
cannot be questioned. It is after all the music of their generation. The
consequense is inevitable, a meeting of oposites. Breakbeats encounter
celestial string arrangements. Opera voices rise above a wall of guitars. All
of a sudden everything melts togehther to
form something completely new - the folkcore of LETZTE INSTANZ.
DAS SPIEL
multi-facetted but catchy
After a change of singers in autumn 1998 there is no holding the band back
now. The new songs are more intense, the arrangements more polished and
emotional, the performance has reached a greater depth. The
seven from Dresden have freed themselves from their roots without disowning
them. In "Schrei der Wale" elements of French Chanson can be heard.
In "Zarter Engel" the song develops fromtrip-pop rhythms and ecrily
beautiful string sections to an infernal duet with the guest vocalist supported
by a fortress of dark guitars. The album maintains the tension and excitement
from beginning to end, culminating in the final, the ultimate crossover song
"Das Spiel", a song seeking to define itself in its opposites.
DAS SPIEL
a delight for the second offender
Despite the album's diverse and varied character, there are still many
catchy songs and melodies. With the song "Love is a shield" the band
manages to revive an absolute classic in a new and interesting way. Their
interpretation stands head and shoulders above comparable attempts by other
bands. The whole album develops into a rhythmic thunder storm of violins,
guitars and grooves which is guaranteed to bring any audience to ist boiling
point.
Whoever thinks that all or this cannot be transformed into a live
performance is very much mistaken. Letzte Instanz are just as keen and
energetic on stage as they are on CD. The audience is immediately captured by
the violinist Muttis Stolz who seems to sweep over the stage and through the
crowd. Strange unusual dance sequences, firesoitters, a cold shower for the
audience. All elements which make Letzte Instanz a must for all those fans of
somewhat unusual folk music.
LETZTE INSTANZ Konzerte 2000:
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20.01.00 Freiberg - FÜLLORT / MENSA
21.01.00 Ilmenau - BC CLUB
04.02.00 Pforzheim - STADTHALLE (Benefiz)
31.03.00 Singwitz - KESSELHAUS
01.04.00 Annaberg-Buchholz - ALTE BRAUEREI
04.04.00 Frankfurt/M. - NACHTLEBEN
06.04.00 Weimar - VOLKSHAUS
07.04.00 Gera - KOMMA
08.04.00 Büren-Harth - SCHÜTZENHALLE - Hammerfestival
12.04.00 A-Linz - POSTHOF
13.04.00 A-Wien - ARENA
14.04.00 A-Wörgl - KOMMA
15.04.00 A-Allensteig - KINO
22.04.00 Regensburg - ALTE MÄLZEREI
23.04.00 Bochum - BLACKOUT
24.04.00 Wiesbaden - ALTER SCHLACHTHOF
25.04.00 Hamburg - LOGO
26.04.00 Potsdam - WASCHHAUS
27.04.00 Rostock - MAU
28.04.00 Sondershausen - STOCK¹SEN
29.04.00 Hameln - KUZ REGENBOGEN
03.05.00 Schmalkalden - HOCHSCHULFEST
04.05.00 Aachen - MUSIKBUNKER
05.05.00 Karlsruhe - SUBSTAGE
06.05.00 Stuttgart - LIME LIGHT
07.05.00 Lahr - UNIVERSAL D.O.G.
23.06.00 Niesky - OPEN AIR
24.06.00 Gößnitz - OPEN AIR
25.06.00 Kirchheim - OPEN AIR
30.06.00 Jena - DAYS IN PARADISE OPEN AIR
01.07.00 Mülheim / Ruhr - OPEN AIR
08.07.00 Homberg - Burgbergfestival
14.07.00 A-Lustenau - LUWAWI FESTIVAL
15.07.00 Greifensteine - OPEN AIR
10.08.00 Berlin - MILES
11.08.00 Uhsmannsdorf - OPEN AIR
12.08.00 Hildesheim - M¹ ERA LUNA FESTIVAL
19.08.00 Dresden - DOOMSDAY - THE ORKUS OPEN AIR 2000
26.08.00 A-Abtenau - FREE YOUR MINDFESTIVAL
23.12.00 Neustadt – WOTUFA
more info:
www.letzte-instanz.de
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ZEROMANCER:
Alex Møklebust (vocalz) - Kim Ljung (bass / vocalz) - Noralf Ronthi (drumz)
- Erik Ljunggren (programming) - Chris Schleyer (Guitarz)
Some of you might recognize the names from various other bands, like
Seigmen, Vampire State Building, Prick and Kidney Thieves. Those of you who do,
know who's who.
