The band's name comes from the Krupp dynasty - one of pre-war Germany´s main industrial families. This name was apparently chosen for its industrial connotations, as the band is strongly anti-Nazi. In some interviews the band stated that Visconti´s movie "The Damned" - a depiction of the fictitious German industrial dynasty of the Essenbecks - was the main inspiration.
Die Krupps's debut EP, 1981's Stahlwerkssymphony, was in the vein of metal-on-metal industrial acts like Einstürzende Neubauten. Their following album, 1982's Volle Kraft Voraus, combined the industrial sound of their debut with electronic rhythms similar to DAF.
In 1984, the group released their first English-language album, Entering the Arena, which combined grand, orchestral arrangements with their trademark metallic percussion and a more conventional synthpop sound.
Doerper left to join Propaganda, and Die Krupps went on hiatus for a few years. In 1989, they collaborated with Nitzer Ebb -- a band their sound had clearly influenced -- to remake Volle Kraft Voraus's "Wahre Arbeit, Wahrer Lohn" as "The Machineries of Joy." The single was a major club hit,and it resparked interest in the band, who followed in 1990 with the now-classic "Germaniac" single.
However, Engler had become interested in American and European heavy metal, and subsequent Die Krupps releases would gradually de-emphasize the band's industrial/electronic origins. A Tribute to Metallica--an album of Metallica cover versions done with only keyboards and samplers--was something of a novelty hit that got the band signed (briefly) to a US major label.
In 1992, Engler reunited with Doerper and added some American heavy metal musicians to the lineup, and Die Krupps began to utilize guitars and more sounds derived from heavy metal music, with the release of their albums I and II--The Final Option.
During this period, the band had many of their tracks remixed by other artists; singles such as "Fatherland", "Metal Machine Music", "To the Hilt", and "Crossfire" were reworked by artists as diverse as The Sisters of Mercy, Einstürzende Neubauten and Biohazard. These remixes proved more successful than the albums from which they were drawn, as they became staples of mid-90s alternative clubs. Many of these remixes are included on the compilations The Final Remixes and Rings of Steel, as well as their mid-90s singles issued by Cleopatra Records. Particularly notable is a 1996 remix EP they shared with Front Line Assembly, on which each group remixed three songs from the other: while Krupps's remixes of FLA were typical of the band's metallic direction, FLA's Krupps remixes surprisingly highlighted how Die Krupps's sound still recalled the band's early electronic work.
By 1996's III--Odyssey of the Mind, the band had almost entirely ditched electronics for a straight metal sound. Following Doerper's second departure and the release of the even more heavily metal-influenced album "Paradise Now" in 1997, the band disbanded.
The band has been well-served by two compilations that highlight their strongest material and the development of the band's sound: Past Forward 1991-1981, released on Mute's Grey Area imprint, is a worthy precis of the band's work up to and including "Germaniac". Cleopatra's Metalmorphosis of Die Krupps covers some of the same ground, but includes highlights from their post-Metallica output. While both compilations share several tracks, they usually choose different mixes.
Die Krupps played a reunion show at Wave Gothic Treffen festival at 2005 for their 25th anniversary.
Expected in fall 2007 are 2 releases to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Die Krupps plus an extra release combining both. The reason to make two different best of albums is because the band wanted to separate its electro years from its metal years. As a result we will get "Too Much History - The Electro Years Vol. 1" and "Too Much History - The Metal Years Vol. 2", both in digipak format. Next to these two releases there is also the 2CD set "Too Much History" combining both previous mentioned best of compilations.
The German electronic pioneers Die Krupps are re-releasing two classic albums "Volle Kraft Voraus" and "I" by the end of August 2008.
May 21st, 2012 - Industrie-Mädchen reached top of the DAC! (i.e. Deutsche Alternative Charts)
Industrie-Mädchen is the title of the new single, which is a cover version of a song by the German punk band S.Y.P.H., a band Ralf Dörper was member of for a few month in 1979, contributing the vocals to one track of their first EP Viel Feind, viel Ehr.
The single is a spin-off of the forthcoming studio album that is due to be released
Metal Machine Music
Die Krupps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(What) Fear, remorse and pain is
We are relentless
Anything for progress
An operation, soulless
We're heartless and godless
(We're) Synchronized and seamless
Why do we act like machines?
