gullbuy music review

Teutonik Disaster Volumes 1 & 2

title

Teutonik Disaster Volumes 1 & 2

label

Gomma

format
various artists CD

Teutonik Disaster CD coverThis series compiles Obscure German new wave funk, trashdisco and hobbyrock. Music recorded : 77 - 83; compiled by Munk states the sleeve. Munk are label founders Mathias Modica and Jonas Imbery, who recently released Uh Ah, an excellent disco styled 12inch on Gomma with Princess Superstar contributing sparse vocals. Munk also produced Leroy Hanghofer's 'White Trash' LP on Gomma. That record is recent, very good, and not widely known .

Volume 1 is my favorite in this set. It has eighteen songs as compared to the second volume's ten. Fakten sind Terror by Exkurs has a bass line that could place it on the Playgroup record. The second song they have later on in the comp is one of my faves as well. Natur has an EBM feel and plenty of bizarre energy. I wonder how much this band released? I'd like to hear more.

The song by Carmen, Schlaraffenland, has male and female vocals, an early new wave feel, and trebly bass and tinny synths. Parts of the song incorporate the classic Archies tune Sugar Sugar. The male voice reminds of Luk from the quite delightful 80s band Fashiøn.

Reifenstahl's song Je t'air (Ich Dich Luft) runs for several minutes as an instrumental using parts of the melody of the Procol Harem song A Whiter Shade of Pale before degenerating into grunts and sounds that make the song a poor choice for radio shows.

The next song is an instrumental by Explorer called Rabbits. It neatly combines the music of Devo Whippet and Berlin Sex, and adds its own stamp to the stew.

Klick play Blauer Lumumba. The song reminds me of Tragic Mullato and Bow Wow Wow. Blumen by Geisterfahrer has an early Joy Division feel, especially in the Disorder styled guitar and the meaty bass. A very cool track.Teutonik Disaster 2 CD cover

 

The bands on volume 2 of Teutonik disaster have a very 80s sound, like a mixture of The Selector On My Radio and Der Plan.

The first song reminds me of the Boston punk band La Peste and their classic 7inch Better Off Dead. The song is by Starter and is called Part Of You. It is the lyrics and crazy energy that make me think of La Peste, a band I treasure very much.

Jimmy-Jenny-Jonny's Der Kinderfreund has female vocals and an odd beat that makes me think of Der Plan. As the song builds the vocals get more intense and saxophone accompanies.

The ninth song One Of Them All by FB C reminds me a bit of the Gang Of Four song Anthrax. It has a killer trebly metallic bass that drives the song with the snappy drum.

Aside from these three songs I can take or leave volume 2 of Teutonik Disaster. The new wave sounds of the bands sound a bit dated. The recordings don't have any punch or depth. Parts of Frauenkorper by Die Chefs (the vocals) even remind me of early recordings by The Fixx. I like my 80s, but that is just a little too much for me!

Even with the shortcomings of volume 2, there are enough songs spread among these 2 discs to make you treasure them, and with repeated listenings maybe some of the tracks I didn't mention may emerge as faves as well.

---Carl, September 23, 2003