STEREO TOTAL: Unterhaltungsmusik jenseits des Mehrheitsgeschmacks, mit der Anti-Diva Françoise Cactus und Brezel Göring, dem Meister der sanften Übertreibung
Wie fing eigentlich alles an? Überraschenderweise begann alles mit einem sehr strengen Regelwerk (wobei in den folgenden Jahren jede Regel mindestens einmal gebrochen wurde):
1. Kein Instrument darf mehr als 50 DM kosten (etwa 25 Euro, nach heutiger Schätzung)
2. Virtuosität sollte unbedingt vermieden werden
3. Texte in allen Sprachen – außer Englisch
4. Stilistische Einflüsse aus der Plattenkiste auf dem Flohmarkt
5. Strikte Vermeidung von allem, was dem “Zeitgeschmack” entspricht
6. Studioaufnahmen, die den technischen Standard unterschreiten
7. Keine grossen Plattenfirmen, sondern kleine Labels, die von Musikenthusiasten geführt werden …
Und wer – bitteschön – hat sich DAS ausgedacht? 1993 trafen sich vor einer Bäckerei in der Kreuzberger Adalbertstrasse, Françoise Cactus, die unüberhörbare Sängerin und Schlagzeugerin der französischen Garage-Rock’n’Roll-Formation “Lolitas” und der multi-nicht-Instrumentalist Brezel Göring, der mit den bruitistischen “Sigmund Freund Experience” bereits zweifelhaft aufgefallen war.
Vierspurkassettenrekorder, Analogsynthesizer, Schreibmaschine, Heimorgel, Chanson, sixties YéYé-beat, NDW, Rockabilly, Punkrock, Wendy Carlos und ein betörender französischer Akzent waren die Zutaten der ersten beiden Platten “Oh Ah” (1995) und “Monokini” (1997). Lieder wie “Schön von hinten” oder “Dactylo Rock” kombinierten den Françoise Cactus’schen Wortwitz mit anti-technoider Primitiv-Elektronik. Die folgenden Platten “Juke-Box-Alarm” (1998) und “My Melody” (1999) verschmolzen schmutziges 8-bit-Sampling mit blecherner Beat-Musik. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt hatten Stereo Total – mit einer oder mehreren Begleitmusikerinnen – Tourneen durch Europa, Japan und die USA gespielt.
Die grosse Veränderung kam mit der Platte “Musique Automatique” (2001), welche die Titel “Liebe zu dritt” und “Wir tanzen im 4-Eck” enthielt. Stereo Total traten ab jetzt nur noch als Duo auf und tourten 10 Jahre lang praktisch ohne Unterbrechung durch die ganze Welt und veröffentlichten nebenbei die Platten “Do the Bambi” (2005), “Paris Berlin” (2007) und “Baby Ouh” (2010) auf vielen kleinen internationalen Labels – z.B. Kill Rock Stars (USA), Bizarre (Brasilien), Silicon Carne (Mexiko), Avex (Japan).
Im Jahr 2011 begaben sich Stereo Total nach Los Angeles in ein Studio, in dem die Zeit radikal 1968 stehengeblieben war. Eine Extremerfahrung: man musste die Musik “live” aufnehmen – d. h. alle Instrumente wurden gleichzeitig eingespielt, inklusive des Gesangs – selbstverständlich gab es keine “UNDO”-Funktion wie an einem Komputer, aber auch “Overdubs” (das nachträgliche Hinzufügen von Spuren) war nur eingeschränkt möglich und meistens wurde einfach der erste Take benutzt. In einer Welt, in der absolute Perfektion technisch zu realisierbar ist, erschienen Spielfehler plötzlich als interessante Variation.
Nachdem Stereo Total bereits mehrere Radiohörspiele geschrieben und realisiert hatten (“Autobigophonie” 2005, “Patty Hearst” 2008) begannen sie Filmmusiken zu komponieren – meistens für fernöstliche Undergroundfilme (u.a. “Underwater Love” 2011 und “Ruined Heart” 2014).
2015 markierte einen weiteren entscheidenden Einschnitt: Françoise Cactus hörte auf, lediglich die Texterin, Komponistin, Schlagzeugerin und Sängerin zu sein, sondern sie war von jetzt ab auch noch die Produzentin und mischte die neue Stereo Total-Platte “Les Hormones”, die im Jahr 2016 erscheinen wird.