Some might say that this is the re-incarnation of Seigmen. Well, it is, and
it isn't. Our story starts where their story ended. Seigmen played their last
gig ever at Rockefeller in Oslo on March 6, 1999.
One week later Kim and Erik were on a plane to Portland, Oregon. Too tired
to return home, they ended up running away. The next month was spent writing
material and developing sounds for a new band. Tearing everything down, to
dream it all up again.
After a month in the friendly and charming environment of Portland, it was
time to move on. It was time for crimson sunsets, drive-by shootings and
endless ribbons of hot concrete.It was time to go to Los Angeles. City of
night.
Alex and Noralf had just arrived from Norway. Nobody knew what to expect.
Starting a band is hard, in the best of times. Starting a new band with half of
your old band could be a disaster. It wasn't. It was luxurious. Borderline
glamorous.
The only snag was a certain pressure from the record company. Could we have
a finished album by July 1 ? Yeah, right. We didn't even have a guitar player.
Just a couple of hot tips. We ended up using both of them.
Originally we wanted to work with producer Sylvia Massy. Seemed like a good
idea at the time. She bailed out at the last minute, but recommended James
Saez. He had engineered for Duran Duran and played guitar with Porno for Pyros.
Sounded pretty good to us.
We immediately liked James. He was willing to be our missing guitar player
at rehearsals and in the studio, had some very interesting ideas about
recording drums and a good friend and partner called Andrew Scheps.
We recorded the first three songs, "Something For The Pain",
"Clone Your Lover" and "God Bless The Models", in June at
Ocean. That's when we knew this was going to work. That's when we knew what the
band should sound like.
Once you know what to do, some things become easier and some things become
harder. You don't have to search for a framework anymore, but you need to make
the one you have look good. That took another six months.
The routine was simple. Lyrics and melodies from Kim. Raw material processed
by Erik. Songs refined, distilled and bottled by the band, James and Andrew.
Rehearsal Monday through Friday. Weekends off. No Love.
The first three songs got us signed to eastwest records in Germany. Special
thanks to Volker Zacharias, Paradise Lost and The Gathering. Hamburg rules, London
sucks. Still looking for Life in Tokyo. Still living in Magic America.
Tried to mix in Sausalito and Los Angeles. Ended up in Belgium with Ronald
Prent. Good move actually. The guy is amazing. Cleaned up everything and gave
us that extra push over the cliff. Now everything goes to eleven.
The album is called Clone your lover. If you do, please make sure to send us
a copy. Migraine songwriting times ten. Hope it gets your rocks off. It should.
Especially if you haven't had sex in awhile. Definitely if you've had lots.
www.zeromancer.com
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ILLUMINATE:
www.illuminate.de
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AND ONE:
DISCOGRAPHIE:
ANGUISH (1991)
FLOP (1992)
MONOTONIE (EP, 1992)
SPOT (1993)
I.S.T. (1994)
NORDHAUSEN (1997)
9.9.99.9 Uhr (1998)
New: VIRGIN SUPERSTAR (2000)
AND ONE
9.9.99.9 Uhr
Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce to you:
The Art Of Pop, performed by AND ONE.
The jump into the next millenium is right ahead. The clock is ticking toward
armageddon, the end of time. When will it stop? Right before the curfew, five
past twelve, just before the last day, right on doomsday?
Or on 9.9.99. 9 Uhr (...o'clock)? Exactly at the hour when AND ONE will release
their last album of the century and do a nine hour sum up of their artistic
existance.
AND ONE's new album is called 9.9.99.9 Uhr. The music is a tight rope walk
between Pop and Schizo-Pop, between good and bad, between urban monotony and a
living-on-the-edge-syndrom - says singer Steve Naghavi. Therefore, the album
will be shocking green and terribly good. It contains 10 songs and lasts - not
counting the contractual breaks - 44 minutes. It resists all temptations of
inadequate categorizations, revolts provocatively against the blasphemous
ignorance and dull helplessnes of this sad consumers' age of formatted radio.
