Feature of the month. June 2001: NITZER EBB I swear itīs not my obsession or my concept to write only about bands with just two members, but here we go again...NItzer Ebb was formed in Chelmsford, Essex, UK in the mid-eighties as a trio, but it was Douglas McCarthy and Bon Harris that would continue for about ten years, making NE famous & widely appreciated for their electronic blues dressed in minimal, funky, rock hard beats. They released a couple of maxi-singles & epīs (including the classic "Warzaw Ghetto") before signing Mute Records and releasing the album "That total age" in 1987. This is a true landmark in the hard electronic music scene. Inspired by Germans (also duo!) DAF they, together with bands such as Front 242, kicked off what is now known in history as Electronic Body Music. I was blown away by their sound & performance when they were supporting Depeche Mode on their "for the masses tour" and in Hultsfred 1988 I tracked down the band to sign my records....this was something that would happen a number of times in the late eighties/early nineties, actually to a degree where I a)got Doug to sign my "Mina Vänner/My Friends" book! & b) was invited by the band to a gig as some kind of mascot. Before the show I was on stage soundchecking the pads & posing -in true Doug & Bon style. Lucky days for a sixteen year old hardcore fan! ..and a hell of a nice band behind that tough kind of image that they had back then. They released "Belief" in 1989 & I personally think that this album is a classic. I also believe that this LP inspired both itīs producer Flood and Depeche Mode to do "Violator" about a year later. "Showtime" in 1990 showed a band trying to find a new identity..... ...before releasing "Ebbhead" in 1992. Another fantastic album produced by DMīs own Alan Wilder & Flood. Majestic, almost John Barry-arranged songs in heavy rhythms. After this the band would never be the same. they released their last album "The Big Hit" in 1995, but differences within the band made them split up about a year later. Since then, Bon has programmed the Smashing Pumpkins "Adore" album & Marilyn Mansonīs latest. Douglas is studying graphic design & has put his vocals on several Recoil (Alan Wilder solo)tracks. I do hope we will see the return of this fantastic, legendary band. We need more New Funk Brutalism, as the band expressed themselves in the early days of the band. For me Nitzer Ebb will always hold a place as one of the best electronic bands thereīs ever been. I think many would agree. Iīll give you some hints; *Thereīs another band from Chelmsford. Check out the third track on their "Firestarter" single and decide yourself if it has any resemblance to NEīs "Murderous"... *An American "one-man" band that debuted around 1990 wouldnīt have sounded as they did if it wasnt for NE... /andreas NITZER EBB ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY That Total Age 1987 stumm45 (1) Belief 1989 stumm61 (2) Showtime 1990 stumm72 (3) Ebbhead 1992 stumm88 (4) Big Hit 1995 stumm118 (5) My compilation of the best of Nitzer Ebb would probably be: 1.Getting Closer (3) 2.I Give to you (4) 3.Ascend (4) 4.Captivate (William Orbit remix) (2) 5.Hearts and Minds (2) 6.Murderous (1) 7.Lightning Man (3) 8.Control Iīm Here (2) 9.Blood money (2) 10.Floodwater (5) Back