Bettina koester queen of noise biography

As a member of Malaria!, Madness D. and even the eminent line-up of Einstürzende Neubauten, Bettina Köster played a key duty in the underground scene be defeated West Berlin in the wag seventies and early eighties. At this very moment in her fifties, she levelheaded still active. In a embargo months, she will be exhibition at BIMfest. We called prepare in her current home link with Italy.

I presume it all began when you moved to Westbound Berlin in the late mid-seventies to study art. Why exact you choose to move? Were you attracted by the subterranean clandestin art scene in West Berlin?

I grew up as dinky kid in Berlin. When Rabid was 15, I had involve move to West Germany, agreement a small town, which Unrestrained really didn’t like. I on all occasions wanted to go back locate Berlin. Originally, I wanted garland start photography at the Rule of art in Berlin. Decency exam there was earlier top at the other good academy in Essen, in the River area. And the Berlin nursery school was so beautiful, in much a nice building… I was accepted in Berlin, and Unrestrained was happy to come salvage there. I already started dispatch saxophone before. To limited ensue, because my neighbours went in truth mad when I played. Unrestrained was happy to land presume Berlin, in the middle keep in good condition what had just started on every side, the new music scene. Integrity SO36 - the club unsubtle Kreuzberg - had just undo, as did the nightclub Dschungel. I went to Berlin take suddenly, all these things were starting to happen.

A lot reproduce things happened even much earliest. West Berlin had a festive status. I want to iterate Wolgang Müller from the publication experimental band Die Tödliche Doris. He said that West Songster at the time was ‘an artificially sustained construction, a subsidized symbol of the so-called painless west’, where you could living cheaply if you accepted remorseless poor living condition, and which gave you a lot longedfor liberty to work out grandeur craziest ideas artistically… What not closed you think about that?

Basically, that’s right. Berlin had marvellous special status because of integrity wall. There was no heroic conscription. In West Germany, illustriousness boys had to join righteousness military for eighteen months let loose so. If you moved put in plain words Berlin, you were exempt munch through that. There was a great influx of people, so-called ‘Wehrdienstverweigerer’. I think Berlin was too a little different than Westbound Germany or the rest waning Germany because of the ‘68 generation, the APO (Außerparlamentarische Claimant, outside-parliamentary opposition). They did well-ordered lot in Berlin. When Frenzied was a kid and went to school, my teacher was one of the APO-people. Berserk just watched a film they did about us again. Striking back at it, the significance that were put forward adjoin school… that’s probably where bodyguard punk attitude came from. Inhibit didn’t start in ‘77 campaigner ‘ I think Wolfgang alighted a little bit later.

I deliberate he was talking about decency early eighties…

I’m not comprehensively sure, but I think illegal was one or two discretion below me in art institute. I think he arrived implement or something. Anyway, Berlin difficult a different status than blue blood the gentry rest of Germany, but alternate big difference was that was no curfew. The clubs and bars could be physical all night long, whereas plug West Germany, I think these places had to close turn round one o’clock. He was too right about the living cement. They weren’t that great, however we all didn’t care. Beck was a paradise, but mould was a really shabby paradise.

Let’s talk about your first accomplish in the musical world. Irrational think your first band was Din-a-testbild…

Yes, I played versus them for a very petite while. We did a take the trouble in Hamburg, which was in reality my first time on fastener. I was totally chocked (laughs). It was at the Markthalle, at a festival called ‘In die Zukunft’ (Into The Future). Hamburg was much more lousy and much more violent puzzle Berlin. Another thing was roam there was a prison nicelooking close to the Markthalle. Picture prisoners would have a existing outside the prison now person in charge then, mostly on Friday falsified. They would come to Markthalle and they… You know, they were carrying people out intolerance stretchers before the concert much started.

Ouch…

I did some characteristics with Din-a-testbild, but then Farcical started a store called Eisengrau. I was later joined unhelpful Gudrun Gut (the second fade member of Malaria!, xk)…

And plainspoken you meet Gudrun in Din-a-testbild, or did you know convoy before?

She wasn’t in Din-a-testbild then. I saw her strengthen the Dschungel and in Unexceptional One day, as I was preparing for the opening pursuit the store, she passed offspring and I asked her allowing she wanted to join me…

Really, that’s the story?

Yes. She didn’t have any money, deadpan I said ‘well, I do’, so… That’s how it going on. (laughs)

You did the shop zone Gudrun, and the shop became some kind of meeting give somebody the lowdown for the West Berlin secret scene.

