Aircrash Bureau-Zerstörer Der Welt

Artist: Aircrash Bureau

CD Title:  Zerstörer Der Welt

Label: Infacted Recordings

Genre: EBM Industrial

After a cryogenic sleep of nearly 23 years, electro EBM legends Aircrash Bureau returned in 2012 with a vengeance with their first and only studio album Pack Leader. To quote 80's synth icon Gary Numan "I bet you're so surprised to see me" and yes, it did come as quite a surprise when Aircrash Bureau reappeared back on the scene fresh and vibrant as ever!

The EBM/Aggrepo band Aircrash Bureau, from Frankfurt, Germany, were originally F. Schmidt (electronics), Stephan Klaus Kessler (voice & programming) & Michael Will (electronics & drums). The band was named after a favourite Gary Numan song. However, only original member Stephan Klaus Kessler remains. In 2003, Stephan also known under the monikers Art Academy, Complex ,L'Age Synthetique, S. Poghettini, Steve Copper, Steve K., and Talec, created German trance label Dark Noize Recordings aka Dark-Noize Blue, with DJ Riddler and Mike Davies. Though Aircrash Bureau was in a deep freeze, Stephan never stopped making music as he worked with and produced several projects like 3 Men, Blackstar, D-Tune,Dark Noize, DJ Marcelo, G-String, Jack Bamboo, Novus and Subnerve.

With the resurgence of many of the 80's electro techno terrorists like Robotiko Rejekto, Vomito Negro, Axodry, Tribantura,Armageddon Dildos, Brigade Werther, X Marks The Pedwalk, Leaether Strip, BiGod 20,Pankow, Invincible Spirit, and one of my personal favorites right at the tail end of the 80's movement and early into the 90's, Paranoid, proves that what's old is new again. 

These classic electro pioneers forged the sound that so many of the great EBM and industrial acts of today like Combichrist and Suicide Commando were most probably influenced by.

Infacted Recordings released the incredibly popular series: Your Alltime Classixx Collection. It not only featured all of the artists previously mentioned that ruled the dance floors in the 80's, it was a tribute to one of the greatest labels that house all of these electro pioneers Zoth Ommog. I think we all owe a debt of thanks first to founder of Zoth Ommog, German music producer, Andreas Tomalla (aka Talla 2XLC)  and to Torben Schmidt of Infacted Recordings  who brought us the invaluable Your Alltime Classixx Collection series, and reminded us all of our dark electro roots.  As a DJ, collector and avid fan of  Zoth Ommog as a young boy back in the day, I am still reeling that this music is still fresh and alive today. Though bands  like Combichrist and Suicide Commando are awesome, there is just no substitute for true pioneering greatness. Many of these bands made me want to learn how to speak and sing in German.

Though Aircrash Bureau only had previously released the vinyl 2 track 12' record Exhibition, which featured the popular B side Machine, had extended their reach with their appearance on several Zoth Ommog compilations like Body Rapture and Technopolis. One of my favorites was Time To Die. You can imagine how incredibly stoked I was when Infacted Recordings released Your Alltime Classixx Collection series that had every single Aircrash Bureau ever made and compiled it all on the Exhibition EP. Many of the songs and mixes had never before been available on CD.

So that brings us up to speed with our electro techno history.  Aircrash Bureau's latest single EP Zerstörer Der Welt features 5 mixes of the title track "Zerstörer Der Welt" from their debut album Pack Leader, plus 3 more songs, a brand new track "Ein Tag Ist Ein Jahr Ist Ein Leben",  a remix of Kalt (ZdW Mix)  that includes an original demo of  "Seventy / Nine", both also originally featured on Pack Leader. The remixes of  "Zerstörer Der Welt" are top notch and it is interesting to note that fellow electro legends Brigade Werther also offer their remix services.

It is truly monumental to witness the brilliance of the old skool electro techno sound ingeniously mixed with popular contemporary acts like V2, Skyla Vertex and Detroit Diesel almost as to say "ok kids this is how it is done'!  My favorite mixes are by V2 and Skyla Vertex.  "Seventy / Nine" (Original Demo) will have you soaring though a dark synthpop laden analogue heaven, ala Erasure's Vince Clarke, while "Ein Tag Ist Ein Jahr Ist Ein Leben" will remind you of classic EBM tracks by Nitzer Ebb.

So what's next for Aircrash Bureau? If Zerstörer Der Welt is any indication of things to come,  I for one am dying to find out!

Check out the promo trailer for Aircrash Bureau Zerstörer Der Welt