Sulfur (tape)

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sulfur
Band lineup until 2012, from left to right: Norbert Schwefel, Thomas Hinkel, Thomas Nelliste
Band lineup until 2012, from left to right: Norbert Schwefel, Thomas Hinkel, Thomas Nelliste
General information
origin Mannheim , Germany
Genre (s) Independent , glam rock , alternative rock
founding 1984
resolution 2015
Founding members
Norbert Schwefel
Last occupation
Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard, percussion, piano, synthesizer, sitar, composition
 Norbert Schwefel
former members
singing
 Charles Lemming (1984-1986)
Keyboard
 Klaus Adelmann (1986)
bass
 Jack Kugler (1986)
Keyboard
 Mike Rausch (1986)
guitar
 Jörg Visher (1986)
saxophone
 Martin Buchholz (aka Horacz Bluminth) (1986–1989)
Saxophone, bass
 Christian "Christl" Marley (1988–1992)
Drums, drum machines
 Ralf Laubscher (1988–1992)
guitar
 Axel Steuerwald (1989)
Keyboard, vocals
 Eryko Makinosis (1990–1991)
guitar
 Mark Born (1990-1992)
Keyboard
 Thomas Hinkel (1991–2012)
guitar
 Ado Adomeit (1992)
Percussion
 Erwin Ditzner (1992)
guitar
 Angel (aka Jörg Bär) (1992)
bass
 Uli Daum (1992)
Drums
 Jörg Eichfuss (1994)
Keyboard, vocals
 Leroy Hartmann (1999-2003)
bass
 Hans Santisi (2001)
Drums
 Tara G. Zintel (2002-2004)
Drums
 Thomas Zander (2003)
singing
 Verona Davies (2003)
Drums
 Thomas Nelliste (2004-2010)

Schwefel was a band founded in 1984 around the Mannheim musician and producer Norbert Schwefel (born August 22, 1960 in Lampertheim ; † July 23, 2015 in Mannheim). To clarify the terms: If not mentioned otherwise, the term "sulfur" refers to the band. Although solo projects have also been published under this name and a separation is difficult at all, since the line-up changed frequently with the exception of Norbert Schwefel.

history

From 1984 the musician and producer Norbert Schwefel recorded some tapes and records from mainly Mannheim bands, on which he initially played all the instruments himself. Later, guest musicians were brought in and a permanent line-up (although characterized by high fluctuation ) slowly formed .

The first publications were received very benevolently by the press and found numerous listeners in the club and independent scene (see chapter Success in the 1980s ), although Schwefel ventured into the public without affiliation with a major label . After the release of three albums and various EPs by various independent record companies, the sustained great success did not materialize over time. There was a release break between 1992 and 1999, during which the band did not have a record deal, Norbert Schwefel withdrew from the public and devoted himself to viticulture and pressing.

In the late 1990s, the band was reformed and the career resumed with a best-of album. The press was particularly focussed on the fifth album Edge City , a dark-sounding concept album based on industrial music about Schwefel's hometown Mannheim, and the following Mystifier , another, this time emphatically “light” concept album, whose 22 tracks are close to 22 trumps orientate the tarot . In 2012, Thomals Nelliste announced his departure from the band, which from then on was only continued by Norbert Schwefel alone.

In addition to his own musical activities, Norbert Schwefel produced various musicians and, from 2003, organized the annual Sulfur Sonic Open Air Festival, where local and national musicians perform. He ran his own record company, Sulfur Sonic Records (sulfur = English for sulfur).

Since around 2007, several multimedia projects, settings of historical film material and an opera have also been performed (for more details see discography). In 2010 and 2011, Schwefel recorded a previously unreleased record with the Berlin violinist TThomthom Geigenschrey in the Audiomobil studio in Berlin-Wedding and played concerts under the name Schwefel & Geigenschrey at various locations in Berlin such as the now closed Friedrichshain theater band . From 2011 Norbert Schwefel and Volker Hartmann-Langenfelder formed the artist duo KrüppelNation , whose name was changed to Kolk in 2013 . Norbert Schwefel died on July 23, 2015 after a long illness.

