Die Warzau
Encyclopedia
Die Warzau was an industrial music
band formed in 1987 by performance artists Jim Marcus
and Van Christie.
, the group released Disco Rigido in the late 1980s.
A second album, Big Electric Metal Bass Face, was released in the early 1990s. Contributors to the band at the time included Chris Vrenna and James Woolley
(both members of Nine Inch Nails
during the mid-1990s), and audio visual artist Burle Avant, who went on to co-create the MTV television series Amp
.
Engine, a 1995 release on Wax Trax/TVT
, was the last album the group released before going on hiatus for almost a decade, and included contributions from Chris Randall
of the band Sister Machine Gun
(SMG). One of the songs written by Die Warzau during this time, "Hole In the Ground," ended up on the SMG album Burn
.
Die Warzau as a group then went on hiatus for a number of years, with Marcus and Christie working on other projects. Jim Marcus founded the pure funk group Everplastic while Van Christie worked on another project called Eco-Hed.
In 2004, the duo re-united, together with new members Abel Garibaldi and Dan Evans, releasing Convenience on their Chicago-based label Pulseblack Records.
2008 saw the release of Vinyl 88, a collection of remixes and previously unreleased tracks including "Born Again" (for which a controversial video was released) and "Hitler's Brain", a collaboration with funk pioneer George Clinton
. While some of the tracks had seen prior release, many of the remixes featured re-recorded elements.
In 2009, Die Warzau made several songs – many from the recent Convenience and Vinyl 88 releases – available for remixing at RemixGalaxy.com The different musical elements (vocals, drums, bass, etc.) of each song are available as separate tracks, which allows fans (and/or budding remixers) the opportunity to create their own versions of the songs or incorporate the parts into their own original tracks under personal, non-commercial license.
In 2011, Die Warzau announced on their Facebook page that their performance at the WTII Minifest 2 on June 12 would be the band's last performance before breaking up. The live personnel included Jim Marcus, Dan Evans, Vince McAley, and Jay Ramirez.
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
band formed in 1987 by performance artists Jim Marcus
Jim Marcus
James Marcus is a musician, artist, political activist, and respected typographer who is best known for his work as the lead singer and founder of the Industrial band Die Warzau...
and Van Christie.
History
Originally signed to Chris Parry's Fiction RecordsFiction Records
Fiction Records is a UK label founded by Chris Parry in 1978 that is best known for being the home of The Cure for over 20 years. Formerly independent, the label is now owned by Polydor, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.-History:...
, the group released Disco Rigido in the late 1980s.
A second album, Big Electric Metal Bass Face, was released in the early 1990s. Contributors to the band at the time included Chris Vrenna and James Woolley
James Woolley
James J. Woolley is a former keyboard and synthesizer player for industrial metal group Nine Inch Nails for the 1991 Lollapalooza Tour and the beginning part of the 1994 Self Destruct Tour...
(both members of Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
during the mid-1990s), and audio visual artist Burle Avant, who went on to co-create the MTV television series Amp
Amp (TV series)
Amp was a music video program on MTV that aired from 1997 to 2001. It was aimed at the electronic music and rave crowd and was responsible for exposing many electronica acts to the mainstream. When co-creator Todd Mueller left the show in 1998, it was redubbed Amp 2.0. The show aired some 46...
.
Engine, a 1995 release on Wax Trax/TVT
TVT Records
TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...
, was the last album the group released before going on hiatus for almost a decade, and included contributions from Chris Randall
Chris Randall (musician)
Chris Randall is an American musician, and the former frontman of Sister Machine Gun. In 1998, he created a side-project called Micronaut, focusing on more instrumental music that was not necessarily appropriate for Sister Machine Gun....
of the band Sister Machine Gun
Sister Machine Gun
-The early years:Sister Machine Gun was formed by Chris Randall and Guilherme Machado in New York City. They performed at New Jersey's Pipeline, and New York's Limelight. The band went on a short hiatus after Chris Randall joined KMFDM's tour as a stage technician. After the tour, Randall left...
(SMG). One of the songs written by Die Warzau during this time, "Hole In the Ground," ended up on the SMG album Burn
Burn (Sister Machine Gun album)
Burn is an album by industrial rock band Sister Machine Gun.-Track listing:# Red# Overload# Hole in the Ground# Disease# Burn# Dispossessed# Better Than Me# Snake# I Don't Believe# Inside-Notes:...
.
Die Warzau as a group then went on hiatus for a number of years, with Marcus and Christie working on other projects. Jim Marcus founded the pure funk group Everplastic while Van Christie worked on another project called Eco-Hed.
In 2004, the duo re-united, together with new members Abel Garibaldi and Dan Evans, releasing Convenience on their Chicago-based label Pulseblack Records.
2008 saw the release of Vinyl 88, a collection of remixes and previously unreleased tracks including "Born Again" (for which a controversial video was released) and "Hitler's Brain", a collaboration with funk pioneer George Clinton
George Clinton (musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
. While some of the tracks had seen prior release, many of the remixes featured re-recorded elements.
