KMFDM
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
Originally formed in Paris, France, KMFDM was founded by Konietzko and German painter/multi-media performer Udo Sturm. The duo made their in-concert debut on February 29, 1984, when they performed at an opening for an exhibition of European artists at the Grand Palais in Paris (with the show consisting of Sturm playing a synthesizer that would play feedback and Konietzko playing a five-string bass). The same year, KMFDM issued its debut release, Opium, but Sturm exited the group shortly thereafter (around the same time, Konietzko was joined by drummer En Esch, who would remain with the group from then on out). With Sturm out of the picture, Konietzko and Esch put KMFDM on hold at first and joined up with New York industrialist Peter Missing to form the outfit Missing Foundations. But before the new outfit could issue any recordings, both Konietzko and Esch had dropped out and returned back to KMFDM (Missing Foundations would carry on with replacement members and go on to issue albums on their own from the late 80s through the early 90s).
KMFDMs sophomore effort, What Do You Know Deutschland?, came in 1986 and was the groups first of many for Chicagos famed industrial label Wax Trax! But instead of if being an album of all new tracks, it was comprised of selections spanning from 1983 through 1986 (in fact, several were from prior to Eschs joining). Around this time, KMFDM struck up a relationship with artist Aidan Hughues (aka Brute!), who would steadily supply cover artwork for the group the images would become synonymous with KMFDMs hard-hitting music. Konietzko and company pushed forward with such further 80s releases as 1988s Dont Blow Your Top and 1989s UAIOE, during which KMFDM found themselves in the middle of an underground industrial movement (it didnt hurt matters that Wax Trax! quickly became one of the leading industrial labels in the world, as they were the home to such other similarly styled acts as Ministry, Revco, Front 242, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, etc.).
But KMFDM had yet to tour America by 1989 (having heavily toured Europe with the likes of Einstrüzende Neubauten, the Young Gods, and Borghesia, among others), something they sought to correct when they were offered a slot opening a U.S. tour for labelmates Ministry, who at the time were readying their classic The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste release. With the tour lined up for a summer launch, it was pushed back several times (due to Ministry leader Al Jourgensen falling ill) and the tour finally got underway in December 1989. The tour successfully established KMFDM as a band to watch in the industrial underground, as they returned back to Europe after the tours completion to work on their fifth full-length release overall, 1990s Naïve. Realizing that industrials future lay in the U.S., Konietzko relocated KMFDMs homebase from Hamburg to Chicago during 1991. The same year, KMFDMs side-project Excessive Force was formed, issuing a debut release, Conquer Your World, in 1992, the same year that KMFDM issued a new release as well, Money.
But just as it appeared as though KMFDM was about to break through to a wider audience, Wax Trax! suddenly found itself on hard times, resulting in the label being bought out by TVT Records. What followed for KMFDM were some of its best-known and strongest releases: 1993s Angst (which earned the group their first real exposure on MTV via the video clip for the track Drug Against War), 1995s Nihil, and 1996s XTORT. During the same time, Excessive Force issued a second release, 1994s Gentle Death, while Konietzko relocated once more, this time to Seattle. Further releases followed in the late 90s (1997s Symbols, 1998s Agogo, and 1999s Adios), before KMFDM disbanded on January 22, 1999. In the wake of the groups split, Konietzko assembled a new outfit, MDFMK (yep, KMFDM spelled backward) and issued a lone self-titled release in 2000 before KMFDM reunited in 2002 for an all-new album, Attak, and the live album Sturm & Drang Tour 2002. 2003 saw the release of WWIII followed by WWIII Live 2003 a year later. Released on KMFDM Records, 2005s Hau Ruck was classic KMFDM with its aggressive industrial power. The Ruck Zuck EP followed in 2006. In addition to leading KMFDM, Konietzko has also worked with other artists either playing, producing, or remixing tracks/albums by Die Krupps, Front 242, kidneythieves, M People, Peter Murphy, Pig, Schwein, Sister Machine Gun, and Swamp Terrorists, among others.
