"Produkt der Deutsch Amerikanischen Freundschaft"

Thanks to Mute Records' massive reissue campaign of industrial classics, at long last we're able to hold again the seminal D.A.F's debut album. Without specifing the names of the musicians or of the band itself, an anonymous "Produkt der Deutsch Amerikanischen Freundschaft" was issued in 1979, enclosed inside a disturbing yellow/black sleeve showing a classical dancer trapped inside a menacing gear. The music is noisy, minimal and impersonal, 22 tracks of cold and chaotic mixtures of guitars, drums and raw electronics, close to Can and Faust's pioneer avantagarde works as well as to the contemporary industrial scene of Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire and early Clock DVA.

The initial line up of D.A.F. also included, beside Robert Görl, Michael Kermner and Chrislo Haas, later members of Der Plan, while founder member Gabi Delgado, well-known lead singer and lyricist of the group, was somewhere else at the time.
Listened to again after 20 years, this "Produkt" remains extremely interesting, and it's much easier to recognize its legacy in the following industrial, avantgarde and noise scenes. While Gabi and Robert quickly left the most experimental environments, heading for the discovery of Electronic Body Music, in less than one year Germany  produced terrific and devastating industrial monsters such as P16-D4, Cranioclast and H.N.A.S., as well as the almighty Einstürzende Neubauten.

Simoneh Ragnar Redbeard
June 2000

Contacts and informations :

Mute records
web : http://www.mutelibtech.com/mute/