In 2009, Die Warzau made several songs – many from the recent Convenience and Vinyl 88 releases – available for remixing at RemixGalaxy.com The different musical elements (vocals, drums, bass, etc.) of each song are available as separate tracks, which allows fans (and/or budding remixers) the opportunity to create their own versions of the songs or incorporate the parts into their own original tracks under personal, non-commercial license.
In 2011, Die Warzau announced on their Facebook page that their performance at the WTII Minifest 2 on June 12 would be the band's last performance before breaking up. The live personnel included Jim Marcus, Dan Evans, Vince McAley, and Jay Ramirez.
Disco Rigido (1989)
- Welcome to America
- Man Is Meat
- Jack Hammer
- Bodybag
- Sexus
- Money After All
- Strike to the Body
- I've Got to Make Sense
- National Security
- Shake Down
- Tear It Down
- Bodybag [Edit][Dub]
- Free Radio Africa
- Tagata en Situ
- Cross Burning, Pt. 2
- Land of the Free
Big Electric Metal Bass Face (1991)
- Crack Radio
- Funkopolis
- Never Again
- Shock Box
- Brand New Convertible Car
- Burning
- All Cut Up
- Coming Down [Live]
- My Pretty Little Girlfriend
- Red All Over
- Pig City
- Dying in Paradise
- Suck It Up
- Head
Engine (1995)
- Missing It
- Liberated
- Lizardoplacentis
- Muck
- Cyberdelia Non Corborundum
- Grounded
- Heroina.d.
- Belly
- Ultraplanet
- Pughead (Badacidanimals)
- Allgoodgirls
- Material
- Shakespeare
- Amphibious
- America
Convenience (2004)
- Crusaders
- Go Going Gone
- Permission
- Radiation Babies
- Glare
- Bliss
- Linoleum
- Superbuick
- Terrorform
- Curious
- Gone Chemical
- Kleen
- King of Rock and Roll
- Come as You Are
- As We Are so We Are
- Shine
Vinyl88 – Not the Best of Die Warzau (2008)
- Insect (Butterfly Re Edit)
- Land of the Free (Red Metal Mix)
- Born Again (Reborn Edit)
- All Good Girls (Girls Redrawn KMFDM Remix)
- Glare (Album Edit)
- Funkopolis (To Le Funk Mix)
- Crusaders (Mission to Mars Mix)
- Welcome to America (Single Cell Remix)
- Coming Down (Black Ops Mix)
- Kleen (Cleaner Mix)
- Last Generation (Rapture Re Edit)
- All Cut Up (Twist and Scar Remix)
- Nitelight (Medicated Mix)
- Smacktime
- Permission (Album Edit)
- Hitler's Brain
Borghild (2009)
- Big Hit Radio (Desktop Porn Mix)
- We Are Electric (Tens Rod Re-Edit)
- Insect (Waspkiller Fetish Mix)
- Mona Lisa Communista (Chastity Mix)
- The Gun Song (Penile Extension Mix)
- UNS (Unnatural Selection) (Unnatural Sex Mix)
Trivia
- Both Christopher Hall (Stabbing WestwardStabbing WestwardStabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.- Early years :...
/ The Dreaming) and Chris Vrenna were members at one point. - Kevin Temple (Sister Machine GunSister Machine Gun-The early years:Sister Machine Gun was formed by Chris Randall and Guilherme Machado in New York City. They performed at New Jersey's Pipeline, and New York's Limelight. The band went on a short hiatus after Chris Randall joined KMFDM's tour as a stage technician. After the tour, Randall left...
, Apartment 26Apartment 26Apartment 26 was an alternative metal band from Leamington Spa, England. They played Ozzfest in 1999 and split up in 2004.They worked with Tchad Blake, at Real World Studios, on their self-financed Music For The Massive, having scrapped "Album 1.5" after two years of production...
) was a member during the Engine era. - Warzone Recorders was started by Van Christie and Jim Marcus in part of Cabrini Green Housing Projects Sonic Boom Interview
- PULSEBLACK Records, a Chicago Indie Label is now home to Die Warzau Pulseblack Records
- In 1991 Die Warzau supported Nine Inch NailsNine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
on tour. NIN Hotline - Van Christie worked at Traxx Records (from 1994–2004) and worked with Lil LouisLil LouisLil Louis is the stage name used by Chicago-born house-music producer and DJ Louis Sims. He scored a number of hits on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the 1980s and 1990s, three of which hit #1....
on the hit "French Kiss" - Abel Garibaldi who is credited on "Convenience" is head recording engineer for R. KellyR. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
- Jim Marcus is a well-respected typeface designer for T26 Font Foundry.
- Album "Convenience" wins Industrial Album of the Year, 2006 Just Plain Folks Music Awards