{"title":"Grauzone","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrauzone was a Swiss Neue Deutsche Welle\/post punk band that formed in 1980 in Bern. The band consisted of Christian Trüssel on drums, GT on bass, Martin Eicher on guitar, and Marco Repetto on saxophone. They gained commercial success with their song \"Eisbär\" but chose to focus on film and studio work rather than pursuing a mainstream career. In 1981, they released their self-titled LP before disbanding in 1982.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDrummer Christian Trüssel and bassist GT were members of the Swiss punk band Glueams before forming Grauzone. They joined forces with guitarist\/vocalist Martin Eicher, who had previously supported them on the Glueams single \"Mental\". The group played their first gig as Grauzone in March 1980 at the Spex club in Bern. Later, Martin's brother joined as a guitarist and Marco Repetto joined as a saxophonist for live performances and recordings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGrauzone achieved commercial success with their song \"Eisbär\", which was initially featured on the Swiss Wave compilation album in 1980 before being released as a single. The track reached number 6 in Austria and number 12 in the German charts. Despite this success, the band resisted commercial pressures and focused instead on film and studio projects.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"limited-40-years-anniversary-box-set","title":"Limited 40 Years Anniversary Box Set","description":"\u003cp\u003eLimited 40 Years Anniversary Box Set, packed with their complete discography, as well as a never-released-before live recording, an 80-page fanzine with an extensive biography written by Swiss music historian Lurker Grand, unseen archival material, and artist contributions, and a poster replica of an original concert flyer from 1980.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConceived, conceptualized and supervised by original band member Stephan Eicher, the box set includes the following exclusive content:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrauzone’s self-titled album from 1981 reissued as a 180g vinyl double LP with 9 additional tracks, amounting to the band’s complete studio discography. Included are the classics \"Eisbär\", \"FILM 2\", \"Raum\", \"Moskau\", \"Träume Mit Mir\", \"Der Weg Zu Zweit\", and \"Wütendes Glas (Maxi Version)\", as well as the deep and unconventional album cuts that make Grauzone so unique. The double LP is housed in a heavy gatefold sleeve, with liner notes by Lurker Grand, an insert with the original album’s lyrics, and a special Xeroxed artwork imagined by Stephan Eicher.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrauzone’s Live LP, a recording of their April 12th 1980 concert at Gaskessel in their hometown of Bern, Switzerland, with a sleeve artwork by Stephan Eicher.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn 80-page Fanzine containing the history of Grauzone written by Lurker Grand, never-seen images of the band and their collaborators and incredible snapshots of the late 70s\/early 80s underground scene in Switzerland, as well as artist contributions by Christian Marclay, Genesis P-Orridge, Sylvie Fleury, John Armleder, Maurizio Cattelan, Gregor Hildebrandt and more, cementing Grauzone’s Art band with a Punk attitude ethos.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA 60 x 90 cm poster replica of Grauzone’s Spex (Bern) concert flyer from October 25 1980.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAbsolutely All the elements included in this box set collection were photocopied by hand with a vintage Xerox machine before being printed, as wished by Stephan Eicher (who took care of photocopy duties for a good chunk of the material). A bold artistic choice, a nod to the DIY ways of the era this release represents, and drawing a parallel between the acts of reissuing and photocopying.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe pioneering band from Bern (Switzerland) had a short-lived but highly-regarded career which birthed a cult discography that still fascinates and resonates today. Consisting of core members Martin Eicher, Stephan Eicher, and Marco Repetto, and on-and-off participants Christian GT Trüssel, Claudine Chirac, and Ingrid Berney, the elusive group broke new grounds in the early 80s, experimenting with punk and industrial music, early techno sounds, minimalism, new wave, pop, and various electronics. With an innovative and polished approach to design, visuals, performance, and all around style and philosophy on top of their superb music, the constantly transforming unit developed a whole experience - the Grauzone experience: wild and unpredictable, yet sophisticated and cohesive, or as Swiss music historian Lurker Grand would call it, \"an Art band with a Punk attitude\".\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP | x3","offer_id":50384058417483,"sku":"1110457","price":69.