| Nitzer Ebb | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Essex, England, UK |
| Genre(s) | Industrial EBM |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Label(s) | Mute Records Geffen Records (US) |
| Members | |
| Douglas McCarthy Bon Harris Jason Payne (live) | |
| Former members | |
| David Gooday Namen Duc Nhan Julian Beeston David Lovering (live) Kourtney Klein (live) | |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| Synthesizer Drum machine | |
Nitzer Ebb (pronounced night-zer or nit-zer—the band pronounces it both ways) is a British music group formed in 1982 by Essex schoolfriends Douglas McCarthy (vocals, synthesizer), Vaughan (Bon) Harris (synthesizers, drums), and David Gooday. Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Industrial music is a loose term for a number of different styles of Experimental music, especially but not necessarily Electronic music. Electronic body music ( EBM, also known as aggropop) is a Music genre that combines elements of Industrial music and Electronic In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Mute Records is a Record label formed in 1978 by Daniel Miller primarily to release his own single "T Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label Douglas John McCarthy (b 1 Sept 1967 is the vocalist of Chelmsford, Essex-based EBM band Nitzer Ebb. Bon Harris (born Vaughan David Harris 12 August 1965 in Chelmsford, Essex, England) is an English composer producer singer/song writer and multi-instrumentalist Julian Beeston is an English Musician, mainly noted for his time in the electronic groups Nitzer Ebb and Cubanate. David Lovering (born December 6 1961 is an American Musician and magician. For the early "drum machine" computers that used a rotating cylinder as their main memory see Drum memory A drum machine is an Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common Douglas John McCarthy (b 1 Sept 1967 is the vocalist of Chelmsford, Essex-based EBM band Nitzer Ebb. Bon Harris (born Vaughan David Harris 12 August 1965 in Chelmsford, Essex, England) is an English composer producer singer/song writer and multi-instrumentalist
Contents |
Beginnings—Basic Pain Procedure (1983)
Nitzer Ebb began when Douglas McCarthy met Bon Harris. They shared an interest in witchcraft, talking to trees, and collecting rune stones in Chelmsford and Little Baddow, England, UK. They found inspiration in the punk ethos of bands such as DAF, Killing Joke, and Bauhaus. In August 1983, the group recorded its first demo tape, Basic Pain Procedure. This rare demo tape included eight songs. (“Faded Smiles,” “Tradition,” “The Home,” “Star,” “The Pass,” “The Book,” “Crane,” “Trust Ran in Colours”) The trio began with shows in small local venues, but its arresting stage presence, military-like image, and energy garnered a growing base of followers and soon led to appearances in larger clubs and concert venues. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking Combining the energy of punk with the electronic pulse of DAF, it released its debut single "Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works" on 7 January, 1985 on its own label, Power Of Voice Communications, and its music soon became a fixture on the club scene. DAF is an influential German Electropunk / NDW band from Düsseldorf, formed in 1978 featuring Gabriel "Gabi" Delgado-López A double-A-sided single, "Warsaw Ghetto"/"So Bright So Strong," followed in 1985 to similar critical and dance floor acclaim. Two further releases, "Let Your Body Learn"/"Get Clean" and "Murderous" were released on Power of Voice Communications before it signed with Mute Records. Mute Records is a Record label formed in 1978 by Daniel Miller primarily to release his own single "T The band’s recordings were licensed to Geffen Records in the United States, which kept the band on its roster when that label switched distributors from Warner Bros. Records to MCA Records. Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label Warner Bros Records Inc is an American Record label that operates as a wholly owned Subsidiary of Warner Music Group. MCA Records was an American -based record company owned by MCA Inc
That Total Age (1987)
In May 1987, it released its debut album on Mute Records (Geffen/Warner Bros. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public Mute Records is a Record label formed in 1978 by Daniel Miller primarily to release his own single "T in the US), That Total Age, which spawned a hit with the pounding bass rhythms and barked vocals of "Join in the Chant" and "Let Your Body Learn. That Total Age is the debut album of the British EBM group Nitzer Ebb. Bass (ˈbɛɪs as in base) when used as an adjective is used to describe tones of low Frequency or range. Rhythm (from Greek ῥυθμός - rhythmos, "any measured flow or movement symmetry" is the variation of the length and accentuation of " Both tracks found favour with the Euro club scene and the nascent Balearic Beat movement. Balearic Beat or Balearic House is an eclectic blend of DJed Dance music that originally emerged in the mid-1980s The band was asked to be the opening act for the European leg of labelmates' Depeche Mode's Music for the Masses tour.