1980s success

After the first record releases, Schwefel received unusually euphoric reactions for an independent musician in the German press, especially in the fanzine scene. In 1987, Schwefel was voted Newcomer of the Year by readers of Spex magazine . Straight magazine named Frog In The Opera as the best pop song in 1988. Unusual for an independent artist was also the mention in the youth magazine Bravo , which sulfur called "comet of the underground". The Berlin city magazine zitty wrote: “The always required world standard, here it is! (…) Since Hot In Hong Kong , the future of Rock'N'Roll has also been called sulfur. ” Hot In Hong Kong was named album of the year 1988 by several music magazines. As a result, it stayed in the top ten of the German independent charts for several weeks , along with the debut Schizophrenic Party .

style

Sulfur were classified as independent or alternative music. According to Norbert Schwefel's own statement, the most formative influence on her style was the glam rock of the 1970s. But there were always very different stylistic influences. The album Luna Messalina , for example, strongly influenced by the Electronic Body Music affects Motorpsycho approaches the Heavy Metal on, Edge City the Industrial . Other influences include New Wave and Psychedelic Rock, for example. The album Mystifier finally breaks away from a fixed style and consists of 22 pieces, each of which represents its own style of music, including as different as ballads, soul or folk songs. The band itself emphasized the fact that their music emerged from a tension due to rigid programming in the studio work, caused by a few to a single participant, and improvisation during live performances.

Discography

  • Strange Orchestras (1984; MC; in-house production)
  • Second (1985; MC; in-house production)
  • The Dancing Partner (1985; MC; S Prod.)
  • Nervous Tract (1985; MC; in-house production)
  • Schizophrenic Party (1986; mini-LP; Schuldige Scheitel Records)
  • Metropolis (1987; EP; Amigo)
  • Detailed (1987; MC; Amigo)
  • Champagne, Champagne and the Golden Rain (1988; EP and 7 "single; Amigo)
  • Hot in Hong Kong (1988; LP, CD; Amigo)
  • Luna Messalina (1990; LP, CD; multi-sound)
  • All Shook Up (1990; 7 "single; multi-sound)
  • Motor Psycho (1992; LP, CD; EFA)
  • Photosynthesis (1999; CD; Sulfur Sonic Records)
  • Unlimited Years (1999; CD; Sulfur Sonic Records; Best-of-Album of the period 1984–1992)
  • Center of Love (2000; Maxi-CD; Sulfur Sonic Records)
  • Edge City (2001; CD; Apollyon)
  • Mystifier (2003; CD; Sulfur Sonic Records)
  • What's Your Blow (2008; CD; Parergon; best-of album from 1987–1992)
  • Weinheim Tea Party (2008; CD; Sulfur Sonic Records)
  • King Kong Proves That Larger Is Better (2009; CD; Sulfur Sonic Records; live album)
  • A Snake Ate Your Grandfather's Hat (2012; CD; Sulfur Sonic Records)
  • Kolk (with Volker Hartmann Langenfelder; 2014; CD; Sulfur Sonic Records)
  • Die Schwefel Oper (2015; 2xCD; Sulfur Sonic Records)
  • Best (2016; 2xCD; Sulfur Sonic Records)

Film / video

  • Psycho IV (1991; VHS; multi-sound)
  • Sealed Time (2005; DVD; Mopsfilm / Sulfur Sonic)
  • From the work of the Mannheim musician Norbert Schwefel (documentary, 2012, director: Dieter Wöhrle)

Working as a producer (selection)

