Germany is known for its hard industrial sound with bands like KMFDM and Einsturzende Neubaten. The latest in this wave is Sielwolf, which combines heavy metal with electronic music and samples. The latest record is hitting the industrial scene of the United States now, and Campus Circle sat down with Petra Tausenpfund, the only female member of Sielwolf, to talk about life on the industrial underground.
Petra made her start in another industrial band called Collectionism, before joining up with her husband , Peter Prochir in Frankfurt, Germany to form Sielwolf in 1990. Influenced by early '80's bands like Mark Stewart and The Swans, Sielwolf relies heavily on guitars and samples for its underground industrial sound.
"We haven't performed in any clubs in the United States yet" says Petra, but "Magnum Force" has already become a smash hit on the dance floors of Europe and if it's anywhere near as successful in the hardcore clubs in the states, it probably won't be long before an appearance is in demand.
Being the only female member of the band, surrounded by four males, doesn't phase Petra. "I don't have a problem with it. Peter is my husband, and the other members are very responsible guys". The band members all work together equally and being male or female doesn't seem to be a factor in anything. Peter and Petra have always worked as a team, creating samples and performance projects together and this teamwork extends to the rest of the band as well.
The basis of the songs is the samples. "We try to use the samples to express the main feeling". The samples are the groundwork for the song, and then the instrumental work builds around them. A lot of samples come from the movies, like Psycho as well as David Kroenenberg (Videodrome) and David Lynch films. Sielwolf is very interested in American horror films and finds that the genre lends itself easily to sampling - it's perfect for the band's brand of music.
Petra juggles her musical career with her job as a psychologist. "We only perform on the weekends and holidays. We perform in clubs in Berlin and Frankfurt. We have also been to Holland and Belgium".
Sielwolf has been with Van Richter Records since 1994, having previously released the album 'Metastasen' as well as the more recent 'Magnum Force'. The next album for Van Richter will be out in October. Look for it, and listen for "Magnum Force" on an industrial dance floor near you.