Overgament
Overgament (a play on words from an overgarment ( protective suit of the Bundeswehr ) and the term "game over") is a German electronic / electronic body music / industrial band from Bavaria (near Nuremberg) and consists of Tom Wunder and Mario Pförtner and Reiner Keller.
Band history
Prehistory and foundation of Overgament
Tom Wunder and Mario Pförtner have known each other since they were children, went to school together and enjoyed experimenting with all kinds of metal objects in a nearby junkyard in their free time . At that time everything that gave sound was their instrument and shaped the variety of sounds and the love of sounds between the two of them from an early age. In 1978 the first “junk performances” in front of friends followed; In the early 1980s, music was played in various school bands. Some bands from this time: "We" (1982), Die Zwei (1984), Desaster Area (1986), Tom Wunder always on drums and vocals, Mario Pförtner keyboards (Casio PT-1), percussion and vocals. In 1985 the time had come for your own compositions and they began to record harsh metal sound collages. Initially on standard chrome cassettes, then later using the multi-track method on Tascam 4-track tapes.
This recording technique then made it possible to create ever more sophisticated arrangements. The need to create and capture new sounds quickly grew. The sound collages created in this way, partly with vocals, partly instrumental, were new, there was nothing comparable in the environment of Tom & Mario; at the same time, however, there was growing interest among people who liked the otherness of music, and it was decided to give the project (1988) a name.
The first publications
The founding time as well as the sound influences from minimal electronics and industrial noise make Overgament a member of the 1st electronic body music generation (1980–1990), alongside bands such as B. "Front 242", "Nitzer Ebb" and "Frontline Assembly". The releases were exclusively tapes with their own artwork that were given away at the performances or sold later. These were very small editions of up to 100 pieces, numbered and z. Sometimes also provided with different pieces of music and song arrangements. The design / artwork factor is at least as important an area of overgaments as their musical forms of expression. Overgament always saw itself as a total work of art, "one thing causes the other".
Between 1988 and 1992 no contact with record companies was deliberately sought; one was busy with the creative process.
In 1990 Tom Wunder and Mario Pförtner contacted RK, who had also been producing electronic music for many years, and so the first three demo recordings were made. RK mainly brought song structures and sound design into the process. In 1991 a small label from Gütersloh, KM-Musik, heard from Overgaments Musik and signed the band.
In 1992 the first album "Works" (maxi CD) was released. The first edition was quickly sold, but not reissued.
In 1993 Carlos Perón (ex-Yello member) got this CD in hand and it was decided to record an album together. After almost a year of production and a change to the major indie label Strange Ways Records (Hamburg) and their Dark Star label, the debut album “The Machinery of Destruction” was available in early 1994. Several label tours through Germany followed with bands such as Girls under Glass, Artwork, The Cain Principle and Wolfsheim; also independently organized tours etc. a. with Cat Rapes Dog followed.
In the same year the production of the second album "Vulva / Tor zur Welt" began, which was recorded with Carlos Peron and Merlin Monroe (Spartak) in Basel. This production was Overgament's greatest success to date. The album contains the piece of music "In your Hands", which quickly became popular with many compilations and others. a. with "Nitzer Ebb", De / Vision, Goethes Erben, Tangerine Dream, A Split Second, Laibach, Anne Clark, The Normal (Daniel Miller), DAF (German-American Friendship), Die Form, Borghesia and many more, z. B. the coupling “Fashion-Fetish-Fantasies”. or "A Spark in the Dark". The song "In your Hands" was named song of the month by the magazine " New Life " and referred to as trend-setting for the genre "Synthpop".