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/de60aa84-547a-410d-93a8-d3a2405ef7bf_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726284974"},{"product_id":"grauzone","title":"Grauzone","description":"\u003cp\u003eA reissue of Swiss cult band \u003cstrong\u003eGrauzone\u003c\/strong\u003e's self-titled album in an expanded 40 Years Anniversary Edition packed with the original 1981 album plus 9 extra songs, as well as extensive liner notes by Swiss music historian Lurker Grand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe 19-track album is available as a double LP vinyl in heavy 350gsm sleeve and a digipack CD, both sourced from the original reels and put together under the supervision of band member and all around legend \u003cstrong\u003eStephan Eicher\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe pioneering band from Bern (Switzerland) had a short-lived but highly-regarded career which birthed a cult discography that still fascinates and resonates today. Consisting of core members \u003cstrong\u003eMartin Eicher\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eStephan Eicher\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eMarco Repetto\u003c\/strong\u003e, and on-and-off participants \u003cstrong\u003eChristian GT Trüssel\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eClaudine Chirac\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eIngrid Berney\u003c\/strong\u003e, the elusive group broke new grounds in the early 80s, experimenting with punk and industrial music, early techno sounds, minimalism, new wave, pop, and various electronics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith an innovative and polished approach to design, visuals, performance, and all around style and philosophy on top of their superb music, the constantly transforming unit developed a whole experience - the Grauzone experience: wild and unpredictable, yet sophisticated and cohesive, or as Swiss music historian Lurker Grand would call it, \"an Art band with a Punk attitude\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCompletely rejecting the music industry rules and refusing to play the game of promotion, touring, release schedules, and TV appearances even though they had a multi-platinum international hit with the song \"\u003cem\u003eEisbär\u003c\/em\u003e\", the band quickly disintegrated in full convention-defying glory, leaving behind an inspiring music legacy for the world to discover and discover again, one generation after the other.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis extended version of their debut (and only) album beautifully crystallizes the Grauzone miracle\/accident - where pop and youthful experimentation meet at (new\/cold\/no) wave and industrial crossroads, and where classic hits (\"\u003cem\u003eEisbär\u003c\/em\u003e\", \"\u003cem\u003eFILM 2\u003c\/em\u003e\", \"\u003cem\u003eRaum\u003c\/em\u003e\", \"\u003cem\u003eTräume Mit Mir\u003c\/em\u003e\", \"\u003cem\u003eDer Weg Zu Zweit\u003c\/em\u003e\"...) flawlessly mesh with unconventional deep cuts (\"\u003cem\u003eIn Der Nacht\u003c\/em\u003e\", \"\u003cem\u003eFilm 1\u003c\/em\u003e\", \"\u003cem\u003eMaikäfer Flieg\u003c\/em\u003e\"...).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eVery simply put: Good timeless music with an edge. \u003cstrong\u003eStephan Eicher\u003c\/strong\u003e went on to be, arguably, the most successful Swiss musician ever, with an international career extending from pop chanson to experimental escapades and collaborations with Moondog, artists Sophie Calle and Sylvie Fleury, and author Martin Suter among many other luminaries. \u003cstrong\u003eMarco Repetto\u003c\/strong\u003e flourished as a techno and ambient producer, releasing multiple projects including releases on Aphex Twin's Rephlex label.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Black","offer_id":50416655073611,"sku":"1113288","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50416655335755,"sku":"1113286","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":51940508991819,"sku":"R4021-4150","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/37929d73-3c4a-4dd3-922d-9f0679114e7d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726708073"},{"product_id":"raum-1","title":"Raum","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe first ever vinyl maxi-single release for \u003ci\u003eRaum\u003c\/i\u003e, Grauzone’s best-kept secret and underground mega-gem from 1980. The four-track affair includes the full title track sourced from the original reels, as well as a club-ready rework by Naum Gabo (Jonnie Wilkes of Optimo and James Savage) with help from Dennis Young of Liquid Liquid, and an extended edit by legendary Frankfurt DJ Ata (Robert-Johnson club, Playhouse \/ Klang \/ Ongaku labels). The 12 inch vinyl is cut at 45rpm and comes with a never-seen cover art by band member Stephan Eicher and a handmade Xerox hype sticker.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInitally released almost 40 years ago on the beloved compilation \u003ci\u003eSwiss Wave - The Album\u003c\/i\u003e (Off Course Records) alongside the band’s massive hit \u003ci\u003eEisbär, Raum\u003c\/i\u003e is the biggest Grauzone track people have yet to discover. An über-infectious New York style bassline played by Christian \"GT\" Trüssel and frantic drumming by Marco Repetto’s blend with Martin Eicher’s hauntingly hopeless lyrics and Claudine Chirac’s saxophone escapades to personify post-punk heaven and all its wonderful anomalies. It’s disco with an edge, pop filled with fear, it’s The Cure infused with proto- techno and Swiss art chic. Or maybe, it’s simply one hell of a song that will make you dance and shout. It’s good!