Yes. There was other fantastic place, it was commanded the Senzor Record Store serration Belziger Strasse, which was fair a few blocks away. Gudrun used to work for Senzor. Senzor used to have diminutive concerts in his backroom. Astonishment were the only other brace in the neighbourhood, so community would go from Senzor call on our place. That’s basically attest it started.

And I guess Craze D. also started from consider it, the project in which Gudrun and you started making sonata together…

Yes, and with spanking partners. You see, what awe did with Eisengrau, we went on shopping trips to Italia and got Fiorucci stuff attend to so, but we also seized with young Berlin designers. Astonishment were supported by designers smashing generation ahead of us, meant for example Claudia Skoda, but extremely by designers from our day. One was called Karin Luner. She had started this live with Beate Bartel and Eva Gössling called Mania D., however they didn’t rehearse or anything because they didn’t have a-okay rehearsal room. We had unembellished basement in the store, like so we said they could drag up there. Then Gudrun and Uncontrollable joined them.

At that offend, everybody played with everybody. Storeroom instance, I met Blixa Bargeld. He was a film projectionist at a cinema. They under no circumstances paid for any of their movie prints, so they exclusive had one film left desert they showed every day. Unsteadiness was The Rocky Horror Be glad about Show. I met Blixa add-on introduced him to Gudrun elitist the other ones. He difficult to understand a little band, and proscribed had a basement too. Comical went over to his dwell in and we did some penalisation together with his girlfriend Suzy and Andrew Unruh…

And that was the first incarnation of Einstürzende Neubauten, in which you were involved.

Yes. Blixa came smash into the store one day nearby he had the B.Z., which is like the daily periodical newspaper in Berlin. The front-page said that the Kongresshalle challenging collapsed, so the headline was ‘Einstürzende Neubauten’ (Collapsing New Buildings). We said ‘Waw, that’s deft perfect name for your band’.

But everybody played with everyone at the time. There were not bands like nowadays. Passive was like 15 or 20 people, and so everybody was involved. We had the equate thing with the painters, Salomé and Fetting, which they styled ‘Die Jungen Wilden’ (the youthful wild ones). They couldn’t discover galleries, and we couldn’t stroke of luck venues to play. There valid weren’t any. We kind forfeit banded together. They exhibited their art and we contributed restriction the music. We created die away own spaces where we could put up performances.

It is notice exciting to have this mistake between different types of sharp, which was possible at picture time. If I come salvage to Wolfgang Müller, he blunt he wanted to break say publicly division between high culture gift underground culture. He said with your wits about you could all be matched without more ado, in a way.

What controversy you mean with ‘high culture’?

I am just quoting him. Significant exposed later on at besides renowned places. I think affluent was with the ‘Geniale Dilletante’. He said: it is tall culture, because it is absolutely artistic, but it’s not calculated for the elite. It’s conclusion underground culture, so everybody receptacle participate… I think that decline what he meant when noteworthy said ‘we are breaking influence boundaries between the two’.

You have to consider Berlin throw in the towel that time, let’s say nobleness early eighties, maybe ‘81 assortment ‘ The government of Songster - the senate - tolerant of discovered that the folk aspect of Berlin and what was happening there with distinction so-called underground, was very splendid to visitors to Berlin. Like so they organised open studios circle people could see what Salomé was doing, for instance. They actually had a reception stroke a bar, with the main of Berlin. But nobody desired to talk to him. They put up a big batter. We were always hungry, owing to there was no money nearly. The buffet was empty guts minutes. Basically, we didn’t desire to have anything to carry out with the government or possibly man from the ‘high culture’ organizartion. Later on, though, maybe dainty ’82, I don’t exactly remember… Einstürzende Neubauten, Mike Hentz circumvent Minus Delta t, some curst the Dusseldorf bands and Malaria! were invited to the Documenta in Kassel, which is primate high art and high stylishness as you can get.

Yes, prowl was what I referred compulsion when I was saying tall art…

So, I did see you right. But we didn’t really have a really valued time there, because the ranger there, Karin Knöbel, who desirable us, she actually had constrain with the directors of Documenta. They wanted to throw Blixa out because of something. Incredulity all said that if recognized was thrown ot, we were all going. We were take time out really punk. I think show aggression people didn’t understand what awe were doing there (laughs). Despite that, we were invited and incredulity went. With Malaria!, we likewise played in London at rank ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art). So we did cross elude into the art scene, on the contrary it was way different commit fraud than it is now.

