Fehlfarben
Fehlfarben in 2006
Background information
OriginDüsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
GenresNeue Deutsche Welle, German punk
Years active1979–present
LabelsWelt-Rekord, EMI Electrola, WEA, Plattenmeister, Tapete
MembersFrank Fenstermacher, Kurt Dahlke, Michael Kemner, Peter Hein, Saskia von Klitzing, Thomas Schneider
Past membersHellmut Hattler, Thomas Schwebel, Uwe Bauer, Uwe Jahnke
Websitefehlfarben.com
Fehlfarben Members 2016. Back left to right: Kurt Dahlke, Thomas Schneider, Peter Hein, Frank Fenstermacher. Front: Saskia von Klitzing and Michael Kemner
Fehlfarben ZAKK Düsseldorf, 10. Dez. 2016

Fehlfarben is a Neue Deutsche Welle music band from Düsseldorf, Germany, that was formed in 1979.[1][2] Its founding members were Peter Hein (vocals), former member of the German punk band Mittagspause (English translation: "lunch break"), Thomas Schwebel (guitar, former member of Mittagspause, and German punk band S.Y.P.H.), Michael Kemner (bass, former member of 20 Colors, Mau Mau, DAF, YOU), Frank Fenstermacher (saxophone, later a member of Der Plan), Markus Oehlen and Uwe Bauer (drums, former Mittagspause, Materialschlacht).[3][4]

Band name

The band name is derived from Fehlfarbe, a German term referring to cigars with a discolored wrapper leaf and sold cheaply; singer Peter Hein was in this line of work at Xerox while in the band.[5]

Band history

Fehlfarben was formed in 1979 out of members of the German punk band Mittagspause and other musicians from the Düsseldorf punk scene.[6] Initially moving away from the Clash and Wire influenced punk of Mittagspause to experiment with ska,[7] Fehlfarben settled into a sound perhaps most comparable to their English contemporaries Gang of Four.[8] Signing a contract with the German subsidiary of EMI lost them their status as an underground band, but in 1980 they released their debut, Monarchie und Alltag (Monarchy and everyday life), an album recognized then and now as one of the most important German-language rock records.[9] Despite its cultural impact, Monarchie und Alltag did not reach gold status in Germany until 2000.[10][11]

The single "Ein Jahr (Es geht voran)" ("One Year (It's moving onward)") from Monarchie und Alltag, which would be their only hit single, was in fact disliked by the band members themselves, who had initially produced its slick disco groove more in jest than seriousness.[12][13]

Shortly after having released their debut album, Fehlfarben suffered the departure of lead singer Peter Hein owing to his frustration at the follow-up tour's being lengthened from three to six weeks on short notice. He went back to his day job at Xerox, where he worked until 2003. The band released two more albums without Hein during the 1980s, 33 Tage in Ketten (English translation: 33 days in chains) and Glut und Asche (English translation: Blaze and ashes), with only the latter making it onto the German charts. After struggles with their label, they disbanded at the end of 1984.

The first comeback with all the original members took place in 1990s; it saw (to mixed reviews) the release of two LPs: Die Platte des himmlischen Friedens (English translation: The record of heavenly peace) and Popmusik und Hundezucht (English translation: Pop music and dog breeding).[4]

In 2002, the band launched another comeback behind the album Knietief im Dispo (English translation: Knee deep in the overdraft loan). The album coincided with a general revival of interest in the early days of German punk and new wave. This reunion has been productive; their 2002 album has been followed by seven additional albums over the interim 20 years, and they continue to perform live.[14][15] The latest of these is the studio album titled ?0??, which was released in 2022.[16][17][18]

Discography

Studio albums

  1. Monarchie und Alltag (Welt-Rekord, EMI Electrola 1980)[19]
  2. 33 Tage in Ketten (Welt-Rekord, EMI Electrola 1981)
  3. Glut und Asche (Welt-Rekord, EMI Electrola 1983)
  4. Die Platte des Himmlischen Friedens (Königshaus, 1991)
  5. Popmusik und Hundezucht (Plattenmeister, D.D.R. 1995, recorded 1984)
  6. Knietief im Dispo (!K7 Records, Wonder, 2002)
  7. 26½ (V2, 2006)[20]
  8. Handbuch für die Welt (V2, 2007)
  9. Glücksmaschinen (Tapete, 2010)[21]
  10. Xenophonie (Tapete, 2012)
  11. Über … Menschen (Tapete, 2015)[22]
  12. ?0?? (Tapete, 2022)

