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
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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
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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
Sturm & Drang
KMFDM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You write and prove your own revisions
You become new
You sweat and bleed pure fascination
You thrive upon disintegration
You break through
Only you control your destination
You are what you do
You put aside your resolution
You dig into a new conclusion
You become new
You revel in the de-construction
You feel your mind become a weapon
You break through
Wiederaufbau und vernichtung
Wirklicheit und heldendichtung
Edle wahrheit und legende
KMFDM zum bitteren ende
Sturm&drang
Dir gehoren
Sturm&drang
Kunst erleben
Sturm&drang
Neu und fremd
Sturm&drang
Mein KMFDM
The lyrics of KMFDM's song Sturm & Drang speak to the importance of personal agency and self-determination. They emphasize that we are responsible for our own lives and destinies, and that we have the power to make our own choices and create our own realities. The lines "You make and break your own restrictions" and "Only you control your destination" ultimately convey that we have the responsibility and ability to shape our own lives.
The verses also touch on themes of creativity and self-discovery. The lines "You write and prove your own revisions" and "You dig into a new conclusion" emphasize the importance of self-reflection and the willingness to explore new ideas and perspectives. Additionally, the chorus references the German literary and artistic movement Sturm und Drang ("Storm and Stress"), which emphasized individualism, emotion, and rebellion against established conventions. This further underscores the themes of creativity and self-expression.
The final verse is sung in German and translates to "Reconstruction and destruction / Reality and heroic saga / Noble truth and legend / KMFDM until the bitter end." This last line ties the song back to the band itself, emphasizing their commitment to their own artistic vision and their refusal to compromise or appease anyone else's expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
You make and break your own restrictions
You create rules for yourself and then break them at will
You write and prove your own revisions
You document your changes and show how they have improved on the original
You become new
You are constantly evolving and changing into someone new
You sweat and bleed pure fascination
You experience intense curiosity and passion that drives you to action
You thrive upon disintegration
You find strength and growth in situations of breakdown and chaos
You break through
You overcome obstacles and barriers to reach a new level of understanding or achievement
The truth the lies all fabrications
Nothing is entirely true or false, everything is woven into a story
Only you control your destination
You are the sole decision-maker of your own fate
You are what you do
Your actions define who you are and what you stand for
You put aside your resolution
You abandon old ideas or goals to make way for new ones
You dig into a new conclusion
You deeply explore a new idea or concept to come to a definitive understanding
You become new
You are constantly evolving and changing into someone new
You revel in the de-construction
You take pleasure in breaking things down and analyzing their parts
You feel your mind become a weapon
You sharpen your thoughts and ideas to use them as powerful tools
You break through
You overcome obstacles and barriers to reach a new level of understanding or achievement
Wiederaufbau und vernichtung
Rebuilding and destruction
Wirklicheit und heldendichtung
Reality and heroic tales
Edle wahrheit und legende
Noble truth and legend
KMFDM zum bitteren ende
KMFDM until the bitter end
Sturm&drang
Dir gehoren
Storm and stress belong to you
Sturm&drang
Kunst erleben
Experience art through storm and stress
Sturm&drang
Neu und fremd
Storm and stress makes everything new and different
Sturm&drang
Mein KMFDM
Storm and stress is my KMFDM
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: SASCHA KONIETZKO, TIM SKOLD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind