male: zensur & zensur

Tapete Records present a reissue of Zensur & Zensur by Germany's first ever punk band Male, originally released in 1979. Includes 11 live tracks recorded at Markthalle Hamburg, June, 29 1979. "The Dusseldorf punk scene was without compare in the years 1977 to 1979 and Male were there in the thick of it, etching their name into German musical history. I was magnetically drawn towards the punk phenomenon back in 1977 and through Bilk's integral role in the movement, I was lucky enough to get right up close . . . Somehow, I heard about a gig in an assembly hall and that's where I saw Male, a burning revelation, rising above all the tiresome Stones cover bands! Loud, dirty, new and different! Setting the German flag alight brought the gig to a spectacular conclusion. I offered my services as a roadie for the gigs that followed in and around Düsseldorf . . . Having broken through the inner-city walls, Male were invited to Berlin for the opening of SO36 where they shared the bill with local Berlin heroes PVC, Din A Testbild, Ffurs and Düsseldorf's Mittagspause. The Male track 'Polizei' is included on a sampler commemorating the event. Next up, the 'Into the Future' festival in Hamburg saw them in triumphant mode alongside Mittagspause and Kleenex, earning them a headliner slot at the next In die Zukunft -- live albums documented the respective performances. Back in Düsseldorf, a record import store gave Male permission to rehearse in their cellar as they geared up for the production of their LP. Earlier tracks and a few newer songs added up to a superb Male album, from the cut-up lyrics on 'KH 3' to the hypnotic intro of 'Ein Tag Düsseldorf' and the cult track 'Zensur & Zensur'. Time was racing by and Male arguably reached their zenith as backup for The Clash on the London Calling tour. As the air raid siren rang out on 'Ich hör schon die Sirenen', Kosmo Vinyl (Clash roadie), Joe Strummer and Mick Jones stopped in their tracks to take a closer look at Male on stage. On this memorable night in the Phillipshalle, Male were far more than just a warm-up act . . . In the wake of the name change to Vorsprung, Jürgen Engler soon shifted his focus to Die Krupps, but Male remained close to his heart as new songs and the odd gig here and there demonstrated in the years that followed." --Wolf Lauenroth (Dieter Zensur)