LP - X-MAL DEUTSCHLAND - EARLY SINGLES 1981-1982 Black vinyl

"Gothics" - a time before the word goth had even taken shape -
believed in the do-it-yourself punk ethos that anyone could pick up
an instrument. Gray clouds were starting to form and in the unlikely
city of Hamburg, a brazen and haunting gang of five women formed
Xmal Deutschland . As any true punk would, Xmal Deutschland 's
members Caro May, Rita Simon, Manuela Rickers, Fiona Sangster
and Anja Huwe , started the band despite any previous musical
experi - ence. 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 synthesizer 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. Punk's independence from the stiff grip of
tradition allowed the band to find solace in anti-establishment art and
music, far from the conventions of the past. With their peacocked
hair and thick kohl-lined eyes, Xmal Deutschland 's music retained
both a restlessness and delicacy, transcending any confines of the
"Neue Deutsche Welle" movement (much like their colleagues and
friends DAF and Einstürzende Neubauten ) with the release of the
"Incubus Succubus" single in 1982. It instantly became a post-punk
classic. The guitar's buzz ransacks through the melody as the
ghoulish primitiveness of Huwe 's voice teases that maybe, just
maybe, she is the nightmarish creature of which to be aware. The b -
sides, "Zu Jung Zu Alt" and "Blut Ist Liebe," keep strict militaristic
dance beats as they teem in agitation. That same year, the band
performed in London as support for the Cocteau Twins ; it was the
platform they needed to ricochet into the arms of the ripped fishnet
masses. Early Singles (1981-1982), is a map of the foundational
move - ments of Xmal Deutschland , just seconds before takeoff.
Bonus tracks on the compilation, "Kaellbermarsch" and a gritty live
version of "Allein," further accentuate their fusion of toughness with
the quixotic decadence of atmospheric synthesizers. 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.
TRACKLISTING: 01. SCHWARZE WELT 02. DIE WOLKEN
03. GROßSTADTINDIANER 04. KÄLBERMARSCH (FROM THE
COMPILATION "LIEBER ZUVIEL ALS ZUWENIG") 05. INCUBUS SUCCUBUS
06. ZU JUNG ZU ALT 07. BLUT IST LIEBE 08. ALLEIN (FROM THE
COMPILATION "NOSFERATU FESTIVAL")