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Messitsch 1992 - Orgasm Death Gimmick

Original Article

"Do you already have a product?" It’s not advisable to think about the name of a band. To talk about it is even more senseless. But one can enjoy it. Orgasm Death Gimmick even give the Americans something to think about and they shock the humour experienced Brits, but they will never explain how a human biological phenomenon can become the name of a band.

And it hasn’t to be explained how it could happen that four guys from East Berlin can form a band, which is able to be on a path that could end in the halls of fame. But before this end is reached there will be enough time to enjoy their music. And Orgasm Death Gimmick counts on that immense strong feeling which everybody can find in their music. There is a building, bound to the vivid earth, and through its doors and windows the sounds of the universe are penetrating: Jazz, Grunge, Funk, Reggae, Metal and also some nice melody.

Dietmar, Sven , Martin and Sascha don’t care for top-heavy theories. They are on a platform which can hardly be described and they definitively don’t move synchronously.

Sven says: There is a story to tell before we start. When I was searching for some people for a new band I had met Sascha, who now plays the drums, and Franziska from the Inchtabokatables. We just played a bit and Franzi did not like it very much. When she decided to leave, Martin appeared at the scene (now he is the bass guitar player). We tried to play together and it went on well. Dietmar (trumpet player and singer) just had hung around for one year, had read some books and had thought about life in general. Then he started to sing, and when Martin asked him to sing, he told us, that there weren’t any good singers, except him. So the band was formed."

The four had collected some experience in other bands. Melodious names like "Herbst in Peking" (Autumn in Peking), "Die Firma" (The company) and others. The variety of Orgasm Death Gimmick’s music, which is in no way a mess of styles, can lead to the result that a bag pipe can be found playing in between heavy guitar riffs (like the Puhdys and Feeling B already did). Is this the search for the special kick?

Sven :"There are different parties in the band. A few agree with it, others don’t". "To be honest" Martin adds "three of us say: Let’s play Rock’n’Roll. But the bag pipe part in "Say nothing" is just a substitute for a miserable guitar solo. It was so fucking cold the day we recorded the guitar part and it didn’t work out. Well, then the guy who could play the bag pipe was just there by chance. So we tried it."

The songs available on tape until now were recorded at the Wydoks-studio in the Schönhauser Allee 5. Sven built up this studio together with Paul (Landers!) from Feeling B. They have a 16 track recording system there and sometimes it is too cold to play the guitar. Sven comments on the studio conditions: "The requirements for the sound are higher now for this kind of music. With a bigger amount of recording tracks you can create much more pressure." And Martin says it plainly: "We are waiting for the fairy who gives a million so we can make the music we want to make." Sven : "I have built up this studio together with Paul in the past. We did the first recordings of Orgasm Death Gimmick there. Then Paul did not have enough time and therefore Sascha did the mixing. We made the songs in the end like we wanted them to be. There also was a break. We began some time ago and then tried some things at the studio, tried to silence the sound a bit, then continued. We also had some problems, some were caused by the atmosphere in the studio. But when we sorted things out it finally worked."

One could say that the studio was built around the songs. If you follow this thought then the second Orgasm Death Gimmick album will be recorded in well equipped Wydoks-studio with 64 track recording system. Then the band will have found the sound that matches with them.

Martin: "Somehow you always try to find your own sound. But it is difficult and takes some time. But the aim has to be that, if people will hear the cd, they say: Ah, it’s Orgasm Death Gimmick.". And Sven explains: "You walk through the music equipment stores and examine the amplifiers and instruments; and you hope to find a device which is only made for you. It’s significant that nowadays guitars seem to be very important, more than ever. Even in the 70’s they weren’t that dominant. Just listen to Pantera and similar bands. It’s something about pressure and energy. For me playing guitar is connected with the feeling of power."

As hard as some try to achieve an individual sound, Martin explains why these ones fail: "All experiments with the sound cannot equal the lack of good ideas for songs. There aren’t unlimited accords you can play on a guitar. Now we have a time of crossover and sampling. Five years ago the rap musicians already said: That sound of your guitar was played by every rock musician, forget it. Just mix the music you have at home and like. This can be innovative as well."

Until yet the record companies, which were confronted with the Orgasm Death Gimmick tapes, showed no reaction. But there really was no time for them to react. But the four musicians aren’t in a hurry. "The material we have recorded till now and which we will be developing can take some time to ripe. We are more a live band. On the other hand there is the pressure to make a "real" record, to have a product to convince others that we have our qualities. But we want to be sure that we really can make a good record. There is the great respect for the making of the first record. Because just a record can be made by any idiot."

Until then we can enjoy the concerts of Orgasm Death Gimmick and their really good tapes.

© 2005 Richiebaby