Guano Apes
Encyclopedia
Guano Apes are an alternative rock
band formed in 1994 in Göttingen
, Germany
. The group members are Sandra Nasić (vocals), Henning Rümenapp (guitars, backing vocals), Stefan Ude (bass, backing vocals) and Dennis Poschwatta (drums, backing vocals).
Their sound has been described as a fusion of metal, pop and rap. Usually their music is labeled as alternative rock
and alternative metal
.
They have released four studio albums (Proud Like a God
in 1997, Don't Give Me Names
in 2000, Walking on a Thin Line
in 2003, Bel Air
in 2011), one live album (Live
in 2003), two compilation albums (Planet of the Apes
in 2004 and Lost (T)apes
in 2006), fifteen singles and five video albums.
, Germany
, by guitarist Henning Rümenapp, bassist Stefan Ude and drummer Dennis Poschwatta. Lead singer Sandra Nasić joined the band later in the same year.
The band's career took off in 1996 after they won the "Local Heroes" competition held by VIVA, beating out over 1000 competitors with their song "Open Your Eyes". The song was also their first and most successful single, followed by the release in October 1997 of their debut album Proud Like a God
on BMG
and GUN/Supersonic Records
. The album peaked at number 4 in Germany and it was certified platinum. The songs "Lords of the Boards" and "Rain" were also issued as singles. "Lord of the Boards" was commissioned for the 1998 European Snowboarding Championship.
The release of their debut album was followed by a 18 month tour of Europe and the United States. "Open Your Eyes" appeared in the Warren Miller
movie, Fifty (1999) and Crusty 2000: The Metal Millennium (2000). The non-album single "Don't Turn Your Back On Me" was contributed to the Meschugge film soundtrack in 1999.
In November 2000, Guano Apes released the second studio album, Don't Give Me Names
on BMG
and GUN/Supersonic Records
. The songs "Big in Japan", "No Speech", "Living in a Lie" and "Dödel Up" were issued as singles. "Big in Japan" (an Alphaville
cover
) and "No Speech" received a lot of airplay and the album was certified gold in Germany.
Their third studio album, Walking on a Thin Line
, was released in March 2003 on BMG
and GUN/Supersonic Records
. It went to number one in Germany and it was certified gold. The album was supported by the singles "You Can't Stop Me", "Pretty in Scarlet" and "Quietly".
In November 2003, Guano Apes issued the album Live
. The limited edition also featured a bonus 80 minute DVD with a recorded concert. In November 2004 the group released the best of album Planet of the Apes. The compilation also included a new single, "Break the Line".
Guano Apes split after the final tour in February 2005.
was released in December 2006. Lost (T)apes contained unreleased demos recorded in 1994 and 1995.
Dennis Poschwatta focused on his new band, Tamoto, in which he played the guitar (and drums on the album) and shared the vocal microphone with Markus Gumball, known as G-Ball. Stefan Ude also participated in the recording of Tamoto's debut album. Henning Rümenapp focused mainly on working "behind the scenes". In October 2007, Sandra Nasić released a solo album titled The Signal
.
In 2006, Rümenapp, Ude and Poschwatta reunited and formed a new band named IO
, together with American
singer Charles Simmons. The band has been on the road several times since then and has also been writing and recording material for their debut album, which is yet to be released.
(Portugal), Nickelsdorf
(Austria), Przystanek Woodstock
(Poland),, Rock am Ring
and Rock im Park (Germany) and Bucharest
(Romania). In Bucharest the band announced they're working on a new album.
In April 2011, the group released their fourth studio album, Bel Air
, on Columbia Europe
. The album entered the German album charts
at number one. They released two singles from this album: "Oh, What a Night" and "Sunday Lover".
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed in 1994 in Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The group members are Sandra Nasić (vocals), Henning Rümenapp (guitars, backing vocals), Stefan Ude (bass, backing vocals) and Dennis Poschwatta (drums, backing vocals).
Their sound has been described as a fusion of metal, pop and rap. Usually their music is labeled as alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
and alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
.
