The post Xmal Deutschland’s Anja Huwe Unveils her Gothic Expressionist Video for “Rabenschwarz” (Raven Black) appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
]]>In global mythologies, the raven emerges as a figure of paradox, weaving threads of transformation and intellect across Norse sagas, Native American tales, and Celtic lore. This enigmatic bird, at once a trickster and a sage, embodies the duality of creation and destruction, offering insights into the empowerment derived from wisdom, adaptability, and the mystical. From Odin’s feathered emissaries to the Tlingit creator, the raven’s shadow dances over the collective human psyche, urging us to embrace the complex interplay of light and shadow within ourselves and the world around us.
This Friday Sacred Bones celebrate the parallel releases of Xmal Deutschland’s Early Singles 1981-1982 (including two bonus tracks), and the debut solo album from Xmal Deutschland’s inimitable front-woman Anja Huwe, Codes. To whet our appetites, Anja Huwe celebrates the mystical power of the shadowy corvid with Rabenschwarz, a spectacular new single, and an Expressionist video from Codes.
“The main theme is the raven, a classic symbol for black (raven black), which stands for empowerment and is also a symbolic transmission of wisdom,” explains Huwe. The raven also stands for the rediscovery of mystical paths. The emerging egg represents fear but also stands for rebirth.
Directed by Anja Huwe and Stefan Heintzenberg, the video for Rabenschwarz (raven black) ties in with the album artwork, inspired by a private collection of photos from the late 1920s and public domain film footage. The clip also includes video bootleg footage from early Xmal Deutschland shows, as well as textual collages and text boards, created by Anja Huwe.
“We combined old film footage—such as The Fall of the House of Usher (1928) and White Zombie (1932)—with additional material filmed in the basement of a derelict bunker in Hamburg,” Huwe explains. We’ve intercut all the subjects with private outdoor footage filmed at Hamburg Harbor, Brooklyn, and New York City.”
Early Singles (1981-1982) is a map of their foundational movements, just seconds before takeoff. The band’s pursuit of something greater is palpable with this release, a reflection of a time that introduced accessibility to new means of making music following the onset of punk. This reissue includes two bonus tracks; Kaelbermarsch (originally from the compilation Lieber Zuviel Als Zuwenig) and a gritty live version of Allein (originally from the compilation Nosferatu Festival), which is shared online today along with a video montage of footage from this era of the band’s career.
Pre-order ‘Early Singles (1981-1982) here.
Initially inspired by the diary entries of Moshe Shnitzki, who, at the age of 17, left his home in 1942 to live in the cavernous White Russian forests as a partisan, Codes is about the human experience and what extremes can do to an individual. “The result is a poetic, musical cosmos that encompasses the following themes: forest, fear, pain, loss, violence, and loneliness but also beauty, longing, hope and the will to survive,” Huwe explains.
The thematic extremities cause an erraticism to Codes—a passing thunderstorm, a cyclonic burst of nature’s force—but one that exudes anticipation amidst the chill. With elegant production by Mur and Huwe and mixing and mastering by Jon Caffery (Joy Division, Gary Numan, Einstürzende Neubauten) epic builds crash and disseminate, the sleek synthesised drones of sound even feel claustrophobic at times.
Pre-order Codes here through Sacred Bones Records.
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]]>The post Anja Huwe Debuts New Solo Track “Pariah” — Plus Listen to the Original Version of Xmal Deutschland’s “Incubus Succubus” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
]]>Throughout the 1980s, Xmal Deutschland distinguished themselves with a voracious and unwavering approach to their art. Their distinctive aesthetic, characterized by bold hairstyles and intense, kohl-rimmed eyes, mirrored the complex nature of their music, which combined relentless energy with a nuanced finesse. This blend allowed them to break free from the confines of the “Neue Deutsche Welle” movement, differentiating them from peers like DAF and Einstürzende Neubauten.
Xmal Deutschland embraced punk’s bold break from traditional norms, finding solace in its anti-establishment ethos—a stark contrast to the rigid conventions of the past. Their recording debut, the single Schwarze Welt, was characterized by an unforeseen turn of events: Rita Simon, the intended lead vocalist, was unexpectedly absent on the day of recording. This twist of fate thrust Anja Huwe, initially the bassist, into the spotlight as the lead singer. Despite her initial hesitations, she stepped into the role, marking a significant shift in the band’s trajectory.
