Marlene Kuntz
Encyclopedia
Marlene Kuntz is an Italian band from Cuneo
. Initially they were inspired by the noise rock
of Sonic Youth
. The name is a merge of Marlene Dietrich
's name and the slang word cunt
.
joined the band playing guitar and writing songs. In May they played their first concert in Cuneo
playing "1° 2° 3°", "La verità" and "Emozioni Nascoste". In February 1990, they recorded a 4 song demo including "La Verità", "Trasudamerica", "1° 2° 3°" and "Capello lungo". In April they also recorded their first video, "Merry X-mas". After the concert on April 25 at Cortemilia, Alex left the band due to working pressure. Cristiano replaced him as a lead singer while continuing playing guitar. In July, the new line-up recorded the second demo with 4 songs: "Donna L", "Gioia che mi do", "Signor Niente" and "Merry X-mas".
In early 1992, the bassist
, Franco Ballatore, left the band. However, he was replaced by Gianluca Viano and Marlene Kuntz came up with their third demo in March, consisting of five songs and a new style. The demo included: "M.K.", "Fuoco" (that became "Fuoco su di te" in Catartica) , "La divina" (a revisited version was renamed "Cenere" in the Il Vile), and "Ape Regina". The demo was well received leading to Marlene Kuntz competing at Rock Targato Italia. Marlene Kuntz reached the semi-final but failed to reach one of the first 8 positions. Fortunately, one of the competing bands quit the contest and Marlene Kuntz reentered successfully.
In 2001, Marlene Kuntz was nominated for Best Italian Act at the 2001
MTV Europe Music Awards
.
Cuneo
Cuneo is a city and comune in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the third largest of Italy’s provinces by area...
. Initially they were inspired by the noise rock
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
of Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
. The name is a merge of Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
's name and the slang word cunt
Cunt
Cunt is a vulgarism, primarily referring to the female genitalia, specifically the vulva, and including the cleft of Venus. The earliest citation of this usage in the 1972 Oxford English Dictionary, c 1230, refers to the London street known as Gropecunt Lane...
.
History
Marlene Kuntz began forming in 1987 consisting of Luca Bergia on drums and Riccardo Tesio on guitar. Franco Ballatore joined the band on bass guitar the following year and that winter they found a rehearsal room in Confreria. In 1989, Cristiano GodanoCristiano Godano
Cristiano Godano is an Italian musician, known mostly as the frontman of the Italian band Marlene Kuntz. He obtained a MSc in Economics.He played as a guest with the Afterhours at the 2009 San Remo Festival...
joined the band playing guitar and writing songs. In May they played their first concert in Cuneo
Cuneo
Cuneo is a city and comune in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the third largest of Italy’s provinces by area...
playing "1° 2° 3°", "La verità" and "Emozioni Nascoste". In February 1990, they recorded a 4 song demo including "La Verità", "Trasudamerica", "1° 2° 3°" and "Capello lungo". In April they also recorded their first video, "Merry X-mas". After the concert on April 25 at Cortemilia, Alex left the band due to working pressure. Cristiano replaced him as a lead singer while continuing playing guitar. In July, the new line-up recorded the second demo with 4 songs: "Donna L", "Gioia che mi do", "Signor Niente" and "Merry X-mas".
In early 1992, the bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, Franco Ballatore, left the band. However, he was replaced by Gianluca Viano and Marlene Kuntz came up with their third demo in March, consisting of five songs and a new style. The demo included: "M.K.", "Fuoco" (that became "Fuoco su di te" in Catartica) , "La divina" (a revisited version was renamed "Cenere" in the Il Vile), and "Ape Regina". The demo was well received leading to Marlene Kuntz competing at Rock Targato Italia. Marlene Kuntz reached the semi-final but failed to reach one of the first 8 positions. Fortunately, one of the competing bands quit the contest and Marlene Kuntz reentered successfully.
In 2001, Marlene Kuntz was nominated for Best Italian Act at the 2001
MTV Europe Music Awards 2001
Ali G., aka Sacha Baron Cohen, was the host for The Europe Music Award's in Frankfurt, held at The Festhalle. The outspoken comic opened the show surrounded by pyjama-clad girls and was rude to Craig David, Boris Becker and anyone else whose name he could pronounce...
MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
.
Discography
- 1994 - Catartica
- 1996 - Il Vile
- 1997 - Come di sdegno [EP]
- 1999 - Ho Ucciso Paranoia
- 1999 - Ho Ucciso Paranoia + Spore
- 1999 - H.U.P. Live In Catharsis
- 2000 - Che cosa vedi
- 2001 - CometaCOMETACOMETA was a high-level French UFO study organisation from the late 1990s, composed of high-ranking officers and officials, some having held command posts in the armed forces and aerospace industry...
[EP] - 2001 - Spore
- 2003 - Senza Peso
- 2004 - Fingendo la Poesia [EP]
- 2005 - Bianco Sporco
- 2006 - S-Low [Live]
- 2007 - Uno
- 2009 - Best of Marlene Kuntz
- 2009 - Cercavamo il silenzio... [CD+DVD Live]
- 2010 - Ricoveri virtuali e sexy solitudini