Adios is the eleventh studio album released by German industrial band KMFDM.
The album was originally conceived as the group's parting shot to its longtime record label, Wax Trax! Records, but it ended up also signaling the break-up of KMFDM itself until the band reformed in 2002. Recorded in Seattle, Washington, this was the last album to feature En Esch and Günter Schulz, who both went on to form Slick Idiot.
Following the break-up, founding member Sascha Konietzko created the band MDFMK, before reforming KMFDM in 2002 without Esch or Schulz.
The album was released on April 20, 1999, on the same date the Columbine High School massacre took place. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the two perpetrators of the massacre, were both avid KMFDM fans. Eric Harris noted the coincidence of the album's title and release date in his journal.
KMFDM's final album starts out with a bitter goodbye on the title track, and the usual mechanical sonic assault continues on tracks like "Witness," the Kraftwerk-inspired "R.U.OK?," and "Full Worm Garden." Some songs are more club/dance than industrial; "Today" depicts a calmer eye before "Rubicon" and "Bereit" resume the high energy and aggressive stormy ambience that are the band's trademark. KMFDM sound smoother yet maintain their emotive mayhem in all its glory.
When KMFDM say goodbye, they do it with style. "Adios" is without any doubt the best album of their whole fifteen year carrier, alongside the 1995 masterpiece "Nihil".
Who could have known that Tim Sköld, once the singer of Swedish L A style sleaze rockers Shotgun Messiah, would end up in KMFDM? But "Adios" sees him and Sascha Konietzko doing the main work behind the KMFDM wheel. The two of them have managed to make "Adios" sound classic KMFDM style, and still incorporate a new, inventive touch. It sounds more electronic than ever before, the live drums not present, and the guitars more integrated into the music.
Most of the songs are so brilliant that it does not even matter that much that Raymond Watts does not contribute to the album. "D.I.Y" might be the ultimate KMFDM song, with bombastic orchestral samples, splendid guitar work, and lines like "Rip the system, blow it away" and "The world rotates to the Ultra-Heavy-Beat". "Sycophant" sees them returning to the dub and reggae influences that characterized the 1989 album "UAIOE", but here it is much more refined, with crazy echo effects on Günter Schulz' guitar and Cheryl Wilson's fabulous wailing.
It may be due to Sköld's presence that "Adios" sees KMFDM display a melancholic side, that previously only has been hinted at in the Raymond Watts sung "Unfit" of their last album. Here Sköld sings "when you leave it's like I disappear" and "everytime you go it feels like/.../a month of Sundays coming up" in "Today", accompanied by mellow electronics.
"I couldn't even begin to understand where KMFDM stands politically", Nivek Ogre said with a laughter when I interviewed him last October. Regardless of that, he stands for the lead vocals on "That's All" and "Full Worm Garden", two of the absolute highlights on "Adios". The former being an electro rock hit in the way only KMFDM can make them, while the latter is a sadder, guitar free song.
"Adios" also has the trademark female wailing and political statements, and contributions from German punk rock legend Nina Hagen.
Who could have known that Tim Sköld, once the singer of Swedish L A style sleaze rockers Shotgun Messiah, would end up in KMFDM? But "Adios" sees him and Sascha Konietzko doing the main work behind the KMFDM wheel. The two of them have managed to make "Adios" sound classic KMFDM style, and still incorporate a new, inventive touch. It sounds more electronic than ever before, the live drums not present, and the guitars more integrated into the music.
Most of the songs are so brilliant that it does not even matter that much that Raymond Watts does not contribute to the album. "D.I.Y" might be the ultimate KMFDM song, with bombastic orchestral samples, splendid guitar work, and lines like "Rip the system, blow it away" and "The world rotates to the Ultra-Heavy-Beat". "Sycophant" sees them returning to the dub and reggae influences that characterized the 1989 album "UAIOE", but here it is much more refined, with crazy echo effects on Günter Schulz' guitar and Cheryl Wilson's fabulous wailing.
It may be due to Sköld's presence that "Adios" sees KMFDM display a melancholic side, that previously only has been hinted at in the Raymond Watts sung "Unfit" of their last album. Here Sköld sings "when you leave it's like I disappear" and "everytime you go it feels like/.../a month of Sundays coming up" in "Today", accompanied by mellow electronics.
"I couldn't even begin to understand where KMFDM stands politically", Nivek Ogre said with a laughter when I interviewed him last October. Regardless of that, he stands for the lead vocals on "That's All" and "Full Worm Garden", two of the absolute highlights on "Adios". The former being an electro rock hit in the way only KMFDM can make them, while the latter is a sadder, guitar free song.
"Adios" also has the trademark female wailing and political statements, and contributions from German punk rock legend Nina Hagen.
Track listing
1. Adios - 3:56
2. Sycophant - 5:13
3. D.I.Y. - 4:51
4. Today - 4:57
5. Witness (Konietzko, Skold, Nina Hagen) - 7:23
6. R.U.OK? - 4:46
7. That's All (Konietzko, Skold, Nivek Ogre, En Esch) - 5:08
8. Full Worm Garden (Konietzko, Skold, Ogre, William Rieflin) - 5:03
9. Rubicon - 3:44
10. Bereit (Konietzko, Skold, Esch) - 4:53
All tracks are written by Sascha Konietzko and Tim Skold, unless otherwise noted.
Personnel
- Sascha Konietzko – vocals (1–3, 6–10), synths, programming (1–10), guitar (10)
- Tim Skold – vocals (1–4, 6–10), programming (1–10), bass (9)
- Günter Schulz – guitar (1–3, 7, 9, 10)
- Cheryl Wilson – vocals (2, 4, 7–9)
- En Esch – hi-hat & cymbals (2), vocals (3, 7, 10), add. programming (7)
- Frank Chotai – add. programming (4)
- Paul de Carli – digital editing (4)
- Nina Hagen – vocals (5, 10)
- Nivek Ogre – vocals (7, 8)
- William Rieflin – programming (8
Companies, etc.
- Recorded At – Maschineraum
- Recorded At – The Ladies Room
- Overdubbed At – Studio X
- Mixed At – Studio X
- Published By – KMFDM Ent. US
- Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Wax Trax! Records, Inc.
- Copyright © – Wax Trax! Records, Inc.
- Manufactured By – TVT Records
- Distributed By – TVT Records
- Pressed By – WEA Mfg. Olyphant – Y7518
Credits
- Cover – Brute!
- Engineer [Assistant] – Sam Hofstedt
- Guitar – Günter Schulz (tracks: 1 to 3, 7, 9, 10)
- Mastered By – Arnie Acosta
- Producer, Engineer, Mixed By – Chris Shepard, Sascha Konietzko, Tim Skold
- Recorded By, Programmed By, Written-By, Composed By – Sascha Konietzko, Tim Skold
- Typography [Type] – Robin Glowski
- Vocals – Cheryl Wilson (tracks: 2, 7, 8, 9), En Esch (tracks: 3, 4, 7, 10), Sascha Konietzko (tracks: 1 to 3, 6 to 10), Tim Skold (tracks: 1 to 4, 6 to 10)
Notes
Release Date: April 20, 1999
Recording Location: Bad Animals, Seattle, WA / Ladies Room Maschinenraum
Genre: Electro-industrial, industrial metal
Duration: 49:21
Label - Wax Trax!/TVT
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