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Michael Kemner died on January 3, 2025 at the age of 72 as a result of cancer. This has only now been made public. Kemner is considered one of the defining figures of German punk, postpunk and the Neue Deutsche Welle.
Fehlfarben wrote in a Facebook statement: “Our wonderful bassist and bandmate has lost his last battle. We will miss you so much.” And also further: “Dear Michael. I’m so sad after playing music together for so long. Your friendship will never be forgotten like love. In the end we’ll all swim together again in the sea. Ahoy.”
The band Extrabreit mourned in their social post with the words: “Known to most people as the bassist of Fehlfarben, he was a calm, friendly colleague who we all liked very much. […] Lots of strength to his family and friends.”
From DAF to Fehlfarben: Michael Kemner’s musical career
Kemner’s musical career began at the end of the 1970s in a shared apartment in the Grün Inn in Gevelsberg-Silschede. He lived there with Kurt “Pyrolator” Dahlke, Robert Görl and Wolfgang Spelmans. During this time, a new musical project emerged from the jazz rock formation You: German American Friendship, short, sweet and well-known DAF.
The band developed its own sound that had little to do with punk – reduced arrangements, edgy rhythms and physical intensity characterized the music. The performance of the British band Wire at Düsseldorf’s Ratinger Hof in November 1978 proved to be decisive for them. Shortly afterwards, Gabi Delgado López joined the band.
In 1979, DAF went to London, where they recorded the track “Kebab Dreams” for the Mute label. As a co-composer, Michael Kemner played a key role in the piece, which deals with the atmosphere of control and paranoia in divided Berlin. His characteristic bass line – dry and influenced by funk – is essential here.
Kemner’s stay in an unheated squat in the British capital ended abruptly. Health problems, homesickness and personal reasons caused him to leave DAF and return to the Ruhr area. This decision paved the way for his next musical chapter.
The breakthrough with false colors
After his return, Kemner founded the band Fehlfarben together with Peter Hein, Thomas Schwebel, Frank Fenstermacher and the singer Peter Hein. The debut album “Monarchy and Everyday Life”, released in 1980, became a milestone in German-language rock music. Michael Kemner’s bass playing gave titles like “Paul is dead” and “Ein Jahr (It’s moving forward)” their unmistakable dynamic.
Kemner initially left the band in 1981. He then joined forces with Wolfgang Spelman as Mau Mau. Together they released two LPs. He then tried his hand at the 20 Colors project. However, he returned to Fehlfarben in the 1990s and remained a member of Fehlfarben until his death, although he had to step back in recent years for health reasons.
Biographical stations
Michael Kemner was born in 1952 and grew up on the edge of the Ruhr area. His musical socialization took place at a time of social upheaval, which was also reflected in the German musical landscape. In addition to his work as a bassist, Kemner also worked as a sound engineer and producer for decades. This technical expertise had a lasting impact on his understanding of sound aesthetics and arrangements.
Away from the stage, Kemner led a withdrawn life. He largely avoided public appearances outside of musical contexts and concentrated on his artistic work. He rarely gave interviews. Colleagues described him as a reliable bandmate with a strong sense of musical precision. He always made his decisions – whether to return from London or to work with Fehlfarben again – based on personal standards, not commercial considerations.
The musical legacy of Fehlfarben
“Monarchy and Everyday Life” is considered one of the most important German albums of the post-punk era in music history. The record combined political lyrics with powerful, reduced instrumentation. Unlike many representatives of the Neue Deutsche Welle, Fehlfarben avoided simple pop structures in favor of more complex arrangements.
After Kemner’s return, the band released further albums, including “Glücksmaschinen” (2002), “Knietief im Dispo” (2011) and most recently “Xistum” (2023). As the sound evolved over the decades, Kemner’s bass playing remained a constant element. His style of playing – melodic, but never superficial – created space for the other instruments and the lyrics. This musical attitude shaped Fehlfarben’s identity across various creative phases.