KMFDM (originally Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid) is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project. KMFDM has released seventeen studio albums, and had sold approximately 2 million records in the United States alone as of September 2003, with multiple albums selling more than 100,000 copies, and a number of singles becoming club hits.

The band has undergone many line-up changes, including countless guest appearances by other musicians. The earliest incarnation of the band included German drummer En Esch and British vocalist Raymond Watts, the latter of whom would leave and rejoin the group several times over its history. Guitarist Günter Schulz joined in 1990, and both he and Esch continued with the band until KMFDM broke up in 1999. Konietzko resurrected KMFDM in 2002 (with Esch and Schulz declining to rejoin), and by 2005 a consistent line-up emerged, including American singer Lucia Cifarelli, British guitarists Jules Hodgson and Steve White, and British drummer Andy Selway.

KMFDM is considered one of the first bands to bring industrial music to mainstream audiences, though Konietzko refers to the band's music as "The Ultra-Heavy Beat". Their early albums relied heavily on samples, drum machines, and synthesizers. The addition of Schulz moved the band in a more industrial metal direction. The band incorporates heavy guitar riffs, electronic music, samples, and often female vocals in their music.

History

Early years in Germany (1984–89)

The band's first album, ''Opium'', was recorded in 1984, and cassette copies of it began circulating through the underground clubs and bars of Hamburg. The next album, ''What Do You Know, Deutschland?'', which was recorded from 1983–86, was released in December 1986. The album was re-released in the UK on Skysaw Records, who introduced the band to visual artist Aidan Hughes, who is usually credited as ''Brute!'' in their albums. Hughes created a new design for the album cover, and would go on to design almost every KMFDM cover from then on.

After working the Hamburg underground music scene and releasing albums on European labels, the band began its long-standing relationship with Wax Trax! Records when their 1988 album ''Don't Blow Your Top'' was licensed to the label for US distribution. Watts left the band at this time to start his own project, Pig.

Success in America (1990–94)

Konietzko then moved to Chicago in early 1991, and Esch followed a year later. KMFDM quickly became a part of the industrial music scene in Chicago that included Ministry, Front 242, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, and Revolting Cocks. In 1991, they released the single "Split", which was their first club hit, reaching No. 46 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs Chart. During this time, Konietzko and Esch began working on their halves of what would have been their sixth album, ''Apart'', but became two separate albums. Esch's half was used later in his solo album, ''Cheesy''. The official KMFDM album used Konietzko's material, and was renamed ''Money''. It spawned two more club hits in 1992, first "Vogue", their biggest club hit, which reached No. 19 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs Chart in April, and then the title track, which reached No. 36 on that same chart in July.

After touring in 1992 with drummer Chris Vrenna, the then-core of KMFDM (Konietzko, Esch, Schulz, and second guitarist Mark Durante), went back into the studio as a group to record their seventh album, ''Angst'', in 1993, which went on to sell more than 100,000 copies over the next two years. KMFDM received their first exposure to the mainstream with their single "A Drug Against War". Despite the band's anti-MTV, "anti-mainstream" attitude, the video of "A Drug Against War" received airplay on MTV and was shown on the MTV cartoon ''Beavis and Butt-head''. Meanwhile, the track "Light" reached No. 31 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs Chart in May 1994.

The song "Liebeslied" from ''Naïve'' originally contained an unlicensed sample of "O Fortuna" from Carl Orff's ''Carmina Burana''. The band was threatened with legal action by Orff's publisher, and the album was withdrawn from production in 1993. The following year, a new version of the album was released entitled ''Naïve/Hell to Go'', containing remixes of several songs, including the offending track (with the sample removed) which was renamed "Leibesleid (Infringement Mix)".

Peak popularity (1994–99)

In late 1995, close friend and president of Chicago's Wax Trax! Records Jim Nash died of an illness complicated by AIDS, and Seattle became the official headquarters of KMFDM. Watts toured with KMFDM throughout 1995 in support of ''Nihil'', but then left the group to continue work with his own band, PIG. Esch also separated from the group temporarily, and ''Xtort'' was created in 1996 almost entirely without his input. Instead, Konietzko brought in a number of other industrial artists, such as F.M. Einheit and Chris Connelly, to assist with the album. ''Xtort'' was the first KMFDM album to chart on the ''Billboard'' 200, and it was also the highest-charting and best-selling album in the band's history, reaching No. 92, and selling more than 200,000 copies.

Esch was back for the ''Symbols'' album, which was released in 1997, and featured Abby Travis and Skinny Puppy's Nivek Ogre. ''Symbols'' reached No. 137 on the Billboard 200. Tim Skold, formerly of the band Shotgun Messiah, helped write "Anarchy" for the ''Symbols'' album, and became a full member of the band after touring with them in 1997 in support of the album.

''Adios'' (1999)

KMFDM disbanded, albeit temporarily, on January 22, 1999. Konietzko said the split was due to "lots of stress and pressure, as well as differences in vision and drive". Esch said "There was a lot of negative energy between Sascha and Günter Schulz and myself and we all decided on the phone to call the band quits." ''Adios'' was released three months later, with the album originally being the fulfillment of the band's ten record contract with Wax Trax!/TVT, but later signaling the break-up of the band itself.