2015 erschien beim englischen Label Blow Up eine “Best-Of”-Werkschau. Ich zitiere zum Schluss noch einige aufschlussreiche Passagen aus den Linernotes der Platte:
Diese Platte, die Sie gerade in den Händen halten, ist unsere STEREO-TOTAL-Best-of. Wir haben uns diese Scheibe auch selbst einmal angehört und konnten nicht glauben, dass DAS das Beste sein soll, was wir in den letzten zwanzig Jahren zustande gebracht haben.
Unser erklärtes Ziel war es, Musik zu machen, die nicht perfekt, nicht professionell oder poliert klingt – das haben wir erreicht, diese Platte ist wirklich nicht perfekt. Allerdings gab es in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten Aufnahmen, bei denen wir das Konzept der Imperfektion wesentlich präziser erfüllt haben.
Unsere Musik nennt sich “Underground Pop Musik” – also Musik, die so verführerisch wie Pop ist, allerdings nicht den Geschmack der Mehrheitsgesellschaft trifft.
Aber beginnen wir mit dem Anfang: 1992 – im Ostteil Berlins stehen in allen Straßen große Müllcontainer, in welche die Bevölkerung alles wirft, was sie an ihr früheres Leben im real existierenden Sozialismus erinnert: Schallplatten, Bücher, Fahnen, Kleidung, Möbel…
Das gab uns die Idee, uns musikalisch von der “Wegwerfgesellschaft” inspirieren zu lassen: wir benutzten Instrumente, die niemand sonst wollte, Casios, Vierspur-Kassetten-Recorder, billige Orgeln mit Begleitautomat … Auch stilistisch ließen wir uns von (zumindest damals) vergessener und abwegiger Musik inspirieren: Moog Synthesizer-Alben, französischer Beat, Easy Listening, dilettantischer Punk, Neue Deutsche Welle, Noise, Rockabilly …
Die Zusammenstellung “Yéyé existentialiste” enthält Lieder von 16 verschiedenen Alben, die von kleinen, über die ganze Welt verteilten Plattenfirmen veröffentlicht wurden. Diese Platten sind schwer zu finden und häufig längst vergriffen. Wir freuen uns, dass Blow-Up-Records diese Musik wieder zugänglich macht.
(Der letzte Satz dieses Pamphlets ist irgendwie nur auf Englisch verständlich lustig, deswegen zitiere ich ihn, so wie er auf der Plattenhülle steht.) Usually people say concerning our music: “I can’t get it.” Now they can switch to saying: “I don’t get it.”
STEREO TOTAL: Entertainment outside the taste of the majority – from the anti-diva Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring, the master of subtile exageration.
How did it all start? Surprisingly it began with a set of strict rules (of which each and every one has been overthrown at least once in the following years).
1) No instrument should cost more than 50,- Deutschmark (which is 25,- Euro by now)
2) Virtuosity should be avoided
3) Lyrics in all kinds of languages – besides english
4) Stylistical influences from the vinylsection of the fleamarket
5) steer clear of the contemporary taste
6) studio recordings should undergo the technical standard
7) no big record labels, just releases on small ones that are run by music enthusiasts
And whose brain gave birth to this eccentric list? 1993 in front of a bakery in Berlin, Kreuzberg, Françoise Cactus (plainly audible singer and drummer of the french garage band “Lolitas”) met multi-non-instrumentalist Brezel Göring (who had already made a bad impression with the bruitistic “Sigmund Freud Experience”).
Four-track-cassette-recorder, analogue synthesizer, type writer, home organ, chanson, Yéyé-beat of the sixties, Neue Deutsche Welle, Rock’a’billy, Punk rock, Wendy Carlos and a tantalising french accent were the ingredients of the first two records “Oh Ah” (1995) and “Monokini” (1997). Songs like “Schön von hinten” or “Dactylo rock” combined Françoise Cactus humorous word games with anti-technoid primitve electronics. The following album “Jukebox Alarm” (1998) and “My Melody” (1999) blended murky 8bit sampling with tinny beat music. (All albums were released by Bungalow in Europe, Bobsled in the US and by L’appareille photo in Japan). Stereo Total toured – sometimes with additional musicians through Europe, Japan and the USA.
