Für Immer: Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft and Neue Deutsche Welle

I recently had the opportunity to interview Robert Görl about his time as one-half of Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft. Fans will be glad to know that DAF are doing some dates in Europe this year; also Görl seems enthusiastic about perhaps doing some music under the name Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft. Görl also discussed his solo career, and generally what he’s been up to in the last few years.

Our Q & A with Robert Görl of DAF can be found here.

Additional Resources on Neue Deutsche Welle

Malaria!: Malaria! were an all-female noise band; however, some of their songs have a danceable, disco-type influence. Their most notable songs were “Your Turn To Run” and “Kaltes Klares Wasser,” which was later covered by the band Chicks on Speed. Do yourself a favor: go on iTunes, and download their compilation Compiled 1981 – 1984. They sound kind of like Delta 5, except with more electronics and much, much more menace.

[For more on Malaria! member Gudrun Gut, see Ann Clarke’s interview with her in this issue.—Ed.]

Andreas Dorau: Andreas Dorau was part of a group called Die Doraus & Die Marinas, and had an insanely catchy pop song in 1981 called “Fred vom Jupiter.” This song combines early Depeche Mode-esque synth-pop goodness with 1960s girl group vocals, and had a darling, kitschy video. This song, among many others in the NDW canon, can be found on Dorau’s album Ernte (also available on iTunes).

Les Liaisons Dangereuses: This band featured one ex-member of DAF (Chrislo Haas), and also worked with DAF’s producer, Conny Plank. Their single “Los Niños del Parque” was a massive dance floor filler, and still sounds remarkably distinctive to this day. Like DAF, this band would go on to influence the burgeoning electro and techno movements in Detroit and Chicago.

Nina Hagen: I’m not sure if she’s technically a part of the NDW scene, but I do know that she is a force of nature. . . check out this video and see for yourself. For an equally chaotic sampling of her recorded works, check out her compilation 14 Friendly Abductions: The Best of Nina Hagen.

New Deutsch Compilation CD: Released in 2003 by the International Deejay Gigolo label, this compilation includes some key players in the Neue Deutsche Welle movement, including “Tanz Mit Mir” by DAF and songs from the bands Der Plan, No More, and Pyrolator. This CD is essential listening for anyone interested in Neue Deutsche Welle.

Verschwende Deine Jugend, written by Jürgen Teipel (published by Suhrkamp, 2001): This book is the definitive article about the Neue Deutsche Welle scene, and contains numerous interviews and anecdotes from many of the NDW pioneers (including Gabi Delgado and Robert Görl). NOTE: Before you go to buy it on Amazon.com, please know that the book is written completely in German. There are fantastic photos of the era in the book as well. Many photos from the “golden age” of NDW can be found at this website.

Other notable bands with NDW influences from Belgium and Switzerland:

Starter: Starter were a trio from Switzerland who were inspired by Neue Deutsche Welle. Their song “Minijupe,” about the joy the singer gets from seeing cute girls in miniskirts, is captivating and has a sweet, childlike innocence. I believe the album associated with this song (simply titled Starter, from 1981) is sadly out of print, but their amateurish greatness still remains on YouTube.

Telex: Another trio-style band, Telex were from Belgium and also had insanely catchy pop songs very much in the same vein as Starter. Telex’s greatest moment was when they were Belgium’s entry in the 1980 Eurovision song contest. Much chaos ensued, and they finished second from last despite performing in a way that can only be described as touching and heartfelt (you will see what I mean as you watch the video evidence of this performance). Despite their misstep at Eurovision, Telex remains one of my favorite bands with their mixture of sarcasm and synthesizers. By the way, here’s the video of their Eurovision performance.

Front 242: Many fans of EBM associate Belgium’s Front 242 with industrial tracks like “Tragedy for You” and “Headhunter,” but their initial incarnation bore more of a resemblance to the bombastic, synth-driven sound of DAF. Their first album from 1982, Geography, features darker songs such as “Operating Tracks” and “Controversy Between.”

Sources:

1. Simon Reynolds, Rip It Up and Start Again, (New York: Penguin Books, 2005), 312.
2. Ibid.
3. Simon Reynolds, Rip It Up and Start Again, (New York: Penguin Books, 2005), 313.

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