The album "Vulva" was divided into four genres:
Definitions of the work phases:
- 1st phase (M = Metal Phase) (songs such as "Brothers of Doom", "Burning Crosses", "Heaven & Steel")
- 2. Phase (C = Contrast Phase) (songs such as "Oh, sweet sweet", "In your Hands")
- 3rd phase (R = Remix Phase) (songs such as "Feldmonitor C3 - Viet Trance Version", "Soundfetishism - Full Version")
- 4th phase (D = DNA phase) (song "Scrapeyard of the Devil / 20 Minutes of Hope)
Overgament broke new ground with the DNA phase and worked closely with Dietmar Schäffer (qualified biologist). in the musical implementation of the DNA. The song "Scrapeyard of the Devil / 20 Minutes of Hope" is an implementation of the substance "Luciferin" and its four bases adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C) and thymine (T). These bases controlled the sequencing of the The main sounds of this song, the song length of 20 minutes, is due to the considerable amount of data. The influence of biological parameters brought Overgament a step forward in the search for new sounds and sound sequences. Contact and exchange on the subject is also with a well-known band " Clock DVA “Who also researched in the genre.
In 1996 the remix phase album "Fuck or What?" Was released. It contained collaborations with bands such as Spartak, Carlos Peron, Cicuta Virosa, and Taurine Baby.
In 1998 the decision was made for a farewell album entitled "Hello, Good-buy". which was an allusion to declining CD sales in the music scene and the emergence of various online exchange platforms such as Napster etc.
By splitting it into four phases, Overgament has now devoted itself to the areas of “Contrast Phase” (still best defined as Synthpop) and the DNA phase. While research into DNA continues to this day and is more exciting than ever, the band “Love?” (Love Questionmark), the official Love? Website, was founded out of the “Contrast Phase”. to give the soulful side its own name.
Overgament is still active today, but without a regular album released on CD since 2000. Overgament published special edits of their songs on various social platforms. This was followed by compilation contributions. In 2016 OVERGAMENT will contribute a new song, a cover version of Front 242 - Body To Body for the compilation "Staying in Rhythm - A Tribute to Front 242" licensed by Front 242 for the first time with the original line-up OVM01, OVM02 and OVM03.
Discography
Studio albums
- 1993: The Machinery of Destruction (Dark Star)
- 1994: Vulva / Gateway to the World (Dark Star)
- 1995: Fuck or What? (Dark Star)
- 1998: Hello, Good-buy! (Blast Furnace Inc.)
- 2013: The Machinery of Destruction - Remastered (Digital Release, Subculture Records)
- 2014: Vulva - Remastered (Digital Release, Subculture Records)
Maxi CD
- 1992: Works (KM Music)
Compilations CD
- 1993: Take Off Music Volume 1 (Track: Stahlkultur, 7.48 Min.)
- 1994: Fashion, Fetish & Fantasies (Track: In Your Hand, 3.04 Min.)
- 1994: Inside Out (Electro-Sounds-Compilation) (Track: Surrounded By Darkness, 7.43 min.)
- 1995: Fashion, Fetish & Fantasies (Track: In Your Hand, 3.08 Min.)
- 1995: Spark In The Dark (Track: In Your Hand (House Mix), 3.13 min.)
- 1995: Fetish Soundtracks I (Track: Extract, 5.24 Min.)
- 1995: New generation III: "Quality class" (Track: Feldmonitor C3 (Boiling Blood Mix), 3.01 min.)
- 1995: Electrocity Vol. 6 (Track: In Your Hands, 3.08 Min.)
- 1995: Alternative (Promo) (Track: Heaven & Steel, 3.53 min.)
- 2013: The Eisenberg Sampler Vol. 3 (Track: Feldmonitor C3 - Remastered 5.56 min.)
- 2014: Cultural Differences Vol. 1 (Track: Brothers of Doom - Remastered 4.29 Min.)
Cover versions
- 2016: Staying in rhythm (Track: Body To Body - Cover version 4.59 min.)
Web links
credentials
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Overgament-Demo-II/release/2491781
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/label/KM-Musik
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Overgament-Works/release/257889
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Overgament-The-Machinery-Of-Destruction/release/257096
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Overgament-Vulva/release/638260
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Various-Fashion-Fetish-Fantasies/release/824624
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Various-Spark-In-The-Dark/release/958445
- ↑ http://www.xing.com/profile/Dietmar_Schaeffer
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Overgament-Fuck-Or-What/release/491544
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Overgament-Hello-Good-Buy/release/732948
- ↑ http://www.love-questionmark.de