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Also note that this page is simplistic in format for a very specific reason. It loads quickly, it gives the information, and can be easily printed out. I understand that sometimes fancy flash webpages are fun to look at, but I believe a FAQ should serve one purpose: the expeditious dissemination of information. I hope that this file accomplishes just that.
On January 22, 1999, KMFDM disbanded due to "a deep rift between some of the co-members and unsurmountable difference regarding visions and objectives for a possible future." Sascha and Tim then formed MDFMK (See Part II).
KMFDM has since re-formed and released several new albums (See Part I Section 3).
Kein Mehrheit F�r Die Mitleid
Sascha Konietzko and painter/multimedia artist Udo Sturm founded KMFDM on February 29th, 1984, in Paris, France. Sascha is still with KMFDM and Udo is "somewhere in Germany still being a painter and multimedia artist."
Sascha Konietzko
The current "core" lineup of KMFDM consists of Sascha Konietzko, Lucia Cifarelli, Jules Hodgeson, Andy Selway, and Steve White with heavy contributions from Raymond Watts.
"Everybody that ever appeared on our recordings has contributed in one way or another..."
An as-complete-as-possible list is as follows: Morgan Adjei, Dorona Alberti, Bruce Breckenfeld, Jr. Blackmail (Dutch cynicist and poet), Nicole Blackman, Bruce Breckenfeld, Jim Christiansen, Mike Cichowicz, Chris Connelly (Scotsman. Fini Tribe, RevCo, etc. ... vocalist), Chrissie DeWinter, Mark Durante, F.M. Einheit, Steve Finckle, Jennifer Ginsberg, Curt Golden, Nina Hagen (Vocals), Aidan Hughes/Brute (Uncounted covers and video-animations), Mike Jensen, Jack Kramer, Ron Lowe, Sigrid Meyer, Mona Mur, Rudolph Naomi, Nivek Ogre (Vocals), Jeff Olson, Bob Samborski, Chris Shepard (engineering and mixing), Christine Siewert, Abby Travis, John Van Eaton, Fritz Whitney, Cheryl Wilson, Chris Zander (typework for the album covers)
Xmas Vacation... European tour, followed by another American tour which should coincide with WWIII DVD release, followed by new album
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1989-90 Ministry/KMFDM /Various - "The Mind is a ...Tour" (U.S.)
There are rumors that KMFDM
Table of Contents
Part II: MDFMK
Part III: Discography and Videography
Part IV: "What is...?"
Part V: Miscellaneous
Part VI: Contacting KMFDM
Part VII: Credits
*ed note: all comments in "quotes" denote direct quotes from Sascha K. from e-mails, the official website, and/or interviews
(which loosely translated means: no pity for the majority)
And yes, it is proper German to say "Kein Mitleid F�r Die Mehrheit", but the question refers to KMFDM, not proper German.
En Esch
G�nter Schulz
Tim Skold
1990 KMFDM /Thrill Kill Kult - "Na�ve Tour" (Europe)
1991 KMFDM /Braindead Sound Machine - "Split Tour" (U.S)
1992 KMFDM /Barkmarket - "Aloha Jerry Brown Tour" (U.S.)
1994 KMFDM /Sister Machine Gun/Chemlab - "Angstfest Tour" (U.S.)
1995 KMFDM /Dink/Various - "Beat by Beat Tour" (U.S.)
1995 KMFDM /Genitorturers/God Lives Underwater/Life of Agony - In your Face Tour" (U.S. & Europe)
1997 KMFDM /Pig/Rammstein/Noxious Emotion - "Tour '97" (U.S. & Europe)
2000 MDFMK - North American Tour
2002 KMFDM featuring PIG (and in select cities: Chris Connelly, Mark Durante, Tim Skold)/Kidney Thieves/16 Volt - "Sturm & Drang Tour" (U.S.)
2003 KMFDM /Bile - "WWIII U.S.S.A. Tour" (U.S.)
KMFDM was on WaxTrax! for about 10 years prior to disbanding. The albums ATTAK and STURM & DRANG, and the single BOOTS were on Metropolis Records. KMFDM is currently signed with Sanctuary Records.
After leaving KMFDM, En Esch & G�nter formed Slick Idiot and released an album entitled "Dicknity." They are currently touring as part of Pigface.
