Barfuss In Scherben/Deutschpunk 1979/1986

Description

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of punk, Ventil Verlag is publishing a musical comic book bringing together iconic tracks from the German punk scene. Tapete Records accompanies this release with a compilation of early German-language punk, focusing on the years 1979-1986 - a pivotal period when the world still seemed to be in full transformation. With its 14 tracks, this compilation illustrates the richness and diversity of German punk from that time. Below you will find the English translation of all the texts and quotes extracted from German fanzines. As often in translation, some nuances are lost: humorous turns of phrase, rhymes, precise political-historical context, etc. But you will understand the essentials! "The revolution is over - we have won," was the title of an article by Alfred Hilsberg published in 1978 in Sounds about Punk, a magazine already available in Germany at the time. A few years later, Hans-A-Plast nevertheless summarized the apocalyptic atmosphere of their time with these words: "Barefoot in the rubble, the future is over." So, what was it? "No future" or a victorious revolution? Probably both at once, as against the backdrop of the nuclear arms race, punk placed its hopes on a revolution of the present and everyday life. And on independent structures from the music industry: as early as 1979, Hilsberg released the first records of bands like Palais Schaumburg, The Wirtschaftswunder, Abwärts, and Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle on his label ZickZack, thus contributing to the dissemination of punk from English to German. Retrospectively, Hilsberg later stated: "I had no choice but to create ZickZack. It was necessary to publish everything that expressed and generated change." By the end of the 70s, punk arrived in Germany and more and more cities saw the emergence of bands, record stores, fanzines, labels, clubs, and scenes. Self-criticism soon followed: as early as 1981, the liner notes of the compilation Paranoia in der Straßenbahn noted "negative trends" caused by the popularity of punk and its dilution, and regarding 1983, they stated: "This year must be considered the end of the first major phase of punk in Germany. With a few exceptions, fanzines, records, and concerts no longer bring anything new."