They have released four studio albums (Proud Like a God
Proud Like a God
Proud Like a God is the debut album of the alternative rock band Guano Apes. The album was released in 6 October 1997 on BMG and GUN/Supersonic Records...
in 1997, Don't Give Me Names
Don't Give Me Names
Don't Give Me Names is the second album by the German band Guano Apes, released in 2000. It includes the singles "Big in Japan" , "No Speech", "Living in a Lie" and "Dödel Up"....
in 2000, Walking on a Thin Line
Walking on a Thin Line
Walking on a Thin Line is the third studio album by Guano Apes. It was released on February 3, 2003 by BMG and includes the singles "You Can't Stop Me", "Pretty in Scarlet" and "Quietly"....
in 2003, Bel Air
Bel Air (album)
Bel Air is the fourth studio album by the reunited German Alternative rock band Guano Apes and their first studio album in eight years. It was released on 1 April 2011 on Columbia Europe and entered the German album charts right on position 1....
in 2011), one live album (Live
Guano Apes - Live
Live is an album of live recordings by Guano Apes. It was released in 2003.-Track listing:#"Quietly" #"No Speech" #"Money & Milk" #"Pretty in Scarlet" #"We Use the Pain" #"Living in a Lie"...
in 2003), two compilation albums (Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (best of, 2004)
Planet of the Apes is an album by Guano Apes which was released on 29 November 2004. It is distributed by BMG International, its Label Company, and is available in three versions:#DIGIPAK #STANDARD-Edition#BASIC-Edition-Disc One:...
in 2004 and Lost (T)apes
Lost (T)apes
Lost apes is a compilation album by Guano Apes. It contains previously unreleased demos, originally recorded in 1994 and 1995.A deluxe edition, titled The Best & The Lost apes also exists...
in 2006), fifteen singles and five video albums.
Formation and career (1994–2005)
Guano Apes were formed in 1994 in GöttingenGöttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, by guitarist Henning Rümenapp, bassist Stefan Ude and drummer Dennis Poschwatta. Lead singer Sandra Nasić joined the band later in the same year.
The band's career took off in 1996 after they won the "Local Heroes" competition held by VIVA, beating out over 1000 competitors with their song "Open Your Eyes". The song was also their first and most successful single, followed by the release in October 1997 of their debut album Proud Like a God
Proud Like a God
Proud Like a God is the debut album of the alternative rock band Guano Apes. The album was released in 6 October 1997 on BMG and GUN/Supersonic Records...
on BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
and GUN/Supersonic Records
GUN Records
GUN Records was a record label located in Bochum, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany and was founded 1992 by Bogdan Kopec and Wolfgang Funk....
. The album peaked at number 4 in Germany and it was certified platinum. The songs "Lords of the Boards" and "Rain" were also issued as singles. "Lord of the Boards" was commissioned for the 1998 European Snowboarding Championship.
The release of their debut album was followed by a 18 month tour of Europe and the United States. "Open Your Eyes" appeared in the Warren Miller
Warren Miller (director)
Warren Miller is an American ski and snowboarding filmmaker. He is the founder of Warren Miller Entertainment and produced, directed and narrated his films until 1988. His credits include over 750 sports films, several books and hundreds of published non-fiction stories...
movie, Fifty (1999) and Crusty 2000: The Metal Millennium (2000). The non-album single "Don't Turn Your Back On Me" was contributed to the Meschugge film soundtrack in 1999.
In November 2000, Guano Apes released the second studio album, Don't Give Me Names
Don't Give Me Names
Don't Give Me Names is the second album by the German band Guano Apes, released in 2000. It includes the singles "Big in Japan" , "No Speech", "Living in a Lie" and "Dödel Up"....
on BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
and GUN/Supersonic Records
GUN Records
GUN Records was a record label located in Bochum, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany and was founded 1992 by Bogdan Kopec and Wolfgang Funk....
. The songs "Big in Japan", "No Speech", "Living in a Lie" and "Dödel Up" were issued as singles. "Big in Japan" (an Alphaville
Alphaville (band)
Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold , Bernhard Lloyd , and Frank Mertens Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold (real name Hartwig Schierbaum,...
cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
) and "No Speech" received a lot of airplay and the album was certified gold in Germany.
Their third studio album, Walking on a Thin Line
Walking on a Thin Line
Walking on a Thin Line is the third studio album by Guano Apes. It was released on February 3, 2003 by BMG and includes the singles "You Can't Stop Me", "Pretty in Scarlet" and "Quietly"....
, was released in March 2003 on BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
and GUN/Supersonic Records
GUN Records
GUN Records was a record label located in Bochum, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany and was founded 1992 by Bogdan Kopec and Wolfgang Funk....
. It went to number one in Germany and it was certified gold. The album was supported by the singles "You Can't Stop Me", "Pretty in Scarlet" and "Quietly".
In November 2003, Guano Apes issued the album Live
Guano Apes - Live
Live is an album of live recordings by Guano Apes. It was released in 2003.-Track listing:#"Quietly" #"No Speech" #"Money & Milk" #"Pretty in Scarlet" #"We Use the Pain" #"Living in a Lie"...
. The limited edition also featured a bonus 80 minute DVD with a recorded concert. In November 2004 the group released the best of album Planet of the Apes. The compilation also included a new single, "Break the Line".