In the wake of the Columbine High School massacre, it was revealed that lyrics to KMFDM songs ("Son of a Gun", "Stray Bullet", "Waste") were posted on the website of shooter Eric Harris, and that the date of the massacre, April 20, coincided with both the release date of the album ''Adios'' and the birthday of Adolf Hitler. The media was quick to jump on the apparent connection of the massacre to violent entertainment and Nazism. In response, Konietzko issued a statement:

:"First and foremost, KMFDM would like to express their deep and heartfelt sympathy for the parents, families and friends of the murdered and injured children in Littleton. We are sick and appalled, as is the rest of the nation, by what took place in Colorado yesterday.''

:"KMFDM are an art form—not a political party. From the beginning, our music has been a statement against war, oppression, fascism and violence against others. While some of the former band members are German as reported in the media, none of us condone any Nazi beliefs whatsoever."

Slick Idiot, MDFMK, and reformation (2000–2002)

New line-up (2003–2007)

Shortly after the release of ''WWIII'', Konietzko began work on the soundtrack for the ''Spider-Man 2'' video game, which was released in 2004. The album ''Opium'' was re-released in 2002, and a collection of songs recorded between 1984–86 was released in 2004. With the band line-up now stable, ''Tohuvabohu'' was released in 2007.

Following the Finnish school shootings of 2007 and 2008, some media reports again attempted to draw a connection from the shooters to the band, noting that both listed KMFDM among their favorite bands. Konietzko, in an interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK shortly after the 2008 incident, rebutted any claims of connection as being purely a by-product of the copycat mentality and the Finnish shooters' desire to emulate the lifestyles and actions of the Columbine shooters, "One of my biggest concerns immediately following this incident [the Columbine shooting] was that there would be copycats repeating such things in the future, as there often are when people commit heinous crimes and acts of violence. I was, unfortunately, right."

Back in Germany (2007–present)

KMFDM released two compilation albums, ''Würst'' and ''Greatest Shit'', in September 2010. Konietzko has said that he and Skold have plans for a follow-up to their 2009 collaboration, but that it was not a high priority.

On December 14, 2010, the official KMFDM website was changed to include a single image with the text "All Systems Have Been Ripped. The Internet Has Been Shut Down." There was also a new song titled "Rebels in Control" available for listening and download on the site. KMFDM posted the song in support of Julian Assange with regards to the controversy over WikiLeaks.

In April 2011, former band members Esch, Schulz, and Watts appeared with Mona Mur at the Wax Trax! Retrospectacle in Chicago, a charity event celebrating the industrial music label. The group performed KMFDM songs from the Wax Trax! era, including "Juke Joint Jezebel" and "A Drug Against War". Konietzko expressed a desire to perform with the current band line-up, but was turned down by event organizers.

KMFDM released ''WTF?!'' in April 2011. Konietzko said it would feature "a slew of guest musicians" including Rieflin and Koichi Fukuda.

Musical style

According the Konietko, the band has made heavy use of guitars since its inception. While the album ''Don't Blow Your Top'' was more sparse in content, due to the influence of producer Adrian Sherwood, it was the exception rather than the rule. Shortly after the release of 1989's ''UAIOE'' and while on tour with the band, Ministry founder and frontman Al Jourgensen described KMFDM as "a battalion of guitars marching through Europe." KMFDM's music has since been a fusion of electronic and heavy metal, with occasional elements of dub, as well as orchestral samples and live horns. Many songs feature prominent backing vocals by female singers such as Dorona Alberti, Abby Travis, and Lucia Cifarelli. With the addition of guitarist Schulz, KMFDM had been described as industrial metal, with heavy guitar riffs driving its sound. After the band's three-year hiatus which ended in 2002, KMFDM adopted a more "traditional" rock sound, that is, recording and performing with a typical band lineup—lead vocalist, lead and rhythm guitarists, bassist, and drummer—while continuing to incorporate electronics and sampling.

From KMFDM's inception, the band has been "politically charged", according to Konietzko. Their lyrics often express their political concerns, calling for the rejection of and resistance to terrorism, violence, oppression, censorship, and war. Their songs sometimes feature samples of news broadcasts and speeches by political leaders. Many albums also feature one or more songs in which they lampoon themselves, notably in the lyrics to "Sucks" and "Inane".

While recognized along with Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, and Skinny Puppy as pioneers in introducing industrial music to mainstream audiences, KMFDM describes its sound as "The Ultra-Heavy Beat". Konietzko once stated, "If I was to give myself a label it would be industrial-alternative-electronic-crossover-rock and danceabilly."

Touring and fanbase

KMFDM has released an album on average every year and a half, and usually tours at least once in support of each album. Previously confined to touring the United States and only portions of Europe and Japan, KMFDM embarked on a 2004 world tour in which they performed in Australia, Russia, Canada, and much of Europe in addition to the US.

