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In 1982, Huwue became aware that there would be significant changes for Xmal Deutschland after they were the opening act for Cocteau Twins. Before this, the band had been an experimental project formed by five women in the active punk scene in Hamburg. However, with a UK tour coming up and a recent signing with 4AD, it seemed that their experiment was morphing into a potential phenomenon.
Anja Huwe recalls wanting to join a band, but not necessarily be the lead singer. However, it wasn’t until their first performance with the Cocteau Twins that she realized singing could be her passion.
The London crowd may have had to do some mental acrobatics. Xmal Deutschland wasn’t quite like the dreamy Cocteau Twins; their music was intense, forceful, and sung in German. “They were all just staring at us, not really sure what to make of it,” Huwe remembers. “To them, I must have seemed like a foreigner.”
Xmal Deutschland’s career was often accompanied by an otherworldly presence, as evidenced by the recent release of their early singles collection. The group’s memorable image featured five women dressed entirely in black (although there were lineup changes over the years, which introduced Wolfgang Ellerbrock and Peter Bellendir to the band). They adorned themselves with studded bracelets and had big, teased hair in shades of platinum blonde, black, and neon pink. Lead singer Anja Huwe exuded a combination of avant-garde poses and expressions that mirrored those of a silent movie star. While not fitting neatly into traditional categories like art punk or new wave, the band’s moody and rhythmic sound was a pioneering force in the then-unnamed genre of goth.
Except for Manuela Rickers, who previously played in the band Huwe, the other members of the band, Caro May on drums, Rita Simon on bass, and Fiona Sangster on keyboard, had no prior experience. According to Huwe, they were not very skilled at playing their instruments. However, they were dating guys who were in bands and owned instruments, so they decided they could do it themselves and started their own band.
Huwe had seen the Clash and the Slits play London’s Lyceum in 1978, returned to Hamburg, chopped off her long blonde hair and started working in the local punk record shop, Rip Off. It was there that she met fellow Hamburg musicians Mona Mur and Mark Chung, who played in Mona’s band, as well as Abwärts and Einstürzende Neubauten. “We became friends instantly,” Mur recalls. “We had a solidarity for each other.”
Huwe states that they lived in a previous magazine office along with other notable figures such as musicians from Einstürzende Neubauten and Christiane F, as well as Mona and the owners of a record shop. They formed a close-knit community in Hamburg, which was smaller compared to the punk scene in Berlin. They spent time together and collaborated on film and art projects, also referred to as the “new wave.”
When Xmal Deutschland started in 1980, Simon was slated to be the singer. They went to record their first single, but she didn’t turn up. “Everyone looked at me, and said, ‘It’s your turn now,’” Huwe says. One early single, Incubus Succubus, stood out from the rest – with evil laughing, synthesised howls and Huwe’s dark chanting vocals, it was championed by John Peel on his radio show and became a cult post-punk classic.
At Huwe’s apartment, the group was spending time together when Alexander Hacke from Einstürzende Neubauten visited them. According to Huwe, Hacke remarked that the band sounded very British and suggested that they pursue a record deal in Britain with a label called 4AD.
They journeyed to London and were officially signed, realizing that the city’s punk scene had significant contrasts to their smaller world in Hamburg. “Germany in that time was a very wealthy country,” Huwe explains. “But Britain was different, it was quite rundown. The musicians I knew in London all hailed from the north, like Leeds, Manchester, Scotland. They left because it was impoverished.” According to Huwe, they didn’t have much wealth in Germany, but they had enough to buy necessities and go out, while also creating music that wasn’t influenced by commercial motives. “British bands were desperate to escape their situation. So they were primarily motivated by creating music that would bring them some financial gain.”
After their initial success, the band released two highly acclaimed albums under 4AD: Fetisch in 1983 and Tocsin in 1984. Both records showcased a more polished, eerie sound, and the latter featured a re-recorded version of their hit song “Incubus Succubus” which quickly became a popular track on the dancefloor at London’s goth club, Bat Cave. However, despite their association with gothic music, the band members themselves did not identify as goths. Lead singer Huwe explains, “We didn’t see ourselves as part of that scene. We were drawn to darker music – we were big fans of Psychedelic Furs, Bauhaus, and the Cure – but goth didn’t really come into play until later. Our youngest member, Fiona, who is Scottish, did have a bit of a goth look with little bats and black clothing, but to me she was the original goth with her black and blue hair.”
Although Xmal Deutschland has been linked to the subculture in the past, Huwe does not currently identify with it. According to her, the subculture has changed significantly and has become very commercialized, particularly in Germany. She also notes the large events and thousands of attendees have turned it into a lucrative industry.
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After the release of their album Tocsin, the band departed from 4AD in search of a major record label. Their album Viva was ultimately released on Phonogram in 1987, but even with a tour alongside the Stranglers, they struggled to gain the same level of success as other bands with a similar, albeit more commercial, sound. According to Huwe, the competition was becoming more fierce, as they were on the same label as popular bands like The Mission and All About Eve, and despite their efforts, they were unable to break through on the charts.
Their last record, titled Devils, was published in 1989 and the group disbanded the subsequent year. Huwe suggests that their bold individualities may have hindered their potential for broader triumph. “We never took heed of anyone’s opinions, we were content with our own,” she recalls. “It was all just for enjoyment. There came a point where we could have used someone to remind us, ‘This is a job, guys. And many people rely on you, so please, heed our advice.’ But alas, no one was there.”
In the 1990s, Huwe took a break from music to pursue broadcasting and visual art. However, in 2020, she was back to writing music after a fan requested her to add vocals to one of her original tracks. Impressed by the result, she asked her old friend Mur for a second opinion. This sparked the creation of an entire album. According to Mur, Huwe is someone who needs to feel completely convinced and inspired by her work, just like himself. The album, named Codes, marks Huwe’s first solo release. Unlike her previous work with Xmal Deutschland, it explores a darker and more industrial sound, with a heavy use of synths (although guitarist Rickers makes an appearance).
According to Huwe, some critics believed that Xmal Deutschland received a deal in London solely because they were a group of all women. She acknowledges that their dynamic was indeed uncommon, but to them, it felt completely natural since they were all good friends. Despite facing doubts from some men who questioned their musical ability, they decided to just go for it and prove themselves with their bold and energetic performances. They were determined to show their critics that they were just as talented as any other band.
Source: theguardian.com
