From the punk explosion, sound waves formed-and we call them postpunk. A term that is not suitable as a genre description, for no (before) defined sound. Postpunk is entitled to keep things open.
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André Boße came to the postpunk in the 80s-and discovered wonderfully dialectical music that narcotizes and shakes, dazzles and pulls the listeners into the dark. This is where his 10 insider tips of the genre come.
Swell Maps – Jane from Occupied Europe (1980)
Later in his career, Nikki Sudden will become an eternal rock’n’roll troubadour, and his death only puts an end to the long trip in 2006. Already in the early 1970s he founded the Dilettante band Swell Maps with his brother Epic Soundtracks and other friends from Birmingham.
At first they parody Glamrock, later they expand punk around Krautrock and Psych. You hardly trust your ears how up to date the senseless guitar crash on the second plate of the Swell Maps sounds: Flaming Lips, Parquet Courts, Stephen Malkmus-the big names of the indie rock were taught by this music, which is miraculously combined noise, romance and nonsense.
The Raincoats – Odyshape (1981)
The raincoats have lost the drummerin after the furious debut LP. Instead of filling the post, the musicians bring three percussion types into the studio, including the legendary Robert Wyatt. But one of them rarely hit the snare – the rhythm still imitates Dub, Calypso and Pop. In the focus of these off -the -pace songs between folk, prog, new music and no wave, feminist texts and the violin of Vicky Aspinall are attracted.
Kim Gordon and Kurt Cobain were and younger acts like Warpaint and Goat Girl are super fans of this record, which is strongest when you are overwhelmed by gigantic ideas after a short nervous phase.
Martha & the Muffins – This is the Ice Age (1981)
With the debut LP Metro Music and the single “Echo Beach”, Martha Johnson and her muffins have ticked off the topic of hit; The Canadians swim free with this, their third plate. Producer Daniel Lanois plays an important role, who is already working on his qualities, which U2 and Peter Gabriel will later fall back on. Pieces such as “Swimming” and “Boy Without Filters” sound like Brian Eno in band format, “You Sold The Cottage” shows that Martha & the Muffins still have their radio punk on it. However, the band has long been pursuing a variety of other interests.
Iggy Pop – Zombie Birdhouse (1982)
Many fans claim that Iggy Pop had not managed anything clever between New Values (1979) and American Caesar (1993). Zombie Birdhouse falls under the table. Which is simply due to the fact that he previously put on party and came around the corner with bubblegum pop in 1986. Zombie Birdhouse does not fit anywhere, the plate has far too many breakage points. Iggy Pop is audible druff, the vocals are too loud, the guitars slacken, the beat is synthetic, some songs look like cartoons, titles like “Ordinary Bummer” do not come. But: Unlike Bowie, Iggy Pop feels what Postpunk means. “Angry Hills” is the best example: the piece just hovers there, three fantastic minutes.
Romeo Void – Benefactor (1982)
The Killing-Joke-Tray-the-Gossip sound of the single “Never Say Never” has made Romeo Void known in DJ circles: The piece always ignites, especially because of singer Debora Iyall and her bone-dry chorus line “I might like you better if we slept together”. Iyall is on the benefit of the star of the show, her speech singing is at eye level with Debbie Harry, and she has enough soul in her voice to drive her band’s ethno-radio twist. Also member of Romeo Void: The ambitious saxophonist Benjamin Bossi. You should know that, because you can’t ignore him.
17 Pygmies – Captured in Ice (1985)
In the mid-1980s, Los Angeles became the epicenter of a new postpunk wave, bands such as the Red Temple Spirits, Abecedarians and Savage Republic interpret the direction of more political, invite him to myths and theories. The 17 pygmies are popular outsiders in this scene because they do not commit themselves in any musical direction. Sometimes they play folk, sometimes minimalist progue, hardly to believe everything. Captured in ICE then becomes a great moment because the 17 Pygmies suddenly allow pop: Songs like “Monday” and “Suit of Nails” sound like a few years later the UK Shoegazer Lush.
Shiva Burlesque – Shiva Burlesque (1987)
Two of the four guys from this band founded the old country annoyers Grant Lee Buffalo four years later. In this group, however, a man named Jeff Clark sings, to match the music with a dark sublime voice. Songs such as “The Lonesome Death of Shadow Morton” can already be seen the dystopian Americana fantasies that perfect Grant Lee Buffalo from 1991. But on Shiva Burlesque aesthetically high-quality postpunk noir dominates, often not far from the music that Nick Cave presents at the end of the 80s.
Normil Hawaiian’s – More Wealth Than Money (1982)
A dozen musicians meet in the seclusion of Wales to debate the kingdom and his morally lattered politics. Almost by the way, an elevator double LP is created that sounds exactly as many of these discussions run: it flows into a thousand directions, but the attitude of all those involved remains recognizable at all times. Sometimes the collective does not take three minutes to show “Red Harvest” everything that postpunk is able to do. The industrial folk suite “British warm”, on the other hand, runs for ten minutes: Postpunk Floyd!
The opposition – intimacy (1983)
Unjust that the market hardly allows dark gods next to The Cure. The Sound, Comsat Angels, The Chameleons … they all set the feeling of isolation similarly. Only nobody buys their plates. The opposition is another case, three LPs between Wave and Postpunk made the band from London, then she gets wet feet in the mainstream. Intimacy is her second LP: guitars like skeletons, the voice complains about painful arms and voices in the head, a bass informed by DUB pumps fresh blood into the organism. Pieces such as “In The Heart” are in no way inferior to the mood makers on The Cures Pornography.
Down – down (1987)
In the mid-80s, their first round had already made their first round, the LPS Amok Koma and the West are lonely they made the German Postpunk factor. For a long time, the skeptical boss Frank Z. is considering what should follow – and decides for pop. Half of the songs on down is in English, the beat comes out of the box, synthes compete with guitars.
Because Frank Z. then marches towards Metal with a new line -up, the album is considered a slip. But that’s not true: The Aznavour interpretation “Alcohol” is a rarely recognized stroke of genius, “White House” sounds like New Order from Hafenstrasse.