Fehlfarben is a Neue Deutsche Welle music band from Düsseldorf, Germany, that was formed in 1979. Its founding members were Peter Hein (vocals), former member of the Band ''Mittagspause'' ("lunch break"), Thomas Schwebel (guitar, former Mittagspause, S.Y.P.H.), Michael Kemner (bass, former member of 20 Colors, Mau Mau,

DAF Daf ( fa, دف) also known as Dâyere and Riq is a Middle Eastern (mainly Iranian) frame drum musical instrument, used in popular and classical music in South and Central Asia. It is also used in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbe ...

, YOU), Frank Fenstermacher (saxophone, later Der Plan),

Markus Oehlen Markus Oehlen (born 1956) is a German visual artist working in painting, sculpture, and music. In the 1970s and 80s he was a founding member of the influential neo-expressionist art movement Neue Wilde in Düsseldorf alongside Martin Kippenberg ...

and Uwe Bauer (drums, former Mittagspause, Materialschlacht).

Band name

The band name is derived from a German term referring to

cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...

s with a discoloured wrapper leaf and sold cheaply; singer Peter Hein was in this line of work at Xerox while in the band.

Band history

Fehlfarben was formed in 1979 out of members of ''Mittagspause'' and other musicians from the Düsseldorf punk scene. Initially moving away from the Clash and Wire influenced punk of Mittagspause to experiment with ska, Fehlfarben settled into a sound perhaps most comparable to their English contemporaries

Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The gang ...

. Signing a contract with the German subsidiary of EMI lost them their status as an underground band, but in 1980 they released their debut, '' Monarchie und Alltag'' (''Monarchy and everyday life''), an album recognized then and now as one of the most important German-language rock records. Despite its cultural impact, ''Monarchie und Alltag'' did not reach gold status in Germany until 2000. The single "Ein Jahr (Es geht voran)" ("One Year (It's moving onward)") from ''Monarchie und Alltag'', which would be their only hit single, was in fact disliked by the band members themselves, who had initially produced its slick

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

groove more in jest than seriousness. Shortly after having released their debut album, Fehlfarben suffered the departure of lead singer Peter Hein owing to his frustration at the follow-up tour's being lengthened from three to six weeks on short notice. He went back to his day job at Xerox, where he worked until 2003. The band released two more albums without Hein during the 1980s, ''33 Tage in Ketten'' (''33 days in chains'') and ''Glut und Asche'' (''Blaze and ashes''), with only the latter making it onto the German charts. After struggles with their label, they disbanded at the end of 1984. The first comeback with all the original members took place in 1990s; it saw (to mixed reviews) the release of two LPs: ''Die Platte des himmlischen Friedens'' (''The record of heavenly peace'') and ''Popmusik und Hundezucht'' (''Pop music and dog breeding''). In 2002, the band launched another comeback behind the album ''Knietief im Dispo'' (''Knee deep in the overdraft loan''). The album coincided with a general revival of interest in the early days of German punk and new wave.

Discography

Studio albums

* '' Monarchie und Alltag'' (Welt-Rekord, EMI Electrola 1980) * ''33 Tage in Ketten'' (Welt-Rekord, EMI Electrola 1981) * ''Glut und Asche'' (Welt-Rekord, EMI Electrola 1983) * ''Die Platte des Himmlischen Friedens'' (Königshaus, 1991) * ''Live'' (Ata Tak, 1993) * ''Popmusik und Hundezucht'' (Plattenmeister, D.D.R. 1995, recorded 1984) * ''Knietief im Dispo'' (!K7 Records, Wonder, 2002) * ''26½'' (V2, 2006) * ''Handbuch für die Welt'' (V2, 2007) * ''Live hier und jetzt'' (Ata Tak, 2009) * ''Glücksmaschinen'' (Tapete, 2010) * ''Xenophonie'' (Tapete, 2012) * ''Über … Menschen'' (Tapete, 2015) * ''?0??'' (Tapete, 2022)

Singles

* ''Große Liebe - Maxi/Abenteuer & Freiheit'' (1980) * ''Das Wort ist draußen/Wie bitte was?!'' (1981) * ''Ein Jahr (Es geht voran)'' (1982) * ''14 Tage'' (1982) * ''Untitled'' (1982) * ''Agenten in Raucherkinos'' (1983) * ''Tag und Nacht'' (1983) * Magnificent Obsession'' (1983) * ''Keine ruhige Minute/Der Himmel weint'' (1985) * ''Ein Jahr (Es geht voran) (Remix)'' (1990) * ''In Zeiten wie diesen'' (1991) * ''Es war vor Jahren/Das sind die Leute'' (1991) * ''In Zeiten wie diesen'' (1991) * ''Club der schönen Mütter'' (2002) * ''Alkoholen'' (2003) * ''Der Chef/Das war vor Jahren (Live)'' (2003) - with Rockformation Diskokugel * ''Wir warten'' (2010) * ''Wir warten (Ihr habt die Uhr, wir die Zeit)'' (2010) * ''Platz da!!'' (2012)

Compilations

* 2006 - ''Silver Monk Time - A Tribute to The Monks'' (29 bands cover The Monks
play loud! productions

References

External links

* http://www.fehlfarben.com * http://gesellschaftsinseln.de * {{Authority control Musical groups established in 1979 Musical groups from Düsseldorf Neue Deutsche Welle groups 1979 establishments in West Germany German new wave musical groups Tapete Records artists V2 Records artists EMI Group artists