  • The Sulfur Sonic Open Air 2004 (2004; compilation CD; Sulfur Sonic Records)
  • The Sulfur Sonic Open Air 2005 (2005; Compilation CD; Sulfur Sonic Records)
  • Zauberfinger - Live at Sulfur Sonic (2005; CD; Sulfur Sonic Records)
  • The Leroy - Frogs & Snails (2005; CD; Sulfur Sonic Records)
  • Megus - I actually imagined it to be completely different (2007; CD; Sulfur Sonic Records)

Selected performances, film and video projects

  • The Sun Freezes From Heroic Deeds (2007; DVD; Soundtrack)
  • Nachtwandel (2008; live setting of the film King Kong and the White Woman )
  • Stahloper (opera in 11 acts by Norbert Schwefel; premiere 2008)
  • KrüppelNation live at zeitraumexit, Mannheim (2011; DVD)
  • Sulfur Sonic Festival (since 2003; organized by Norbert Schwefel)

Side projects and guest appearances

Norbert Schwefel:

  • Le Tombeau - Retrospective (1984; MC; Der Tape-Zierer; guitar, vocals, percussion, bass, synthesizer, piano)
  • Horacz Bluminth - The Mountain Comes (1985; CD; Adult Music)
  • Charles Lemming & the Heart Attack - Night Serenade (1990; LP; Industrial Jive Records; backing vocals)
  • Gutter Sluts - Bitches Of Quality (1998; CD; vocals, guitar, percussion, keyboard)
  • The Leroy - Frogs & Snails (2005; CD; Sulfur Sonic Records; under the pseudonym: Wolf Scherbender; bass, guitar, keyboard, organ)
  • Swamp Sessions - Volume One (2006; Mp3; Swamp Room Records; vocals)
  • Instant Drone Factory - Ho Avuto Paura Del Mare (2011; CD; FünfUndFierzig; Piano)

Leroy Hartmann:

  • The Leroy - Frogs & Snails (2005; CD; Sulfur Sonic Records)

Martin Buchholz (as Horacz Bluminth):

  • The Beautiful Things (1985; CD; Adult Music)
  • The Mountain Comes (1985; CD; Adult Music)
  • We'll See Far Far Away (1991; CD; Adult Music)
  • March Obskur (1996; CD; Adult Music)
  • Big Room Empty (2000; CD; Adult Music)
  • Earlier tracks 1984-2006 (2006; CD; Adult Music)

