Rising up lean and mean, KMFDM is doin’ it again as they celebrate 40 years of conceptual continuity in grand style! ‘LET GO’ marks their 23rd studio album, with the core line-up of Sascha ‘Käpt’n K’ Konietzko, Lucia Cifarelli, Andy Selway and Andee Blacksugar presenting their signature onslaught of pulse-pounding rhythms, scorching electronics, blistering guitars and vocals full of grit, growl and grind as they address the social, political and cultural ills of a world in perpetual turmoil.
As stylistically diverse as ever, the group continue to bridge the gaps between genres, coalescing into what we know and love as the Ultra Heavy Beat! “Never let them know your next move,” states the Käpt’n, laying down the band’s primary philosophy on this new record, commanding listeners to let go of precept and pretence, hold on tight, leave their worries behind and simply get ready to rock!
From the driving techno, dance and funk infused thrust of the album’s title track opener and first single, to the airily melodic and swirling vibes of ‘AIRHEAD’ and ‘TOUCH’, the grooving revolutionary oratory and percolating spaghetti western guitar and glitch-laden synth leads of ‘TURN THE LIGHT ON’, to the sneering and seething riot grrl fury of ‘WHEN THE BELL TOLLS’, the sinister hip-hop injected ‘NEXT MOVE’, right through to the downright cinematic and Teutonic electro of ‘ERLKÖNIG’ and the virulent dub warcry of ‘WW 2023’, KMFDM continues to break down barriers and immerse audiences in a bold new reality.
Konietzko and Cifarelli prove as vicious a team as ever, sharing vocal and lyrical duties equally, while longtime associate MC Ocelot also appears, giving ‘NEXT MOVE’ an extra touch of raucous rap energy. Meanwhile, Blacksugar’s prowess on six-strings continues to awe and astound, backed by Selway’s dynamic drumming that meshes perfectly with Konietzko’s masterful programming.
Mixed and mastered by Benjamin Lawrenz, ‘LET GO’ signals KMFDM’s 40th anniversary loudly and proudly, with Aidan ‘BRUTE’ Hughes’ distinctive cover artwork mirroring the album’s breakneck power. After four decades, the Ultra Heavy Beat simply refuses to rest in pity and regret, raising a sharpened middle finger to a world in chaos.
LET GO
TRACKLISTING
01 LET GO
02 PUSH
03 NEXT MOVE
04 AIRHEAD
05 TURN THE LIGHT ON
06 TOUCH
07 ERLKÖNIG
08 WHEN THE BELL TOLLS
09 TOTEM E. EGGS
10 WW 2023
11. FILLET MANCHEGO CLARET
Hamburg-based industrial rock pioneers KMFDM have forged their own singular path since being founded by Sascha ‘Käpt’n K’ Konietzko in 1984, continually refining and redefining the parameters of modern music while also never missing an opportunity to address the social and political zeitgeist in brazen, belligerent and boisterous fashion. Their early albums were recorded in Germany before a move to the US, where they found success with the Chicago-based record label Wax Trax!
The 1990s saw KMFDM become a household name in the worldwide industrial rock scene, with their 1995 hit ‘Juke Joint Jezebel’ catapulting the band into the Billboard charts Stateside and helping to earn them placements on a plethora of film soundtracks that included ‘Bad Boys’ and ‘Mortal Kombat’. Future icons such as Rammstein and Korn had their humble beginnings opening on KMFDM tours.
The band took a hiatus in 1999 after recording their 10th album for Wax Trax!, but Konietzko resurrected KMFDM three years later and signed to Metropolis Records with a line-up that featured American singer Lucia Cifarelli (from Drill) and Tim Skold (who later joined Marilyn Manson). Releasing studio albums and touring frequently, Konietzko and Cifarelli returned to Germany in 2008 and have continued to record and tour regularly.
Their most recent album was ‘HYËNA’ (2022).