Belief (1989)
In 1988, Doug and Bon set out to record the perfect electronic album, resulting in the group’s second album, Belief. Belief is the second album of the British EBM group Nitzer Ebb. Preceded by the classic club track “Control, I'm Here,” that album was released in 1989 and was co-produced by Flood (Depeche Mode, U2), who went on to produce their next 3 albums and remix other tracks. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Flood is the professional Pseudonym of the British Post punk / Alternative rock Record producer Mark Ellis, whose Depeche Mode (dəˌpɛʃˈmoʊd are an English Electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The band was now down to a core duo of Harris and McCarthy, with Julian Beeston on drumming duty. Two further singles “Hearts & Minds” and “Shame” were released in 1989 with extraordinary remixes from Daniel Miller and William Orbit. Daniel Miller (born 14 February 1951 in London) is a British music producer and founder of Mute Records. William Orbit (born on 15 December 1956 as William Mark Wainwright in Shoreditch, Hackney) is an English Musician
Showtime/As Is/Ebbhead (1990-1991)
Showtime, released in 1990, showed the band moving away from 4/4, 130-bpm stomping dance tracks and explored other musical forms—jazz, rock, blues—while still sounding like itself. The first single, "Lightning Man," became a dance floor anthem with its jazzy clarinet figure and Doug's menacing vocals. The song is generally recognized as experimental and pushed the boundaries of industrial music at the time. Nitzer Ebb had also found favour with labelmates and international pop heavyweights Depeche Mode, with the band asking them again to support them, this time on the World Violation Tour in the US. Depeche Mode (dəˌpɛʃˈmoʊd are an English Electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. Depeche Mode was frequently seen sporting Nitzer Ebb T-shirts around this period, most notably in its Enjoy the Silence video. Depeche Mode (dəˌpɛʃˈmoʊd are an English Electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. " Enjoy the Silence " is Depeche Mode 's twenty-fourth UK single released on February 5 1990, and the second single from the then upcoming
(1991)
Exposure to large stadium crowds and the intensity of the whole rock and roll business provided a stimulus for the group to start to develop a more rock-oriented sound to its razor-sharp electronic dance music, and 1991's As Is EP (produced by Killing Joke's Jaz Coleman, Flood, Depeche Mode's Alan Wilder, and Barry Adamson) saw the band adopt a more traditional song writing approach, and paved the way for the aforementioned Ebbhead. Killing Joke are an English Post-punk rock band formed in 1979 Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman (born February 26, 1960) is a musician composer singer/song-writer and music producer Flood is the professional Pseudonym of the British Post punk / Alternative rock Record producer Mark Ellis, whose Depeche Mode (dəˌpɛʃˈmoʊd are an English Electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. Alan Charles Wilder is a British musician formerly of Depeche Mode. Barry Adamson (born 1 June 1958) is an English Rock musician who has worked with rock bands such as Magazine
Ebbhead was released in September 1991 and showcased a new confidence in the band's songwriting and production (ably assisted by Flood and Alan Wilder), while the single I Give to You was a sweeping orchestral introduction to the band's new grand ideas. Flood is the professional Pseudonym of the British Post punk / Alternative rock Record producer Mark Ellis, whose Alan Charles Wilder is a British musician formerly of Depeche Mode. Two further singles, “Godhead” and “Ascend” combined sampled guitar riffs, throbbing analogue synths, and anthemic choruses. A hugely successful world tour from Autumn 1991 to Summer 1992 spanning the US, Europe, and Russia hinted that the band could potentially break into the mainstream and become a bona fide crossover act.
Big Hit (1995)
The momentum, progress, and optimism built up around Ebbhead was slowly eroded by the band's (very expensive) three years recording the follow up album,Big Hit (drummers were sacked, producers changed, etc. ). During this period, a schism between Harris and McCarthy began to develop, and the writing was on the wall. The band took far too long, and then failed to deliver the album required to elevate them to the level that was promised.
The subsequent world tour saw a new live set-up with Harris on bass, McCarthy on guitar, Jason Payne on drums, and John Napier on guitar and percussion. While still an energetic and involving live act, the shows didn't seem to benefit from either real instruments or more musicians on stage, and the arresting visual dynamics of past tours were compromised in favour of a traditional set up. The Nitzer Ebb machine ground to a halt toward the end of the Big Hit tour (final dates were advertised then canceled). Although the group never officially split, Mccarthy and Harris both went their separate ways. However, the door was effectively left open for Harris and McCarthy to reactivate the band in the future if their differences could be resolved.
