The Nitzer Corporeal

One last opportunity to catch Nitzer Ebb in concert and re-live those spine-tingling moments

Feature by Alex Burden | 15 Jul 2006
It's been more than ten long years since Nitzer Ebb last ripped it up live (since 1995 to be exact), but the clouds have parted and the sun is shining through onto July 9th – one of the last chances to see them perform together on their one-off tour.

The shows will help mark the release of their latest, and last, compilation entitled 'Body of Work' which features tracks spanning 1984 to 1997. The brutality of their music has influenced artists across the board, from Sven Vath and Richie Hawtin to The Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails. Their pioneering sound was inventive, with solid beats that hit like bullets and delectable distortion traversing between metal, punk, EBM, electro and techno.

The unlikely setting for their story is Chelmsford in 1985, where 16 year-old Bon Harris and Douglas McCarthy attracted the attention of Pet Shop Boys' producer Phil Harding. Their first tracks, Let Your Body Learn and Warsaw Ghetto, led to a deal with Mute and the production of their classic debut album 'That Total Age'. Another three albums followed and became hugely influential across multiple genres and years. 'That Total Age', 'Belief', 'Ebbhead', and 'Big Hit' are all represented on 'Body', including the macabre stomper Join in the Chant; the freaky saxophone of Lightning Man; the luscious strings of I Give To You; and the overt metal of Kick It. Remember, your neighbour will want to hear these tracks and be educated in the ways of the electro-punk, so play it at full volume all day (only joking, we don't want you lot getting an ASBO now do we!).

The industrial keyboards thrust their sticky fingers into the recesses of your cerebellum while the almost sing-song vocals gnaw at your soul. It's a bit of an Ebb overload given the heavy nature of the majority of the tracks, but if you're already a Nitzer fan this should have you wetting your pants. Many of the tracks are still of a timeless nature, and could have been released in the last few years without causing anyone to cast 'dated' aspersions. Also included in the double CD release are various mixes and rarities – pay attention to Lakeside Drive (Remix) and Kick It (Popular Music Mix) for some choice listening. A promo-only 12" will accompany the release with two tracks: Join the Chant (Burn!) and Getting Closer (Black Strobe EBM Remix 2).

Their tour dates are sporadic and mostly concentrated to European territory (Amphi Festival, Kologne, Germany, July 23/ Love Joy Club, Gijon, Spain, August 26/Liquid Club, Malta, Nov 11, in case you're taking a wander abroad this fine summer), but book your tickets now for their London show to catch a little piece of history.



Nitzer Ebb with support from Terence Fixmer, Islington Academy, London. Tickets
£17.50 advance from www.ticketweb.co.uk. http://www.nitzer-ebb.com, www.mute.com