The Trial
| The Trial | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | New wave , rock , post-punk |
| founding | 1985 |
| Website | http://www.thetrial.de/ |
| Founding members | |
| αlabay | |
Lyrics |
M. Strenge (until 1987) |
| Current occupation | |
Vocals, instruments, lyrics |
αlabay |
| Pfeuti (1989–1991, since 1996) | |
Singing, Kotamo
|
Lady Ophreusis (since 2003) |
| former members | |
Vocals, instruments |
T. Liebscher (1988, 1997) |
Drums |
T. Warlo (1988-1991) |
| Pfeuti (1989–1991) | |
| B. Möhrle (1991–1993, 1999) | |
Drums |
A. Schwab (1991-1993) |
bass |
K. Jehle (1992–1993, 1999–2001) |
| A. Thoma (1994-1995, 1999) | |
Bass, saxophone
|
S. Candle Maker (1994–1999) |
Drums |
T. Seiter (1994–1996) |
Guitar, percussion , synthesizer |
M. Vassallo (1996-2003) |
| Mik @ (2003-2014) | |
The Trial is an experimental German-Turkish - Swiss alternative - band , the music from rock , pop , Wave , Industrial and other styles of play.
Band history
The group was founded in 1985 in Berlin by M. Strenge and αlabay, who at that time mainly dealt with socially critical issues. The background music was initially added by αlabay in the form of noise and experimental sound collages . In 1987 the two separated and αlabay started making structured music. Back then there was no intention of belonging to a particular style of music, but the influences of The Cure , Joy Division and The Sisters of Mercy were formative. In 1988, αlabay left Berlin and moved to southwest Germany. Between 1989 and 1995 followed an active time with concerts.
From 1998 onwards, a number of albums were created via the Internet and telephone, but the group only performed live twice. Between 2001 and 2005 a concept album ( Statements & Unanswered Questions ) was created, which, in collaboration with co-founder M. Strenge, reinterpreted a planned but unrealized work from 1986. After a serious accident with M. Strenges in 1996, this reinterpretation of socially critical standpoints (the concept of the album) was written from a completely new perspective.
In 2006 the decision was made to work as a band again. The year also marked a turning point as an entirely Turkish work was now recorded. So far there have only been a few tracks. The decision was made after a stay in Izmir and Istanbul in 2005, which showed the full extent of the changes in the Turkish alternative scene. Groups like Replikas , Mor ve Ötesi or Duman had brought New Wave and alternative elements into their music over time, which until then, if alternative, had been more crossover - or metal- heavy.
background
The Trial was founded in West Berlin in the 1980s, a time characterized by the lack of prospects of the Cold War and social tensions. The accusatory, socially critical and pessimistic of the texts also gave rise to the idea of being in a court case with society - the trial: the court hearing / the trial (alluding to Kafka's The Trial ). The ambiguity of the term, in turn, accommodated the experimental aspect of music. At first M. Strenge was the more socially critical , and αlabay wrote more emotional, sometimes banal, typical wave / pop lyrics. A special feature was that the texts were not only monolingual. In addition to English , there were also German , French and Turkish texts. Turkish played a special role here, because at that time this language was considered exotic in alternative music. In 2005/2006, αlabay noticed that things can be put into words in Turkish that one could neither think nor feel in English or German. Since in the end everything is more or less translatable, (several) languages are a tool to break up the narrowness of a single linguistic / cultural way of thinking.
Instruments
The first recordings were made with everything tangible in reach, starting with an acoustic guitar and a small Yamaha PSS-401. From 1988 it was possible to use more exotic devices: Dulcimer , Psalter , Monochord, etc. The main instruments were drums , piano and bass . The electric guitar was used sporadically from 1987 onwards, but only got the typical main role of rock music from 1989. Years followed with "normal" instrumentation, occasionally supported by violin or saxophone . In 2000 there was an important turning point: the saz ( long neck lute ) was introduced as one of the main instruments. Since then, it has been used to play some quite alienated passages that have not yet appeared in this form in Turkish rock music . Later, the group also used computers, garbage cans, refrigerators and environmental noises (recorded on the move).
