Leæther Strip is a Danish musical project founded on 13 January 1988 by Claus Larsen. Its influence has been most felt in the

electronic body music Electronic body music (acronymized to EBM) is a genre of electronic music that combines elements of industrial music and synth-punk with elements of disco and dance music. It developed in the early 1980s in Western Europe as an outgrowth of bo ...

and

electro-industrial Electro-industrial is a music genre that emerged from industrial music in the early 1980s. While EBM (electronic body music) has a minimal structure and clean production, electro-industrial tends to have a grittier, complex and layered sound wi ...

genres. Leæther Strip was one of the earliest and most prominent acts on Germany's now defunct

Zoth Ommog Zoth Ommog Records was a German Industrial music record label which was owned by the parent label Music Research. The company was established by German music producer Andreas Tomalla (aka Talla 2XLC) in 1989 and later handed over to producer Torbe ...

record label. For distribution outside of Europe, the music has been licensed to the U.S. labels

Cleopatra Records Cleopatra Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1992 by Brian Perera. The record label has since grown into a family of labels, including Hypnotic Records, Purple Pyramid Records, Dea ...

and

Metropolis Records Metropolis Records is a record label founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1993 by the late Dave Heckman. The label's all-electronic format closely tracked with European contemporaries, such as Off Beat, and, since 1995, has been instrumenta ...

. After the demise of Zoth Ommog in 1999, Larsen signed to Bloodline Records, which only released a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

before also going out of business. In 2005, Leæther Strip signed with the Belgian-based label

Alfa Matrix Alfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases musical styles including aggrotech, industrial music, dark electro, dark elektro, synthpop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, the label consists of label and artists ma ...

. On 3 June 2011 Larsen announced his split from Alfa Matrix in order to self-release future material.

History

According to founder Claus Larsen, "Leæther Strip is, and always will be, only him." Larsen was born on 13 November 1967 in

Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...

. He first released music under the name of Leæther Strip in 1989. However, his 1995 release ''G.A.W.M.U.S.'' (Getting Away With Murder U. S.) included two early demos from 1982 and 1984, with the latter forming the unknown beginning of the band according to an interview conducted with Claus Larsen. In 1991, Larsen created a side-project called

Klute ''Klute'' is a 1971 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed and produced by Alan J. Pakula, written by Andy and Dave Lewis, and starring Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Charles Cioffi, and Roy Scheider. The film follows a high-priced ca ...

in which he also remained the sole member. In 1994, Larsen changed the sound of Leæther Strip, with the release of a synthesized semi classical album. Conceived as a soundtrack to a fictional film, it was named ''Serenade for the Dead''. The releases since then have reincorporated electronic dance elements, and have redefined Leæther Strip into what Larsen calls "symphonic electro". Leæther Strip remained silent for several years after the release of the single ''Carry Me'' in 2000 and the official band website, which once contained a wealth of information regarding the project, was taken offline. In foreshadowing the return of his band, Larsen's remix of the band KiEw's song ''Graograman'' on the ''Diskette'' EP (2003) states at the beginning of the song, in a sing-song computer-generated voice, ''"Leæther Strip will return for more electronic mayhem"''. In an interview conducted late 2005, Larsen revealed that label issues, as well as personal concerns, caused the dormancy of the band during the 2000–2005 period. 28 October 2005 marked the official return of Leæther Strip with the EP release ''Suicide Bombers'' on the

label. Claus Larsen opened a

blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

to inform fans of his current activities and progress on the project. A string of releases followed including the 2-CD album ''After the Devastation'', and the 2006 EP releases ''Walking on Volcanos'' and ''Fætish''. Also in 2006, Claus Larsen released a free song via his MySpace page, a remix of ''Frank Tovey taught me things''. The song was subsequently downloaded over 10,000 times. On

13 April Events Pre-1600 *1111 – Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. * 1204 – Constantinople falls to the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade, temporarily ending the Byzantine Empire. 1601–1900 *1612 – In one of the epic samurai ...

