'X Marks The Pedwalk' History:
From natural to syntheticDuring my piano lessons as a young boy I was fascinated by synthesizers. But at this time - my age was 14 - electronic instruments were very very expensive. My parents were not very excited about my interest in synthsizers and so I started to play an electronic organ - as a kind of compromise I think. When I was 16 I bought my first synthesizer - it was the famous KORG MS20. |
From pop-music to Skinny Puppy.From this point it was a fast developement and evolution. First I played as a keyboarder in a rock-band, started a first synthie-pop-band with a friend of mine (the band was called "zymotic"; we won a talent-award in our town). At this time a music-style called "Neue Deutsche Welle" came up in Germany with some very intersting bands I was fascinated in like D.A.F., Kraftwerk. Also the famous Depeche Mode started a big career in Germany. I was fascinated by monotonic "cool" sequencing sounds and atmospheric soundscapes. Bands like á;Grumh, Front242 and Skinny Puppy were my favourite bands for a long time. |
ScarecrowIn 1987 I decided to found my first music-project. My musical equipment were 3 synthesizers, a sampling-machine (it was an akai x-7000) and a drum-machine. First tracks were composed by using the steinberg pro 16 sequencer-program on a Commodore C64 computer system. I asked a school-friend (Jörg Böhme) to take part of this project - SCARECROW was born. |
More than musicFrom the very first beginning we wanted to have a concept around our musical ideas. We both worked at a hospital for psychic diseases and so we decided to make the human psyche the basic theme of the scarecrow-lyrics - especially the negative and dark sides of human psyche. Also esoteric and spiritual ideas were integrated in our songs. In some interviews you can read that we both studied psychology - we never did even we were interested in for a long time. |
The dealWe produced our first demo-tape (including samples from the movie evil dead) and sent it to 3 record companies. After only a few days 2 of the companies wanted to make a deal with us. We got one special call I always remember when I think about - it was Talla2XLC... We were invited to come to Frankfurt and to sign a contract at the famous Technodrome International Label. |
From Scarecrow to ZOTH OMMOGIn 1988 our first single "black door" was released. It was a success in Germany and also in Benelux. But the time of Scarecrow was running out, because Talla decided to found a new label and he wanted us to come with him. So we had to change our bandname. We took our new name out of a horror-story by fritz leiber (we found this story in a stephen king book - called danse macabre) - X-MARKS THE PEDWALK. We also decided to give us pseudonyms and so my new name was SEVREN NI-ARB (backwards for brain nerves) and my friend Jörg took the name REGAN ERACS (Regan was taken from the movie the exorcist and eracs is backwards for scare).The new label and our musical home for a long time was of course the famous ZOTH OMMOG label of Talla2XLC. |
First stepsAfter releasing the xmtp-debut-single ARBITRARY EXECUTION we had our first club-hit with our second single DANGER (also released as CD DISEASE CONTROL including a special bonus-track) and supported by the one and only xmtp-video. After DANGER we produced and released the all time smash-hit of xmtp ABATTOIR (12" and 5" CD) followed by our first full length album FREAKS and our first xmtp-tour (concerts in germany and one concert in Budapest/hungary). As a special release to support the tour we released the 12"/5" CD CENOTAPH. This was the end of a first important part of xmtp.... |
A new futureX-Marks the pedwalk became an important part of the electronic music scene around the world, but Regan and me had different opinions and plans how xmtp should go on. So I decided to go my own way and I wanted to concentrate only on music - as my profession. I wanted to feel free and independent in producing my music. I ended my studies at the university of Münster, founded the famous T.G.I.F.-Studios (shortcut for Thank God It´s Friday) and Regan left the band. |
X Marks The Pedwalk Discography:
| Release Title and date | |
| abattoir | |
| abattoir | |
| cenotaph | |
| disease control | |
| drawback | |
| experiences | |
| experiences cd2 | |
| facer (promo) | |
| four fit (the singles collection part ii) |
| freaks | |
| human desolation | |
| meshwork | |
| paranoid illusions | |
| retrospective | |
| the killing had begun | |
| the trap |
