Formed in 1987 by performance artists Jim Marcus and Van Christie, Die Warzau (originally referred to as Die Warzau Synfony) has operated on the fringes of industrial music, creating a unique sound that is a genre-bending excursion into the soul of the music form. An everpresent and important part of Die Warzau's appeal is the sociopolitical lyricism and emotive vocals of Jim Marcus. Industrial music is a loose term for a number of different styles of electronic and experimental music. ...

History

Originally signed to Chris Parry's Fiction Records, the group released Disco Rigido in the late 1980s (distributed in the United States by Atlantic Records), which featured "Welcome To America", "Land of the Free" and "I've Got To Make Sense". Though the album falls solidly into the EBM genre, it contains hints of the experimentation and genre-bending that later recordings would feature (e.g. "Y Tagata en Situ"). The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

A second album, Big Electric Metal Bass Face, built on the foundation laid with Disco Rigido and upped the ante with excursions into funk (listen to "Funkopolis" as well as the live take of "Coming Down"). Contributors to the band at the time included Chris Vrenna and James Woolley, who both served time in Nine Inch Nails during its popularity's early peak in the mid-Nineties. Chris Vrenna (born in Erie, Pennsylvania on February 23, 1967) is an American musician, Grammy-winning producer, drummer, engineer, remixer, songwriter and programmer, and is a former drummer for Nine Inch Nails (1990–96). ... Hes a great dude!!! Ive known him since we were kids!!!!!! I love Jimmy!!! ... NIN redirects here. ...

Engine, a 1995 release on Wax Trax/TVT, was a huge jump forward and found critical acclaim for its decimation of genre boundaries. Die Warzau could no longer be simply pigeonholed into the "industrial" category, as their music became more organic, rounder on the edges yet still retaining their trademark knack for insistent rhythm and pure, unrefined electronic noise. "Liberated" and "All Good Girls" became trademark songs for the group. Fellow act Sister Machine Gun "inherited" an unused song from this period ("Hole In the Ground"), which they included on their Burn album. Wax Trax! Records was a record label in the United States. ... TVT Records is an independent record label in the United States. ... Sister Machine Gun began life in 1990 as an industrial duo formed by Chris Randall and Chris Kelly in Chicago. ...

Die Warzau as a group then went on hiatus for a number of years, with Marcus and Christie working on other projects--Jim Marcus founded the pure funk group Everplastic while Van Christie worked on Eco-Hed.

By 2005, though, the duo had reconvened and released Convenience (on their Chicago-based Pulseblack Records). A continuation of the path they started on with Engine, songs like "Radiation Babies", "Kleen" and "Linoleum" further blur any genre lines and leave something truly original. More output is expected from the group in 2006, including a collaboration with funk pioneer George Clinton. George Clinton (born July 22, 1941) is an American musician, widely considered one of the forefathers of funk. ...

Discography

• Disco Rigido (1989)
• Big Electric Metal Bass Face (1991)
• Engine (1995)
• Convenience (2005)
• Supergangbang High (2006)
• Supergangbang Low (2006)

Trivia

• Both Christopher Hall (Stabbing Westward / The Dreaming) and Chris Vrenna were members at one point.
• Warzone Recorders was started by Van Christie and Jim Marcus in part of Cabrini Green Housing Projects

Sonic Boom Interview Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock band composed of Christopher Hall, Walter Flakus, Stuart Zechman, Jim Sellers and David Suycott. ... Stabbing Westward 1998 Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band composed of Christopher Hall, Walter Flakus, Stuart Zechman, Jim Sellers and David Suycott. ... The Dreaming - EP cover. ... Chris Vrenna (born in Erie, Pennsylvania on February 23, 1967) is an American musician, Grammy-winning producer, drummer, engineer, remixer, songwriter and programmer, and is a former drummer for Nine Inch Nails (1990–96). ...

• PULSEBLACK Records, a Chicago Indie Label is now home to Die Warzau Pulseblack Records
• In 1991 Die Warzau supported Nine Inch Nails on tour. NIN Hotline
• Van Christie worked at Traxx Records (from 1994-2004) and worked with Lil Louis on the hit "French Kiss"
• Abel Garibaldi who is credited on "Convenience" is head recording engineer for R. Kelly
• Jim Marcus is a well-respected typeface designer for T26 Font Foundry.

NIN redirects here. ... Lil Louis is the stage name used by Chicago-born house music producer and DJ Louis Burns. ... Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967 in Chicago, who goes by the stage name of R. Kelly, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. ...

External links

• Die Warzau Homepage
• Fabryka Industrial Rock webzine
• myspace page