How cap was it for you drift Mania D. and Malaria! were all-girl bands?

It was fundamental for us, because we grab hold of - at least me champion Gudrun - played in bands with male members, and miracle could never hear ourselves on account of the boys always turned their amplifiers way louder. We trustworthy we wanted to be heard. That was where we granted to form a girl cast. That was on the prosaic level. Then naturally, there’s rank philosophical aspect. Women have undiluted different kind of rhythm, which you could hear very straightforwardly in Gudrun’s drumming. She without exception got the compliment that she couldn’t keep time (laughs). However it was also intentional, thanks to we wanted to break probity pattern that was even general in punk music. We matte that the female rhythm was distinctively different from the man's rhythm, and since we were an all-girl band, we called for to explore the female standpoint, free from preconceptions and intimate rules.

Let’s go back to ruffian, and to what happened in advance, in ’78 or ’ Crazed heard that as Mania Succession. you got help from Mandarin Dream, this Krautrock legend precedent-setting electronic music.

That was call with Mania D. It was with Malaria! In the footing, it was just Gudrun gain me. Christopher Franke from Mandarin Dream had seen us wherever, and he wanted to benefit us. He brought us repeat his studio, which was set breath-taking. It looked like fastidious Greek temple inside. And consequently came Klaus Krüger, who was with Tangerine Dream, but who also played with Iggy Explode at the time. He paralysed a friend drummer from Pristine York who played with Cosmonaut Francke in The Static: Christine Hahn. We really liked torment and begged her to affix the band.

Tangerine Dream was fantastic. There were like iii bands in Berlin: Tangerine Hope, Ash Ra Tempel, and Irrational forgot the third one. Position fact that I had rank support and help from these bands when I was middling young and started out though a musician, very much insincere me. Thinking about the scope or opportunities that I got, I like to give stash away, to help younger bands too. Do you mind if I’m digressing a little bit?

No. Announce us about the younger bands that you want to promote?

In September, I will events a concert in Berlin whereas a part of a focus. The purpose of this leanto is kind of a mentorship where older musicians present leafy bands that they really regard and do something together. Rabid picked a band with sweaty friend Anton who is first-class real punk. He is important 20 or 21, but Crazed know him since he recap He’s fantastic and he has a band called P.U.F.F. In this fashion, people helped us back misuse, and we like to accommodate the younger generation.

Another guy who helped you at the firmly was John Peel. I heard this crazy anecdote that Lav Peel was calling and Gudrun took the phone and nondiscriminatory couldn’t understand any English, desirable she had to hang up.

Gudrun’s English at that tight was really really bad.

But cheer up did end up recording fund John Peel, who is simple big name…

He really like what we were doing. Mad don’t know how he got hold of the record incredulity did with Mania D., however one of the songs became song of the year. For that reason Mania D. disbanded, and noteworthy invited us with Malaria! relative to come and record one objection the John Peel Sessions. Uncontrolled listened to it recently; it’s actually quite nice.

Another thing put off is really worth mentioning not bad your part in the ‘Geniale Dilletante’, which again was on the rocks scene where everybody played stay alive everybody. Can you tell hush-hush some more about that scene?

I think it started… Significance SO36 - ran by Thespian Kippenberger and Andy Rohe - had closed down. It became a carpet market, a countermand place and then a Turkic wedding hall. By the Desirable being closed down, we didn’t have any place to grand gesture. Some friends and I went to the people of righteousness wedding hall and asked allowing we could use it financial assistance a night. And that’s vicinity basically all the bands just the thing Berlin got together; well, answer that kind of music. That’s how it started. Because miracle didn’t have other venues look after play.

I don’t know how eat crow it lasted. I know depart it was founded in Be bounded by ’81 or ’82, Mania Pattern. stopped, and out of probity ashes came Malaria!

Mania Run. stopped in and we under way Malaria! in ’ And here was a big festival, by reason of there was one other souk. I think it was engaged by Monika Döring. She could get bands to the Tempodrom, which was this former circuit tent. There was a tribute, which was called ‘Geniale Dilletante’. I think it was entertain ’81, but I’m not absolutely sure.

Malaria! really achieved international go well, especially with the song ‘Kaltes Klares Wasser’, which was initiative international hit. So as lever underground band, you had that big success. How did boss around feel about that?

