By Patrick M.

“The music from the new movie?” “Right here in Germany, the RAF is still in people’s memory… I think, I ask my boss, what she thinks.” “Well, she’s not very enthused.” Thereabout was the reaction in the custom office when I was urged to unwrap the CD DBMG/RAF. From the sound of it, RAF typefaces and Heckler&Koch on red star.
When paperback cover flapped, eyes falling on Andreas Baader on the left side and on Ulrike Meinhof on the right side. After the “Bundesprüfstelle” finally checked the non-undesirable influence on the moral development of young people, I took home the Corpus Delictorum. The Officer from the custum office took leave of me with the words: “So much as I would like to wish you so much fun with the CDs… but it’s horrible!“ Well, in the 50ies a lot of people also had to hear-up the Rock’n'Roll.

Seeing all the new refurbishment about the newer German past; seeing all the new raising debates on TV and, if coincidence or not, with the theatrical release, a disc is on hand, which hides something musically consistent and diversified. Within their self-conception DBMG/RAF is not only a clamped band with fixed members. In fact DBMG/RAF is seen as chance for musicians and and multi-media artists to explore the use of violence within their chosen medium. DBMG/RAF feels inspired by the actions of the Red Army Faction aka Baader-Meinhof-Group, which in the 1970ies til their disbandment 1998 sought the violent overthrow of Germany’s post-war government. (within their self-conception the members of the Western-German identified themselves “Rote Armee Fraktion“. The title “Baader-Meinhof-Gruppe“ was given by public media. The RAF never called themselves “Baader-Meinhof-Gruppe“).

There’s a lot of cooperation between the DBMG/RAF and other artists from all over the world. But settled the DBMG/RAF is in Owen Sound, Ontario Canada. Besides of his project Tel Quel Joshua Richardson stands behind the DBMG/RAF. With his collaborateurs Patrick Dorfman (guitar, Garcy Bird), Scott Farmer (keyboard, vocals, guitar), Adam Reese (guitar), Sam Devos (keyboard) und Edwin Vanvinckenroye (violin) the DBMG/RAF also appears amongst Alexander Hacke, Tony Conrad and the Nihilistic Spasm Band.

inasmuch as the name DBMG/RAF and the associated logo wants to be pure provocation, so it works at the customs office at least. At this point don’t let us discuss about provocation. Behind the at the first sight bearishly appearing and always Germans provocating look, there is yet a very inspired musical conception. Clear and explicit lyrics are perhaps not so important, but instead you find musicians’ gentle and skillful handling with sounds. That is not pretty special new music. But surely inspired by Lustmord, Nine Inch Nails and the Einstürzende Neubauten DBMG/RAF contains a lot of things, which are wished by a friend of Industrial, Ambient, Noise, but still missing in a very lot of other bands and projects. In face to face with the music-historical ballast it is still preferable to hear on a well done standard, instead of an overproduction of effect-snatching. Therefore it could be that some questions can be answered with this CD. How to handle sound gently? What is spare but effectful sound handling? It is necessary at all costs to put voice samples excessively? Is it allowed to use in Ambient or Noise guitars and drums sounding like guitars and drums?

Intro gives us MUSTH: “I am an Elephant - make tracks / Scent of urine on my breath /Large as a city, I cradle galaxies.” It doesn’t matter if you with MUSTH take in the testosterone-conditioned behaviour modification or the abnormal behaviour of an drunken guy: erratic behaviour is shown here very initial, clean programmed and powerful. While hearing SHOAH nearly goes without saying. guitar riffs, drums and screaming changing with ambient sound and female backround voice. A new James Bond movie theme? No. IED quickly emerges as a solid and deep kind of Rock which slowly builds up and ends in uproar – a Improvised Explosive Device. And now we are arriving GAZA. Almost you can hear the Muezzin which is on the verge of shouting the Adhan from the minaret. Oriental Ambient sound probably shows us the way to Palestine? A FISTULA is an artificial anastomosis with birth canal and other viscera. KALASCHNIKOW. Sure. It needn’t always to be a Heckler & Koch. This and numbers like PAROXYSM and SCREBRENICA are surely suitable for clubs ranging beyond Industrial, Noise. LSD-25 with its drums, guitars and organs is redolant of DEATH IN VEGAS and of the 70ies. In my oppinion one of the strongest tunes of this CD and like the other tunes on it very good and clean played and produced.