Recent years
Having quietly split, the band's back catalogue began to appear in DJ sets and mix compilations, and its name would appear in interviews with house and techno producers (which only served to highlight their enduring influence). In recognition of this development, NovaMute released a remix series with three 12-inch singles between 2001 and 2004—“Shame”/“Join in the Chant,” “Control, I'm Here”/“Let Your Body Learn,” and “Murderous”/Control, I'm Here. Novamute Records is the Electronic music subsidiary of Mute Records which was started in 1992. A remix is an alternative version of a song different from the original version ” The remix of “Let Your Body Learn” was particularly fruitful as it was given a radical overhaul by French techno producer Terence Fixmer, which led first to a friendship and then developed into a recording project between Fixmer and Douglas McCarthy, called simply Fixmer/McCarthy. Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Fixmer/McCarthy is an electronic music Collaboration between the French Techno producer Terence Fixmer, and British EBM Live performances (with just a mike and a Macintosh) around the world followed, which included new versions of Nitzer Ebb songs. Macintosh, commonly nicknamed Mac is a Brand name which covers several lines of Personal computers designed developed and marketed by Apple Inc This also led to an album released as Fixmer/McCarthy, titled Between the Devil. . . .
In late 2005, it was announced that McCarthy and Harris (now residing in the US, and producing and engineering Marilyn Manson and Billy Corgan) had begun to talk about the possibility of a Nitzer Ebb reunion. Marilyn Manson is an American Alternative metal band based in Los Angeles California. William Patrick Corgan Jr (born March 17, 1967 in Elk Grove Village Illinois) is an American Singer, Songwriter, The band toured during 2006, which enlisted the services of drummer Kourtney Klein and focused on the more electronic phase of its career, with Mute Records finally releasing the 2 CD set Body of Work 1984-1997 in June 2006. Mute Records is a Record label formed in 1978 by Daniel Miller primarily to release his own single "T A companion piece Body Rework, featuring remixes from cutting edge contemporary techno artists such as Motor, Black Strobe, the Hacker, Derrick May, and Robag Wruhme, further highlighted the interest and respect still shown for this groundbreaking, unique, and highly original electronic outfit. Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Black Strobe (sometimes Blackstrobe were formed in Paris in 1997 by producer Arnaud Rebotini and DJ Ivan Smagghe, and were instrumental in the rise of the Derrick May can refer to Derrick May (baseball player Derrick May (musician
Capitalizing on the success of the 2006 world tour, Nitzer Ebb began work on new material in Los Angeles early in 2007, with a retrospective documentary still in the pipeline. During 2007, Nitzer Ebb continued its trend of replacing drummers as Kourtney Klein left the band to be replaced by onetime cohort Jason Payne. A first track, "Once you see," with Depeche Mode songwriter Martin Lee Gore on backing vocals was played in June 2007 by Dave Clarke in his White Noise show on VPRO's 3 Voor 12[1]. This track along with "Payroll" were debuted live as Nitzer Ebb played a handful of shows and festivals during 2007, but it remains to be seen whether the band can recapture the innovation and aggression of its early days and take on board the advances in production made by contemporary techno acts influenced by Nitzer Ebb.
McCarthy and Harris have joined up with Jason Payne (who played drums on the 1995 Nitzer Ebb album "Big Hit") to finish up the first new Nitzer Ebb record in over a decade. The band also enlisted producer Flood[2].
Influences and legacy
Sonically, Nitzer Ebb evoked the sequenced teutonic basslines and barked commands of Virgin-era DAF in its early days, and took the energy of alternative punk rock of bands like Killing Joke and Bauhaus to create a new aesthetic. A daf ( Persian and Arabic: دف) is a large-sized Frame drum used to accompany both popular and classical music in Iran Killing Joke are an English Post-punk rock band formed in 1979 ("House of Building" or "Building School" is the common term for the, a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts and was famous As they grew in confidence and ability, they began to develop the Nitzer Ebb sound—a blend of unusual analogue trickery, minimal song structure, heavy drum beats and percussion, and Douglas Mccarthy's soulful vocals—either shouted, sung, or spoken. Its sound was captured perfectly in one of the band’s publicity slogans from 1987—"International Funk Aggression"—despite being hard and heavy, its tracks were always very danceable.