“The only condition from my side [was that] I will never perform onstage,” she reflects. “Two months later, they made me without ever telling me up front. I had no choice.”Their breakthrough came with the release of Incubus Succubus in 1982, a pivotal moment that was further amplified by a landmark performance in London the same year, where they opened for the Cocteau Twins. This event propelled them into the spotlight, attracting an avant-garde audience characterized by torn fishnets and a penchant for the unconventional.
Listen to the original version of the single “Incubus Succubus” below:
Schwarze Welt was released on the local punk label, ZickZack, in 1981 and introduced the band as an unsettling swarm of intensity. The characterization of Xmal Deutschland primarily as a female ensemble—a notion later playfully amended with the inclusion of Wolfgang Ellerbrock, who became the group’s lone male counterpart—gained momentum within the circles of media, a fascination propelled as much by their visual appeal as by their musical prowess. “We were like paradise birds,” Huwe wryly remembers. “We as girls, especially being creative in many ways, ignored facts like: be nice, be polite, take good care about your looks. Of course, we wanted to look good but in a different and unconventional way. We were enough for ourselves.”
Following Xmal Deutschland’s distinguished run, marked by four albums released under esteemed labels like 4AD, Anja Huwe shifted her creative focus, leaving the musical stage to delve into the realm of visual arts. However, this transition did not mean an effortless departure from her musical legacy; the echoes of her past endeavors lingered.
“Since the split in the early 1990s, I have been haunted by the ‘Legend of Xmal Deutschland’ and never-ending requests from all over the world, all of which I always turned down,” she says.
Early Singles (1981-1982) is a map of their foundational movements, just seconds before takeoff. The band’s pursuit of something greater is palpable with this release, a reflection of a time that introduced accessibility to new means of making music following the onset of punk. This reissue includes two bonus tracks; Kaelbermarsch (originally from the compilation Lieber Zuviel Als Zuwenig) and a gritty live version of Allein (originally from the compilation Nosferatu Festival), which is shared online today along with a video montage of footage from this era of the band’s career.
Pre-order ‘Early Singles (1981-1982) here.
Pariah is the second offering from the debut solo release from Anja Huwe. Invited by her long-time friend Mona Mur, Huwe reconsidered her decades-long hiatus from music and decided to join Mur in her studio in Berlin. Together, they worked for a year and a half, composing, performing and producing the tracks from scratch which eventually became the album Codes.
The razor-sharp new single shows the intentional interchange between languages on the record: “Since I sing multilingually, and often work with metaphors, I hope that the listener can grasp the moods without understanding them literally. I believe that voice, expression, and sound can achieve an overall atmosphere. Sometimes melancholic and blue, but also uplifting, vibrant, or subliminally aggressive.”
Listen to “Pariah” below:
Initially inspired by the diary entries of Moshe Shnitzki, who, at the age of 17, left his home in 1942 to live in the cavernous White Russian forests as a partisan, Codes is about the human experience and what extremes can do to an individual. “The result is a poetic, musical cosmos that encompasses the following themes: forest, fear, pain, loss, violence, and loneliness but also beauty, longing, hope and the will to survive,” Huwe explains.
The thematic extremities cause an erraticism to Codes—a passing thunderstorm, a cyclonic burst of nature’s force—but one that exudes anticipation amidst the chill. With elegant production by Mur and Huwe and mixing and mastering by Jon Caffery (Joy Division, Gary Numan, Einstürzende Neubauten) epic builds crash and disseminate, the sleek synthesised drones of sound even feel claustrophobic at times.
Pre-order Codes here.
Follow Anja Huwe:
The post Anja Huwe Debuts New Solo Track “Pariah” — Plus Listen to the Original Version of Xmal Deutschland’s “Incubus Succubus” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
]]>The post Anja Huwe Announces Solo Album “Codes” and Xmal Deutschland’s Early Singles for Release on Sacred Bones appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
]]>In punk’s audacious departure from traditional mores, Xmal Deutschland found a haven for their anti-establishment inclinations, a world remote from the rigid conventions of bygone eras. Emblematic of punk’s ethos, the band’s members—Caro May, Rita Simon, Manuela Rickers, Fiona Sangster, and Anja Huwe—ventured into music without the trappings of prior experience. Their initial foray into recording, with the single Schwarze Welt, was marked by an unexpected shift: Rita Simon, who was set to take the helm as lead vocalist, was absent on the day of recording. This twist of fate propelled Anja Huwe, originally the bass player, to the forefront as the lead singer, a role she accepted, albeit with reservations. “The only condition from my side [was that] I will never perform onstage,” she reflects. “Two months later, they made me without ever telling me up front. I had no choice.”
