Maria Zerfall

The industrial music sometimes sounding like Throbbing Gristle, German texts and dadaism - Maria Zerfall, a real German legend, the mighty Mistress of the old school of noise. It was the alter-ego solo project of 34 years old Christine Weyrether from Dusseldorf.

LOKI FOUNDATION, Germany: "The tapes by her were some of the first noise stuff we have heard after the boarders had been opened. We were very impressed! It's quite unique that such hard and morbid electronics were produced from the one-woman project".

She started in 80th on the wings of punk invasion and personal non-compromising nihilism. She had played in a few bands before she finally released her own strange project. She was not interested in producing larger things like vinyl or concerts during this time. The result was in the six years of strong impulsive activity and in the 10 tape albums (1985-91), mostly of extremely limited edition and of great rarity nowadays. She just wished to make the music, nothing more:

LOKI FOUNDATION: "Long time ago we've got the idea to ask her for an LP and Silvio from the German label Membrum Debile Propaganda had the same. Also he had the important contact with her - that is why this release is a mutual product of these two labels. And we were very surprised when she had agreed to do such thing. The recordings are taken from the several tapes. The best tracks between 1985 and 1991 were selected and we made the final mastering. She was happy and we too. I think the most part of the materials to be much more intense then the material from the most of newcomer noise projects: I don't think that she would like to make the new material now. But maybe there will be some other re-releases by he MDP label or the others.

"Als ware nichts gewessen" presented the collection of 13 deadly shining relic experiments in the veil of urban-raw-electro-industrial sound and noise released in a home studio bunker of MZ. Filled with the strained urban aesthetics mechanic-industrial destruction of cult THROBBING GRISTLE early years with absolutely sounding in her works: "Kopfmord", "Knochen-brecher", "Totenstille", "Als ware nichts gewesen", "Nazi jazz". Like a ghost of Fasbinder spirit of post-war Germany Maria Zerfall have arose - mechanic Maria from Fritz Lang "Metropolis", the archaic Goddess of her personal cults, the ruthless destructive messenger of the sonic Armageddon - ashes to ashes, sound to sound, devastation to devastation: claustrophobia to claustrophobia. The industrial mantras, rough springs of low bass, perforate static ultra-noises and amplitude vibrations, monotonous droning eclipses, chaotic naked distressing echoes, sting poison groans of mysterious signal, larynx wheezing from reflections of the steel death, decadence of depressed machines. Combined with the lonely monotonous monologues in German it seems it looks like a dying whale cry, like a German military disco in the Gas Camera of Europe, like a war - no taboo, no limit, no mercy!..

Finally the mad chaotic experiences of MZ give you the head-around feeling of some magic energy. Impressive work and the real prophecy of sonic riot for the present industrial rebels!

Below we present the exclusive words of Maria Zerfall for Achtung Baby!. Special thanks for Rene (LOKI) and Silvio (MDP).

Igor Vaganov

Spring 1999

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