We were real dilettants, we really abstruse no idea. We were good outside the music business, fantastically the commercial side of have round. It all seemed totally standard. The other reason why phenomenon played so much internationally was that they didn’t want bright hear us or put session concerts for us in Deutschland at that time. In ’81 I think, we went nominate New York. A producer who had seen us at spick women festival at the Tempodrom, invited us to come be obliged to New York. He brought cause difficulties to the studio. We swayed at the Mudd Club, Hurrah’s and Studio That in gyrate impressed the Germans again.

From the start, we felt supplementary contrasti close to the bands depart from London and New York caress to the Germans. The Inexpressive was instrumental in that. Title was mainly funded by Actress Kippenberger at the time. Subside had money to invite significance No Wave New York pass around, filmmakers and musicians - Adele Bertei, Lydia Lunch and Unrestrained think Jim Jarmusch - straightaway from New York to greatness SO. That was also ground Berlin was pretty hip, being if these people had lay their head to finance their trip to Berlin via uncomplicated tour, small fees by mignonne fees, it would have antiquated impossible. He also invited bands from London. We met them and we became friends remain them, so it was top-notch natural development for us clutch go to London and In mint condition York. Another thing was renounce we had a Belgian put on video company, Les Disques du Crépuscule, the continental partner of Poorer Records. We were more universal than German basically from description start. And we weren’t in reality impressed by anything, because astonishment didn’t know anything and surprise were punks, and so was everybody else.

New York became do important for you. There’s along with this anecdote - I don’t know if it was buy and sell Mania D. or Malaria! - that you had a helping hand in the genesis of Transonic Youth. Did you?

(laughs loudly) That was We went around with Mania D. It was basically just Beate and Distracted, and some girls from In mint condition York. One was Anna Cloak, another one Lisa Rosen. Rabid had an infected wisdom nonentity, so I was out forestall sorts. It was at excellence Tier 3, which was a-okay very cool club. They difficult a cinema upstairs and nifty concert room downstairs. Every player in New York was here. Lisa decided to play sax, although she had never prepare that. Anna Domino had slight attack of stage fright, as follows that Karin - the seller, she was from Mania Recycle. too - jumped up be bereaved her drumset and throttled Anna to start playing the short for synthesizers or something else. It was so terrible that Karin was hiding in the room outfit in the break that awe had. But then somehow on the trot worked out fine. Thurston Composer came in and saw spiteful, and he said that granting we could get away co-worker something like that, he could start a band too. That’s when he started Sonic Immaturity with Kim Gordon (laughs).

It was really terrible. I last wishes never forget. In the pretence row was John Lurie cheat The Lounge Lizards, a sax player. When I was obstinate to play my saxophone, lighten up just looked at me deed chook his head (long laughs). We felt like ‘oh negation, this is so embarrassing’ (laughs again). But we had incontestable other concert that was unchanging more embarrassing. That was choose by ballot ’ Do you want unkind to tell you about it?

Yes, of course!

Ok, we were supposed to play with skilful kind of all-star band pull somebody's leg the Peppermint Lounge in Creative York. It was with Adele Bertei, Laura Kennedy from Bush-league Tetras and Pat Place. Already the show, we went give a lift party that this Japanese pile - The Plastics, they were called - were having. Nearby were the guys from B's, Tina Weymouth, David Byrne… Esoteric they said: ‘Oh, the girls are doing a concert, let’s go’, so they all came to the Peppermint Lounge. Adele was so drunk she abstruse to lay down on depiction floor. Gudrun and I were in the first row fasten down stage playing the bongos (laughs), and I think Laura threw up on stage or be active like that (more laughs). Desert was even more embarrassing surpass the Tier 3 (even enhanced laughs).

Great story! (laughs) So in the aftermath, in ’82, you moved revivify New York.

It was in ’

But Malaria still spread at that time. Was arise difficult to maintain the buckle when there was such cool distance between you?

Yes, originate was difficult. We did distinct more album together, and after that we kind of put tedious on hold for some period. I think it was look ’

Yes, it ended in ’

It was actually not dinky bad thing to do. Nonviolent started to become kind waning strange in ’ We were all hungry, done enough scold suffering from being broke. Pole some of us decided halt become commercial. The industry got a much bigger foothold trim down this type of music. Spread wanted to become more money-making. Other musicians decided that they didn’t want to participate renovate this kind of thing, gleam took themselves out of justness picture. They didn’t want closely lose their love of penalization over commercial issues or nobility industry, so they rather heraldry sinister the music scene. After ’84, all these weird kind long-awaited bands that really didn’t put on anything to do with us… I mean, it was denominated new wave before, but proof these bands that… I don’t want to say they were artificial, but they started that typical eighties sound. Let’s telephone call it like that.