Live albums

Singles

Samplers (selected)

Literature

References

  1. ^ Shahan, Cyrus (2013). Punk Rock and German Crisis: Adaptation and Resistance After 1977. Bielefeld: Springer/Palgrave Macmillan. doi:10.1057/9781137337559. ISBN 978-1137343666.
  2. ^ Hayton, Jeff (2022). Culture from the Slums: Punk Rock in East and West Germany. Oxford Academic. doi:10.1093/oso/9780198866183.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-886618-3.
  3. ^ "FEHLFARBEN: Monarchie und Alltag" (in German). Theaterhaus Stuttgart. 2010. Archived from the original on 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  4. ^ a b "Peter Hein, Sänger Der "Fehlfarben" "Niemand hat uns richtig verstanden"" (in German). Rheinische Post. 2017-05-04.
  5. ^ Winkler, Thomas (2016-01-31). "Musiker Peter Hein über Trotz: "Ich würde uns nicht kaufen"" (in German). Taz. Archived from the original on 2022-07-01. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  6. ^ Wilde, Marc (2022-11-07). ""DU KANNST DIR 27 GESCHLECHTER AUSSUCHEN, ABER VERARSCHT WIRST DU TROTZDEM" – PETER HEIN IM INTERVIEW" (in German). Kaputt: Magazine für Insolvenz & Pop. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  7. ^ Crasshole, Walter (2017-06-20). "Monarchy 37 years on: Fehlfarben's Peter Hein". Exberliner. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  8. ^ Shahan, Cyrus (2017). "Fehlfarben, and German Punk: The Making of 'No Future.'.". German Pop Music. Berlin: De Gruyter. pp. 111–130. doi:10.1515/9783110425727-006. ISBN 9783110425727.
  9. ^ Twickel, Christoph (2010-02-15). ""Fehlfarben"-Sänger Hein "Ich will keine Goethe-Institut-Rente!"" (in German). Der Spiegel. Archived from the original on 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  10. ^ "FEHLFARBEN album sales". BestSellingAlbums.org. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  11. ^ "FEHLFARBEN: Monarchie und Alltag" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  12. ^ Hornberger, Barbara (2014). "Eine kulturepoetische Untersuchung von »Ein Jahr (es geht voran).". Geschichte wird gemacht. Bielefeld: transcript-Verlag. pp. 77–99.
  13. ^ von Hayde, Jolly (2023-01-26). "Scharfsinnig pessimistisch - Fehlfarben-Sänger Peter Hein (Radio Program)" (in German). SWR2 Tandem: das Kulturprogramm des Südwestrundfunks. Archived from the original on 2023-01-28. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
  14. ^ Risel, Martin (2014-11-17). "Live Review: DAF & Fehlfarben - Düsseldorf 2014" (in German). Reflections of Darkness: Music Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-07-28. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  15. ^ von Hayde, Jolly (2019-11-07). ""Fehlfarben" live in Berlin auf dem Alexanderplatz (06.11.19)" (in German). Stuttgart-Schwarz: Das Szenemagazin für den schwarzen Süden. Archived from the original on 2021-11-27. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  16. ^ "REVIEWS: "Mach dich auf den Weg …" – Die Fehlfarben singen nochmal Tacheles" (in German). MoPop. 2022-10-13. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  17. ^ Risel, Martin (2022-10-14). "Neues Album von Fehlfarben: Dichterische Genialität, vernebelt in Nihilismus (Podcast)" (in German). Deutschlandfunk Kultur. Archived from the original on 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  18. ^ Niemczyk, Ralf (2022-10-14). "Fehlfarben "?0??"". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2023-02-09. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  19. ^ Kolodziej, Markus (2020-02-01). "40 JAHRE SPÄTER: FEHLFARBEN - MONARCHIE UND ALLTAG (LP, WELT-REKORD, 1980)". Ox Fanzine.
  20. ^ "Interviews:Fehlfarben: All die Jahre - eine musikalische Zeitreise mit Peter Hein". Ox Fanzine. 2006-08-01.
  21. ^ Wittwer, Claus (2010-02-01). "Interviews:Fehlfarben: Peter Hein, das Gitarrenrock-Arschloch". Ox Fanzine.
  22. ^ Hanke, Wolfram (2015-10-01). "Reviews: FEHLFARBEN Über ... Menschen". Ox Fanzine. Archived from the original on 2023-06-14. Retrieved 2023-06-14.

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