, 2007, Leæther Strip released the album ''The Giant Minutes to the Dawn''. It was made available in several editions, including a special limited edition box-set which includes the band's first DVD release. According to various reviewers, the album constituted the "true" return of the band to classic Leæther Strip form. In a post to his MySpace blog made in late November 2008, Larsen announced his intention to develop a

live show "Live Show" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', and the 84th episode overall. It was directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller, and co-written by series creator Tina Fey and co-showrunner a ...

for a small run of exclusive engagements in 2009. Two shows took place in Denmark in April 2009, and Leaether Strip has been confirmed to perform at the Power Strip Festival in the USA and the Amphi Festival in Germany during Summer 2009. Via a video teaser on YouTube Claus Larsen announced that the first Leaether Strip album, ''

The Pleasure of Penetration ''The Pleasure of Penetration'', released in 1990, is the first full-length album by Leæther Strip. It was released on Zoth Ommog Zoth Ommog Records was a German Industrial music record label which was owned by the parent label Music Research. T ...

'', would be re-released as a remastered double CD set on 13 November 2007, Claus Larsen's birthday, under the title ''Retention n°1''. The release is part of an ongoing box series through which Claus Larsen will re-release his complete back-catalogue via the Belgian label

. Each re-release will have both the fully remastered version of the original album on disc 1 and on the second disc, a totally re-written and reinterpretation of some selected songs from the original album by Leaether Strip himself re-recorded with current technologies. The original track-list on disc 1 has been extended to 15 tracks with the addition of early 12" tracks and other rarities of the period. 13-03-23 e-tropolis Leatherstrip 07

Larsen's lyrics for Leaether Strip are often frank and direct, sometimes to the point of being hostile. Political songs include the anti-Nazi song "AEighty AEight" which contains the chorus "You are not human / You are not soldiers" as well as the song "Suicide Bombers" (On the

Suicide Bombers A suicide attack is any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have occurred throughout histor ...

EP) with its chorus question, "Who told you to die that way?" More frequently, Larsen explores his own personal issues in the same open fashion, resulting in many tracks that are simultaneously aggressive and introspective. Larsen's husband and band companion, Kurt Grünewaldt Hansen, died on September 28th 2020, after a battle with cancer, aged 75.

Discography

; Albums * 1990 – ''

'' * 1990 – ''

Science for the Satanic Citizen ''Science for the Satanic Citizen'' is a 1990 album by Leæther Strip, released by Zoth Ommog. It incorporates a number of samples from films, including Hellraiser. Track listing # "Zyklon B" # "G.A.W.M." # "Rotation (Axis Off)" # "Satanic Citize ...

'' * 1992 – ''

Solitary Confinement Solitary confinement is a form of imprisonment in which the inmate lives in a single cell with little or no meaningful contact with other people. A prison may enforce stricter measures to control contraband on a solitary prisoner and use additi ...

'' * 1993 – ''

Underneath the Laughter ''Underneath the Laughter'' is a 1993 Leæther Strip album released by Zoth Ommog Records Zoth Ommog Records was a German Industrial music record label which was owned by the parent label Music Research. The company was established by German m ...

'' * 1994 – ''

Serenade for the Dead A 1994 album from Leæther Strip, released by Zoth Ommog Records (cd zot 114). In a dramatic break with his usual aggressive industrial style, this album presents a gloomy electronic "symphony," inspired by the works of Stephen King, James Herber ...

'' * 1995 – ''

Legacy of Hate and Lust ''Legacy of Hate and Lust'' is the 6th album by Leæther Strip Leæther Strip is a Danish musical project founded on 13 January 1988 by Claus Larsen. Its influence has been most felt in the electronic body music and electro-industrial genres ...

'' * 1996 – ''

The Rebirth of Agony The Rebirth of Agony is the 7th album by Leæther Strip Leæther Strip is a Danish musical project founded on 13 January 1988 by Claus Larsen. Its influence has been most felt in the electronic body music and electro-industrial genres. Leæth ...

'' * 1997 – ''

Self-Inflicted Self-Inflicted is the 8th album by Leæther Strip Leæther Strip is a Danish musical project founded on 13 January 1988 by Claus Larsen. Its influence has been most felt in the electronic body music and electro-industrial genres. Leæther St ...

'' * 2005 – ''

After the Devastation ''After the Devastation'' is a two-CD album by Leæther Strip Leæther Strip is a Danish musical project founded on 13 January 1988 by Claus Larsen. Its influence has been most felt in the electronic body music and electro-industrial genres. ...

'' (2 CD) * 2007 – ''

The Giant Minutes to the Dawn ''The Giant Minutes to the Dawn'' is an album by Leaether Strip. Some editions of the album included the bonus EP ''The Hourglass''. Track listing # "Will the Sun Return?" # "Dirty Little Secret" # "Sedated Nation" # "Commotio" # "The Trouble" # ...

