REVIEWS

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KMFDM
Ruck Zuck

Metropolis Records / KMFDM Records

Posted: Wednesday, May 17, 2006
By: Ilker Yucel
Editor

KMFDM always seem to make good on their promises, and when they don’t, they still manage to exceed expectations. As one of the longest lasting bands in the realm of industrial music, they’ve undergone countless incarnations and fluctuations in sound and style, while at the same time maintaining a vast and loyal audience. After the release of their last album, Hau Ruck, rumors persisted that a single release would follow soon after. Now, less than a year later, the band does one even better… the Ruck Zuck EP.

The EP is an excellent complement to Hau Ruck with some of the most hard-hitting remixes KMFDM has yet released. The proceedings begin with Sascha Konietzko’s mix of “Free Your Hate.” The original was a synth-laden thrasher calling for the masses to enforce their power over oppression and injustice. The remix features a slower but no less powerful beat, emphasizing the waves of guitar and synth noise, creating a raucous musical bed that proves just as brutal as the original version. The J.Hogstorm and the Rain City Swingin’ Samples mix of “Mini Mini Mini” lives up to its name as lead guitarist Jules Hodgson gives the odd cover a total makeover to its original swinging glory, complete with brass section and a “doo-wop” female vocal backing; eat your heart out Brian Setzer! Steve White’s mix of “Professional Killer” is just as danceable as the original, while the Dwarves mix of “Ready to Blow” is a rather ominous take one of the more grooving tracks on Hau Ruck. Sascha weaves his mixing magic yet again with the Spezial K mix of “Hau Ruck,” keeping the militaristic rhythm and the creepy electronic vocals, but tightening the song up into a more bite-sized morsel of Teutonic industrial rage. The Nude mix of “Real Thing” adds a bit of drum & bass flavor, pumping the slow pace of the original up a notch; as this reviewer has noticed “Real Thing” to be a source of some discontent among certain fans, this version might’ve fit the original album better.

The last three tracks offer a real treat to the fans as KMFDM performs a cover of a classic dance floor track, D.A.F.’s “Der Mussolini.” Those not familiar with D.A.F. should know that they were among the first wave of EBM, alongside Front 242 and The Klinik back in the early ‘80s, and their influence is readily heard in the works of Laibach (one need look no further than “Tanz Mit Laibach” for proof). But enough digression; KMFDM’s version of “Der Mussolini” more than does justice to the original, keeping the pounding simplicity of the original while also evoking a similar atmosphere to “Helmut Mein Helmut” from their own long-lost debut album, Opium. Steve White’s remix of “WWIII” was previously available as an MP3 at the KMFDM Store, now presented here to fill out the EP’s running time. No complaints here, as the remix is simply an excellent example of this band’s ability to stretch their music to new and unforeseen lengths. White takes what was just a straightforward thrasher and transforms it into a mélange of pulsating electro and glitch-laden industrial power. Finalizing the album is “Ansage,” a German spoken-word piece from Sascha addressing today’s socio-political climate. Even without understanding German, the presence of occasional bits of English and namedropping give just enough insight to get an idea of just where KMFDM stand in today’s tumultuous world.

There simply isn’t enough to say about Ruck Zuck. It may only be an EP, but the intensity of the band’s music and message just resonates long after the CD has ended. Clocking in at just over 41 minutes, Ruck Zuck stands not only as a wonderful companion to Hau Ruck, but on its own as one of the best works KMFDM has released yet. The ultra-heavy beat continues, and it is stronger than ever!