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFurther on the a-side, Naum Gabo’s rework takes Grauzone to modern dance floors with a thumping track and bounce-inducing groove on which Liquid Liquid’s very own Dennis Young adds magic in the form of marimba, Roto Toms, and EBowed guitar. The energy is electric, the sound is huge, a club banger with extra heart, ready for sound systems of all kinds. The b-side features Ata Macias’ fabled extended version of \u003ci\u003eRaum\u003c\/i\u003e (first released in 2010 via Live at Robert Johnson) that Stephan Eicher described as \"the perfect Grauzone edit\" (and it is!), plus a straight to the point radio edit of Naum Gabo’s rework.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis release follows WRWTFWW’s reissue of Grauzone’s \u003ci\u003eEisbär \u003c\/i\u003emaxi single as part of the 40 years anniversary of the band. There is much more coming...stay tuned!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records","offers":[{"title":"12\"","offer_id":50417012703563,"sku":"1080491","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/8088f2d8-4176-4deb-8545-f5432ee2d266_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726714151"},{"product_id":"eisbar","title":"Eisbär","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficial reissue of \u003cem\u003eGrauzone\u003c\/em\u003e's essential 1981 maxi single with timeless classic \"\u003cem\u003eEisbär\u003c\/em\u003e,\" proto-techno beast \"Film 2,\" and romantic synth ballad \"Ich Lieb Sie,\" just in time for the 40th anniversary of the Swiss band’s formation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe three-track vinyl is sourced from the original reels, cut at 45rpm, and comes with its iconic artwork on a 350gsm sleeve. \u003cstrong\u003eGrauzone\u003c\/strong\u003e's \"\u003cem\u003eEisbär\u003c\/em\u003e\" is the most recognizable title from the band, a sublime mix of ingredients reflecting the transitional era it comes from - the raw energy of punk music still palpable, combined with the audacity of early electronics, the warm groove of a disco gem, beautifully fragile lyrics, and one of the best basslines ever. It became a mega hit, totally unplanned, but how could you resist such a track?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"Film 2\" is the ultimate b-side monster, a menacing all-instrumental pre-techno masterpiece, slowly building to a magnetizing frenzy. An instant underground favorite, it was famously heard played at both speeds depending on the scenes and DJs you were frequenting, 45rpm as it was first intended, and 33rpm for the cosmic experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe maxi single ends with \"Ich Lieb Sie,\" a synth-pop meets doo-wop ballad, a true love song oozing with innocence. Simple, stylish, and just right. At the crossroads of post-punk, new wave, pop, and electronic experimentation, the \u003cem\u003eEisbär\u003c\/em\u003e maxi offers three songs that are technically different but hold the same spirit, the perfect embodiment of \u003cstrong\u003eGrauzone\u003c\/strong\u003e's music - wild, unpredictable, and youthful, yet sophisticated, catchy, and ingenious. The magic recipe for the good stuff.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records","offers":[{"title":"12\" - Black","offer_id":50425226395979,"sku":"1061250","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"12\" - Blue","offer_id":51423070486859,"sku":"R0709-3449","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a163c02f-4353-4f19-932f-a2f6b2b61316_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726788206"},{"product_id":"live-8","title":"Live","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficial reissue of \u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSwiss cult band Grauzone’s recording of their April 12th 1980 live show at Gaskessel in their hometown of Bern. The 9-track album, documenting the very beginnings of the group, is available as a limited edition white vinyl LP in heavy 350gsm sleeve with special artwork by band member Stephan Eicher.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExperience the early Grauzone days, live from Bern, Switzerland, with a concert recorded at legendary local venue Gaskessel, with Martin Eicher on guitar and vocals, Christian G.T. Trüssel on bass, Marco Repetto on drums, Stephan Eicher on synth, and Claudine Chirac on saxophone. The performance is a true time capsule of the early 80s underground, showcasing the punk side of Grauzone with renditions of songs that were never officially released, as well as future fan-favorite “Moskau”. A piece of Swiss music history, This limited release is a must have for all Grauzone fans and DIY archivists. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records","offers":[{"title":"LP - White","offer_id":51760524656971,"sku":"R1430-5864","price":36.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/WRWTFWW052.jpg?v=1746270501"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_0d3bd2ad_thumbnail_4096_a0413a04-ab35-4950-bad7-2ea13886a3c5.jpg?v=1726284957","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/grauzone.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}