Tim Skold joined Marilyn Manson as their new bassist and co-producer of the upcoming album.
Nothing!! It's just KMFDM backwards!
Sascha Konietzko, Tim Skold and Lucia Cifareli.
They were not involved with MDFMK.
According to Sascha: "Absolutely not. The name KMFDM is a registered Trademark that I own. After 15 years so much deadweight has accumulated that I felt the need for 'Tabula Rasa', a new, clean slate, a fresh beginning."
Republic/Universal Records
MDFMK released its self-titled album on March 28, 2000 on Universal. Six months later, MDFMK set out on a North-American tour and an appearance at Japan's Fuji-Rock-Fest.
In Sascha's words from the KMFDM History page, "IN THE SUMMER OF 2000, MDFMK LEFT THE LABEL ON AMICABLE TERMS."
According to Sascha, "very likely that there'll be another MDFMK in the future."
"We used a sample of Carl Orff's 'Carma Burana' (O Fortuna was the track to be exact) [for the song LIEBESLEID] and didn't get clearance for it. (Yeah, beginners sometimes make mistakes...) The publishing of said works had a problem after it's been out for 3 years and asked us to stop manufacture so we remixed the track and re-released it on Na�ve/Hell to Go with other remixes of the original tracks on Na�ve."
"It was ill-conceived by TVT as a promo for KMFDM to be sent to radio stations to 'alert them of KMFDM 's long history and prolific output, in order to get airplay for tracks off Xtort.'
"We disagreed with this policy, but were informed about the fact too late... a couple of 1000 copies had already been manufactured (with incorrect credits on top of everything else...) and we told 'em to shove it and prohibited any further use."
"None, there were a few leaked out..."
On November 17, 1998, Retro was released to the retail world on WaxTrax!
The "For Promotional Use" tags and the P from the catalog number are gone, the red ink is a bit lighter. Other than that, it is identical to the "Promo Only" version released in 1996
KMFDM worked on the soundtrack for the PC game by 3D Realms entitled "Prey". The game is apparently in limbo due to the departure of the programming team
It is the "long awaited" collection of "out-of-print" and unreleased KMFDM tracks. It was released on November 17, 1998, on WaxTrax!
The track listing is: THANK YOU (1991), VIRUS-DUB (1990), GODLIKE (produced by P. Barker) (1990), RIP THE SYSTEM (1989), NAFF OFF (1988), MYSTERIOUS WAYS (1993), OOH LA LA (1992), HOLE IN THE WALL (1993), AGOGO (1993), ZIP (1985)
"We have no problem with a 'souvenir' type Walkman recording. We do have a problem if these recordings pop up commercially for horrendous prices like 'Operation KMFDM '"
According to Sascha:
"we all need a lil' secret, don't we? if we lifted the blanket from everything and all became blatantly obvious, if painters and writers would have to interpret and explain their works, the world would be too boring.
what do YOU think it should mean?"
According to En Esch:
"Back then we just said it was a scream or something...."
"Apart" was one of the working titles of the album that was finally released as "Money"
"it was a bunch of live-recordings that got lost in a big fire when a studio burnt down."
According to Nicole Blackman, the lyrics are "Sex, Drugs, God, Cash, America"
According to Sascha: "We take what we are doing very seriously, but that doesn't mean that we are serious about everything that we're doing. The drive behind this band was never like, 'Let's start a band and get, like a good record deal, and make lots of money' It's more like we want to see how far we can go..in terms of ripping the system.."
SCHWEIN is the name of a collaboration between Sascaha K., Raymond Watts and two members of the Japanese band BUCK TICK. SCHWEINSTEIN, their album, was released in 2001, and was followed by a Japanese tour that Summer.
"Manchego" is a type of Spanish cheese. (See WWIII Track 11 - Intro)
It is finished has been available on VHS since 1997. The videos for MORE & FASTER, NA�VE, VOGUE, MONEY, A DRUG AGAINST WAR, JUKE-JOINT JEZEBEL (Manga) and SON OF A GUN all can be found on the video, along with live versions of DISOBEDIENCE, GODLIKE and MORE & FASTER.
A DVD version entitled BEAT X BEAT X BEAT was released at the end of 2001.
"MTV is an insult to the world"
"I am in touch with literally hundreds of people over the net. They are an integral part of our fanbase. I read all and answer most of my e-mail personally. Sometimes up to several hundreds a day..."