'' * 2008 – ''

Civil Disobedience Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be called "civil". Hen ...

'' (2 CD) * 2009 – ''

Ængelmaker ''Ængelmaker'' is the twelfth studio album by Danish electro-industrial musical project Leæther Strip. It was released on March 27, 200 Some editions of the album include the bonus EP Yes, I'm Limited Vol. IV. Track listing Disc 1 # Ængelmaker ...

'' (2 CD) * 2009 – ''Yes I'm Limited V'' (2 CD) * 2009 – ''Hærværk'' * 2010 – ''Seasons Change – I Don't'' * 2010 – ''Mental Slavery'' (2 CD) * 2011 – ''Untold Stories – The Melancholic Sessions'' * 2013 – ''Serenade for the Dead II'' * 2014 – ''Æscapism'' * 2014 – ''Æppreciation'' * 2016 – ''Spaectator'' * 2018 – ''World Molæster'' ; EP/single releases * 1989 – ''Japanese Bodies'' – 12"S * 1990 – ''Aspects of Aggression'' – EP CD * 1991 – ''Object V'' – EP CD * 1994 – ''Positive Depression'' – EP CD * 1995 – ''Material'' – EP CD * 1997 – ''Anal Cabaret: A Tribute to Soft Cell'' – EP CD * 2000 – ''Carry Me'' – CDS – #38 DAC Top 100 Singles of 2000 * 2005 – ''Suicide Bombers'' – EP CD – #1 DAC Singles chart * 2006 – ''Walking on Volcanos'' – EP CD – #8 DAC Singles chart * 2006 – ''Fætish'' – EP CD – #3 DAC Singles chart * 2008 – ''When Blood Runs Dark'' – Digital-only EP * 2008 – ''Diægnosis'' – Digital-only EP * 2008 – ''Living on Video'' – Single (

) * 2012 – ''Object ÆP'' * 2012 – ''In Broken Homes / Paranoia nr. 13 '' * 2016 – ''Pleasure Boys'' – Single (

) ; Compilations * 1992 – '' Penetrate the Satanic Citizen'' * 1993 – ''

Fit for Flogging ''Fit for Flogging'' is a 1993 album by the Danish musical project Leæther Strip, released on Cleopatra Records. Together with ''Penetrate the Satanic Citizen'' it bundles most of Leæther Strip's releases prior to ''Solitary Confinement (Leæth ...

'' * 1995 – ''

Double or Nothing Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either the subject doubled to twice the amount as the original ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It ...

'' (2 CD) * 1995 – '' Getting Away With Murder: Murders from 1982 to 1995'' * 1996 – ''

Best of Leæther Strip Best of Leæther Strip is a best-of compilation by Leæther Strip. Track listing # Japanese Bodies ( Japanese Bodies) # AntiUS (Psycho Strip Edit) ( Solitary Confinement) # Battleground (KGB Slam) (Body Rapture compilation) # Leæther Strip II (R ...

'' * 1997 – ''

Retrospective A retrospective (from Latin ''retrospectare'', "look back"), generally, is a look back at events that took place, or works that were produced, in the past. As a noun, ''retrospective'' has specific meanings in medicine, software development, popu ...

'' * 2005 – '' Satanic Reasons: The Very Best Of'' (2 CD) ; Limited releases * 1992 – ''Yes, I'm Limited'' – EP CD * 1996 – ''Yes, I'm Limited Vol. II'' – #29

CMJ CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...

RPM Chart * 1998 – ''Yes, I'm Limited Vol. III'' (2 CD) – #15 CMJ RPM Chart * 2005 – ''Æftershock'' – CDS (available only with the ''After the Devastation'' limited box edition) * 2006 – ''Hælloween'' – EP CD (available only with the ''Fætish'' limited box edition) * 2007 – ''The Hourglass'' – EP CD (available only with ''The Giant Minutes to the Dawn'' limited box edition) * 2008 – ''One Nine Eight Two'' – CDS (available only with the ''Civil Disobedience'' limited box edition) * 2009 – ''Yes, I'm Limited Vol. IV'' – EP CD (available only with the ''Ængelmaker'' limited box edition) ; DVD releases * 2007 – ''Watch'' – DVD NSTC region 0 (available only with the limited box edition ''The Giant Minutes to the Dawn'') ; Other releases * 1997 – "X-Files Theme" (arrangement of

Mark Snow Mark Snow (born Martin Fulterman; August 26, 1946) is an American composer for film and television. Among his most famous compositions is the theme music for science fiction television series ''The X-Files''. The theme reached no. 2 on the UK Si ...

