DISASTER AREA / DIE SCHLIMMEN-FINGER split EP

I am rabid for 80s German punk. There's so much awesome German punk, varying in so many different styles. Some of my favorite bands - SLIME, NEUROTIC ARSEHOLES, UPRIGHT CITIZENS, BLUT + EISEN - are German. One of my recent collecting goals is to acquire all of the EPs from the Pogar label out of Berlin (except for the VARUKERS EP they did...I don't really feel like I need that one). I've been slowly achieving this goal, most recently pulling together tough finds like the killer HONKAS and HARNRÖHRER EPs, via the simplest method: Ebay. The old-fashioned method of "digging at record stores" is not totally obsolete though. I recently attended a show at local Oakland record store 1234 Go, and while scanning the 7"s across the wall above the tapes I spotted a slightly crinkled, vaguely familiar pink xerox-style sleeve - you know, the kind that gets your attention, but once you get closer it may just be some shitty 90s dollar bin fodder. Low and behold this time it was this DISASTER AREA / DIE SCHLIMMEN FINGER split EP on Pogar records! Twenty bucks. I scoured the place for more, but as expected, there weren't any more 80s German punk records to be found there.

The DISASTER AREA stuff is fairly mediocre skate-punk stuff, though not bad. But it was the DIE SCHLIMMEN FINGER side that totally caught me off guard. I'm instantly enchanted by the huge singalong choruses and ringing guitars they display on here. It's almost like the COCK SPARRER side of Oi, but still unmistakably German punk. 

In case you're looking to unload them, my top priorities on the Pogar EP list at this time are VORKRIEGSJUGEND, VELLOCET, and MARPLOTS,  

POGAR 08

V/A - H'ARTCORE Compilation LP

Another great compilation from the early 80s, this time from the German label H'art Musik, which was responsible for classic albums by UPRIGHT CITIZENS and HASS. This one contains many exclusive tracks and many bands that don't seem to appear anywhere else. Right off the bat CORNY VARIOUS lights things up with a blazing bass-chord ripper, leaving me wondering what else they may have left behind to be discovered. German punk enthusiasts will no doubt already be familiar with the likes of BLUTTAT and UPRIGHT CITIZENS, both of whom contribute memorable rippers here. More pleasant surprises are brought by CLOX, N.D.R., and the charming SUFF, who makes me think of the Dutch band THE NIXE.  

H'ARTCORE LP

6000 CRAZY / DETESTATION - You Can't Evict The Spirit split Tape

Here's for all the other Norwegian hardcore completists out there. 6000 CRAZY was a German hardcore band in the 90s fronted by Norwegian punk forefather Gunnar Nuven. Their only other release, as far as I can tell, was the split 7" with ANKER that I posted a while back. I'm not really sure what sort of pedigree exists with other members in the band, but the guitar playing and songwriting is unmistakably heavily influenced by Norwegian bands like SO MUCH HATE, BANNLYST, etc. On here they do covers of NEGATIVE APPROACH and KAFKA PROSESS, as well as a track called "Andre Veiar" that I recognize but can't place where I've heard it. Most of you probably know DETESTATION, as they released a slew of records and toured extensively in the 90s. Released by Trujaca Fala, this tape was released as a benefit for the long-standing Berlin squat KOPI (a friend just reminded me that this year is KOPI's 25th anniversary!) Both live sets were recorded in German cities in 1998, and the sound quality is pretty great! 

You Can't Evict The Spirit

EA80 - Zweihundertzwei LP + 7"

I always liked EA80's tracks on Keine Experimente II and other compilations, but I only started really paying attention the last few years. They have a huge catalog of self-released albums dating back to 1982, and they're utterly impossible to find here in the states. I had a German friend make me an MP3 CD-R with like 6 EA80 albums while I was in Germany a few years ago, and it was just so dense that I couldn't dedicate the time to it, especially on that format. Ebay (tisk, I know) and Discogs have been useful resources for finding a few of their records, but they don't pop up that often and I'm not made of money. The more I discuss this band with German friends, the more they convince me that EA80 is one of the most important bands in the history of German punk, and I'm missing out on the brilliance of their lyrics because I don't know the language. Luckily this gem was reissued right before I come to Europe and it was fairly easy to grab a copy. The extra 7" is included in the download file. Simply unmatched, passionate, unique punk. 