Sascha occasionally posts to rec.music.industrial or alt.music.kmfdm when a big happening occurs. As of late, he has been posting regular updates on the KMFDM News page
All Access was a fairly short-lived, "premium" section of the KMFDM website. For $50, you got a access to a special section of the site that contained exclusive remixes, pictures and videos, plus an exclusive t-shirt and a tour laminate. The tour laminate allowed you access to a special "meet 'n' greet" with the band before shows on the WWIII tour.
In order to make asking for/talking about the new album easier, titles such as "Anger," "Curse," and "Wurst" have been suggested, but Sascha has confirmed that none of the above are actual titles. According to Sascha, "...it is simply an unspeakable title, universally understandable though, kinda like sign-language." According to En Esch, "It's like a curse out of a comic book." Fans often just refer to it as "Symbols"
traCi was the webmaster for the Noxious Emotion and sometimes KMFDM websites. She was responsible for the "Wurst" rumors. At some point, she left to do modelling work in Japan, leaving Sascha "with all the hard work." According to the official page, she soon passed away. And no, she is not Sascha K. Supposedly, the "webmistress" who replaced her was staCi traSH, traCi's "sister". Who she really is has yet to be determined.
No.
"Basically everything we can get our hands on. We prefer AKAI S 3000 samplers to EMAX II, we love Sequential Circuit Pro-One, Doepfer MS 404, Clavia Nord-Lead, Quasimidi Rave-O-Lution, Korg Monopoly, Roland TR 808 & 909, TB 303, SH 101 & JD 800. This is only the beginning of a list too long to be of any interest."
In response to the news reports regarding the April 20, 1999 tragedy in Colorado, Sascha K. released the following:
OFFICIAL PRESS-RELEASE ISSUED BY MSO 4/21/99:Statement from Sascha K., formerly KMFDM regarding media reports linking the band to the "Trenchcoat Mafia" website in Littleton, CO:
"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," says Sascha K., founder of KMFDM. "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", emphatically states Sascha.
"While some of the former band members are German as reported in the media, none of us condone any Nazi beliefs whatsoever."
Yes, En Esch was staying in New York, but was not in the vicinity of the WTC.
OPIUM 1984 was released in 2002 on First World Music.
The artwork is the product of BRUTE! You can visit the BRUTE! website at http://www.bruteprop.com.
The following people helped out with this FAQ... all help was GREATLY appreciated! :)
in alphabetical order:
Sean Galbraith................................................................................................................. graphics
Jason Haas............................................................ the inspiration (he *is* the FAQboy!) and support
Scott Jaeger......................................................................................................... former co-author
Sascha K....................................... the answers to the questions, the food for my music obsession :)
Glenn K!............................................................................................................. list of contributers
Andrew Pelletier.................................................................................................... former co-author
Jim Stark.................................................................................... graphics, cyberparental support ;)
DJ Toell.................................................................................................................. Pig info, TMI ;)
Steve W...................................................................................................... soundtrack information
Brandon Werdel......................................................................................................... former co-author
This FAQ was written by Jody Cross (kmfdm@amnin.com) and Josh Hammonds (joshbot@bellsouth.net) and edited by Jody Cross.
Almost all information contained in this FAQ comes from Sascha K. or the KMFDM page at http://www.kmfdm.net
You can get the latest version of the FAQ by e-mailing kmfdm@amnin.com. Just put "KMFDM FAQ request" in the subject line (or something to that effect)
This FAQ will also be posted on an undecided-as-of-yet regular basis to alt.music.kmfdm.
The HTML version of the FAQ can be found at http://www.amnin.com/kmfdm
The KMFDM Frequently Asked Questions file is � 1997 Jody Match; � 1998-2000 Jody Match & Scott Jaeger; � 2001 Jody Match & Andrew Pelletier; � 2002 Jody Cross & Brandon Werdel; � 2003 Jody Cross & Josh Hammonds. The information found herein is � KMFDM Inc. This FAQ, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
It is very easy to get the author's permission to use this FAQ. All you have to do is e-mail the editor (Part VIII Section 1).
Please pay attention to this rule. It doesn't require much effort, and it is the law (international copyright laws) that you get the editor's (my) permission BEFORE using any copywritten material (this FAQ).