Xmal Deutschland - Singled Out

The Complete A & B-Sides 1980-1989

Sounding like howling witches burning at the stake, the ghoulish shrieks of Xmal Deutschland's 1982 single "Incubus Succubus" immediately won the approval of goth rock connoisseurs. The German band was not able to maintain its black-clad sound, selling out to pop before the inevitable breakup, but Xmal Deutschland competed with Siouxsie and the Banshees for goth royalty. Xmal was formed in Hamburg, Germany, in 1980 by Anja Huwe (vocals), Manuela Rickers (guitar), Rita Simon (bass), Fiona Sangster (keyboards), and Caro May (drums). Originally an all-girl line-up, Xmal Deutschland added their first bloke when Rita Simon was replaced by bassist Wolfgang Ellerbrock. In November 1982, Xmal opened for Cocteau Twins in England, and the group caught the attention of the Twins' label, 4AD Records. The band was signed to the label and released their first LP, Fetisch, a year later. Fetisch hit number three on the U.K. independent charts. Xmal headlined a U.K. tour in 1983 and recorded a live session for renowned British DJ John Peel. Percussionist Manuela Zwingman quit the group, and their second bloke Peter Bellendir became the band's new drummer. The much tighter and heavier sophomore album Tocsin followed in 1984. On 1987's Viva, Xmal hit their creative peak, puncturing their goth rock rock sound with the eerie hooks of "Matador" and "Sickle Moon." However, Xmal Deutschland's “Halloween” days were numbered by 1989's Devils. Despite its ominous title, the group cheered up, dropped the German lyrics for English, and lost all their credibility. They disbanded soon thereafter.

It's difficult to explain this compilation album in a few words, whereas single collections from the likes of Joy Division, New Order, Siouxsie etc. can stand alone as seamless, very listenable "albums" in their own right, this one is for die-hard collectors and mega-fans only. It includes tons of lacklustre B-sides and remixes, sometimes three different versions of the same song back-to-back. That could have worked if they were radically different versions, but unfortunately, they're not.

Xmal Deutschland - Viva

Viva represents how Xmal Deutschland mellowed with age. No longer kicking and screaming like Siouxsie and the Banshees in their punk days, Xmal Deutschland tone down the dissonance and funereal atmospherics in Viva. Fans of the group's chaotic early records might disagree, but Viva is Xmal Deutschland's finest moment. Xmal Deutschland aren't trying to be scary anymore -- their 1982 single "Incubus Succubus" was creepy stuff -- just beautifully depressed. The opening track, "Matador," recalls the band's old gothic fury; however, it's more focused and accessible. The jumpy new wave drums and dreamy mid-'80s keyboards of "Matador" edge the group closer to pop, recalling the Cure in their transformation from the horsemen of the apocalypse to melodic gloom-rockers. "Matador," the band's catchiest single since "Incubus Succubus," was remixed for the clubs as well, but only the original can be found on the Viva CD. It's inevitable that vocalist Anja Huwe would be compared to Siouxsie Sioux; the similarities are striking, like Ian McCulloch and Jim Morrison. Nevertheless, Huwe has found her own voice on Viva, hitting the high notes on "Matador" with palpable passion. "Sickle Moon" and "Feuerwerk (31.dez)" are haunted by Joy Division's dense guitars and foreboding basslines; they display Xmal Deutschland's more mature approach of crafting songs instead of slamming people over the head with repetitive drones. The abundance of synthesizers also give Viva a lighter feel, preventing the music from becoming overwhelmingly bleak, especially on "Eisengrau," "If Only," and "Illusion (Version)," the latter only appearing on the CD. Although Xmal Deutschland went downhill from here -- 1989's Devils was blatantly commercial -- they're kings of the castle on Viva.

Xmal Deutschland - Toscin

Xmal Deutschland's second full-length album is a creative high point, a Teutonic marriage of Siouxsie & the Banshees, inviting Goth-pop and the majestic sonic spaces of the Cocteau Twins. Less off puttingly bleak than the quartet's earlier album, but without the unfortunate candy coating of the albums that followed, these 11 songs are precariously balanced between neo-psychedelic pop in the traditional 4AD style -- the opening "Mondlicht" would not sound out of place on a This Mortal Coil album -- and the more aggressive, artsy sound of their first EPs. The formula is clearly winning; "Incubus Succubus II," a much glossier remake of the song that first garnered attention for the group in the underground clubs, features a less tortured (but still German-language) vocal from Anja Huwe over a smooth, throbbing pulse that trades in the spiky scrappiness of the original for a clean, but not antiseptic thrust. The clash of styles actually works quite well, giving Tocsin a palpable creative tension that adds a frisson of intensity to what might otherwise be just another collection of Goth-pop tunes.

Xmal Deutschland - Fetisch

FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! To translate a line from the rare ZickZack 12” single “Incubus Sucubus”, is how your first impression of Xmal Deutschland should sound like. A physical, rhythmic flirtation with a colossus that captures a raw, pulsating energy; a resonance that throbs and shudders with an acute, refreshing sense of being alive.

“Fetisch”, the album, harnesses enough of that resonance to be a vital post punk release, one of the few records that actually has some semblance of purpose, meaning and belonging in the present day. The 'mystery' which many reviewers have referred to stretches further than the simple exotica of their singing in a foreign tongue.  Thankfully some of these 'mysteries' are best left unsolved allowing a temptation to continue savouring the subject from a safe distance. But it is that allure again, that having to know what they’re banging on about, which draws one on.

While most West German post-punk and new wave bands of the early 80’s explored Atavism and Dadaism, Xmal Deutschland applied the dogma of German expressionism in dark-punk. Thus “Fetisch” is a mixture of gothic-rock, noise-rock, and electronic-rock; it is heavy, relentless, expressionistic and austere.  In the middle of all this pandemonium, only the lyricism of "Boomerang" provides the listener with temporary relief.

X-Mal Deutschland - Sequenz 12”

After the voluntary departure from the mythical label 4AD, for "differences" with Ivo Watts-Russell, Sequenz is a 12" that remains a great reminder of the significant development X-Mal underwent since their first 12" three years earlier (Incubus Succubus). The songs on Sequenz are re-recordings of three of the songs from the John Peel session from the spring of '85. The extended mix of Jahr um Jahr, be it with some inessential sampling, in combination with the somewhat mournful Autumn, it would be the second B’side of the single, Polarlicht (Aurora Borealis) that would take all the praise and ultimately mark the sounds that would come in Viva. Sequenz makes for a good experience of X-Mal at their artistic highpoint. The single was released under the label Red Rhino Europe (RRE) and was recorded at Brunwey Studios (Hamburg) in August of 1985.

Xmal Peel Session