) on ''Sci-Fi Cafe'' (Hypnotic – CLP 0097-2) * 1999 – ''Serenade for the Dead (re-mastered)'' (2 CD) * 2006 – ''After the Devastation (Limited 3 CD Special Bag Edition)'' : Limited edition of the double album includes: After The Devastation" Limited Edition 3-CD Box Set, "Evacuate Or Die", Double Sided Printed T-Shirt, Poster and Deluxe Bag, Matri-X-traX Chapter I and some postcards * 2006 – ''Fætish (Limited 2 CD Box)'' : Limited to 2000 copies including "Hælloween" 5-track EP, some special fetish goodies (condom, button, postcards) and a booklet full of Leæther Strip fans fetish artwork. * 2007 – ''The Giant Minutes to the Dawn (2 CD+DVD fan boxset)'' : Limited edition including "The Hourglass" EP, "Watch" DVD, the "Trust your instinct" T-shirt and some fan goodies * 2007 – ''Retention no.1'' (2CD) : Reedition of first album ''

'' (re-mastered) + ''The Pleasure of Reproduction'' which includes 2007 re-recordings of first album. * 2008 – ''Retention no.2'' (2CD) : Reedition of second album ''

'' and EP ''

Object V Object may refer to: General meanings * Object (philosophy), a thing, being, or concept ** Object (abstract), an object which does not exist at any particular time or place ** Physical object, an identifiable collection of matter * Goal, an ...

'' (re-mastered) + ''Science for the Satanic Spawn'' which includes 2008 re-recordings of both aforementioned releases. * 2011 – Louis Guidone – Meet Your Maker – LGCD06 – Guest Vocalist * 2013 – Vaylon – Primus (Digital Album Mastering) * 2013 – Vaylon – A Part Of Me (Remix & Mastering) * 2014 – Vaylon – Primus VIP Edition (CD Mastering) * 2014 – Vaylon – Magnum Opus (Digital Album Mastering) * 2014 �
Vaylon
�
Magnum Opus – VIP Edition Part One
(CD Mastering) * 2014 �
Vaylon
�
Magnum Opus – VIP Edition Part Two
(CD Mastering) * 2014 �
Vaylon
�
Everything Glows
(Digital EP Mastering)

Side projects

* Klutæ –

side-project, formerly known as Klute

Influenced

Cenobita Cenobita is an aggrotech/cyberpunk band based in Mexico City, created in 1994 by Claus Bita (programming, vocals and production) and former band member Omar Flo (vocals). History Cenobita formed as a duo of Claus Bita and Omar Flo in August of 1 ...

Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft } Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft (; "German-American Friendship"), or D.A.F., is an influential German electropunk/Neue Deutsche Welle band from Düsseldorf, formed in 1978 featuring Gabriel "Gabi" Delgado-López (vocals), Robert Görl (drum ...

* Dunkelwerk *

Fad Gadget Francis John Tovey (8 September 1956 – 3 April 2002), known also by his stage name Fad Gadget, was a British avant-garde electronic musician and vocalist. He was a proponent of both new wave and early industrial music, fusing pop-structured ...

Hocico Hocico () is a Mexican electro-industrial duo that was formed in 1993 in Mexico City. History Hocico was officially formed in 1993 by cousins Erik Garcia (aka Erk Aicrag) and Oscar Mayorga (aka Racso Agroyam), with Erik writing lyrics and perfo ...

Psychopomps Psychopomps (from the Greek word , , literally meaning the 'guide of souls') are supernatural creatures, spirits, entities, angels, demons or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afte ...

Suicide Commando Suicide Commando is a Belgian electro-industrial music act formed by Johan Van Roy in 1986. For live shows, it consists of Van Roy himself on vocals, Torben Schmidt on keyboards, and Mario Vaerewijck on drums. History Van Roy began experime ...

Wumpscut Wumpscut (stylised as :wumpscut:) is a gothic influenced electro-industrial music project from Germany. It was founded in May 1991 by Bavarian disc jockey Rudolf "Rudy" Ratzinger (born 3 June 1966). History Rudy Ratzinger is the creative force ...

References

External links

* Strip Material – Fan Site
Strip Material , Leæther Strip / Klutæ / Sequential Access / Am Tierpark fan site

Official Label webpage
at

Leæther Strip
at MySpace *
Discography of Leæther Strip
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...