Published on Jul 29, 2000
Admission: Although I spent two years in college radio – the
true birthplace of the alternative format – I never knew that much
about KMFDM or their music. Back when I reviewed
MDFMK, I mentioned that I thought having a “clean slate”
helped me approach that album with no expectations – but that I
wanted to learn more about Sascha Konietzko’s first group.
So, what better place to start than KMFDM’s first release,
What Do You Know, Deutschland? from 1986. It’s raw, it’s
angry… it shows a group that was most definitely plowing its own
unique path to travel, so don’t be surprised if the road isn’t
paved on this one.
Looking at this album 14 years after it was released, it’s easy
to sit and make comparisons. Konietzko’s brainchild sounds like a
rawer Nine Inch Nails or a less polished Front 242, still remaining
catchy while daring to challenge the listener with a pastiche of
sound bites attacking your nervous system.
Of course, in 1986, it wasn’t possible to make these
comparisons, and KMFDM was like no other band out there. No wonder
they became one of the first superstars of industrial music. With
songs on this release like “Kickin’ Ass,” “Sieg Sieg,” “Itchy
Bitchy” and “Positiv,” Konietzko and crew (including En Esch, who
would become one of the long-time members of the group) proceeded
to tear everything up in their path, leaving ample room for
everyone to dance/mosh/whatever.
Ah, but not everything is klieg lights and cool synthesizers on
this disc. KMFDM show occasionally that when you make your own
road, you’re occasionally going to fall, and fall they do on tracks
like “Lufthans,” “What Do You Know?” (to a lesser extent) and “The
Unrestrained Use Of Excessive Force” (surprisingly, the last being
the most controlled song on the album). Granted, it wasn’t like
KMFDM was following a road map with their music, but these
occasionally become a little unbearable.
Admittedly, it’s not the smoothest trip, and
What Do You Know, Deutschland? is a release that absolutely
begs for more than one listen. Fortunately, most listeners will
find themselves wondering just what they’ve been through once this
disc ends, and they’ll quickly give it another shot. Not
surprisingly, it’s on repeat listens that some of these tracks show
they were worthy of the time investment.
What Do You Know, Deutschland? is a tentative first step for
KMFDM, but it was a stronger first step than many other bands might
have made had they been in the same situation. It may not compare
to the sonic richness of later releases from KMFDM, but there is
something to be said for hearing what it was like in the early
days.