Nitzer Ebb was seen as a totality comprising music, art and culture, manifesting itself as a Nitzer Ebb Produkt (an homage to the band Kraftwerk), which saw all adverts, flyers, record sleeves, letterheads, T-shirts, and other objects all sharing a collective identity that was heavily influenced by Russian Constructivist art, Italian Futurism, totalitarian imagery, and Expressionism. Kraftwerk (ˈkʁaftvɛɐk German for " power plant " or " Power station " is an influential Electronic music band from Futurism was an Art movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century Expressionism is the tendency of an artist to distort reality for an Emotional effect it is a subjective art form Long-time collaborator Simon Grainger was an unofficial member of Nitzer Ebb and responsible for the austere look and feel of this visual aspect of the band, which aimed to provoke reaction, to critique, and even to poke fun at such stern stark powerful imagery. It also refelected perfectly the uncompromising style of the music.
In the short-term, Nitzer Ebb had a clear influence on labelmates Depeche Mode, with both bands sharing a producer in Flood and (by virtue of his studio role) Alan Wilder, which saw a cross pollination of ideas—a harder edge given to one band and a pop sensibility brought to the other (compare the intros of Halo and Lightning Man).
Nitzer Ebb was a large influence on Detroit Techno: Derrick May publicly acknowledged this fact before the band opened 2007’s Detroit annual electronic music festival. Detroit techno is an early style of electronic music beginning in 1980s Derrick May can refer to Derrick May (baseball player Derrick May (musician A diverse range of DJs and producers, from Richie Hawtin to Tiga, have also acknowledged the influence that Nitzer Ebb has had on their careers. Richard (Richie Hawtin (born June 4 1970, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England) is a English - Canadian Electronic Indeeed, the group’s tracks (usually in their original form) are still heard across the world's more discerning dance floors, and have been consistently listed in a wide range of DJ's Top 10s throughout the 2007 in the dance music magazine, Mixmag. Mixmag is a British Dance music and clubbing Magazine. With a circulation of 37139 and a readership of 276000 as of August 2008 it claims
Other Projects
In 1989, Nitzer Ebb collaborated with Die Krupps on an updating of its classic “Wahre Arbeit Wahrer Lohn” single on the Machineries of Joy EP. Die Krupps ˈkʀʊps}} is a German Industrial rock / EBM band formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka Having worked with Alan Wilder on 1991's Ebbhead, Douglas Mccarthy returned the favour, appearing on Recoil's 1992 album Bloodline, on the electronic reworking of Faith Healer, the Alex Harvey classic. Alan Charles Wilder is a British musician formerly of Depeche Mode. This article is about the Scottish rock singer Alex Harvey not to be confused with American songwriter Alex Harvey who wrote for Kenny Rogers, or Canadian Mccarthy also appeared on Recoil's Unsound Methods album in 1997, providing vocals for the tracks "Incubus" and "Stalker. "
Mccarthy appeared with Empirion at 1997's Tribal Gathering (a performance that was broadcast on BBC Radio 1) before embarking on a new career in video production. Tribal Gathering was a dance Music festival that catered for different types of dance music cultures such as Drum and bass, Techno, rave Since working with Terence Fixmer he has lent his unique vocals to collaborations with Motor, Kloq, Warren Suicide, Client, and Die Krupps on another reworking of “Wahre Arbeit Wahrer Lohn. ”
Bon Harris began the Maven project in 2001 in Los Angeles, California, and has worked with Marilyn Manson, Smashing Pumpkins/Billy Corgan, Bush, and Depeche Mode. Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969) better known by his Stage name Marilyn Manson, is an American Musician and The Smashing Pumpkins are an American Alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988 William Patrick Corgan Jr (born March 17, 1967 in Elk Grove Village Illinois) is an American Singer, Songwriter, Bush were a British Post-grunge band formed in London in 1992 Depeche Mode (dəˌpɛʃˈmoʊd are an English Electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. In 2006, Maven released "Mary" as a 3-song digital bundle including the songs "Candidate" and "Silverbirds. " Three additional songs were released via its Myspace player: "In Still Love," "Hard on for Love" (a cover version of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds featuring Marilyn Manson), and "Jesus, Mary, and Jennifer Louise. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band with multinational personnel fronted by Nick Cave. Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969) better known by his Stage name Marilyn Manson, is an American Musician and " The current status of the Maven project is unknown.