The big change came with “Musique Automatique” (2001), a top seller for Stereo Total. This record included the song “L’amour à trois” and “Wir tanzen im 4eck”. For ten years without a break Stereo Total toured around the world – recording along the way “Do the bambi” (2005), “Paris/Berlin” (2007) and “Baby Ouh” (2010). All theses albums were released by various independent labels, for example Kill Rock Stars (USA), Bizarre (Brazil), Silicon Carne (Mexico)…
In 2011 Stereo Total went into the Stonehenge Studio, Los Angeles, to record “Cactus vs. Brezel”. In this studio time stands still: nothing is newer than from 1968 – except the sound engineer. Being in a world of absolute perfection but working in the technological palaeolithicum forced Stereo Total to accept mistakes as interesting variations.
Stereo Total wrote several radio plays (“Autobigophonie” 2005, “Patty Hearst” 2008) and composed soundtracks for asian underground movies (“Underwater Love” 2011, “Ruined heart” 2014).
2015 was another important year for Stereo Total: Françoise Cactus – so far only songwriter, drummer and singer of the band – took over production duties and mixed the new album “Les Hormones”.
In 2015 the london based label Blow Up released a Best-of-compilation. I am going to quote some revealing passages from the linernotes:
The record you are holding in your hands is our new Stereo Total-Best of. When we listened to it ourselves, we could not believe that this should be the best we did in the last 20 years.
Our goal was always not to let things be too perfect, too professional or too polished. When I hear the record, I think we succeeded – it is not perfect – but also, there were recordings where we reached imperfection on a much higher level.
Our music is “Underground Pop Music” – music that is seductive like pop, but does not go conform with the taste of the majority.
But let’s start with the beginning: 1992 – in the former eastern part of Berlin there were huge containers for trash everywhere: people were throwing away everything that reminded them of their former life in the GDR: records, books, clothes, furniture … and they were craving for western products.
That gave us the idea to be musically inspired by the “throw-away-society”, the “Weg-werf-Gesellschaft”. We used intruments that nobody wanted and were influenced by old music nobody cared about.
This compilation consists of songs from 16 different records that are hard to find and mainly out of print. We are glad that BLOW-UP-records make the music available again.
Usually people say concerning our music: “I can’t get it.” Now they can switch to saying:”Idon’t get it.”
The Beginning 1992–1994
In the winter 1992/93 Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring met while shopping in a bakery in Adalbertstraße, Berlin. Françoise played in the French girl-garage-punk-R’n’R-Band Lolitas (they released 5 albums in Germany and France and toured all over Europe and America) and Brezel had the experimental-noise-copyright-ignoring-tapeloop-soundeffects project called Sigmund Freud Experience (they did 3 vinyl-records, 100 copies each). In 1993 they started playing together. Their first recording was a 10 minute cooking-recipe, in which all ingredients had sexual connotations. The recording is sadly lost. In 1994 Stereo Total started recording in Hamburg at the Alien Sound Studio of Peter Stein. They started to do concerts in Berlin and Germany. The line-up at this time was Françoise Cactus (vocals and drums), Lesley Campell (distortion guitar) from Scotland and Brezel Göring (vocals, guitar, organ, synthesizer). The logo of the band was two tits (shown on the backside of the first record “OH AH”). This sign was painted on a mix-tape Françoise made for Brezel that was named STEREO TOTAL. At this time it was impossible to find a label with this unusual mix of musical influences and languages: the band played French Chanson, Disco, Rockabilly, Garage in a very minimal, simplified, essential way with self built guitars and cheap electronics: the lyrics where French or German.
The first 45-Ep 1995
In 1995 they released their first 4-track-EP: “Allô j’écoute”, which came out on the small label Desert Records. (It is sad, but this was their only release). The songs were recorded in New Orleans by Alex Chilton, a friend of Françoise who had produced one album by her former band Lolitas. He also played the drums on one track. The Palestinian Iznogood came in the band and played bass-balls-bass.
