Umbra et imago
Encyclopedia
Umbra et Imago is a German
Gothic metal
and Neue Deutsche Härte
band formed in autumn 1991. The original lineup consisted of singer Mozart (Manuel Munz), Michael Gillian, Nail and Torsten B. Except for Mozart all other founding members left the band, but he is still influential to the music of Umbra and Imago.
, but those were soon dropped. The band dissolved and was later reformed as Dracul so that Umbra et Imago became Mozart's main project.
In 1992 Umbra et Imago player their first stage shows, where visual effects played an important role. While the band's style was still dominated by electronic influences, there were frequent appearances of guest musicians such as Peter Heppner
of Wolfsheim
. The band began to develop an excentric image and they were known for their fancy concerts . Umbra et Imago polarized critics and were even publicly criticized. In the same year, their album Träume, Sex und Tod was published, one year later Infantile Spiele was released.
As their album tracks often exceeded lengths of 10 minutes they were unsuited for play in discotheques and were not included to DJs' programs. Because of that, Umbra et Imago created a remix of their song Erotica which they called ZöllerMussEsSpielen Mix (Zöller Must Play It Mix), referring to Michael Zöller, a resident DJ of Bochum's Zwischenfall discotheque. Despite its length, Gothic Erotic from the 1993 album Infantile Spiele remained the band's best known song.
In 1995, Michael Gillian and Torsten B. left the band, followed by Nail soon after. They were replaced by Lutz Demmler und Alex Perin. With the change in the line-up came a change in style. The music shifted towards guitar sounds and was expanded by Hard rock
elements on the album Gedanken eines Vampirs. This change was completed in 1996 with the album Mystica Sexualis, which was now Gothic metal
. During live shows, the band would cooperate with models
, founding their current stage concept. The 1997 maxi single
Kein Gott und keine Liebe saw an increase in Neue Deutsche Härte
elements and Umbra et Imago were compared to bands such as Rammstein
.
In 2003, guitarist Freddy Stürze left the band but joined them 2011 again.
According to their official website, Opus Magnus, published in 2010, was Umbra and Imago's final studio album while a new DVD with live material and old songs will be released in 2011.
's idea that sexuality was the center of our being. They processed sadomasochistic fantasies through their cynic lyrics. According to the band, this theme was chosen because it reprensents the most intellectual form of sexuality.
The lyrics by Umbra et Imago are dominated by a warped, subliminal humour, criticism of human society's flaws and cynical self-irony. The clichees dealt with thereby and their exaggerated depicting polarize the meanings about the band. Sexuality is major component of the concept but is no longer dominating.
Their stage shows are still infamous, incorporating BDSM
acts and complex pyrotechnics
into their live shows
Lutz Demler has eventually become the producer of Umbra et Imago and other bands.
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...
Gothic metal
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
and Neue Deutsche Härte
Neue Deutsche Härte
Neue Deutsche Härte is a genre of industrial metal. The term was invented by the German music press after the release of the debut album Herzeleid by Rammstein....
band formed in autumn 1991. The original lineup consisted of singer Mozart (Manuel Munz), Michael Gillian, Nail and Torsten B. Except for Mozart all other founding members left the band, but he is still influential to the music of Umbra and Imago.
History
In 1991, Umbra et Imago were created as a side-project of The Electric Avantgarde. In the following year, the two bands were still existing alongside. There were plans for The Electric Avantgarde to change its style to Death MetalDeath metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
, but those were soon dropped. The band dissolved and was later reformed as Dracul so that Umbra et Imago became Mozart's main project.
In 1992 Umbra et Imago player their first stage shows, where visual effects played an important role. While the band's style was still dominated by electronic influences, there were frequent appearances of guest musicians such as Peter Heppner
Peter Heppner
Peter Heppner was the lead singer of the German electronica/synth pop band Wolfsheim, and has collaborated with many other electronic music acts, such as Paul van Dyk, Schiller, and Goethes Erben.- Career :...
of Wolfsheim
Wolfsheim (band)
Wolfsheim was a synthpop band from Hamburg, Germany that consisted of Markus Reinhardt and Peter Heppner. Although never officially disbanded, Wolfsheim has been inactive since 2005 due to a dispute between the two members, which even led to trials in 2007 and 2008 that forbade either member to...
