Wolfsheim (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wolfsheim | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Hamburg, Germany |
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| Genre(s) | Synthpop Darkwave |
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| Years active | 1987–present | |
| Label(s) | Strange Ways Records, Metropolis Records | |
| Website | http://www.wolfsheim.de | |
| Members | ||
| Peter Heppner, Markus Reinhardt | ||
Wolfsheim is a synthpop band from Hamburg, Germany.
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[edit] History
The band was founded in 1987 by Markus Reinhardt and Pompejo Ricciardi. They were inspired by the name of a fictional character from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
Reinhardt's brother Oliver Reinhardt joined the band sometime afterward. After producing a demo tape, co-founder Ricciardi left the band and was replaced by Peter Heppner. Heppner had known the band from mutual friends and from growing up in the same neighborhood in Hamburg. Oliver Reinhardt departed the band, leaving the current lineup as Peter Heppner (vocals) and Markus Reinhardt (electronics).[1]
Their first public show took place in "Werkstatt 3", a small club in Hamburg.
After making two new demo tapes, Wolfsheim applied at various labels, getting nothing but rejections, until they caught the attention of the sole employee of Strange Ways Records. In 1991, "The sparrows and the nightingales" single was released (the first release ever on Strange Ways[2]). Although not heavily promoted, Sparrows became a fast hit. Their next album, "Popkiller", released in October of 1993, also did well.
Wolfsheim released a compilation, 55578, in February 1995. This album was comprised of many tracks previously featured on singles, as well as some unreleased material. The first 55,578 copies were "special editions", containing a bonus disk with material recorded at the Strange Ways festival[3]. 55578 made it to the German Media Control Charts, where it stayed for five weeks. In February 1996, they released their fourth album, Dreaming Apes. Wolfsheim began touring on their own for the first time in May, 1996. Hamburg Rom Wolfsheim, the duo's first live album, was recorded at the 1996 Dreaming Apes tour, and released in October, 1997.
Wolfsheim got much more attention when Heppner recorded a duet with Joachim Witt, "Die Flut". This song was a major hit, holding the top position of the Media Control Charts for weeks.
Their sixth album, Spectators, was released in February, 1999. That summer, Wolfsheim played the Bizarre Festival, Rock am Ring, and Rock im Park. They also played their first show outside of Germany, at Belgium's Eurorock festival.
In 2001, Heppner recorded more songs as a guest artist. His collaboration with Schiller, "Dream of You" got heavy rotation on Germany's MTV station. He also collaborated on "Glasgarten" with Goethes Erben. These collaborations brought Wolfsheim still more attention. Also in 2001, Metropolis Records brought Wolfsheim to American audiences, releasing "Spectators" domestically.
On April 16th, 2002, Wolfsheim released their first (and only to date) DVD, Kompendium. It featured a recording from the Spectator's tour, an interview, and various music videos.
"Casting Shadows", their sixth and latest album, was released in March of 2003. The single "Kein Zurück" was released on February 2, and debuted at number 5 on the Media Control Charts. It stayed in the top ten for 10 weeks. "Casting Shadows" itself reached the top position on the charts.
In March and April of 2004, Wolfsheim went on their first (and to date only) tour in the USA.
Wolfsheim's style takes cues from the 1980s New Romantics and New Wave; their lyrics tend to be melancholic, but at the same time modernist.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
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[edit] Singles
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[edit] Demos
[edit] Awards
ECHO 2004: Best German Alternative Band
