The group's earliest incarnation included German drummer En Esch and British vocalist Raymond Watts, the latter of whom left and rejoined the group several times over its history. The trio recorded the band's earliest albums in Germany before Konietzko and Esch moved to the United States, where they found much greater success with seminal industrial record label Wax Trax!. German guitarist Günter Schulz joined in 1990; both he and Esch continued with the band until KMFDM broke up in 1999. Konietzko resurrected KMFDM in 2002 (Esch and Schulz declined to rejoin) on Metropolis Records, and by 2005 he had assembled a consistent line-up that included American singer Lucia Cifarelli, British guitarists Jules Hodgson and Steve White, and British drummer Andy Selway. Konietzko and Cifarelli moved back to Germany in 2007, while the rest of band stayed in the U.S. In addition to these core members, dozens of other musicians have worked with the group across its nineteen studio albums and two dozen singles, with sales totaling in excess of two million records worldwide.
Critics consider KMFDM to be one of the first bands to bring industrial music to mainstream audiences, though Konietzko refers to the band's music as "The Ultra-Heavy Beat". The band incorporates heavy metal guitar riffs, electronic music, samples, and both male and female vocals in its music, which encompasses a variety of styles including industrial rock and electronic body music (EBM). The band is fiercely political, with many of its lyrics taking stands against violence, war, and oppression. KMFDM normally tours at least once after every major release, and band members are known for their accessibility to and interaction with fans, both online and at concerts. Members, singly or working together and with other musicians, have recorded under many other names, primarily Watts' PIG, Konietzko's Excessive Force, and Esch and Schulz's Slick Idiot.
KMFDM (Discogs): https://www.discogs.com/artist/11606-KMFDM
KMFDM (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/officialkmfdm
KMFDM (MySpace): https://myspace.com/officialkmfdm
KMFDM (Official Site): http://www.kmfdm.net
KMFDM (Reddit): https://www.reddit.com/r/kmfdm
KMFDM (SoundCloud): https://soundcloud.com/kmfdm_official
KMFDM (Store): http://kmfdm.fulfillmentmerch.com
KMFDM (Tumblr): https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/kmfdm
KMFDM (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kmfdmofficial
KMFDM (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/user/officialkmfdm
---Current Members---
Sascha Konietzko – vocals, guitar, bass, programming, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion
Lucia Cifarelli – vocals, keyboards
Jules Hodgson – guitar, bass, keyboards
Andy Selway – drums
Steve White – guitar
---Former Members---
En Esch – vocals, drums, guitar, programming
Raymond Watts – vocals, programming
Günter Schulz – guitar, programming
Mark Durante – guitar, steel guitar
Tim Skold – vocals, guitar, bass, drums, programming
Classic KMFDM Discography (1984-1999)
---Studio Albums---
1984 - Opium
1986 - What Do You Know, Deutschland?
1988 - Don't Blow Your Top
1989 - UAIOE
1990 - Naïve
1992 - Money
1993 - Angst
1995 - Nihil
1996 - Xtort
1997 - Symbols
1999 - Adios
---Compilations---
1986 - 84-86 (compilation)
1994 - Naïve/Hell to Go (remix)
1996 - Retro (compilation)
1998 - Agogo (compilation)
---Singles---
1987 - Kickin' Ass
1988 - Don't Blow Your Top
1988 - More & Faster
1989 - Virus
1990 - Godlike
1991 - Naïve + The Days of Swine and Roses (split with My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult)
1991 - Split
1992 - Vogue
1992 - Money
1992 - Help Us/Save Us/Take Us Away
1992 - Sucks
1993 - A Drug Against War
1994 - Light
1994 - Glory
1995 - Juke Joint Jezebel
1995 - Juke Joint Jezebel (The Moroder Mixes)
1995 - Brute
1995 - Trust
1995 - Year of the Pig
1996 - Power
1996 - Rules
1997 - Anarchy
1998 - MDFMK
---Side Projects/Collaborations---
1991 - Excessive Force - Conquer Your House
1992 - Excessive Force - Conquer Your World
1992 - En Esch - Cheesy
1993 - Excessive Force - Blizkrieg
1994 - Excessive Force - Gentle Death
1994 - KMFDM vs. PIG - Sin Sex & Salvation
---Modern KMFDM Discography (2002-present)
---Studio Albums---
2002 - Attak
2003 - WWIII
2005 - Hau Ruck
2007 - Tohuvabohu
2009 - Blitz
2011 - WTF?!
