"DIE KRUPPS began with "Steelworks Symphony" in 1981, a foundry full of steel-on-steel impacts and carbonised guitars put through a waste-disposal unit, work-to-rule, fatigued assembly-line rhythms, developed with help from CAN's Holger Czukay. That, they say, was their 'farewell to guitars'." Paul Oldfield - Melody Maker 7/89
"To challenge both the old punks and the new 'scene' they conceived the idea of a long piece in defiance of pogo that would at the same time avoid equally restricting disco conventions. Thus "The Steelworks Symphony" – a brutal 30 minute noise extravaganza that is as compelling as it is monotonous." Chris Bohn - NME, 11/81
It was a bold move – to step so far away from the music of the past and present, in an attempt to create the music of the future. Juergen Engler and Bernward Malaka decided to tread a different path and break with their own pasts, and thus they founded DIE KRUPPS. Just before the due decided to do a proper recording – which was to take place at the famous CAN Innerspace Studio - Ralf Dörper joined the new unit. The recorded material was taken to the legendary studio of Conny Plank, where the mix – as well as the dub version - was conducted with Holger Czukay (CAN) in attendance. Both versions of "Stahlwerksinfonie" were originally released on Hamburg's ZickZack Records in 1981 as a 45rpm MLP.
The concert featured on disc two of this release took place in Krefeld 1981 and was recorded by a Japanese journalist, Agi Yuzuru, who happened to be in Europe to report on the new music emerging everywhere – but foremost in Germany. A tour with DAF, promoting their 'Alles Ist Gut' album at the time, was to follow in June of 81, which cemented DIE KRUPPS' reputation as being a fine live act, and which established them as a force to be reckoned with. Now, 30 years later, DIE KRUPPS are still in existence, touring and playing to fanatical audiences across the globe and with a new album out in 2011. There is no end to infinity. The complete concert is made available here for the first time.
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