Discography
Albums
- That Total Age (1987)
- Belief (1989)
- Showtime (1990)
- Ebbhead (1991)
- Big Hit (1995)
- Body Rework (2006)
EPs
- Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works (1984)
- As Is (1991)
Compilations
- So Bright So Strong (1988)
- Body of Work (2006)
Soundtracks
- Saw IV "Payroll (John O Mix)" (2007)
Singles
| Year | Song | US Dance | US Modern Rock |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works" | - | - |
| 1985 | "Warsaw Ghetto" | - | - |
| 1985 | "So Bright, So Strong" | - | - |
| 1986 | "Get Clean" | - | - |
| 1986 | "Murderous" | - | - |
| 1987 | "Let Your Body Learn" | - | - |
| 1987 | "Join In The Chant" | 9 | - |
| 1988 | "Control I'm Here" | 14 | 25 |
| 1989 | "Hearts And Minds" | 16 | - |
| 1989 | "Shame" | - | - |
| 1989 | "The Machineries Of Joy" (Die Krupps with Nitzer Ebb) | 25 | - |
| 1990 | "Lightning Man" | 14 | 28 |
| 1990 | "Fun To Be Had" | 5 | - |
| 1990 | "Getting Closer" | - | - |
| 1991 | "Family Man" | - | - |
| 1991 | "I Give To You" | - | - |
| 1991 | "Godhead" | - | - |
| 1992 | "Ascend" | - | - |
| 1995 | "Kick It" | - | - |
| 1995 | "I Thought" | - | - |
| 1995 | "Cherry Blossom" | - | - |
B-sides and non-album tracks
| Song | A-side | Year |
|---|---|---|
| "The Way You Live" | "Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works" | 1985 |
| "Crane" | "Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works" | 1985 |
| "Cold War" | "Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works" | 1985 |
| "So Bright, So Strong" | "Warsaw Ghetto" | 1985 |
| "Get Clean" | "Let Your Body Learn" | 1986 |
| "K. That Total Age is the debut album of the British EBM group Nitzer Ebb. Belief is the second album of the British EBM group Nitzer Ebb. ' Showtime' is the third album of the British EBM group Nitzer Ebb. Ebbhead is the fourth album of the British EBM group Nitzer Ebb. ' Big Hit' is the fifth album from British EBM group Nitzer Ebb released by Mute Records on, almost three years since its last release Body of Work is a hits collection by UK EBM band Nitzer Ebb. It was released by Mute Records as a double album on. Saw IV is the fourth installment in the ''Saw'' series. The film was initially released on October 25 2007 and in the United States on October 26 2007 Billboard 's Hot Dance Club Play chart (also known as Club Play Singles, and formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Club Play and Hot Dance/Disco Hot Modern Rock Tracks (originally called Modern Rock Tracks) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September Die Krupps ˈkʀʊps}} is a German Industrial rock / EBM band formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka A year (from Old English gēr) is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the Orbit of the Earth around the Sun I. A. " | "Control Im Here" | 1988 |
| "Time Slips By" | "Hearts and Minds" | 1989 |
| "Backlash" | "Shame" | 1989 |
| "Who We Are" | "Lightning Man" | 1990 |
| "Out of Mind" | "Fun to Be Had" | 1990 |
| "Taken From Me (Servant Mix)" | "Fun to Be Had" | 1990 |
| "Lovesick" | 'As Is' ep | 1991 |
| "Come Alive" | 'As Is' ep | 1991 |
| "Higher" | 'As Is' ep | 1991 |
| "Stray Cat Blues" | "I Give to You" | 1991 |
| "Skintight" | "Kick It" | 1995 |
| "Dead & Gone" | "Kick It" | 1995 |
| "Friend (Brittle Mix)" | "I Thought" | 1995 |
| "Beats Me" | "I Thought" | 1995 |
| "Payroll (John O Mix)" | 'Saw IV' Soundtrack | 2007 |
Music videos
- Murderous (1987)
- Let Your Body Learn (1987)
- Control I'm Here (1988)
- Hearts and Minds (1989)
- Shame (1989)
- The Machineries Of Joy (1989)
- Lightning Man (1990)
- Fun To Be Had (1990)
- Family Man (1991)
- I Give To You (1991)
- Godhead (1992)
- Ascend (1992)
- Kick It (1995)
- I Thought (1995)
Tributes
- Muscle and Hate - Nilaihah Records, (2005)
References
External links
- official Nitzer Ebb Website
- Official Nitzer Ebb Myspace Page
- Mute's old Nitzer Ebb page
- Nitzer Ebb discography at MusicBrainz
- Nitzer Ebb at Discogs
- Superb collectors site
- New Album and 2006 Concert Dates
- "EBM back to NEP"-Party, Interviews and many more...
- SHOUT! Online interview with Nitzer Ebb (July 2006)
- SHOUT! Online inteview with Bon Harris / Nitzer Ebb (May 2006)
- Interview with David Gooday (in Swedish)
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