OH AH 1996
January 1996 Stereo Total released their first album “OH AH” on the label Peace 95 on CD, the vinyl was on Little Teddy records. It featured recordings from 94 to 95 made at Alien Sound and a lot of 4-track home recording. The song “Dactylo Rock” (which featured a typewriter-solo) was released as a single with a video. The single had remixes from A CERTAIN FRANK, which has Pyrolator and Frank Fenstermacher from the legendary early 80ties children-electronics-band der Plan, which had a huge influence on Stereo Total), Alec Empire, Chrislo Haas (who was playing in Liaisons Dangereuses and DAF), Le Hammond Inferno, Poptarts and Sons of 68. Stereo Total started to do a long tour through Germany, Switzerland and Austria. After this tour the band split up, and once again it was only Françoise and Brezel, going on touring and recording new material.
Monokini 1997
“Monokini” came out in 1997. The press-info sounded like this: 40% Chanson, 20% R’n’R, 10% Punkrock, 3% DAF-Sequencer, 4% Jacques Dutronc-Rhythmique, 7% Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg, 1,5% Cosmonaute, 10% really old synthesizers, 10% 8-bit Amiga-sampling, 10% transistor amplifier, 1% really expensive and advanced instruments. Françoise was singing in French, German, Italian and Japanese language. The record was released on the new label Bungalow and at the same time released in Japan by the label Appareil Photo. For the song “Schön von hinten” they made a video and remix-single that featured remixes by Momus & Laila France and Andreas Dorau & DJ IT& Michel. Françoise and Brezel did a one week Tour (6 concerts) in New York, where they played in the Other-Music-recordstore and on a French disco night in the world trade center. The tour was organized by the Vampyros Lesbos-DJ Franco. In Germany they formed a new live-band with Angie Reed on Bass-guitar and San Reimo on portable Keyboard and made a long tour on which they invited the Finnish bands Aavikko and Opel Bastards, and a tour through Scandinavia. At a theater in Berlin, the Volksbühne, Stereo Total showed the Jean-Luc Godard-Movie “Weekend” and played their own soundtrack to the movie live.
Jukebox Alarm 1988
In 1998 the record “Jukebox Alarm” came out. It was mixed and produced by Kurt Dahlke, aka Pyrolator, in Düsseldorf. For this record Stereo Total used a lot of home recording equipment and a big 16-bit-sampler, to cut up their 4-track and studio recordings. The result was a continuation of their garage-“trash”-sound with new weapons. The record was released in Europe by Bungalow and in Japan by Appareil Photo. Stereo Total toured in Japan for the first time, and in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In the USA the label Bobsled made a compilation of the first two Stereo Total-records, which was followed by a one-month tour.
My Melody 1999–2000“My Melody”, the 4th Stereo Total record, was put out in 1999. It was released in Europe (Bungalow) and America (Bobsled). Stereo Total started an extensive tour in the US and all over Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, England, Belgium….). After this the band split up, and once again it was only Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring. Brezel started to build more instruments, making it easier for two people to play on stage. In 2000 Françoise issued a book – her third novel called “Zitterparties”, after “Autobigophonie” and “Abenteuer einer Provinzblume”. She did a reading-tour, on which Brezel accompanied her musically. Stereo Total also did another 4-week-tour in the US. In the Volksbühne Stereo Total presented a special evening about the French movie director Jacques Tati. They showed parts of his movies, played over the top, all in the full stage decoration of the movie “Mon Oncle”. Françoise sang two songs on the record of the glamorous Khan.
Musique Automatique 2001–2004
Françoise and Brezel started recording again with the help of their producer Cem Oral, a half Turkish, half Finnish technical genius from the band Air Liquide, who focused the widespread ideas for the new record and gave the band a new sound – away from the home recording practice of the older records. The record came out in Europe at Bungalow/labels, in Japan at Avex and in America by Bobsled and was re-released after the split from Bobsled records on Kill Rock Stars. After the release Stereo Total – still a duo, like in the early days – began a 5 month tour, which started in the US, Canada, Mexico and went on all over Europe (France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, England, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Czech Republic, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland) to Russia. They continued in 2002, and for part of the tour they played as a support act for the American band The Strokes. In Summer 2002, Stereo Total played Festivals all over Europe and were invited to play at the Gay Pride in Iceland. They made two singles and two videos for “Musique Automatique”: “Liebe zu dritt” was made by Cabine, who also designed of the album cover, and “Wir tanzen im 4 Eck”, which was made by Randy Kolbe. The singles featured remixes by Felix Kubin, Christopher Just, Jammin Unit, Candy Hank and Bis. In October Stereo Total played at the exhibition of Wolfgang Müller, member of the band Die Tödliche Doris, who released the song “Wir tanzen im 4-Eck” in 1982. The exhibition was about a invisible record by Tödliche Doris. It consisted of two records, released in 83, and when you play them at the same time, you will hear the third one. Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring stood on two different stages. Each of them played the songs of one record live, and the audience in the middle heard the invisible record in total stereo. The “Weekend”-film and concert was shown again in France.