The characterization of Xmal Deutschland primarily as a female ensemble—a notion later playfully amended with the inclusion of Wolfgang Ellerbrock, who became the group’s lone male counterpart—gained momentum within the circles of media, a fascination propelled as much by their visual appeal as by their musical prowess. “We were like paradise birds,” Huwe wryly remembers. “We as girls, especially being creative in many ways, ignored facts like: be nice, be polite, take good care about your looks. Of course, we wanted to look good but in a different and unconventional way. We were enough for ourselves.”
Following Xmal Deutschland’s distinguished run, marked by four albums released under esteemed labels like 4AD, Anja Huwe shifted her creative focus, leaving the musical stage to delve into the realm of visual arts. However, this transition did not mean an effortless departure from her musical legacy; the echoes of her past endeavors lingered.
“Since the split in the early 1990s, I have been haunted by the ‘Legend of Xmal Deutschland’ and never-ending requests from all over the world, all of which I always turned down,” she says.
Finally, however, the persistent clamour for reissues has met a resonant response. Sacred Bones Records announces with palpable enthusiasm two simultaneous releases: a reissue of Xmal Deutschland’s ‘Early Singles,’ enriched with two bonus tracks, and the inaugural solo album from Anja Huwe, titled ‘Codes.’ These records are slated for a concurrent release on March 8th, 2024,
Early Singles (1981-1982) is a map of their foundational movements, just seconds before takeoff. The band’s pursuit of something greater is palpable with this release, a reflection of a time that introduced accessibility to new means of making music following the onset of punk. This reissue includes two bonus tracks; Kaelbermarsch (originally from the compilation Lieber Zuviel Als Zuwenig) and a gritty live version of Allein (originally from the compilation Nosferatu Festival), which is shared online today along with a video montage of footage from this era of the band’s career.
The Schwarze Welt seven-inch was released on the local punk label, ZickZack, in 1981 and introduced the band as an unsettling swarm of intensity. There’s an urgency in its repetitive dirge, a swirling mania that persists on the b-side with Die Wolken and Großstadtindianer, whose crude synthesiser noises escalate in tension. Most of all, Huwe’s uniquely venomous German vocals quickly became embedded in the unbridled and burgeoning scene of glamorous gloom.
Anja’s debut solo album Codes, a pleasant surprise, emerged following an invitation from her long-standing friend, Mona Mur. Huwe, reevaluating her extended sabbatical from the music scene, decided to collaborate with Mur in her Berlin studio. Over eighteen months, the duo meticulously crafted, performed, and produced the tracks that would culminate in ‘Codes.’ A critical element of the album’s distinctive sound came from the involvement of Manuela Rickers, who infused it with her renowned guitar style. This partnership was marked by a shared artistic vision and mutual understanding.
“Mona and I have a similar artistic background since the 1980s,” says Huwe. “We hung out together, and we sport a similar attitude towards life and art. We don’t have to explain ourselves to one another.”
Mur adds: “Anja’s voice is like a spear, her appearance a torch in the darkness.”
Initially inspired by the diary entries of Moshe Shnitzki, who, at the age of 17, left his home in 1942 to live in the cavernous White Russian forests as a partisan, Codes is about the human experience and what extremes can do to an individual. “The result is a poetic, musical cosmos that encompasses the following themes: forest, fear, pain, loss, violence, and loneliness but also beauty, longing, hope and the will to survive,” Huwe explains.
The thematic extremities cause an erraticism to ‘Codes’—a passing thunderstorm, a cyclonic burst of nature’s force—but one that exudes anticipation amidst the chill. With elegant production by Mur and Huwe and mixing and mastering by Jon Caffery (Joy Division, Gary Numan, Einstürzende Neubauten) epic builds crash and disseminate, the sleek synthesised drones of sound even feel claustrophobic at times.