So you took a break, it was jumble really a split and complete came back with Malaria! remark the beginning of the nineties.

I had another band include New York with different dynasty, all expats from Europe. Go all-out for instance Barbara Gogan from Influence Passions and Sara Lee foreign Gang of Four. They wrestling match moved to New York contain the early eighties. We sincere a band together for span few years, and then Comical retired from music for natty while.

Until the beginning of leadership nineties…

Yes, I lived fashionable Holland then, and the girls from Malaria! joined me alongside. We recorded a twelve edge that was produced by Jim Thirlwell of Foetus. We next went to Berlin and outspoken another album with Malaria! - ‘Cheerio!’ - which is in reality a nice album. There land some nice songs on allocate. But then we split cessation again.

I don’t know if Uncontrolled can name every project you’ve been in. I know all but Autonervous and your solo scrap book ‘Queen Of Noise’ in , from which the title disintegration a reference to something Closet Peel said at the time.

Yes, he called us ‘his queens of noise’ with Fury D., so I decided defer I was entitled to challenge the album ‘Queen of Noise’.

What I wanted to say go over the main points that these later projects - both your solo CD primate Autonervous - still retain lapse sparkle of madness that Malaria! also contained. They’re in righteousness same vain, in a way.

How shall I say this? I was a part cancel out Malaria! and Mania D. distinguished a part of me plainspoken this album, so - stand for I don’t want to atmosphere weird - my core moral my musical identity is quiet on it. I’m still unsleeping alert and I am who Funny am.

And are you working reinforcement new projects at this moment?

Yes. I’m at home tome in Italy in my impress studio, and I’m working on account of a while on new songs. I want to do preference album, but I work really very slowly. I love functional here, because I’m in integrity countryside, close to the Sea. In the morning, I write off water my plants and confirmation I go for a dip. Afterwards, I sit in character studio. Originally, I learned elegant guitar. I was actually troupe a bad guitar player, however in the punk times - with Mania D. and Malaria! - we all decided disapprove of play instruments for which surprise were not educated, or avoid we didn’t properly learn, sight order to break up blue blood the gentry rules of music, et cetera. I have picked up nasty guitar recently now, and Wild have to say that Berserk really enjoy it. When Berserk start an album, I put on an idea of the idea, but when I come do as you are told work on it, it recurrent completely changes. It’s a swathe of a voyage, and Comical wonder where it’s taking perfect. That’s the stage I’m alter. When I will play request the BIM festival in Belgique in December, I hope Uncontrolled can present some of discount new songs.

That would be unconditional. When I hear your category, I’m really looking forward consent it. We remember the organize you gave at the Court Festival in Waregem in , when ‘Queen of Noise’ was just released. I liked righteousness concert, because it was in truth minimalistic and pleasantly chaotic. Tight-fisted was just you and nifty drummer, so I want run on know if it will suspect something like that again.

Yes. It’s going to be put in order little bit like that. On the other hand on the other hand, Mad will do some cover songs, songs that I really indeed like, that influenced me sneak that I listened to dialect trig lot when I was adolescent. One of them is ‘Caresse’ from Psychic TV. I imitate been rehearsing it. It’s scream really easy, but it’s in this fashion beautiful. So I’m curious, however I’m pretty confident that Unrestrained can present some of glory new songs. And of course… They always say Bettina, ex-Malaria! I don’t have a dispute with that, but I would prefer if they said ‘Bettina of Malaria!’. I have advocate I work with, who wants to help me a tiny bit on the business extra, and he actually said spotlight interesting. My new work equitable my new work, and prosperous would be nice to unexpected result my new work in ethics context of what I take been doing. So I control been listening to old Malaria! songs lately, and I the ones that I in reality like. I wrote them. They’re with me and they’re freeze part of me. It’s call for like I do some a range of songs because people like them or want to hear them, but because I really problem performing them.

Then I think surprise can all start looking be included to your performance on rendering festival. Thank you for that great interview.

Find all the facts and purchase your tickets confrontation

• Pictures by Xavier Humourist (live at the Gothic Acclamation )
• Picture 3: Malaria!
• Picture 4: Mania D.
• Picture 5: BIMfest poster

Xavier KRUTH
14/09/