KMFDM has a history of personal interaction with their fans. Konietzko and most KMFDM members both past and present often converse with fans via e-mail and chat rooms. At most concert venues, KMFDM typically mingles with the fans before and after the show to sign autographs, pose for photos, and answer questions. Konietzko and the band's representatives have experimented with ways for fans to interact directly with the band. In 2002, KMFDM launched the "Horde", an exclusive fan club in which members had the opportunity to attend a private meet-and-greet with the band before every show, as well as gaining access to members-only music and footage online. In 2004, they experimented with "fankam", a project in which a member of the audience was selected to record that night's show, as well as some back-stage antics, with a hand-held digital video camera. The resulting footage was incorporated into the ''20th Anniversary World Tour'' DVD the following year, which also included fan photos submitted to the KMFDM official website. In March 2007, KMFDM encouraged fans to call a special "FanPhone" and leave a voice message. The song "Superpower" from 2007's ''Tohuvabohu'' includes sound-clips from these messages.

During the summer of 2006, Metropolis Records announced that it would reissue KMFDM's entire Wax Trax!-era studio album back catalog, which had been out of print since the early 2000s. The albums were released in chronological order in groups of two or three every couple of months from September 2006 to May 2007.

Etymology

In the original phrase, the articles preceding the nouns ''Mehrheit'' and ''Mitleid'' are inflected for the wrong gender. However, swapping the two nouns yields the grammatically correct ''Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit'', which additionally translates directly as "no pity for the majority". Adding to the confusion is the fact that this version of the phrase appears within the lyrics to the song "Megalomaniac", which Konietzko revealed was done in order to confuse people who were always telling the band their name was wrong.

When the band first toured the US in 1989–1990, band members and their associates began using alternate English meanings for their name to tease journalists who did not understand German. After the release of ''Angst'', TVT/Wax Trax! Records launched a promotion, without the participation or approval of the band, in which fans were encouraged to come up with at least 1,001 different meanings for KMFDM. College radio DJs Kinslow and Smith of WKGC Florida won the contest with an entry of more than 1,200 potential meanings. The lyrics to the song "Moron" feature a slight variant of the traditional translation: "no pity for the masses". Likewise, the song "Light" reveals another possible alternate meaning: ''Keiner macht für dich mehr'', which translates as "no one does more for you".

Album artwork

Prior to the 2006–2007 remastering and rerelease of KMFDM's back catalog, the design and packaging of the albums were inconsistent. Upon their release on KMFDM Records, they were repackaged by designer Justin Gammon to be visually similar. These changes included standard organization of the liner notes, lyrics, photos, and songwriting/guest musician credits.

KMFDM "code"

Members

Official line-up

Key former members

Other contributors

Discography

Side projects

PIG – Raymond Watts (1988– ) (PIG members Jules Hodgson, Andy Selway, and Steve White joined KMFDM in 2002), Günter Schulz (touring guitarist 2006– ) Pigface – En Esch (1990–1993, 1999–2005), Günter Schulz (1999–2005) Excessive Force – Sascha Konietzko, En Esch, Günter Schulz, Mark Durante (1991–1994) En Esch released the solo album ''Cheesy'' in 1993 Schaft – Raymond Watts (1994) Drill – was fronted by Lucia Cifarelli prior to her involvement with KMFDM/MDFMK. (1995–1996) Skold was a solo album released by Tim Skold in 1996, prior to his involvement with KMFDM. Slick Idiot – Formed by En Esch and Günter Schulz following the 1999 break-up of KMFDM (1999– ) MDFMK – Formed by Sascha Konietzko, Tim Skold, and Lucia Cifarelli during KMFDM's hiatus (2000–2001) Schwein – Raymond Watts, Sascha Konietzko, Jules Hodgson, Steve White, Lucia Cifarelli (2001) Lucia Cifarelli released the solo album ''From the Land of Volcanos'' in 2003. Schulz – Günter Schulz's spin-off of Slick Idiot (2005– ) KGC – Sascha Konietzko, Lucia Cifarelli (2006) The Spittin' Cobras – Jules Hodgson, Andy Selway (2009– )

References

External links

Category:Industrial rock musical groups Category:Industrial metal musical groups Category:German industrial music groups Category:German rock music groups Category:German heavy metal musical groups Category:German electronic music groups Category:TVT Records artists Category:Musical groups established in 1984 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1999 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2002 Category:Musical quintets

Lucia Cifarelli (born September 23, 1970 in Long Island, New York, United States) is currently a vocalist and occasional keyboardist for industrial music group KMFDM. She was formerly the vocalist for the band Drill and also performed in KMFDM offshoots MDFMK, KGC, and Schwein.

Biography

Lucia would join the KMFDM hiatus band, MDFMK, in 2000. The project lasted for one self-titled album. In 2001, Lucia and Sascha Konietzko worked on the "super group" Schwein and its albums ''Schweinstein'' and the subsequent remix album, ''Son of Schweinstein''.

She recorded one solo album, ''From the Land of Volcanos''. One single off the album, "I Will", appeared on the ''American Pie 2'' soundtrack.

KMFDM and marriage

She also collaborates as a member on KGC, starting with their 2006 album ''Dirty Bomb''.

References

External links

Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:American female singers Category:American heavy metal singers Category:Female heavy metal singers Category:American industrial musicians Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:KMFDM members