Discography (excerpts)
- Gift (1988; Trial Communications), MC
- Lavender Blue Dream (1988; Trial Communications), MC
- The Forgotten Clutch (1988; Waldeck Sound), MC
- Temple Of The Bergamot (1989; Waldeck Sound), MC
- You'll Never Fail Until You Stop Trying (1990; Waldeck Sound), MC
- Existence (1993; Trial Communications), MC
- Public Domain (1996; Trial Communications), MC
- Prænatal Postmodern (1998; Zodiakom), 2CDr
- Night of Illusion (2001; Zodiakom), CDr
- Dolunay (2002; Zodiakom), CDr
- The Geisterfahrer EP (2003; Zodiakom), CD
- Statements & Unanswered Questions (2006; Zodiakom), 2CDr
- Lucifer Lux (2006; Zodiakom), 2CDr
- Mimarlar (2007; Zodiakom), CDr
- Feuerblume (2008; Zodiakom), CDr
- Tuz Katedrali (2009; Zodiakom), CDr / MP3
- Cologne Oturumu (2011; Zodiakom), CDr / MP3
- Hürriyet (2013; Zodiakom), CDr / MP3
- Postmortem (2013; Zodiakom), MP3
- Esaret (2013; Zodiakom / con-area), MP3
- unlustig (2015; Zodiakom), CDr / MP3
Sampler contributions
- Godfathers Of German Gothic III: Heaven (Asylum 4) (1997; Subterranean / Euro Media), CD
- dssg Sampler: 1668 (2001; dssg), CD
- dssg Sampler 2: Tinsmith & Crossbow (2003; dssg), CD
- freiburgtapesvolume 4: Üç küp (2008; jazzhaus records), CD
Cross connections
- The Trial was renamed New Trial between 1993 and 2003 - there were two reasons for this: 1993 was supposed to be a “fresh start”, and they wanted to differentiate themselves by name from the almost eponymous electro band Trial . In 2003 the old name was adopted again and in 2005 the German Rock & Pop Musicians Association ( DRMV) registered title protection for both names.
- αlabay is also involved in unlustig !, another New Wave group.
- Pfeuti has released two albums with the hardcore formation Radical Development. Among other things, he works with the noise group Tumorchester .
- Mik @ used to be a member of the industrial bands Sheba Wore No Nylons and DL. He later worked solo under the name The MMVP
- M. Vassallo, who was involved between 1996 and 2003, is the founder of the dark ambient project Arbre Noir.
- There have been and are cooperations and collaborations with different musicians and artists.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Information page on Statements and Unanswered Questions
- ↑ Information page on Tuz Katedrali
- Jump up ↑ The Trial's History Timeline
- ↑ Dark Entries mention The Trial as the first known group to combine Turkish and New Wave
- ↑ Interview with the online magazine fudder, Freiburg, 2008 ( Memento of the original from July 27, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) 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.
- ↑ Dolunay review in BLACK magazine, 2002
- ↑ Ghost riders at Discogs
- ↑ Antimatter Playlists 2009 (No. 70)
- ↑ From the blog Fritz the Spider ( Memento from August 5, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ dssg page ( Memento of the original from July 18, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) 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.
- ↑ The Trial as New Trial at Discogs
- ↑ dssg page ( Memento of the original from July 18, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) 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.
- ↑ The Trial as New Trial at Discogs
- ↑ Announcement of the Freiburg Tapes Vol. 4 sampler at fudder, Freiburg ( memento of the original from October 1, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) 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.
- ↑ Archive notes for renaming
- ↑ Page of the eponymous volume Trial
- ↑ The Trial at Discogs
- ↑ MUSIKER Magazin 03/2005, 04/2005 (DRMV)
- ↑ Discogs Dachau Lustknaben
- ^ Info page from Contaminated Area
- ^ Homepage of The Trial
- ↑ Homepage of Spherical Disrupted ( Memento of the original from July 15, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) 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.
- ↑ Homepage of P A L (Ant Zen Records)
- ↑ Homepage of Plasma Expander
- ↑ Phil Münch in an interview with Korg ( Memento of the original from May 30, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) 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.
- ↑ Former members of Herbstmanøver ( Memento of the original from July 18, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) 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.