Zweihundertzwei 

K.G.B. - Party-Sahne EP

Picked this EP up in Bielefeld at Bluesite Record Shop after an amazing hungover breakfast from Hannes and crew. His band GLOOM SLEEPER played their first show with us the night before to a packed room at the university. After the show we were directed to a bar where one of the local friendly punks fed us too many beers and delicious but destructive shots. Most people elsewhere in Germany acted surprised about our shining report of Bielefeld. Needless to say, I highly recommend stopping there on tour if you're playing in western Germany. 

On to the EP - I picked up K.G.B's (KEIN GRUND FÜR BERUHIGUNG) first album many years ago at one of my regular digging holes in Austin and I remember liking a few tracks on it, but there was too much "screwing around," or too many covers or something like that...I can't remember for sure. Party-Sahne was released in 1985 and is a perfect blend of classic Deutschpunk and melodic Swedish punk a la ASTA KASK. There are a few signature riffs, notably the dancey one on "Sekt Ist Kaltgestellt," that made this EP worth the 5 euro and repeated listens after the fact, even among the giant stack of records I brought home from Europe. Give it a try...

K.G.B - Party-Sahne

6000 CRAZY / ANKER split EP

It's been forever since I've posted! Sorry!

Life has changed a lot. I live in a really cool house in Oakland with my awesome girlfriend now, and I got a part time job making ice cream! Life is good...

Anyhow, let's get back in the game with another release featuring Gunnar from SO MUCH HATE, SVART FRAMTID, etc. on vocals - this time years later in a Germany based band 6000 CRAZY. The style is very similar to SO MUCH HATE actually, except maybe a little less powerful in its delivery. ANKER were another German band with a sort of 90s melodic post-hc sound. I searched for this one for a long time before finding it at Blackwater Records in Portland earlier this year while touring up the West Coast. Now, back to the Honduras vs. Ecuador game...

6000 CRAZY / ANKER Split

EA80 / BOXHAMSTERS Split 7"

Quick post today, just for the sake of keeping this blog alive. Two for Germany's best covering each other's songs on this rare 7". More to come from both bands, someday...

EA80/BH

Music Not Noize Mixtape Vol.1

Today I'm trying something new. You all generally know what to expect from my posts at this point, so I decided to throw you a curve ball and make you listen to a tape I just made. Making mix tapes is a timeless joy and important way that punk enthusiasts have connected over the years. It's always been a favorite pass time of mine - whether making something for a friend or just for myself, a sort of DJing to an audience of one in front of my stereo and documenting the process of how one song leads to another. Other times, as is the case with today's post, I've just accumulated way too many great new records in a short period of time and feel like a mix tape is the perfect way to give them attention and take a snapshot of that point in time. This particular mix tape sticks to no specific pattern or rule except for one stack of LPs and 7"s, and my own intuition. 60 minutes of pure upping-the-punx! 

DOWNLOAD

Tracklist

1. LA MISMA - Guerras Silenciosas (ny, usa)

2. LA MISMA - Identifika Oxintimento (ny, usa)

3. PSYCHOTERROR - Terror (tallinn, estonia)

4. ANNUKKA - OTV (finland)

5. E.A.T.E.R. - Abort The System (karlstad, sweden)

6. E.A.T.E.R. - Onward (karlstad, sweden)

7. PEGGIO PUNX - Guerra (alessandria, italy)

8. MÜLLTÜTE - Reibung (berlin, germany)

9. MÜLLTÜTE - Keine Angst (berlin, germany)

10. 自我 (JIGA) - I Love Me (japan)

11. DEMOLITION - C-Spires (japan)

12. CRUDE - 血 汗 涙 (hakodate, japan)

13. SELFISH - Overcome (punkaharju, finalnd)

14. DAWN OF HUMANS - Head Process (ny, usa)

15. DICTADURA - Hartos De Todo (basque country, spain)

16. M.E.L.I. - Sin Patria (d.f., mexico)

17. PÄÄ KII - Paskahousun Paluu (finland)

18. DEATH LASER - Outcast (denmark)

19. MORNINGTON CRESCENT - I'm So Happy (holland)

20. BLUTTAT - Heaven's Door (germany)

21. WANDA'S - Second Part (holland)

22. STRESS - Άγχος (athens, greece)

23. STRESS - Στρατιώτης (athens, greece)

24. AUTONOMY - False Consciousness (carbondale, usa)

25. RAKTA - Secret (sao paulo, brazil)

26. DESENTERRADOS - Delirios (mallorca, spain)

27. SLOBODNA EUROPA - Stara Sladovna (bratislava, slovakia)

28. AUSBRUCH - Deutscher Eid (germany)

DROWNING ROSES - Aus Forschung Und Technik EP

Sometime around the split of the brilliant Deutcshpunk band NEUROTIC ARSEHOLES, the bass player went on to DROWNING ROSES. This EP catches them sounding a lot like N.ARSEHOLES - minus the dramatic production, but still brandishing the strong vocals and infectious guitar leads. The A side rips through the title track and "10 years," but the flip features a great slow burner called "Kein Thema Für Heut." Yes, then they did a split 7" with NOFX and 2 LPs before calling it quits. This EP stands strongest though, and seems to be a criminally overlooked German punk EP. 