Metal machine music
Forget
United, we're faceless
Swallowed by the masses
A mechanism flawless
Infallible and lawless
An operation, soulless
We're heartless and godless
We're synchronized and seamless
In worship of success
Why do we act like machines?
Metal machine music
Fearless
Tearless
Heartless
For the sake of progress
Remorseless
Painless
Shameless
In return for success
The lyrics of Die Krupps's "Metal Machine Music" heavily suggest the idea that humanity has lost its essence and has transformed into soulless machines. The first few lines of the song, "Forget what shame is, Fear, remorse and pain is, We are relentless, Anything for progress," imply that society has become so fixated on advancing that values such as empathy and morality have taken a back seat. Humanity has become "heartless and godless," as mentioned in the next few lines.
The song continues to describe how society has turned into a "mechanism flawless, infallible and lawless," with individuals being "swallowed by the masses." Everyone has become one united and faceless entity, worshiping success and doing anything to achieve it. The lyrics further suggest that people have become programmed, acting in a robotic and synchronized manner, without any individuality left in them. The line "Why do we act like machines?" poses the question of whether this is progress or the loss of humanity.
Overall, "Metal Machine Music" is a commentary on the ongoing industrialization of society and how it has robbed people of their values and individuality in the name of progress.
Line by Line Meaning
Forget what shame is
We disregard any emotional response to our actions, regardless of how unethical or immoral they may seem.
What fear, remorse and pain is
We eliminate any sense of fear, guilt, or suffering caused by our actions as they do not serve the purpose of achieving our goals.
We are relentless
We persist in our efforts, no matter the cost, to attain our objectives.
Anything for progress
We are willing to do anything to achieve our goals, regardless of the consequences.
An operation, soulless
We operate like a system, without any sense of compassion, empathy or morality.
We're heartless and godless
We lack both emotion and spirituality, caring only about our personal gain.
We're synchronized and seamless
Our actions are well-coordinated and executed with precision to achieve maximum efficiency.
In worship of success
Our only objective is success, and we will pursue it with unwavering determination.
Why do we act like machines?
We question our inhuman, robotic-like behavior, devoid of any sense of morality.
Metal machine music
Our actions resemble the cold, mechanical sound of a machine, with no hint of human emotion.
United, we're faceless
As a group, our individual identity disappears, and we become a faceless entity, committed to success at all costs.
Swallowed by the masses
We are consumed by the overwhelming desire to succeed, sacrificing anything in our path, despite the potential negative consequences.
A mechanism flawless
Our system of operation is perfected, without any sense of fallibility or human imperfection.
Infallible and lawless
We operate without any sense of error or wrongdoing, free from the moral or legal constraints of society.
Fearless
We operate without any sense of fear or apprehension, blind to the potential negative consequences of our actions.
Tearless
Emotionally, we are devoid of compassion or empathy, indifferent to feelings of suffering or grief.
Heartless
Devoid of any sense of human emotion, we operate like machines, pursuing our objective relentlessly.
For the sake of progress
Our actions are purely motivated by the pursuit of technological or societal advancement, with no regard for human cost.
Remorseless
We are without regret or shame, insensitive to the human cost of our actions.
Painless
Our actions are devoid of any sense of discomfort or suffering, for ourselves or others.
Shameless
We are without shame, operating solely for our personal gain, without regard for societal norms or human values.
In return for success
Our actions are predicated on the reward of success in achieving our goals, at any cost.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Mary Buck, Ralf Doerper, Juergen Engler, Ruediger Esch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aldo Macias
Best version. The tempo is more Upbeat. Makes me want to work in a steel mill.
Sarah Moore
Loooove this song!!!
Wojciech Wiciński
I didnt realize they had another album after machinist of joy. Today i celebrate!
saklartbra
Uhm, they have released several albums and singles since after 2013...
And this anthology is from 2007.
Some newer songs like Robosapiens even go back to the old EBM-days. <3
Ko-wing wong
Human: Machine is our greatest creation.
Machine: Human is our best creation.
Weed Master X
Absolut geniales Stück ! Hoffentlich bald neues Album !!!
ShadowFreakTV
Das nenne ich Timing. :P
Greyhollow
METAL
MACHINE
MUSIC!
Martin Čelko
Little bit of metallurgy never hurt anyone.
Kostia a
Согласен трек четканский!