Along with the announcement today, she shares the frenzied Rabenschwarz, which, with Rickers’ hypnotic apocalyptic guitars, Mur’s agitated and distinctive electronic sounds and beats, forged together with Huwe’s unmistakably energetic and expressive vocals, hits you in the face
Pre-order Early Singles (1981-1982) here. Pre-order Codes here
Follow Anja Huwe:
The post Anja Huwe Announces Solo Album “Codes” and Xmal Deutschland’s Early Singles for Release on Sacred Bones appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
]]>The post Delinquent: An Interview with Mona Mur appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
]]>Breaking onto the “German Wave Explosion” during the early 80s with John Peel championed track Mona Mur and die Mieter 12 inch Jeszcze Polska, Mona would continue is garner accolades when in 1986 Dieter Meier of Yello became her producer, and they hired JJ Burnel and David Greenfield of The Stranglers to work on her first solo album”Mona Mur”, which was released in 1988.
Now, following the release of Delinquent, Mona’s first solo album in 30 years, we sat down with her at her studio in Berlin to discuss the new record, her collaborations on it with Anja Huwe of Xmal Deutschland, Bettina Köster of Malaria! (see “Sex to Go”), and co-writer/producer Ralf Goldkind, as well as her thoughts on industrial music, and achieving the 40 plus club from touring the US.
Watch below:
Delinquent is a fantastic record, mixing Neue Deutsch Welle sounds with twangy cowboy guitars, and is the perfect soundtrack for the autobahn, or route 66.
Order a copy here
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]]>The post The Women of Post-Punk and Goth appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
]]>Some may argue that the first post-punk single was Magazine’s “Shot by Both Sides”, which came out 40 years ago on January 20th, 2018. But many musical scholars insist that honor, in fact, goes to a woman.
Siouxsie and the Banshees’ debut single “Hong Kong Garden” was a game-changer. Released on August 18th, 1978, the Steve Lillywhite-produced song created a sound that everyone took inspiration from. This invariably caused lazy journalists would then begin the sexist epidemic of writing off most women daring to be as creative as Siouxsie as sounding exactly like her—which no one did!
Meanwhile, in Germany, Nina Hagen made her debut with singing in a hybrid style of opera and punk with “TV-Glotzer” (a cover of “White Punks on Dope” by The Tubes), developing a persona whose influence reverberates to this day.
We would be remiss if we were not to mention the importance of Debbie Harry, Nico, and Patti Smith, who preceded post-punk and goth by a generation. We also do not want to overlook punk singers like Poly Styrene, whose classic punk anthem “Oh Bondage Up Yours!” set the tone for the feminism to follow.
Each of the women listed below is selected from the original generation of artists that came out in the late 70s and 80s, and has undeniably made an important contribution to post-punk and goth, so much so that there deserves to be a book on the subject.
Lene Lovich
Patricia Morrison (Bags, Gun Club, and The Sisters of Mercy)
Anja Huwe (Xmal Deutschland)
Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins)
Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance)
Gudrun Gut (Mania D and Malaria!)
Bettina Köster (Mania D and Malaria!)
Lydia Lunch (Teenage Jesus and the Jerks)
Linder Sterling (Ludus)
Ari Up (The Slits)
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Viv Albertine (The Slits)
Grace Jones
Cosey Fanni Tutti (Throbbing Gristle, Chris and Cosey)
Rose McDowall (Strawberry Switchblade, Spell, Sorrow)
Anne Marie Hurst (Skeletal Family and Ghost Dance)
Danielle Dax
Dinah Cancer (45 Grave)
Gitane Demone (Christian Death)
Jarboe (Swans)
Hazel O’Connor
Monica Richards (Faith and the Muse, Strange Boutique, Madhouse)
Diamanda Galas
Anne Clark
Gillian Gilbert (New Order)
Anka Wolbert (Clan of Xymox)
Rosie Garland (March Violets)
Lesley Woods (Au Pairs)
Zillah Minx (Rubella Ballet)
We would also like to thank newer artists like:
Also, special shout out to Katie Sketch and her post-punk revival band The Organ—we miss you!
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]]>The post X-Mal Deutschland inspired runway show at Berlin Fashion Week appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
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The show was also accompanied by a live performance from Berlin Techno/EBM duo Schwefelgelb, who have a new EP titled Dahinter Das Gesicht out on aufnahme + wiedergabe February 24th.
Read our interview with Anja Huwe of X-Mal Deutschland here
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