Do The Bambi 2005–2006
In 2005 STEREO TOTAL released “Do The Bambi”, their first album on Munich-based label Disko B. Mixing romanticism, anarchy, happiness and mourning the 19 tracks of the self-recorded album are intimate, intense, amusing, agitating, furious and explosive at the same time. Stereo Total wanted to make something kitschy and fucked-up – and they succeed of course! The album was again released in Europe and America (by Kill Rock Stars) and was followed by several amazing tours and concerts in all parts of West and Eastern Europe, North and South America and – for the first time – China.
Paris – Berlin 2007
In cooperation with Bavarian Broadcasting, Stereo Total produced the radio play “Patty Hearst.” 2 songs from the radio play can also be found on the Stereo Total album “Paris – Berlin,” released in 2007. “Ich Bin der Stricherjunge,” off the same album, became a veritable radio hit and the video (Dir. Sim Gil) won at the 2008 International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and at the MuVi Awards (Best Music Video).
From Spain to Canada 2008–2009
Stereo Total multilingual: the Madrid label Elefant released “NO CONTROLES,” a Spanish language record. A purely French language record, “CARTE POSTALE DE MONTREAL,” was released on Dare To Care in Canada including, among their own classics, the Quebec hit “Illegal.” Their cover version brought them the same success, and on their tour through Quebec they played the song countless times on radio and television programs.
Françoise Cactus had several exhibitions of her paintings, and in addition her life-sized crocheted doll Wollita has twice awarded the Wollita Art Prize. In the meantime, Brezel Göring was plumbing the extremes of high culture and subculture: on the high end with his electronic improvisations together with the Elbipolis Barock Orchestra and on the subcultural side with releases of the Punk/Electro bands Robotron and Dreipunktbande on his record label “Verboten in Deutschland.” They were also touring: Australia and Europe, Chila, Moldavia, Russia, etc. and more unusual for Stereo Total, Gay Pride in Iceland.
Baby Ouh 2010–2011
“BABY OUH” was released in 2010 on Disko B and Kill Rock Stars; the album is glamorous, hysterical and romantic. As always after a release, an extensive, worldwide tour followed. A further highlight of the year: Stereo Total composed the soundtrack for the Japanese pink movie “Underwater Love.” A pink movie is a very popular comedic genre in Japan in which the plot is constantly interrupted with explicit sex scenes. Very amusing…! The film did a successful round of the 2011 film festivals. Stereo Total played at film parties and Disko B released the soundtrack on vinyl.
Françoise Cactus und Brezel Göring traveled to Los Angeles twice during Spring and Summer and recorded a new album live onto tape with the producer Gus Seyffert (Black Keys, et al.)
Cactus versus Brezel 2012
“Die Frau in der Musik” is the first Stereo Total release on their new label Staatsakt, issued in the 7” vinyl format. The release of the album “Cactus vs Brezel” follows in June. The album was recorded and produced by Gus Seyffert (Black Keys) in his studio in Los Angeles using analogue equipment only.
After having produced a number of the radio plays in the past (“Autobigophonie” in 2005, “Patty Hearst” in 2008) the band begun to record film music, mostly for Asian underground movies (i.g. “Underwater Love” in 2011 and “Ruined Heart” in 2014).
Yéyé Existentialiste 2015
The UK label Blow Up Records releases a best-of-album under the title “Yéyé Existentialiste”. The band is also recording a new studio album that is gonna be released in february 2016. For the first time Françoise Cactus wasn’t just writer, composer, drummer and singer but also a producer, mixing all tracks of “Les Hormones”.
