Saturday, January 19, 2019

Whaddya mean you don't know Keine Ahnung

German NDW crew Keine Ahnung released the club classic "Plastik" back in 1983 which you can hear below. 
Keine Ahnung was a quartet from Wörth am Rhein, Germany formed in 1980. The original line up was Rolf Schmuck, Franz H. Rodenkirchen, Elke Fuchs and Olaf Schumacher. Hermann Kopp from Stuttgart, a friend of the band, contributed a composition on their first LP and became a full member in 1985. Taking cues from Conrad Schnitzler, Tuxedomoon and Dome, the band members shared a common interest in industrial, pop, avant garde literature and cinema. The name Keine Ahnung translates to “Don’t know” or “Haven’t got a clue” in German. The quartet would record three LPs in 6 years, two of which remain unreleased.

In March 1983, Keine Ahnung recorded their self-produced and financed debut LP in two days in a small studio in Stuttgart (12 hours total). The mixing was done in one day in a studio in Karlsruhe, April 1983. The self-titled LP was released later that summer on their own PASSIV label in an edition of 1000 copies. This record obtained recognition far beyond the German borders. Keine Ahnung in the studio and live were completely different. Studio time was expensive in these days, so the music was minimal electronic pop, expertly crafted and razor sharp man machine music. The live sound utilized more complex synthesizers, tapes, guitars, metal percussion and custom built electronics. The beats and bass lines came from the Roland 606/303 duo triggering a KORG MS-20 for the bass drum. All four members would take turns singing and playing the instruments. Check out their dancefloor classic "Plastik" and get the Dark Entries reissue of their self-titled 1983 debut right here.


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