|
|
|
|
Foundation
The project Die with Dignity was founded in October 1996 by the
students
Brenner (bass, vox, keys, drum machine),
Broszat (vox, keys, self-built oscillators + modulators,
tape-effects, drum machine, mixing desk),
Repgen ([rhythm] guitars, keys).
Short time afterwards the students
Guderia ([lead] guitars, trumpet, violin, flutes),
Kubry (sampling, drum machine),
Funder (keys)
joined the band; meanwhile Kubry and Funder have already left the band.
Naming
Even finding a name that would fit to the uncompromising philosophy of
the band, turned out to be difficult. In order to dissociate themselves from
ordinary Gothic or Industrial standards they called themselves
Current 92. When friends pointed out that there was a certain
analogousness they changed the band's name to Punk Floyd, but
this did not last very long either, and shortly afterwards Ten
Inch Nails was born. This was only a transitional solution followed by
Death in July, Blurb and The Beatie Boys.
After a sponsoring deal with a chocolate company the guys had several
gigs under the name Sister of Mercí, when at last the
drum computer suggested to call the band
Die with Dignity,
which found general approval.
Instrumentation
There had to be something new, this was for sure. So they assembled and
thought about new concepts. The idea of realising industrial music
using woodwind instruments proved to be as innovative as impracticable.
So, without any compromises they developed the plan to cover the
Sisters' classic Floodland using alphorns, but this
failed because of certain lack of area in their studio. When finally
the creative heads conceived the revolutional combination guitar/
bass/ keyboard/ vocals, this encountered scepticism in the environment
of the band. No-one believed that it would be possible to create a
concise, homogeneous sound with such heterogenous components.
Now they were ready to create a new sound, and soon afterwards
they proceeded to Gawl's Singing Room in order to record
several songs live in studio, some of which now are issued
as their debut-CD
Kraut?.
Lyrics
Words are the expression of a constitutional semantics of
thoughts, as was already expressed by Baldur de Paranaus.
This motto was to be matched by DwD's patterns of words,
which is their name for their lyrics in allusion to Ali Al Baba III.
The concept to write all lyrics in Hungarian failed mainly because
no band member was expert in that language. The idea of singing German
texts backwards was very difficult because of the adequate conversion
of sibilants. In order not to give up this innovative sound reversion
completely they decided to still sing backwards, but then play the tape
recordings in similar manner, i.e. in reverse direction. That's why
listeners might get the impression of vocals being done like usual,
i.e. straight forward. An amazing effect!
Outfit
There were acrimonious discussions about that point. Suggestions of
giving concerts nude, in green suspenders or wearing paper hats
were rejected rather spontaneously. Finally they invented a new
appearance that was impossible to be overbidden with regard to
expressiveness and plainness: The so-called
All-Days-Look(©)
that is copied now by all classes of population.