DROWNING ROSES

ZERSTÖRTE JUGEND - s/t LP

Possibly my last post starting with Z for a while because I'm finding myself wanting to post bands beginning with other letters of the alphabet. This is a stand-up German hardcore record from Berlin featuring folks from the almighty VORKRIEGSJUGEND. It's got that classic rigid and storming quality that many of the German hc/punk bands had in the 80's, with a touch of melody and awesome gruff vocals in German. The crudely drawn black and white cover art is alluring....until you realize that it's just a violent image of a punk cutting off a little girl's arm? Huh? Well, a very nice sounding record anyway. The fast songs are blazing and the slower ones are particularly remarkable. Perfect balance. 

Sorry about the glare on the photos. I'm not taking em again...

ZERSTÖRTE JUGEND

BONE IDLES - Beware Of The Wolf In Sheep's Clothing 10"

As was requested in the comments a few posts ago, here's the BONE IDLES from Karlsruhe, Germany, featuring Gunnar from all your favorite Norwegian HC bands on vocals. It was actually a lucky request fulfillment, seeing as how I just got this from a Portland buddy like 2 weeks ago. What ya get is some full throttle hardcore punk without much to point out, except of course for that trademark howl of his. If ya like later SO MUCH HATE with less creative guitar licks, this is pretty much it. 

BONE IDLES

MÜLLTÜTE - Berlin, Germany

From Berlin, I present a storming two-piece hardcore act. A demo tape and two EPs under their belt already and some compilation appearances on the horizon, MÜLLTÜTE is hopefully already be on your radar. If not, time to pay attention. Sharp and wild hardcore that will demand you to get up out of your seat. Every song is minimal, short, and to the point, but each with it's own hook. 

A link to their first EP HERE

A link to their demo HERE

Hi Arndt!!

BETON COMBO - Perfektion Ist Sache Der Götter LP

Essential German punk LP! Upbeat, hook-laden, driving stuff from West Berlin, 1981. Most songs are driving political punk tunes, but there are a couple slower and more dynamic tracks on here, and they break the mold with a few unconventional moments - most notably in the epic "Der Längste Ritt." They went on to release a more hardcore sounding EP called "Sound Ltd." in 1983, and a cool mini LP in 1985 called "23 Skiddoo." Perfect for the spot between TOXOPLASMA and SLIME on your next mix tape! 

BETON COMBO LP

MY EDEN DIES - S/T EP

Here's an nice melancholic German punk EP to brood to on a Saturday morning, before the sun comes in to burn off the fog (though I confess, the sun appeared before I could finish this post). I've been listening to a lot of this kind of signature dark German punk lately - mmmm, why does this somber stuff feel so good?? MY EDEN DIES only did this one EP, as far as I can tell, and then became SERENE FALL. On these three tracks they manage to hypnotize with low and droning vocals and repetitive guitar dirges, never failing to pull me into a spellbound state. The third track, "Maria," picks up the pace while retaining the same dispirited tone, making it the standout track. File with FLIEHENDE STURME, EA 80, BOXHAMSTERS, DIE STRAFE, and the like.

MY EDEN DIES - EP

Oh, and this one was plucked out of the dollar (or, euro) bin at the Zorro squat record store along with the previously posted FLIEHENDE STURME single, and a few other goodies that I may post in the future (excluding the CROSSED OUT/MAN IS THE BASTARD split). 

FLIEHENDE STÜRME - Kaleidoskop/Blauer Mond 7"

I love finding a record in its country of origin. There's a neat little record store in the Zorro squat in Leipzig, and I was delighted to find this single along with a few other goodies there.

