MITTAGEISEN : 1981-1986 REMASTERED

CHF 30.00

		Genre :	postpunk, wave, dark wave
		Label :	Published 2008 by LUNA-MB-MUSIK c/o mital-U
		Order-Nr :	U-7C0-A8
		Format :	3-foldout digipak with 2 CDs and a 24-pages booklet
		Retail :	Online-Shops outside Switzerland

TRACK LISTING
CD1_01.	anfang	3:02	audio sample
CD1_02.	persistance de la memoire	4:05	audio sample
CD1_03.	wir	2:58	audio sample
CD1_04.	traum	4:14	audio sample
CD1_05.	dunkelheit	5:44	audio sample
CD1_06.	erinnerung	6:03	audio sample
CD1_07.	237 tage	5:42	audio sample
CD1_08.	danach	6:28	audio sample
CD1_09.	unverständnis (bonus track)	4:00	audio sample

CD2_01.	automaten	6:25	audio sample
CD2_02.	neues china	5:53	audio sample
CD2_03.	automaten (radio edit)	3:36	audio sample
CD2_04.	neuer tag	3:27	audio sample
CD2_05.	unterwegs	3:33	audio sample
CD2_06.	beständigkeit der erinnerung	3:28	audio sample
CD2_07.	aragon libertario	5:34	audio sample
CD2_08.	los solidarios	2:47	audio sample
CD2_09.	abschied	2:54	audio sample
CD2_10.	stand der dinge (bonus track)	4:06	audio sample

RELEASE-INFO
This Compilation 2CD contains 19 songs of mittageisen, one of the first german-language dark-wave bands (1981-1986). The compilation contains tracks of their overvaunted LP (1983), their 12” (1985) with the indie-hit automaten and 6 so far unreleased songs.
REVIEWS
mittageisen 2CD Steve Mecca, Chain D.L.K. (New York) Well, here’s a new one on me, I thought I’d at least heard OF most all the early goth type new wave bands of the 1980’s even if I hadn’t heard them, but the Swiss outfit mittageisen somehow eluded me. Eldergoths might be familiar with the name 'Mittageisen' as a track from the first Siouxsie & the Banshees album. I’m sure this group was far more known in Europe than they ever were in America; but a remastered retrospective of their music 20 years later is an interesting document of a band that seemed to have a lot going for it. There are 19 tracks on this two CD set, 6 of which are previously unreleased. So what is mittageisen’s sound? Well, kind of a blend of what was happening at the time – guitars and synths, Bauhaus, The Cure, Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, Wall of Voodoo, Ultravox, that kind of thing. The rhythm comes courtesy of a drum machine. Maybe one thing that held them back from becoming a known entity in the U.S. is that they only sing in their native tongue, not English. Apparently they were said to have very expressive lyrics, but that’s lost on most of the American music-buying public, our phobia of foreign language being what it is. For the most part, the music is set in a dark pop song format. Some tracks exhibit a more experimental tone than others, veering off into oblique sonic terrain. Considering what kind of music was happening at the time, this is pretty interesting stuff. Not earthshaking, but eclectic nonetheless. Very minimal-expressionistic and underground. The kind of cult band that would have been great live on a double bill with a group like Cabaret Voltaire. Apparently in their time they received a fair amount of radio play in Europe, European radio being far more progressive than what it is in the U.S. They even had a dance hit with a song called 'automaten' which is on this compilation. (You’ll be reminded of SNL’s 'Sprockets'.) I don’t know if there’s any U.S. distribution for this 2 CD set but it’s well worth checking out. The 2 CD set comes in a tri-fold digipack with a 24 page booklet, band info and photographs as well as song lyrics in German. Nice quirky cover illustration too. Your best bet is to visit the label website (mital-U) and order a copy. When music from a 'lost' cult band like this comes along you owe it to yourself to scoop it up as quick as you can because you never know how long it will be around for. Even though you can find the video for 'automaten' on YouTube, you’re not going to find this CD on Amazon or iTunes. There were only 500 copies of this limited edition made, so you might not want to dawdle. Recommended! mittageisen Donnacha DeLong, Sordid magAZine (Dublin/London) mittageisen is one of the earliest darkwave/electro Goth bands. These tracks were mostly recorded from '82 to '85 (seven of them in '82 when Depeche Mode still couldn't get enough), mixing the emerging Gothic sounds of the Banshees (from whom their name comes in part), Bauhaus and the Cure with the sparse electro of Kraftwerk. In general, it's slow, dark and morose with droning guitars and vocals, under-pinned by a sharp electro beat. In other ones, they are one of the archetypal darkwave bands who were releasing albums when the Sisters were only working on their early EPs. There is, however, a very simple and obvious reason why this band do not occupy the same privileged position as the classic Goth bands - they didn't sing in English! It's the kind of music you hear as the soundtrack for oppressive, dark German sci-fi films. The sound does not stay the same all the way through, 'automaten', which is here in two versions, is a fairly upbeat, electro piece. Others are more sound-scapey; droning pieces that evoke factory work. This CD is more than an historical oddity, it is a must for fans of early Sisters stuff, or the Cure's dark period which culminated in the oppressive 'Pornography'. More reviews on the band-website .

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