Guano Apes split after the final tour in February 2005.
After split (2006–2009)
After the break-up, a compilation album Lost (T)apesLost (T)apes
Lost apes is a compilation album by Guano Apes. It contains previously unreleased demos, originally recorded in 1994 and 1995.A deluxe edition, titled The Best & The Lost apes also exists...
was released in December 2006. Lost (T)apes contained unreleased demos recorded in 1994 and 1995.
Dennis Poschwatta focused on his new band, Tamoto, in which he played the guitar (and drums on the album) and shared the vocal microphone with Markus Gumball, known as G-Ball. Stefan Ude also participated in the recording of Tamoto's debut album. Henning Rümenapp focused mainly on working "behind the scenes". In October 2007, Sandra Nasić released a solo album titled The Signal
The Signal (Sandra Nasic album)
The Signal is the debut solo album of German singer Sandra Nasic, lead singer of the alternative-rock band Guano Apes. Although this album's genre is alternative rock, it contains many pop and electronic elements.-Track listing:# "The Name of My Baby"...
.
In 2006, Rümenapp, Ude and Poschwatta reunited and formed a new band named IO
IO (band)
IO is a German alternative rock band, formed in 2006 after the breakup of Guano Apes. Original Guano Apes members Henning Rümenapp , Stefan Ude and Dennis Poschwatta reunited after having spent time on individual projects - of which Poschwatta's band Tamoto was the only real band, as well as the...
, together with American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer Charles Simmons. The band has been on the road several times since then and has also been writing and recording material for their debut album, which is yet to be released.
The band reunited (2009–present)
In 2009, Guano Apes reunited and played a string of concerts in Europe, including BragaBraga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
(Portugal), Nickelsdorf
Nickelsdorf
Nickelsdorf is a town in the district of Neusiedl am See in Burgenland in Austria.- Geography :Nickelsdorf is the only town in the municipality...
(Austria), Przystanek Woodstock
Przystanek Woodstock
Przystanek Woodstock is an annual free rock music festival in Poland, inspired by and named for the Woodstock Festival, that has taken place since 1995...
(Poland),, Rock am Ring
Rock am Ring
The Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals are two simultaneous rock music festivals held annually in Germany....
and Rock im Park (Germany) and Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
(Romania). In Bucharest the band announced they're working on a new album.
In April 2011, the group released their fourth studio album, Bel Air
Bel Air (album)
Bel Air is the fourth studio album by the reunited German Alternative rock band Guano Apes and their first studio album in eight years. It was released on 1 April 2011 on Columbia Europe and entered the German album charts right on position 1....
, on Columbia Europe
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. The album entered the German album charts
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
at number one. They released two singles from this album: "Oh, What a Night" and "Sunday Lover".
Members
- Sandra Nasić – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Henning Rümenapp – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, backing vocals - Stefan Ude – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Dennis Poschwatta – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, backing vocals
Discography
- Proud Like a GodProud Like a GodProud Like a God is the debut album of the alternative rock band Guano Apes. The album was released in 6 October 1997 on BMG and GUN/Supersonic Records...
(1997) - Don't Give Me NamesDon't Give Me NamesDon't Give Me Names is the second album by the German band Guano Apes, released in 2000. It includes the singles "Big in Japan" , "No Speech", "Living in a Lie" and "Dödel Up"....
(2000) - Walking on a Thin LineWalking on a Thin LineWalking on a Thin Line is the third studio album by Guano Apes. It was released on February 3, 2003 by BMG and includes the singles "You Can't Stop Me", "Pretty in Scarlet" and "Quietly"....
(2003) - Bel AirBel Air (album)Bel Air is the fourth studio album by the reunited German Alternative rock band Guano Apes and their first studio album in eight years. It was released on 1 April 2011 on Columbia Europe and entered the German album charts right on position 1....
(2011)
Awards
- Viva Comet Awards 1998 for Newcomer National
- MTV Europe Music Award for Best German ActMTV Europe Music Award for Best German ActThe following is a list of the MTV Europe Music Award winners and nominees for Best German Act.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
in 2000 - 1LIVE1LIVE1LIVE is a radio network by the Westdeutscher Rundfunk public broadcasting corporation in Germany. It specialises in popular music aimed at the 14-39 age bracket. The average age of listeners is 34.- History :...
Krone 2003 for Guano Apes as Best Band - 1LIVE1LIVE1LIVE is a radio network by the Westdeutscher Rundfunk public broadcasting corporation in Germany. It specialises in popular music aimed at the 14-39 age bracket. The average age of listeners is 34.- History :...
Krone 2001 for Sandra Nasić as Best Singer