So that's how he introduced a network-virgin me to his amazing talents, which leads us to his solo material, this being my personal favourite from his catalogue. Not so much 'representative of', I don't think that would be a viable possibility, he produced such a diverse output, but just a track that captures his free spirit. First time I heard it was when we appeared on the same French compilation CD, the Come Together Productions album Too Much Is Always Better Than Not Enough. This one closed the album and always left you walking away from the hi fi with a beaming one...

   Lord Litter - Follow A Smile (4:42)

You'll be pleased to know I've done more than just linked in tracks on The A-Z Of M&E for this. His re-take of State Of The Art, for example, isn't on it. I put a 'straight from the cassette' version, less the intro, on Decadion 2.2 (M&E 602) back in 2014, but it's been unavailable for years since, plus I knew how to speed-correct it this time! I've also raided the M&E Showcase archives...

D A S   F R E I E   O R C H E S T E R

Circa 2014, former DFO guitarist Dieter Zoebel was busily remastering some of the band's vintage recordings from the Litter years, two tracks of which we featured in the New Year 2015 edition. The third is a live track from the same year...

   ZoSpiGuLi (3:11)

   Sadness (7:12)

   Ain't That A Tear (5:10)

L O R D   L I T T E R   O N   D F O   ( w r i t t e n   l a t e   2 0 1 4   f o r   t h e   M & E   S h o w c a s e )

DFO were a free form experimental band existing from 1984 to 1992. The concept was complete freedom in creating. All creations were improvised. Looking back I think it is adequate to say that all members were nonconformists on a non political level. The idea of the band was freedom in expression combined with joy of existence. The output of the band was a reaction to the cultural context the musicians were living in. From 1984 to 1989 the band was part of the East Berlin (GDR) underground scene. The music was released on their own Kroeten Kassetten label. The worldwide underground cassette scene was spreading the releases all over. There was quite a "fandom" in the USA for example. That was the way I got to know the band. I started to play their releases on my on air radioshow at Radio 100 in Berlin West (BRD) and started distributing their cassette releases. I also started to visit the band in East Berlin and we began to work out a plan how I could could join the band as an 'undercover' member. Coming to East Berlin, playing the concert and before 12 midnight I'd be back in West Berlin - 'cause that was the law. Then three things happened within a very short time;

1) The keyboarder and the female singer left the band
2) The wall fell (9.11.1989)
3) The very next day I joined the band

T H E   L O R D   L I T T E R   B A N D

A short lived project was this, just six tracks that I'm personally aware of under this banner, but what a great homage to the history of rock music. This is from the four track EP, One, recorded at the Feedback Studio in Berlin in February 1993. This particular track also saw a CD release on the Ebus Music compilation Outbreakers I, from whence we pilfered it...

   The Sun Shines In New York City Tonight (5:07)

Then we had three years of extreme fun, creativity and output. The idea of reacting to the cultural context we were living in was kept. In 1992 it slowly dawned that all hopes for a combined version of the two Germanys - keeping the positive aspect of both parts - went down the drain. All was said and done, the band split. For obvious reasons I've chosen "ZoSpiGuLi" (presenting the moment of just letting it all go) and "Sadness" (defining all that was left in 1992). Today - Gui Gust is out of music completely (the world lost one of the most unique drummers ever), Dieter Zobel is producing in his Dubspace, where he also refreshed these old recordings, creating the DFO Archiv 1. Carsten Spindler teamed up with Sven "Guitar" Mass, who was a member of the Lord Litter Band after DFO split, and Inka Gruber - they are Trip To Maas. And I am still here.

C O N T I N U E D