Die Krupps

This article is about the industrial rock band. For the commercial steel dynasty after whom the band is named, see Krupp.

Die Krupps
Background information
Origin	Düsseldorf, Germany
Genres	Post-industrial, electronic body music, industrial metal
Years active	1980–present
Labels	Hollywood
Associated acts	Dkay.com, Heathen, Propaganda
Members
Jürgen Engler Ralf Dörper Marcel Zürcher Rüdiger Esch Nook
Past members
Bernward Malaka Frank Köllges Eva Gößling Christina Schnekenburger Walter Jaeger Christopher Lietz Lee Altus Darren Minter George Lewis Oliver Röhl Achim Färber

Die Krupps (German pronunciation: [diː ˈkʁʊps]) is a German industrial rock/EBM band, formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka in Düsseldorf.

History

Their initial sound throughout the 1980s combined synthesizers with metallic percussion. Die Krupps were key in the Europe wide progression of Electronic Body Music culminating with the collaboration in 1989 with British band Nitzer Ebb on a re-release of Wahrer Lohn/Wahre Arbeit. In 1992, they began to utilize guitars and more sounds derived from heavy metal music, with the release of their album I (as in the number One). It was a pioneering move which led to a number of other bands using the electronic/metal combo as a template in keeping with a deeper industrial sound. The band continued in this vein through the 1990s, releasing II (number two, with a cover heavily influenced by Deep Purple's Machine Head). A more experimental and pensive III followed in 1995. After the release of the heavily metal-influenced album Paradise Now in 1997, the band disbanded.

One of their more famous releases is the EP Tribute To Metallica where they recorded covers of Metallica songs in their trademark heavy electronic synthesizer-style.

Jürgen Engler announced later the founding of a new project DKay.com (pronounced as "decay dot kom") and released 2 albums in 2000 and 2002.

Ralf Dörper founded the band Propaganda in 1982 after leaving Die Krupps. In 1989 he returned to Die Krupps.

Die Krupps celebrated their 25th anniversary with appearances in some major European festivals as well as solo appearances in 2005 and 2006.

The band's name translates as "The Krupps" and comes from the Krupp dynasty, one of pre-war Germany's main industrial families. The band is actively anti-Nazi and may have chosen this name to highlight the role of the Krupps in arming the Nazis during World War II.

In some interviews the band stated that Visconti's 1969 movie The Damned—a depiction of the fictitious German industrial dynasty of the Essenbecks—was the main inspiration.

In fall 2007 2 greatest-hits albums were released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Die Krupps: "Too Much History - The Electro Years Vol. 1" and "Too Much History - The Metal Years Vol. 2", both in digipak format.^[1] One of the albums showcases the band's electro side, and the other showcases the band's metal side. Both albums were combined as the 2-disc "Too Much History".

The influential back-catalogue of Die Krupps has been remastered and expanded. So far four of their previous albums "Stahlwerksynfonie" "Volle Kraft Voraus", "I" and "Final Option" have been re-released.^[2]

To celebrate 30 years of "True Work" Die Krupps announced a joint European tour with Nitzer Ebb in spring 2011.

Members

• Jürgen Engler – Vocals, guitar, synthesizers & programming
• Ralf Dörper – Synthesizers & programming
• Marcel Zürcher – Guitar
• Rüdiger Esch – Bass
• Nook – Drums, electronic percussion

Former members

• Bernward Malaka - Bass
• Frank Köllges - Drums
• Eva Gößling - Saxophone
• Christina Schnekenburger - Keyboards
• Walter Jäger - ?
• Christopher Lietz - Programming, Samples
• Lee Altus - Guitar
• Darren Minter - Drums
• George Lewis^{[disambiguation needed ]} - Drums
• Oliver Röhl – Drums
• Achim Färber – Drums

Discography

Albums

• Stahlwerksymphonie (1981)
• Volle Kraft Voraus! (1982)
• Entering the Arena (1985)
• I (1992)
• II: The Final Option (1993)
• The Final Remixes (1994)
• III: Odyssey of the Mind (1995)
• Paradise Now (1997)
• Volle Kraft Voraus! Re-release (2008)
• I Re-release (2008)

Singles and EPs

• Wahre Arbeit, Wahrer Lohn (1981)
• Goldfinger (1982)
• Machineries of Joy (1989)
• Germaniac (1990)
• Metal Machine Music (1992)
• The Power (1992)
• Tribute to Metallica (1992)
• Fatherland (1993)
• To the Hilt (1994)
• Crossfire (1994)
• Bloodsuckers (1994)
• Isolation (1995)
• Scent (1995)
• Remix Wars Strike 2: Die Krupps vs. Front Line Assembly (1996)
• Fire (1997)
• Rise Up (1997)
• Black Beauty White Heat (1997)
• Paradise now (1997)
• Wahre Arbeit, Wahrer Lohn (2005)
• Volle Kraft Null Acht (2009)
• Als Wären Wir Für Immer (12/2010)

Anthologies

• Metall Maschinen Musik 91-81 Past Forward (1991)
• Rings of Steel (1995)
• Metalmorphosis of Die Krupps (1997)
• Foundation (1997)
• Too Much History. The Electro Years (Vol. 1) (2007)
• Too Much History. The Metal Years (Vol. 2) (2007)
• Too Much History. Limited edition double CD set (2007)

References

1. ^ Die Krupps launch two best of albums
2. ^ Die Krupps re-release their classic albums 'Volle Kraft Voraus' and 'I' with bonus-material

External links

• Homepage of the official DIE KRUPPS fanbase
• Die Krupps discography at MusicBrainz
• Die Krupps at MySpace
• SHOUT! Online interview with Jürgen Engler / Die Krupps (November 2005)