The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 19, 1991 - Page 9
Kill Mother Fucking Depeche Mode? who, what, where, whe]


by Richard Davis
O K. First things first. KMFDM
is an acronym for Kein Mehrheit
tur Die Mitleid. For all of us who
on' t speak German, the phrase is
translated as "The majority for the
pity." But lead singer Sasha
Konietzko has given "Kill Mother
Fucking Depeche Mode" as the in-
terpretation because he doesn't re-
ally give a rat's behind about the
name. It's anything and nothing.
"We've heard lots of things and
they're all true. We don't care - we
*n't take that seriously," says
Konietzko.
What they do take seriously is
their music, which is deep, down and
dirty. And although KMFDM
shares some common traits with
Wax Trax! label mates like the
Revolting Cocks and the Thrill Kill
Kult, their music is unique, an in-
tense trek through industrial, metal,
nk and reggae, using beats UPS'd
aight from Satan and guitars that
almost draw blood.
"We're not trying to do anything
alternative. We're just trying to be
KMFDM," Konietzko explains.
"We like to call our sound 'Ultra
Heavy Beat.' But I mean, we could
put some new-age sounds together
with some hard beats and that
would be KMFDM.
9 "Our music does show a variety
of styles - I myself get into classi-
cal music. But for KMFDM, I'll sit
down with my sampler and sample a
Slayer guitar riff or something, and
then we'll add a disco beat-line and
then work out the vocals and we
have a song.
"We put some, distortion in the
vocals because there is a kind of
a wer that goes along a distorted
ice. Although a lot of bands can
use effects to mask the lack of tal-
ent from a singer, they can also give
the sound of power, and power to
the sound. And that's helpful with
our lyrics, in which we're not saying
what to do, but we do try to be
somewhat political. What we're
trying to say is that people have the
PAVE
Continued from page 5
Unfortunately, Captain Dave and
the Psychedelic Lounge Cats are go-
ing to "California because of
CHiPs/ Motorcycles and trips."
Although offshoots like the Blue
Star Trio and the Good Feeling Band
may continue to spin webs of loopy
tunes, tonight's gig at the Pig is the
*st chance for Ann Arborites to
swing easy to the magic tones of
Michigan's leading purveyors of
smooth.
CAPjTAIN DAVE AND THE
PSYCHEDELIC LOUNGE CATS
play, their last tree town gig tonight
at the Blind Pig before making the
big move to the West Coast.
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ing. But Al, he was really nice. He's
a really nice person. I think that all
the bad stuff that's said about him is
just for publicity, just publicity.
And the other members of
Ministry, they were nice to us too,
more or less."
Even with this link to the
"alternative" big-time, KMFDM is
enjoying their success on Wax Trax!
"I think being on Wax Trax! has
definitely helped us," Konietzko
says. "I mean, I'd rather be a big fish
in a small pond than the other way
around. And Wax Trax! has so many
good bands. I go through promo and
there's so much stuff to choose
from, I have a hard time picking
what to listen to. So it's a good feel-
ing to know that we are a success
here."
KMFDM is playing tonight at the
Latin Quarter (so bring a lighter,
you'll need it to see the band) and
the tickets are $11.50 (p.e.s.c.) at
TicketMaster. BRAIN DEAD SALT
MAChINE is opening. Doors open
at 7:30 p.m.

See University Students shoot
the breeze in the Wind Ensemble's
final concert tonight at 8 p.m. in the
Rackham Lecture Hall. Included in
the instrumental spectrum will be
oboes, flutes, bassoons and wine
bottles, which according to one
member creates, "a wonderful lit-
tly flutey sound." These will be
used in Gordon Jacob's "Old Wine
in New Bottles." Admission is free.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah. Edward
Parmentier, a harpsichordist who
has been praised for his conducting
of the Early music Ensemble in ex-
cerpts of Handel's Messiah per-
form in a recital tonight at 8 p.m. in
BAM Hall at the School of Music.
He tickle the ivories with works of
those wild Bohemians Bach,
William Byrd and Scarlatti. If you
don't want to go, fugue you! The
Concert is free.

f t i t 1 i t a i l


I
Russian j

"C-1.

- Start Fall term, speak it in Moscow next year.
- Also, Russian Literature in English, Hu. Distr.
* For information, call Slavic Dept., 764-5355 or
check CRISP
Iz

-I
1

Two members of KMFDM, Germany's contribution to the Wax Trax!
roster, ponder the meaning of Ministry here. En Esch is in the
foreground, but the ever cynical Sasha Konietzko hangs in the back.

power to change the system, no mat-
ter what race you are and long as we
band together. And this is what
songs like 'Rip The System' are say-
ing."
It's these songs that got the at-
tention of Ministry and eventually
led to KMFDM's opening for Al

Jourgensen and his co-horts on tour
last year.
"Yeah, that was an intense
tour," Konietzko says. "The emo-
tions we went through were really...
widespread. It was nice... and in-
tense. But it was exhausting. Six to
eight weeks on tour is just exhaust-

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