. The band began to develop an excentric image and they were known for their fancy concerts . Umbra et Imago polarized critics and were even publicly criticized. In the same year, their album Träume, Sex und Tod was published, one year later Infantile Spiele was released.
As their album tracks often exceeded lengths of 10 minutes they were unsuited for play in discotheques and were not included to DJs' programs. Because of that, Umbra et Imago created a remix of their song Erotica which they called ZöllerMussEsSpielen Mix (Zöller Must Play It Mix), referring to Michael Zöller, a resident DJ of Bochum's Zwischenfall discotheque. Despite its length, Gothic Erotic from the 1993 album Infantile Spiele remained the band's best known song.
In 1995, Michael Gillian and Torsten B. left the band, followed by Nail soon after. They were replaced by Lutz Demmler und Alex Perin. With the change in the line-up came a change in style. The music shifted towards guitar sounds and was expanded by Hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
elements on the album Gedanken eines Vampirs. This change was completed in 1996 with the album Mystica Sexualis, which was now Gothic metal
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
. During live shows, the band would cooperate with models
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, founding their current stage concept. The 1997 maxi single
Maxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...
Kein Gott und keine Liebe saw an increase in Neue Deutsche Härte
Neue Deutsche Härte
Neue Deutsche Härte is a genre of industrial metal. The term was invented by the German music press after the release of the debut album Herzeleid by Rammstein....
elements and Umbra et Imago were compared to bands such as Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
.
In 2003, guitarist Freddy Stürze left the band but joined them 2011 again.
According to their official website, Opus Magnus, published in 2010, was Umbra and Imago's final studio album while a new DVD with live material and old songs will be released in 2011.
Work and appearance
From the beginning, Umbra et Imago have been a concept band picking up Sigmund FreudSigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
's idea that sexuality was the center of our being. They processed sadomasochistic fantasies through their cynic lyrics. According to the band, this theme was chosen because it reprensents the most intellectual form of sexuality.
The lyrics by Umbra et Imago are dominated by a warped, subliminal humour, criticism of human society's flaws and cynical self-irony. The clichees dealt with thereby and their exaggerated depicting polarize the meanings about the band. Sexuality is major component of the concept but is no longer dominating.
Their stage shows are still infamous, incorporating BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
acts and complex pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
into their live shows
Lutz Demler has eventually become the producer of Umbra et Imago and other bands.
Current line-up
- Mozart (vocals)
- Sascha Danneberger (guitar)
- Freddy S. (guitar)
Former members
- Kris (vocals)
- Jochen Ritter (drums)
- Chris Tin (samples)
- Torsten B. (bass)
- Matze B. (keyboard)
- Michael Gillian (keyboards)
- Achim Vogel (keyboard)
- Alex Perin (guitar)
- Andi Lehnert (guitar)
- Nail (guitar)
- Lutz Demmler (bass)
Albums
- Infantile Spiele (1993)
- Gedanken Eines Vampirs (1995)
- Mystica Sexualis (1996)
- Machina Mundi (1998)
- Mea Culpa (2000)
- Dunkle Energie (2001)
- Memento Mori (2004)
- Opus Magnus (2010)
- Davon geht die Welt nicht unter (2011)
Singles
- Sex Statt Krieg (1996)
- Kein Gott und keine Liebe (1997)
- Weinst Du? feat. TanzwutTanzwutTanzwut is a German Neue Deutsche Härte and medieval metal band which originated as a sideproject of Corvus Corax-members.- History :Their name is the German term for "dancing mania", but is directly translated with "dance-rage". Tanzwut are known for their heavy use of bagpipes, an unusual...
(1999) - Feuer Und Licht (2001)
- Sweet Gwendoline (2004)
- Gott Will Es (2007)
DVD
- Die Welt Brennt (2002)
- Motus Animi (2005)
- Imago Picta (2006)
- Past Bizarre (2007)