Nitzer Ebb () are a British EBM group formed in 1982 by

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris (programming, synthesizers, drums, vocals),

Douglas McCarthy Douglas John McCarthy (born 1 September 1966) is the vocalist of the English EBM band Nitzer Ebb. McCarthy writes and performs with the band. He has appeared on multiple recordings by Recoil and has released material in collaboration with DJ ...

(vocals), and David Gooday (drums).

History

Initial releases (1983–1987)

The group released their demo ''Basic Pain Procedure'' in 1983, but it was two years until they met PWL producer Phil Harding, who produced their 1985 debut single "Isn't It Funny How Your Body Works?" and helped them set up their own label, Power Of Voice Communications. The band at the time was inspired by the

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

scene and specifically acts like "

Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...

Killing Joke Killing Joke are an English rock music, rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (musician), Youth (bass). Their first album, ''Ki ...

and

Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...

who were having a big influence on us, in some ways stylistically but also in the energy that they gave". They released three more singles on their own label, "Warsaw Ghetto" (1985), "Warsaw Ghetto Remixes" (1986) and "Let Your Body Learn" (1986), before signing to Mute Records in 1986. The singles "Murderous" (1986) and "Let Your Body Learn" (1987) followed, building their reputation in the

Industrial Rock Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Cromagnon, Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten a ...

and EBM scenes, as well as making inroads into the developing

Chicago House Chicago house refers to house music produced during the mid to late 1980s within Chicago. The term is generally used to refer to the first ever house music productions, which were by Chicago-based artists in the 1980s. History and origins Disco ...

scene. "Join In The Chant" (1987) became part of the

Balearic beat Balearic beat, also known as Balearic house, Balearic, Ibiza house or Ibizan chillout, is an eclectic blend of DJ-led dance music that emerged in the mid-1980s. It later became the name of a more specific style of electronic dance music that wa ...

scene that influenced the UK

acid house Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthesiz ...

scene.

International success, disbandment (1987–1995)

Their debut album ''

That Total Age ''That Total Age'' is the debut album of the British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, th ...

'' was released in 1987.

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depeche ...

, longtime friends and label mates of the band, invited them to open for the European leg of their successful

Music For The Masses ''Music for the Masses'' is the sixth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 28 September 1987 by Mute Records. The album was supported by the Music for the Masses Tour, which launched their fame in the US when ...

Tour in 1987. David Gooday left after the tour and they completed their next album ''

Belief A belief is an attitude that something is the case, or that some proposition is true. In epistemology, philosophers use the term "belief" to refer to attitudes about the world which can be either true or false. To believe something is to take i ...

'' (1989) as a duo. Mark '

Flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

' Ellis became their new producer. They recruited Julian Beeston to assist them on their own world tour, and he soon became a regular contributor both on and off stage. In 1989, they teamed with German EBM pioneers

Die Krupps Die Krupps () ("The Krupps") is a German industrial metal/ EBM band, formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka in Düsseldorf. The band has had a diverse range of musical influences over time, including the percussive industrial '' ...

to rerecord their 1981 single "Wahre Arbeit - Wahrer Lohn" as "The Machineries of Joy". The third Nitzer Ebb album ''

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

'', released in 1990, revealed a less confrontational sound. The single "Fun to Be Had" (1990) featured a remix by George Clinton and was a hit on the US dance chart. Their fourth album, ''

Ebbhead ''Ebbhead'' is the fourth album of the United Kingdom, British Electronic body music, EBM group Nitzer Ebb. Co-produced by Depeche Mode's Alan Wilder in collaboration with Flood (producer), Flood, it was released by Mute Records on . The album f ...

'' (1991), showcased a more traditional songwriting style with an emphasis on melodic choruses was produced by

Alan Wilder Alan Charles Wilder (born 1 June 1959) is an English musician, composer, arranger, record producer and former member of the electronic band Depeche Mode from 1982 to 1995. Since his departure from the band, the musical project called Recoil b ...

from Depeche Mode and Flood. They promoted the album with a global tour that took them from the southern U.S. to northern Siberia. Their fifth album ,'' Big Hit'' (1995), featured a greater use of 'real' instruments, especially guitars and drums. McCarthy and Harris recruited Jason Payne (percussion), to their main line-up and brought in John Napier (guitar, percussion) to assist with live performances. ''Big Hit'' was the final release by the band for almost 15 years. McCarthy was a regular collaborator with

Recoil Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, as according to Newton's third law the force requ ...

project, and he records with French electronic producer Terence Fixmer as Fixmer/McCarthy. Bon Harris moved to Los Angeles, where he became a successful producer and recorded as 13mg and as a member of Maven.

Reunion (2006–present)

Nitzer Ebb began work on new material in Los Angeles in early 2007, with a retrospective documentary still in the pipeline. During 2007, Nitzer Ebb continued its trend of replacing drummers as

Kourtney Klein Kourtney Klein is a music producer, vocalist, keyboardist, and drummer who is best known as the lead vocalist the synthpop band Army on the Dance Floor. She was previously a member of Combichrist. Biography Klein grew up in Temecula, Californi ...

left the band to be replaced by Jason Payne. A first track, "Once You Say," with Depeche Mode songwriter Martin L. Gore on backing vocals, was played in June 2007 by Dave Clarke in his White Noise show on VPRO's 3 Voor 12. This track, along with "Payroll," were debuted live as Nitzer Ebb played a handful of shows and festivals during 2007. These tracks were then featured on Nitzer Ebb's album, ''

Industrial Complex The industrial complex is a socioeconomic concept wherein businesses become entwined in social or political systems or institutions, creating or bolstering a profit economy from these systems. Such a complex is said to pursue its own financial ...

