MITTAGSPAUSE - s/t CD 2004

Before Fehlfarben was Mittagspause. The glory of Mittagspause is bigger than their song repertoire. Three singles appeared during the life of the band, as well as contributions to two samplers. Musically, the band had swum early from the traditional punk and the stylistic device of the irony discovered for itself. Their fame is based mainly on the sovereign and non-pathetic handling of their singer Peter Hein with the german language. Mittagspause came in 1978 from the early Düsseldorf punk band Charley's Girls and persisted from Peter Hein, Franz Bielmeier on bass & guitar, as well as founder of the Rondo label, the drummer and later painter Marcus Oehlen, as well as former S.Y.P.H. guitarist Thomas Schwebel. The first cast also included the later DAF singer Gabi Delgado-Lopez. Already in 1980 the band disintegrated, their last studio recordings remained unpublished for more than ten years. Hein + Schwebel devoted himselfs to the Fehlfarben, Oehlen of art and art music (Vielleichtors/Red Krayola) and Bielmeier next to his label Rondo the drugs. Fortunately, they have tried a reunion so far, but a retrospective with unpublished Material in preparation, and also Mr. Bielmeier lets under the pseudonym "Sister Ray" again hear music...

Captain Trip Records from Tokyo has finally packed all studio recordings of the band on a CD in 2004. All shots are from 1979. The five previously unreleased live recordings, including a cover version of Trios "Da Da Da" date from 1983 & the CD was mastered in the Atatak Studios by Pyrolator.

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ARAM & DIE SCHAFFNER - Zieh Nur Alleine 7'' 1984

This rare record was released at Sneaky Pete Records and is the only output from Aram & Die Schaffner. The band were founded 1981 in Düsseldorf, a few members played later in Die Toten Hosen and Aram was kind of a rag-tag combo to make music at all and gigs they had not much, of course they did not long exist. But this little piece of vinyl is nowadays on top in the lists of the sought-after plates, and certainly pressed in a small edition. Musically we have two solid punk tracks with a typical touch of the Düsseldorf sound like Mittagspause, KFC, ZK or Fehlfarben. Peter Hein, singer of Fehlfarben, founded Sneaky Pete Records 1984 in his hometown of Düsseldorf after he left the band. Features of the publications was that Peter used the phone number of his friends as catalog numbers of his publications and most bands on his label come from the Düsseldorf scene around the Ratinger Hof. In the late 80's Peter closed the label. So this two mid-tempo rockers are delicious and they had the potential for more.... Mörder!!!! Mörder!!!!!!

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V/A - Bloodstains Across The World #5 2019

Early hour on this Friday, I pack another Bloodstains compilation out with more rare early sounds from all over the world, and Volume 3 is once again as CD-R in vinyl look released and by the same detectives, I think. Half of the twenty songs are known to me and are always welcome, while the 'new' material is sometimes questionable and I personally would have made a different selection. But with so many unknown bands/songs I'm always amazed where music was made with sometimes first-class nuggets. And I don't hesitate long, as soon as a new release of this brilliant series is available. It's a shame that Killed By Death doesn't go any further. Maybe there comes one more hype like in the 90s, who knows. 100 copies exist and watch out for #6 next year. Have fun discovering new musical highlights!

1.Wanted - STRUGGLER

2.Riot Riot - BOMB SQUAD

3.Hippie Japa - ALERTA ROJA

4.Skizzo Skizzo - JO SQUILLO ELETRIX

5.Radiomania - SNEEX

6.Shoot' Zem - KESSLER JUGEND GMBH

7.Damned Money - THE RAVES

8.Urbanitrops - EARTHLING

9.Scheiss Kibarei - DIE BÖSLINGE

10.Crazy Life - THE TERRORISTS

11.1981 - RIOT 111

12.Demolition Beat - THE INCREDIBLE HOGS

13.Überblick - MITTAGSPAUSE

14.Desert Patrol - SUBURBAN REPTILES

15.Runaway Train - THE DECADENTS

16.Ne Haluu Unohtaa - POIS

17.Söngull - KUKL

18.All I Want - GENOCIDE EXIT

19.Dreamland - THE TAPES

20.No Time - CHRONIC

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FEHLFARBEN - Monarchie & Alltag 1980

One more essential record is the debut by Fehlfarben on Welt-Rekord/EMI, formed 1979 by members of Mittagspause and other musicians in Düsseldorf. A bit wiki info: Fehlfarben settled into a sound perhaps most comparable to their English contemporaries Gang Of Four. Signing a contract with the German subsidiary of EMI lost them their status as an underground band, but in 1980 they released their debut, Monarchie und Alltag (Monarchy and everyday life), an album recognized then and now as one of the most important German-language rock records. Despite its cultural impact, Monarchie & Alltag did not reach gold status in Germany until 2000. The single Ein Jahr (Es Geht Voran), which would be their only hit single, was in fact disliked by the band members themselves, who had initially produced its slick disco groove more in jest than seriousness. Shortly after having released their debut album, Fehlfarben suffered the departure of lead singer Peter Hein owing to his frustration at the follow-up tour's being lengthened from three to six weeks on short notice. He went back to his day job at Xerox, where he worked until 2003. The band released two more albums without Hein during the 1980s, 33 Tage In Ketten and Glut & Asche, with only the latter making it onto the German charts. After struggles with their label, they disbanded at the end of 1984. They come back with all original members 1990s and two more albums were made but their sound is far away from the old goodies. Anyway, this record is fantastic in all respects.

