Berlin Super 80

[ There are 4 MP3 files in this post. ]

Recently I visited Berlin and picked up a copy of Berlin Super 80, a fabulous box set about the Berlin music and film underground scene between 1979 and 1984, containing a CD, a DVD, and a 100 page booklet with essays and lots of photos. Released by Monitorpop in a limited edition of 5000 numbered copies, it will probably be out of print soon, so get your copy while you can.

Featured bands include (of course) Einstürzende Neubauten and Die Tödliche Doris, and several of the other names should also be familiar to those who know a little about the German underground from the early 80s. So you won't find the most obscure bands to impress your hipster friends on this compilation, but the video and music selections are excellent, and the photos alone are worth the money. Apart from that, the videos featured on the DVD were all new to me, except for Klaus Beyer's "Die Glatze", which made it all the way to British MTV, and could be seen on YouTube until recently (removed due to "violations of terms of use"). The other videos run the gamut from experimental shorts to music videos to a documentary about the SO 36, Berlin's version of CBGB's.

I will leave you with three musical selections from this compilation. The first is my absolute favorite track on this CD, Valie Export & Monsti Wiener's short and lovely ditty "Bananen". I will translate the lyrics for the benefit of the blog readers who don't know German.

Bananas, lemons, a boy is standing in the corner
Bananas, lemons, a girl is coming to him
Bananas, lemons, they go to a house
Bananas, lemons, and take off all their clothes

Howdy, howdy, hello, and they like each other
Howdy, howdy, hello, and they lie down in the bed
Howdy, howdy, hello, and they fuck like crazy
Hello

Unfortunately this translation does not quite capture the Bavarian poetry of the original. Just imagine that the lyrics flow exactly like the music does. Listen for yourself: Valie Export & Monsti Wiener - Bananen (MP3)

Here are two more highlights: MDK - Berlin (MP3), a rocking bilingual tune with saxophone, and the classic Die Tödliche Doris - Tanz im Quadrat (MP3). By the way, this is the one and only Doris tune which became a dance floor smash hit (well, not quite, but nearly), in the version by Stereo Total on their album Musique Automatique. Since it is Marathon time, I'll throw this cover version in, too: Stereo Total - Wir tanzen im 4-Eck (MP3)

Comments

[Borat]

Wundervoll! Lukas, Dank wieder!

[BrianTurner]

We showed this at the WFMU Record Fair in November in the A/V lounge, really amazing clipsm very much worth the price of the set.

[nerfur]

hi! i hear that this set have also carambolage on it? can i have their part? =))

[chris]

love this album, and i lost my copy, so thanks so much for putting these tracks up