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
Urban Monkey Warfare
KMFDM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All you want is to get absolution from shame
You have nothing to lose anymore
Never was anything worth to be lost in this war in the first place
They make you hate their name
Prostrate yourself in the arena of blame
Nothing at all is left to be said
Headed down the hard way
Concrete battleground
Urban monkey warfare
Sabotage underground camouflage
Man-monkey
Monkey-man
Urban gorilla
All you know is reflection
All you know is the code to hack and crack
The truth lies buried in shallow graves
Who's afraid to claim it back?
The song Urban Monkey Warfare by KMFDM is a commentary on the societal issues that we are facing, including the need to find someone to blame or scapegoat, and the loss of values in a world that seems to be falling apart. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and resignation, with the singer talking about how there is nothing to lose in this war. They talk about the need to find a scapegoat and to seek absolution from the shame that is being experienced. The song goes on to describe the concrete battleground that has become the modern city, and the urban gorillas who must navigate it to survive. The singer then contrasts the various types of people and groups - man-monkeys, monkey-men, and urban gorillas - highlighting the ways in which people are struggling to adapt to the changing world around them.
This song is one of the most popular from KMFDM, and it has been interpreted in a variety of ways. Some people see it as a rallying cry against the forces of oppression and conformity, while others see it as a warning about the dangers of societal collapse. Regardless of how one interprets it, there is no denying that Urban Monkey Warfare is a powerful and haunting song that leaves a lasting impression.
Line by Line Meaning
All you want is a scapegoat
You are seeking someone to blame for your problems
All you want is to get absolution from shame
You are hoping to be forgiven for your mistakes and relieve your guilt
You have nothing to lose anymore
You feel you have lost everything already and there is nothing more to lose
Never was anything worth to be lost in this war in the first place
The conflict was not worth any of the sacrifices made on either side
They make you hate their name
Someone or something has caused you to strongly dislike a specific name or group of people
Prostrate yourself in the arena of blame
You are willing to take the blame for someone else's actions or to blame others for your own mistakes
Nothing at all is left to be said
There is nothing left to discuss or argue about
The flag's gone up and the dawn is red
War has begun and blood will be shed
Headed down the hard way
You have chosen a difficult path or situation for yourself
Concrete battleground
The battle or conflict is taking place in an urban area, particularly with a lot of concrete structures or surfaces
Urban monkey warfare
A metaphorical description of the type of war being fought in an urban jungle-like setting, with individuals or groups maneuvering like agile monkeys
Sabotage underground camouflage
Strategy of performing hidden, sneaky actions in disguise to harm or weaken the enemy
Man-monkey
A comparison of human beings to monkeys or primates
Monkey-man
A comparison of monkeys or primates to human beings
Urban gorilla
A comparison of fighters in an urban setting to gorillas in a jungle
All you know is reflection
You are only familiar with your own thoughts and ideas
All you know is the code to hack and crack
You are skilled in computer programming language used to gain unauthorized access to systems
The truth lies buried in shallow graves
The truth about something is not hard to find, yet it is concealed or buried deep down
Who's afraid to claim it back?
Who is too scared to bring the hidden truth to light?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Martini Gasalini
thanks for the upload, I loved this song
Claireabelle Wonderly
One of my favorite songs on this album.
Superbusyrobot
This isn't a racist song. The play on words going on is between Monkey and Guerilla, which obviously sounds like Gorilla. Guerilla warfare is waged in the streets, so guerilla-style mercenaries turn cities into their jungles and use it for camouflage.
That's what it's actually about, not any particular group of people. Guerilla tactics are used by many different rebel groups around the world.
Chief Smackaho, Esq.
What the fuck?
cvSAVdsbv
@Rudofaux Nothing says contradiction paradox like preaching for anarchy and "fighting the power" and sympathizing with fucking communists.
cvSAVdsbv
@Rudofaux Eh not as much of a contradiction as being a Anarcho-Communist. And besides, I like to believe we all have free will. Without religion.
Rudofaux
@cvSAVdsbv A right winger with free will? Isn't that a contradiction? If that's true, you're a paradox given flesh.
cvSAVdsbv
@Rudofaux I always have known KMFDM were anarcho-communists. As a right winger with free will I can listen to KMFDMs music and enjoy it but not sympathize with it at all. It's like being a christian (which I am not) and listening to black metal.
chainsawplayin
he protek
but he also ATTAK
Occultosophia Dis-Broadcasts
SNEK: to in won. Geno and cide.