It sounds most commercially uncommercial. And vice versa. It feels antiseptic
and is not only called 9.9.99.9Uhr but sort of offers the next-to-last chance
to finish this millenium with dignity and courage.
AND ONE - repeatedly called "electro kids of the third generation after
Kraftwerk" - are innovative and evident at the same time. Without
succumbing to the temptation of profane shopping-mal-Trip Hop excursions or
noisy industrial guitars. Their style may be called Electropop but it surely
reaches up into spheres generally known as "modern Synthie-Pop".
Steve Naghavi, an androgynous mediator between your favorite tear jerker,
Dave Gahan and Trent Reznor, moves between German and English with a lot of
feeling for language, travels back and forth between Dada and Diana, Brecht and
Albrecht. The man doesn't fit the pattern of the one-dimensional lust &
love squeaker. He sings about dim feelings, glaring visions and
kafka-esque everyday stories. The '93 techno-man has grown up. He ignores the
medias' expectation of him wanting to be everybody's darling. He'd rather write
songs. Keyboarder Rick Schah is the Lord of digital speric sounds and analogue
basslines. Lasciviously, rythmic and unworldly. Thanks to drummer and co-singer
Joke Jay we do not have to go without the typical AND ONE cling-clang electro
grooves that always are a bit meaner and weirder than it is usual with the
genre.
On 9.9.99.9 Uhr, too, there are not seldom whole worlds of fantastic sound
happenings. Listen to (and be surprised) the first single "Get You
Closer", a danceable pop track. Or the theatrical "Und Wieder"
(And Again) which deals with the Silent Majority. With "Evil Boy" AND
ONE create a new style: Electro-Ska. And "Pimmelmann" (Dick Man)
exposes the humoristic side of the band. On the album, we find smoothened
version, but the live audiences have all reasons to looking forward to the
uncensured hardcore version. Experiencing the trio on stage, you will know why
the Electro Factory AND ONE has long since advanced to be the darlings of the
German Indie scene. Their strange mixture of Pop-cabaret and Bodybeats always
make a stir. AND ONE made a great impression on the German Electro-Pop of the
Nineties and helped it beyond the borders of the country. It's only natural for
them now to be co-headlining the '98 Zillo festival.
9.9.99.9 Uhr sounds a-typical and yet familiar. A contradiction? Well, true
Schizo-Pop. The splits between Pop and paranoia. There's not much time until
9.9.99.9 Uhr. The wild months until then (incl. a 40-dates tour starting mid
October) carry the motto "The Idea". Ladies and Gentlemen, don't ask
why. That's just what it is.
Short History
1989 two 16 year old suburban kids got together. Then in 1990 the
12" "Metalhammer" is released, an in-crowd hit of the best kind.
1991 followed by "Technoman" and the album "Anguish". 1992
AND ONE release their second album "Flop" plus the conceptual EP
"Monotonie". A year later, the hit single and video "Life Isn't
Easy In Germany" is playing on the radio and MTV. At the same time,
"Spot", the third album is out. On their fourth piece "I.S.T"
(Is) (1994), Naghavi sings German and English lyrics for the first time. The
band gets into some bizarre undertakings, like their save-the-youth-clubs tour,
the flying-yoghurt-scandal and the legendary Mofa caravan. After signing the
contract with Virgin records in 1997, AND ONE release their fourth album
"Nordhausen" and the single "Sometimes". Summed up: until
now, the band has released approx. 1,12 kilos of CDs (among others in Sweden,
Spain, France, USA, Russia, Corea), shot three videos and played to more than
12.000 fans on their last nine-date tour. With "Nordhausen" and
"Sometimes" AND ONE hit the charts as well. The best thing is,
though: the story continues ...
www.andone.com
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COVENANT:
COVENANT | BIOGRAPHY
Originating in Helsingborg, Sweden, the EBM collective enigma known as
Covenant rose from the ashes like a phoenix taking flight; bringing forth a new
level of energy and creative processes. From the bands inception, Covenant has
charted new electro paths which have set higher standards in electronic/EBM
music worldwide. Considered to be among the top of their class alongside Front
242 and The Chemical Brothers, Covenant perfectly combine the best elements of
proven electronic wizardry with today's experimental dance explosion; forging a
fresh and unique style.
Covenant’s frontmen include Eskil Simonsson (programmer/sound sculptor),
Joakim Montelius (programmer/lyricist) and Clas Nachmanson (programmer). The
trio craft new electro soundscapes comprised of complex programming and
advanced melodies ideally suited for Eskil‚s passionate vocals.
The band’s breakthrough album Dreams Of A Cryotank released on Memento
Materia in 1994, brought a wealth of attention from the Swedish press and
became hailed as an instant underground classic. Various dance floor hits
including Theremin and Speed found their way into the hearts and souls of
thousands of club goers across the globe and continue to pack the dance floors
to this day.
1996 saw the release of the band’s second album Sequencer, considered among
music enthusiasts as the best electro album of the decade. With this release,
Covenant pushed the limits of innovative sequencing and programming combined
with catchy melodies, a feat never attempted in the past. This album did
phenomenal throughout Europe with the help of tracks like Stalker and
Figurehead.
Always being an active live band, Covenant toured Europe extensively and
soon found themselves engaged in their first US tour, becoming the first
Scandinavian electro artist to tour America. The band experienced a great deal
of success on both sides of the Atlantic. Soon after the Sequencer wave had
swept music lovers away, Covenant signed to a new and growing Swedish electro
label, SubSpace Communications.
Enter 1998, a new single entitled Final Man was released to a hungry
audience. After teasing their fans with a taste of things to come, Covenant
released thier most impressive work to date, Europa. Taking a more minimalistic
approach towards song structures, the band knew the exact mix to use in
pleasing the insatiable needs of the dance masses.
In support of Europa, Covenant embarked on extensive tours including
Scandinavia, Great Britain, USA and Canada. This tour culminated in a
spectacular show in New York City.
Now being at the forefront of today‚s electro scene, Covenant have proven
themselves as visionaries who are reshaping the way the music industry views
electronic music.
The annual Swedish Electronic Music Awards (SEMA) presented Covenant with
awards for Artist of the Year (1997 and 1998), Live Artist of the Year (1998)
and Album of the Year (1998)! Being the largest awards showcase of its kind,
Covenant has definitely confirmed their leadership in their homeland.
Along with recent merits including performances at the Roskilde Festival and
several large European festivals, the year 2000 will bear witness to the band‚s
fourth full-length album United States Of Mind. A new single Tour De Force will
preceed the album, being released in September '99.
For more information on Covenant: www.covenant.dk
COVENANT | DISCOGRAPHY
1994 Dreams Of A Cryotank cd Memento Materia
1995 Figurehead cds Memento Materia
1996 Sequencer cd Memento Materia
1996 Stalker cds Memento Materia
1998 Final Man cds SubSpace Communications
1998 Europa cd SubSpace Communications
1998 Euro E.P. ep SubSpace Communications
1999 Tour De Force cds SubSpace Communications
2000 Dead Stars cds SubSpace Communications
2000 United States Of Mind cd SubSpace Communications
**********************************************************
TERMINAL CHOICE:
TERMINAL CHOICE
Inviting comparisons to such bands as Project Pitchfork, Front Line Assembly
and The Klinik, this young band from Berlin has garnered quite a following
throughout Europe, and now -- with their releases on Cyberwar Productions
-- around the world. Their melodic and minimalistic dance tracks and raw,
powerful vocals have seduced and entranced body-music-loving clubgoers
everywhere, and their stage show is equally as captivating.
Christian Pohl, the mastermind behind Terminal Choice, has been involved in
creating music since 1987, when he started using Casio keyboards and cassette
tapes to create his own personal dance tracks. He then began adding his own
voice and lyrics to these dark electro creations, and in 1993, he decided to
start taking his music more seriously and began using professional equipment.
Terminal Choice was formed in October 1993, and in January 1994,
Christian's first demo tape was completed.
Over the next year or so, Christian released five demo tapes which received
extremely positive reviews in various European electronic music `zines. In
1995, Terminal Choice captured the interest of Finland's Cyberware
Productions. Terminal Choice's debut EP Totes Fleisch (the best-selling
title on Cyberware Productions) was released in October 1995, and was followed
up by a full-length album in April 1996 called In The Shadow Of Death --
introducing a new dimension of Terminal Choice's dark industrial dance music. As
did its predecessor, this album topped the industrial charts and got splendid
feedback in Germany and throughout Europe. The album includes an alternate
version of "Serial Killer" (appearing in its original form on Totes
Fleisch), which became a club hit in Germany. In the Shadow of Death also
charted high on the United States' independent and dance music charts, bringing
the music of Terminal Choice to a whole new, eager audience.