Fliehende Stürme formed out of the classic German hardcore outfit CHAOS Z, intending to mix dark wave elements in with their style. They've been at it since 1988, released an album back in 2011, and presumably are still playing. This single comes out of the gate with a stabbing synth line that slowly fills out into a full on dark deutschpunk dance-floor hit. On the flip, "Blauer Mond" reminds me of a more punk version of a JOY DIVISION song - droning, and depressing, but it still gets your blood flowing and you can still bob your head to it. This is just a small taste of the massive amount of awesome material FLIEHENDE STÜRME has released over the years, much of which has been repressed, all worth tracking down (though I haven't heard some of the new stuff). Some recommended albums to start with are An Den Ufern, Fallen, and Die Tiere Schweigen. 

FLIEHENDE STURME - Kaleidoskop

AGEN 53 - Ich Wünsch Dir Für Die Zukunft Etwas Mehr Glück Junge Welt EP

I just got back from a walk to the market, and it's a rainy and dreary morning here in the SF Mission. I'm a huge fan of clear blue skies and warm sun, but sometimes the gloomy grey climate feels appropriate for my puffy-eyed morning mood, especially when paired with the right punk EP. AGEN 53's sole EP has just the right amount of coldness found in many of my favorite German punk bands from the 80's, but with upbeat driving rhythms to keep it from being considered anything close to deathrock or gothy. The instrumentation is superb - bumbling basslines rumble up front while the guitar is set back in the mix, sort of creating a dark backdrop for the whole sound. The vocals are rarely tuneful, mostly a constant monotone blabbering, but not without a strong hook here and there. Overall it's a really interesting and overlooked EP. They also had a couple tracks on the totally essential Keine Experimente II compilation, and a 12" in 1988 (that I'd like to hear!). This one just feels right today, until the fog burns off...

AGEN 53 - EP

SCHLIESSMUSKEL - Komm, Setz Dich Zu Uns EP

I noticed I hadn't posted any German punk yet, which is ridiculous! Too much focus on the obscure places I suppose (if there can be too much?). I'm correcting this with the debut EP from SCHLIESSMUSKEL today. The great Wild Devil Rules blog posted a couple LP's by them a while back, and said that they were considered to be a "fun punk" band. Not a term I'm familiar with, but I can hear it a bit on here in the music and see it on the band photos. I really like the mix of melody and speed on this one. A few of the tracks are blistering fast, with that snare right up front in the mix just cracking away at my skull, while remaining tuneful and catchy...and, well, fun, yeah!! This was the fourth release from the classic We Bite label, and the year was 1986. Fun punk - tear up your bedroom/cubicle/mom's house/library/skate rink/barber shop/bus stop/or wherever you're jamming your downloaded tunes!

SCHLIESSMUSKEL EP

V/A - SMELLING JUST ANOTHER BAD BREATH LP

Today I present you with a pretty scarce but excellent 80's hardcore/punk compilation that I finally got to cross off of my want list last month, thanks to a friend who had an extra copy. Double A Records outta Germany did this one in 1986, and it features mostly European bands and a couple from North America. A few classic no-brainers, and a few more obscure names make this LP a fun listen, and essential for 80's euro-hc fanatics (like myself). 

Here's the run down:
2 tracks by PSYKISK TERROR from Norway, who only seem to have ever released stuff on comps. These are the best that I've heard from them - POISON IDEA mixed with classic Norwegian hardcore, considering that they had the incredible guitarist Børre Løvik (rip) of BANNLYST, SO MUCH HATE, and STENGTE DORER // California's DETONATORS offer up a couple great hardcore tracks with such great, wet sounding distorted guitars // MOSKWA with two rippers of their excellent, thrashy Polish hardcore // INSTIGATORS with their signature anarcho-meets-aggressive melodic punk from England (I always disliked their second singer though) // One ANGOR WAT track, Norway's very own unique and tense anarcho punk band // Vancouver's BLUE MARBELLAS do one raw and lazy punk tune with a catchy chorus // ZSD from W. Germany doing one tolerable reggae track and one much better rockin' punk jam - BILLY & THE WILLIES also from Germany, do a strange creepy hc song // then more German punk by SONS OF SADISM, more in the classic Deutschpunk traditon // A crossover thrash offering by masters of the style, CONCRETE SOX, from Nottingham // An energetic USHC flavored track by Germany's SKEEZICKS // And then there's a track credited to "EXXX" that I can only conclude is EA80 by their instantly recognizable sound. Beats me why they remained elusive on here. My copy doesn't have an insert, maybe the answer is in there?

V/A - Smelling Just Another Bad Breath LP

Fyi - the last track, "Hvit Natt" by PSYKISK TERROR, slows down toward the end on the actual record, not sure why - AND this song is played by BANNLYST on their awesome live LP released by my pal Flo from Norwegian Leather.