Legendary material from a legendary group! Thanks to A-Musik we can again enjoy another of their early works, released at the time on the Zickzack label in 1984. While numerous bands from the West German underground of the early 1980s either moved toward the mainstream or began singing in English, Justin Hoffmann, Thomas Meinecke, Michaela Melián, and Wilfried Petzi took a different path.

Transatlantic Feedback

The songs became more elaborate, the production – influenced by bands like Gang of Four and Dexys Midnight Runners – more opulent, and the instrumentation now included wind instruments for the first time, which have since become an integral part of F.S.K.’s sound. At the same time, the Munich-based band’s music-historically motivated focus was directed more toward the US than was typical of the bands in the West German scene of that era. To their signature blend of post-punk and experimental music, as already evident on “Stürmer,” they now incorporated funk (on the opener “Faire Le Chicken”) and jazz (on the heartbreaking cover version of “My Funny Valentine”). From then on, this “transatlantic feedback” was an essential component of F.S.K.’s musical practice. The discursive twists and turns, the incorporation of references, and the insistence on German lyrics would influence bands in the coming decades. The reissue includes a booklet featuring an in-depth interview about the album with all band members, as well as numerous previously unpublished photos.