In The Shadow Of Death offers a fresh and unique package of industrial dance
music. The instrumental tracks "The Awakening" and
"Bodylation" are full of sorrow and desperation, while
"Invitation To Death" lends the charm and beauty needed to maintain
balance (though you probably couldn't tell from the title). "Serial
Killer," "Aggression," "Die Macht,"
"Psychopath" and "Sehnsucht" consistantly pack dancefloors
worldwide. "Kiss You," "Flesh In Chains" and "Black
Dressed Woman" evoke tortured, sadomasochistic visions; and the closing
track, "Beg For Absolution" brings a figurative curtain down on this
disc, with a darkness and finality that rounds it out nicely.
Christian alone is responsible for the lyrics, music, programming and vocals of
Terminal Choice. He has worked with other musicians, but has noticed that the
best results come when he is working alone. His unique live shows are full of
chains, leather and s/m. On stage he is often supported by his girlfriend
Alexandra, who contributes beautifully to the morbid and sexual atmosphere.
Recently, supporting Front Line Assembly, Christian was joined on stage by four
other musicians: Riccardo,
Dennis, Sten and Jens.
Since the release of In the Shadow of Death, Terminal Choice has appeared on
many compilations, including Sophisticated Subtronic 2, Zillo Sampler and
Zwischenfall 2. Christian is also a very active in his local scene, and is
especially known for his club, NonTox, where he is DJ.
More informations on:
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THE LEGENDARY PINKDOTS:
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PHILTRON:
PHILTRON biography 1994-2000
PHILTRON (taken out of the ancient greek mythology: a special magic potion
that creates desire and passion for the person, that made you drink it) started
up in 1994. Janne (Keyb.+Voc), Rico (Bass) and Sven (MainVoc) chose to combine
electronic and accoustic music.
Their first demotape "Somewhere between love and hate" and club-shows
raised the interest of PROJECT PITCHFORK-member Dirk Scheuber, who offered
PHILTRON in 1995 to sign their first record-contract at Project Pitchfork´s
home-label Candyland Entertainment. The first released MCD "No
Promises" became a clubhit quickly and reached the sixth position in the
geman alternative charts (DAC).
By the end of Sept. 1996 their first longplayer "PHILTROPOLIS"
followed. The fast entry in the DAC and the final fifth position represents the
positive response. To promote their album, PHILTRON went on a extended german
tour (see also the Tourguide on the Philtron homepage).
In 1997 PHILTRON recorded "None", the second longplayer, which
shows PHILTRON´s improvement in terms of songwriting, singing and arrangement.
Even though the "None"-album had less danceable elements, the press
reactions continued positively.
One year later, it was planned to release a remix-EP, named "None plus
ultra", containing a collection of PHILTRON remixes made by bands such as
Cleen, Plastic Noise Experience, Lights of Euphoria etc. but unfortunately was
cancelled because of the great success of Project Pitchfork and the fact, that
the label had to take more time and care for Project Pitchfork´s interests.
At least, many of the already produced "None plus ultra" tracks have
been liberated to be published on samplers in the following months.
In 1998, the band decided to look for more musicians, in order to attach
more accoustic elements to their music and to have a more live-orientated
line-up. After a short phase of testing, PHILTRON chose Ralf (Git.) and Volkmar
(Drms.) to continue on with them. A few shows were done to test-play this
line-up and the german audience soon confirmed, that this new PHILTRON
sound should be the way to go on.
Two years since the last release, in July 2000, PHILTRON finally returned to
the studio to record their third album, presumably called
"Chronotrope" which is scheduled to be released in November on their
new Label Synthetic Symphony/SPV. This time, the album will be produced by
Project Pitchfork´s keyboard- and sound-mastermind Jürgen Jansen.
Contact:
Sven Enzelmann, c/o Public Propaganda, Bramfelder Chaussee 238c, 22177
Hamburg , GERMANY
E-mail:
sven@philtron.de
Official Homepage: www.PHILTRON.de
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