Supporting documents and comments

  1. ↑ also working for Xavier Naidoo at the mixing desk
  2. ↑ also band member of Stereo MC's and Evolver
  3. ↑ First of all, Charles Lemming from Norbert Schwefel's earlier bands, Dr. Paranoia and 16 Kitchen , with whom he published a few tapes and sampler contributions from 1980. Source: Charles Lemming's homepage. Archived from the original on February 8, 2007 ; Retrieved October 6, 2008 .
  4. ^ Artist biography on the homepage of his former record company. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on February 18, 2011 ; Retrieved September 29, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Before his career as a musician, he worked as a gardener, source: Straight 5/88. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.parergon.de
  5. ↑ N. Schwefel: "If Edge City was Schwefel's black album, then Mystifier is the white one." Source: Interview with Gerald Merkel from 2003. Retrieved on September 29, 2012 .
  6. ↑ The idea for Schwefel came from a comparable project by the Ton Steine ​​Scherben group . Source: Interview with Gerald Merkel from 2003. Retrieved September 29, 2012 .
  7. ↑ Georg Spindler: Sparkling with creativity. Mannheimer Morgen , July 25, 2015, accessed on August 3, 2015 .
  8. ↑ Sulfur was also perceived internationally, albeit less pronounced. Dave Henderson wrote about Schizophrenic Party in London Underground Magazine (7/1987) : "Great debut mini album from German based Schwefel."
  9. ↑ Sandra Grether in Straight 5/88; The headline “Sulfur - The new god of the underground?” is printed on the title page.
  10. ^ Bravo 5/1987. Schwefel was also reviewed here later, for example in issue 8/1988 the EP Champagne, Champagne and the Golden Rain and in 1992 the album Motor Psycho .
  11. ↑ "the best German pop record of 1988" (Helge Birkelbach, Hype Magazine, 11/1988); “One of the best German pop LPs of the year '88” (Thomas Noga, Prinz, 1/1989); “One of the most successful pop albums of the past year” (C. Gasser, Berner Woche, 4/1989); “It couldn't be better.” (Rainer Unruh, Hamburger Morgenpost, December 26, 1988); “A mature long-playing groove work” (Mario Scherrer, züri-tip, March 31, 1989); "If there is a new king of Germany after Rio Reiser, it will be sulfur, who will be chosen and celebrated as the new god of the underground." (Katz Magazin, Trier, 2/1989); - quoted from press release from Parergon
  12. ↑ These were set up by the store chain WOM (World Of Music) based on sales figures in the individual branches. B. also published in Spex magazine. Source: official press release by Mirko Krüger (Parergon Records)
  13. ↑ "My hero was Marc Bolan even then " Source: Interview by Gerald Merkel from 2003. Retrieved on September 29, 2012 .
  14. ↑ The heavy metal magazine Rock Hard gives the album the highest grade of 10, see issue Rock Hard 60/1992, review by Mike Seifert. The album was produced by the guitarist of the Swedish band The Leather Nun , Bengt Aron Aronsson.
  15. ↑ "One must emphasize that sulfur travels on two rails.", Interview with Ralph Laubscher on the Psycho IV video
  16. ^ Sulfur - Strange Orchestras. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  17. ↑ As of 2009, the first three MCs were remastered by Sulfur Sonic Records and distributed via the Netlabel DooLoad .
  18. ↑ Sulfur - 2nd. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  19. ^ Sulfur - The Dancing Partner. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  20. ↑ Sulfur - Schizophrenic Party. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  21. ^ Sulfur - Metropolis. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  22. ↑ Sulfur - ... Detailed. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  23. ^ Sulfur - Champagne Champagne And The Golden Rain. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  24. ^ Sulfur - Champagne Champagne And The Golden Rain. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  25. ↑ Sulfur - Hot In Hong Kong. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  26. ↑ Sulfur - Hot In Hong Kong. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  27. ↑ Sulfur - Luna Messalina. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  28. ↑ Sulfur - Luna Messalina. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  29. ↑ Sulfur - All Shook Up. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  30. ↑ Sulfur - Motor Psycho. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  31. ↑ Sulfur - Motor Psycho. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  32. ↑ Sulfur Photosynthesis. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  33. ^ Sulfur - Unlimited Years. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  34. ↑ Sulfur - Center Of Love. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  35. ↑ Sulfur - Edge City. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  36. ↑ Sulfur - Mystifier. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  37. ^ Sulfur - What's Your Blow. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  38. ^ Sulfur - The Weinheim Tea Party. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  39. ^ Sulfur - King Kong Proves That Larger Is Better. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  40. ^ Sulfur - A Snake Ate Your Grandfather's Hat. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  41. ↑ Sulfur - Best. Accessed on February 13, 2017 .
  42. ↑ An appearance in the Thingstätte (Heidelberg)
  43. ↑ Various - Megus "I actually imagined it to be completely different". Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  44. ↑ DVD coproduced by loudhouse.de
  45. ↑ Le Tombeau - Rétrospective. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  46. ↑ Horacz Bluminth - The mountain is coming. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  47. ^ Charles Lemming And The Heart Attack - Nightserenade. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  48. ↑ The Leroy - Frogs & Snails. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  49. ↑ Unknown Artist - Swamp Sessions Volume One. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  50. ↑ Instant Drone Factory - Ho Avuto Paura Del Mare. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  51. ↑ The Leroy - Frogs & Snails. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  52. ↑ Some of the albums are available as free downloads on the artist's homepage. Retrieved September 29, 2012 .
  53. ↑ Horacz Bluminth - The mountain is coming. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .

Web links