2013 - Kunst
2014 - Our Time Will Come
2017 - Hell Yeah
2019 - Paradise
2022 - HYËNA
2024 - LET GO
---Compilations---
2002 - Strum & Drang Tour Live (live)
2004 - WWIII Live 2003 (live)
2006 - Ruck Zuck (remix)
2008 - Brimborium (remix)
2008 - Extra Vol. 1 (compilation)
2008 - Extra Vol. 2 (compilation)
2008 - Extra Vol. 3 (compilation)
2009 - Krieg (remix)
2010 - Würst (compilation)
2010 - Greatest Shit (compilation)
2014 - We Are KMFDM (live)
---Singles---
2002 - Boots
2010 - Day of Light
2010 - Godlike 2010
2010 - Light 2010
2011 - Krank
2011 - Amnesia
2014 - Salvation
---Side Projects/Collaborations---
2000 - MDFMK - MDFMK
2001 - Schweinstein - Schweinstein
2001 - Slick Idiot - DickNity
2002 - Schweinstein - Son of Schweinstein
2003 - Slick Idiot - ReDickUlous
2004 - Slick Idiot - Screwtinized
2004 - Lucia - From the Land of Volcanoes
2006 - Slick Idiot - xSCREWciating
2006 - KGC - Dirty Bomb
2009 - Slick Idiot - Sucksess
2009 - Skold vs. KMFDM - Skold vs. KMFDM
2011 - OK●ZTEIN●OK - PROLET●KULT
2014 - En Esch - SPÄNK
Strut
KMFDM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Won't get the best of me
Not the kind to take it light
Put up with tomfoolery
Playing mr nice guy
Leading me on
Sure enough two on the side
Play, fun, stray, lust
Cheat, front, lies, strut
On and on with everything I got
Giving up
Had enough I mean it this time
Walking out with my head held high
Strut, out the door
Had enough I mean it this time
Walking out with my head held high
Strut
You've got the nerve to say its alright
A real woman doesn't need a man child
Telling her lies
Own up stop pretending
You're the talk of the town
Say it once and for the last time
I'm the best you'll ever have
Two faced, thrill, hunt
Trapped, caught, tricked, strut
KMFDM's song Strut is all about standing up to someone who has done you wrong and taking control of the situation. The lyrics suggest that the singer is involved in some kind of "monkey business" with someone who has betrayed them. Though they were initially playing the "nice guy," it seems like they've had enough of the lies and deceit and are ready to move on. The chorus is particularly strong, telling the person in question that they've had enough and that they're walking out the door with their head held high.
Musically, Strut is a driving, aggressive track with a heavy beat and aggressive guitars. It's a classic example of KMFDM's industrial sound, with distorted vocals and throbbing synths adding to the song's intensity. The lyrics, while relatively straightforward, are delivered with conviction and attitude, making Strut a standout track in KMFDM's extensive discography.
Line by Line Meaning
Our monkey business
The nonserious activities we engage in
Won't get the best of me
I won't let it affect me negatively
Not the kind to take it light
I don't take such behavior lightly
Put up with tomfoolery
I tolerate foolishness to an extent.
Playing mr nice guy
Acting polite and good-natured
Leading me on
Giving me the impression that things are going well
Sure enough two on the side
You had two other people besides me
We both know you did me wrong
We're both aware that you treated me poorly
Play, fun, stray, lust
Engage in unfaithfulness and lustful activities for pleasure
Cheat, front, lies, strut
Be dishonest and self-promoting to cover up the cheating
On and on with everything I got
I'll do everything in my power to expose you
Giving up
I'm letting go of this failed relationship
Had enough I mean it this time
I've reached my limit and I'm serious about leaving
Walking out with my head held high
I'm leaving with dignity
Strut, out the door
I'm leaving confidently
You've got the nerve to say its alright
You're shamelessly trying to justify your actions
A real woman doesn't need a man child
A mature woman doesn't need a childish partner
Telling her lies
Lying to her repeatedly
Own up stop pretending
Admit your mistakes and stop pretending everything is okay
You're the talk of the town
Everyone is talking about how you cheated
Say it once and for the last time
Admit the truth once and for all
I'm the best you'll ever have
You won't find anyone better than me
Two faced, thrill, hunt
Being fake and enjoying the excitement of finding new partners
Trapped, caught, tricked, strut
Feeling trapped, getting caught, and trying to act confident about it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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