''. McCarthy and Harris reunited up with Jason Payne and producer Flood to finish up the first new Nitzer Ebb record in over a decade. In the meantime, '' Fixmer/McCarthy'' released its second album in June 2008, ''Into the Night''. The band announced a US tour for fall–winter 2009 and were selected as the opening act of the January and February European and Russian dates of Depeche Mode's

Tour of the Universe Tour of the Universe was a Space Shuttle simulation ride located in the basement level of the CN Tower. Operating between 1985 and 1992, it was the world's first flight simulator ride. The ride was the idea of Moses Znaimer and designed by SimEx. ...

in 2010. In 2019, the band announced a North American tour that included the original band members David Gooday and Simon Granger. In 2021, the band continued more tour dates including in Europe. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, Harris and McCarthy got together to work on a side project called D-R-A-G. In November 2021, McCarthy collapsed before a show in Palm Beach, Florida and had to go to the hospital. The band emphasized it was due to complications from a pre-existing illness and it had nothing to do with COVID-19. The band went on to perform with Harris on lead vocals.

Influences and legacy

The single "Murderous" has been sampled by other electronic music acts, such as

Information Society An information society is a society where the usage, creation, distribution, manipulation and integration of information is a significant activity. Its main drivers are information and communication technologies, which have resulted in rapid inf ...

(on "Now That I Have You") and Kode IV (on "Success"). Nitzer Ebb's early tracks also made inroads to techno culture, notably in

Richie Hawtin Richard "Richie" Hawtin (born June 4, 1970) is a British-Canadian electronic musician and DJ. He became involved with Detroit techno's second wave in the early 1990s, and has been a leading exponent of minimal techno since the mid-1990s. He becam ...

's 1999 DJ mix, '' Decks, EFX & 909''.

Band members

Members

Bon Harris Bon Harris (born Vaughan David Harris; 12 August 1965 in Chelmsford, Essex, England) is an English composer, producer, singer and songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is a founding member of the British EBM group Nitzer Ebb, programming N ...

– programming, synthesizers, drums, vocals, bass (1982–present) *

– vocals, guitars (1982–present) * David Gooday – vocals, drums (1982–1987, 2019–present) *Simon Granger – writing, arrangement and artwork (1983–1995, 2019–present)

Former members

* Duc Nhan Nguyen – drums (1987–1988) *

Julian Beeston Julian Beeston is an English musician, mainly noted for his time in the electronic groups Nitzer Ebb and Cubanate. He has spent time as a remixing engineer working on artists such as Bob Marley and Billy Idol. More recently, he has worked a ...

– drums (1989–1992) *Jason Payne – drums (1992–1995, 2007–2019)

Touring members

David Lovering David Lovering (born December 6, 1961) is an American musician and magician. He is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band Pixies, which he joined in 1986. After the band's breakup in 1993, Lovering drummed with several other act ...

– drums (1994–1995) * John Napier – guitars, percussion (1995) *

– drums (2006–2007)

Discography

Studio albums and EPs

Soundtracks

Saw IV ''Saw IV'' is a 2007 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, and a story by Melton, Dunstan, and Thomas Fenton. It is the fourth installment in the ''Saw'' film series and sequel to ...

"Payroll (John O Mix)" (2007) *

Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', and the ...

"Let Your Body Learn" (2008) * NCIS "Promises" (2009) *

Saw VI ''Saw VI'' is a 2009 horror film directed by Kevin Greutert, in his feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It is the sequel to 2008's ''Saw V'' and sixth installment in the ''Saw'' film series. The fil ...

"Never Known" (2009) *

Saw VII ''Saw 3D'' (also known as ''Saw: The Final Chapter'') is a 2010 American 3D horror film directed by Kevin Greutert and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It is the sequel to 2009's ''Saw VI'' and seventh installment in the ''Saw'' ...

"Promises" (2010) *

Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (2010) * Tony Hawk: Ride (video game) "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (2010) *

The Following ''The Following'' is an American crime thriller television series created by Kevin Williamson, and jointly produced by Outerbanks Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. The first season follows former FBI agent Ryan Hardy ( Kevin Bacon) ...

"Murderous" (2013)

Singles

B-sides and non-album tracks

Music videos

* ''Murderous'' (1987) * ''Let Your Body Learn'' (1987) * ''Control I'm Here'' (1988) * ''Hearts and Minds'' (1989) * ''Shame'' (1989) * ''The Machineries of Joy'' (1989) * ''Lightning Man'' (1990) * ''Fun to Be Had'' (1990) * ''Family Man'' (1991) * ''I Give to You'' (1991) * ''Godhead'' (1992) * ''Ascend'' (1992) * ''Kick It'' (1995) * ''I Thought'' (1995)

Tributes

* ''Muscle and Hate'' - Nilaihah Records, (2005)

References

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 ...

Superb collectors site

Body of Work Album and 2006 Concert Details

"EBM back to NEP"-Party, Interviews and many more...

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070705084131/http://www.zeromagazine.nu/art.asp?id=156 Interview with David Gooday (in Swedish)
Pylon Records - Current label of Douglas J. McCarthy and Nitzer Ebb Re-issues
{{Authority control British electronic body music groups British industrial music groups British musical trios English dance music groups English techno music groups English electronic music groups English new wave musical groups Geffen Records artists Musical groups from Essex Musical groups established in 1982 Musical trios Mute Records artists 1982 establishments in England Rhythm King artists