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BILDSTÖRUNG - s/t LP 1981

Bildstörung saw the light of punk 1979 in Frankfurt/Main, influenced by bands such as Mittagspause, KFC or Male, but also of British mod and ska groups. Maybe Frankfurt's first punk band with German lyrics. Various gigs followed, mainly in the Rhine-Main area with other essential bands like Hans-A-Plast, ZK or Middle Class Fantasies. 1981 comes their first album with fourteen cool Punk songs out and in early 1982 start recording the second album, which is never released because the band dissolved shortly afterwards. In my opinion, now a classic one, even if the songs not much aggressive and they were put by the media into the NDW/Wave league, the label GeeBeeDee is not exactly famous for hard punkrock stuff, but this album is a contemporary relict of the early young age of punkrock in germany.

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CHARLEY'S GIRLS - Fuck 2x7'' 1993

Now an absolutely rare gem that was released by Incognito Records as part of their 333 x Up & Down series. Charley's Girls, a short living combo which were founded 1977 and the band consisted of Peter (vocals), Franz (guitar), Muscha (guitar), Sabrina (drums) and Peter (bass) and they performed in the center of Düsseldorf between 1977 and 1979 at the legendary Ratinger Hof. They never made any record and in 1978 they formed other pioneering bands like Mittagspause and Fehlfarben. This murderous, lousy quality cocktail was recorded on 3 March 1978, at a masquerade ball under the motto "Punk", at the New Orleans, Düsseldorf but these ten rebellious songs document the ravages of that time and many questioned the system's obedience and lockstep and wanted to do their own thing. Sometimes I miss that spirit nowadays, all has become easier and more commercial and a lot of shit is coming out, here and there cool stuff too but I'm not a real friend of this. Well, no matter... it is important that it pleases.

In Der Tat/Testbild/No Fun/X-9200/Achtundsiebzig/Innenstadtfront/Marmorstein/Schaust Gut Aus/3 x Nordpol/Neue Musikwelle

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V/A - Nazis Raus! 1991

More relevant than ever, see the current circumstances every Monday in Dresden, or remember this date 1938 in Nazi-Germany or the racist riots in Hoyerswerda in 1991. I can't understand how they can deal with such a stupid ideology that brought nothing except death and destruction. I guess it's easy to throw life away and lose dignity & respect when you only feel hatred. Life is not always easy but that excused nothing. The one-way thinking is modern and easy but to have an own opinion is really not hard. Maybe this compilation helps, released via Weird System, show nineteen bands that there is another way and encourage to think about yourself.... more relevant than ever!

1.Nazis Raus! - BETONCOMBO

2.Hallo, Ich Heiss' Adolf - ABWÄRTS

3.Eckensteher - NEUROTIC ARSEHOLES

4.Herrenreiter - MITTAGSPAUSE

5.Nichts Gelernt - STUNDE X

6.Schweigen - EA80

7.Fahnensog - RAZZIA

8.Nie Wieder Faschismus - DIE MIMMI'S

9.Deutsche Raus Aus Deutschland - THE BUTTOCKS

10.Party In Der Gaskammer - MIDDLE CLASS FANTASIES

11.Vaterland - MALE

12.Fünf Vor Zwölf - DIE TOTEN HOSEN

13.Seekarten - SLIME

14.Glanz & Gloria (Armes Deutschland) - BLUT+EISEN

15.80.000.000 Hooligans - DIE GOLDENEN ZITRONEN

16.No Nazis - RUMBLE MILITIA

17.Gavur - EMILS

18.Dachau Disco - CRETINS

19.Faschos In Sibirien - PISSED SPITZELS

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PSYCHOTIC TANKS - Security Idiots 7'' 1981

It'll be time in fifteen minutes, but first an obscure single with two interesting pieces. A band that only appeared briefly and didn't create anything earth-shattering or spectacular either, I guess the gathering was more of a spontaneous mood. The baby is called Psychotic Tanks, a short-lived post-punk combo that tried to live in London and this is their only, a Conny Plank produced, single which issued 1980 on the bands equally obscure Idiot label. They consisted of Robert (vocals/guitars), Schengel (bass), Björn (keys), Schruuv (drums). Two members of seminal German punkband Charley's Girls in a new outfit, after CG had disbanded to become Mittagspause. But both songs are absolutely good, sharp guitar in a pounding rhythm and amazingly catchy. The flip a little more restrained but just as brilliant, both lyrically great. Besides, I ask myself how I should prepare my breakfast now...

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