As may have been hinted at by my posting of Psychopomps, I've been revisiting some heady coldwave of late. Here’s some more…
Coldwave or NDW (or whatever label) band Malaria! was an integral part of the vital electro-industrial scene happening in Germany in the early 1980s (the Geniale Dilettanten [Ingenious Dilettantes] movement, a merger of new wave & post-punk). The all-female band was formed by Berlin art-scene staples Gudrun Gut who had been an early member of Einstürzende Neubauten & Bettina Köster. Both had been members of Mania D, a group championed by John Peel. Peel referred to Gut, Köster, & Beate Bartel as his "Queens of Noise". He chose Mania D's release Track 4 as the single of the year 1980.
Malaria! 's 1982 EP New York Passage introduced UK & US audiences to the group, with the record reaching the top ten on both US & Euro independent radio charts.
English side –
Your Turn to Run (I Will Be Your Only One)
German side –
Zarah
Duschen
Here Malaria! are: Bettina Köster – vocals & saxophone; Christine Hahn – guitar, keyboards, & drums; Gudrun Gut – backing vocals, guitar, & drums; Manon Duursma - guitar; & Susanne Kuhnke – synthesizer.
Also in 1982, Malaria! released the full length vinyl LP Emotion.
Malaria! – Emotion, Moabit Musik, MOABIT002, 1982.
Side A –
Geld – Money
Leidenshaft – Passion
Eifersucht – Jealosy
Einsam – Lonesome
Macht – Power
Side B –
Tod – Death
Mensch
Slave
Traum – Dream
Gewissen
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Gudrun Gut: "After Mania D. we had the most intense time with Malaria! We were constantly touring. We performed in New York with Nina Hagen at Studio 54 City and with John Cale at the Mudd Club, and we played with New Order and The Birthday Party. "
Beate Bartel: "And over and over at SO36. "
Gudrun Gut: "The Malaria! rehearsal room was just around the corner from the SO at Kottbusser Tor. We shared it with Die Haut, who lived in an apartment in Dresdner Straße together with Birthday Party. There was a second rehearsal room, too. Everything was wildly mixed up there as well. We were forever swapping musicians among each other. "
Beate Bartel: "And still, people were always asking us as an all-female band: 'Why are you only dancing with each other? ' We weren’t taken seriously as musicians yet. "
Gudrun Gut: "With Malaria!, we were always wearing these heavy boots. We were strong women, not delicate fairies, not flute players. We wanted to make a point of that."
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In 1992, after years of intense touring (& the release of a split with Die Hausfrauen [1982 – the Malaria! side was simply the New York Passage 12" EP] & a 1983 ROIR cassette recorded at Danceteria NYC & 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.) Malaria! released their Elation CD maxi-single.
Malaria! – Elation, Moabit Musik MOABIT010, 1992.
Tracklist –
Elation
Flittchen
Slow Rotation
Old Man River
Here Malaria! are: Bettina Köster – vocals; Gundrun Gut – electronics; & Manon P. Duursma – keyboards.
The next year they released both Cheerio (I posted Malaria! 's 1993 release Cheerio here).
& the following remix CD…
Malaria! - Delirium: Remixed • Remade • Remodelled,
Masterminded For Success MFS 7040-2, 1993.
Masterminded For Success MFS 7040-2, 1993.
Tracklist –
Kaltes Klares Wasser (Dr. Motte Crystalmix)
Cheerio (Microglobe & Mijk Van Dijk Milchbadmix)
Your Turn to Run (WestBam Ausser-Atemix)
You You (Sun Electric JuJu remix)
Elation (Dolfin', Kid Paul, Paul van Dyk, & Stefan Fischer Abstractmix)
Prophet (3 Phase Will Keine Propheten Falschen Brauchen)
Keep Me in Love (Moritz von Oswald Reshaped)
Warmes Wasser (Dr. Motte & Johnny Klimek remix)
Von Hinten (Voov Backdoor)
Sich erfreuen,
NØ