The Beginning 1992–1994
In the winter 1992/93 Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring met while shopping in a bakery in Adalbertstraße, Berlin. Françoise played in the French girl-garage-punk-R’n’R-Band Lolitas (they released 5 albums in Germany and France and toured all over Europe and America) and Brezel had the experimental-noise-copyright-ignoring-tapeloop-soundeffects project called Sigmund Freud Experience (they did 3 vinyl-records, 100 copies each). In 1993 they started playing together. Their first recording was a 10 minute cooking-recipe, in which all ingredients had sexual connotations. The recording is sadly lost. In 1994 Stereo Total started recording in Hamburg at the Alien Sound Studio of Peter Stein. They started to do concerts in Berlin and Germany. The line-up at this time was Françoise Cactus (vocals and drums), Lesley Campell (distortion guitar) from Scotland and Brezel Göring (vocals, guitar, organ, synthesizer). The logo of the band was two tits (shown on the backside of the first record “OH AH”). This sign was painted on a mix-tape Françoise made for Brezel that was named STEREO TOTAL. At this time it was impossible to find a label with this unusual mix of musical influences and languages: the band played French Chanson, Disco, Rockabilly, Garage in a very minimal, simplified, essential way with self built guitars and cheap electronics: the lyrics where French or German.
The first 45-Ep 1995
In 1995 they released their first 4-track-EP: “Allô j’écoute”, which came out on the small label Desert Records. (It is sad, but this was their only release). The songs were recorded in New Orleans by Alex Chilton, a friend of Françoise who had produced one album by her former band Lolitas. He also played the drums on one track. The Palestinian Iznogood came in the band and played bass-balls-bass.
OH AH 1996
January 1996 Stereo Total released their first album “OH AH” on the label Peace 95 on CD, the vinyl was on Little Teddy records. It featured recordings from 94 to 95 made at Alien Sound and a lot of 4-track home recording. The song “Dactylo Rock” (which featured a typewriter-solo) was released as a single with a video. The single had remixes from A CERTAIN FRANK, which has Pyrolator and Frank Fenstermacher from the legendary early 80ties children-electronics-band der Plan, which had a huge influence on Stereo Total), Alec Empire, Chrislo Haas (who was playing in Liaisons Dangereuses and DAF), Le Hammond Inferno, Poptarts and Sons of 68. Stereo Total started to do a long tour through Germany, Switzerland and Austria. After this tour the band split up, and once again it was only Françoise and Brezel, going on touring and recording new material.
Monokini 1997
“Monokini” came out in 1997. The press-info sounded like this: 40% Chanson, 20% R’n’R, 10% Punkrock, 3% DAF-Sequencer, 4% Jacques Dutronc-Rhythmique, 7% Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg, 1,5% Cosmonaute, 10% really old synthesizers, 10% 8-bit Amiga-sampling, 10% transistor amplifier, 1% really expensive and advanced instruments. Françoise was singing in French, German, Italian and Japanese language. The record was released on the new label Bungalow and at the same time released in Japan by the label Appareil Photo. For the song “Schön von hinten” they made a video and remix-single that featured remixes by Momus & Laila France and Andreas Dorau & DJ IT& Michel. Françoise and Brezel did a one week Tour (6 concerts) in New York, where they played in the Other-Music-recordstore and on a French disco night in the world trade center. The tour was organized by the Vampyros Lesbos-DJ Franco. In Germany they formed a new live-band with Angie Reed on Bass-guitar and San Reimo on portable Keyboard and made a long tour on which they invited the Finnish bands Aavikko and Opel Bastards, and a tour through Scandinavia. At a theater in Berlin, the Volksbühne, Stereo Total showed the Jean-Luc Godard-Movie “Weekend” and played their own soundtrack to the movie live.
Jukebox Alarm 1988
In 1998 the record “Jukebox Alarm” came out. It was mixed and produced by Kurt Dahlke, aka Pyrolator, in Düsseldorf. For this record Stereo Total used a lot of home recording equipment and a big 16-bit-sampler, to cut up their 4-track and studio recordings. The result was a continuation of their garage-“trash”-sound with new weapons. The record was released in Europe by Bungalow and in Japan by Appareil Photo. Stereo Total toured in Japan for the first time, and in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In the USA the label Bobsled made a compilation of the first two Stereo Total-records, which was followed by a one-month tour.
My Melody 1999–2000“My Melody”, the 4th Stereo Total record, was put out in 1999. It was released in Europe (Bungalow) and America (Bobsled). Stereo Total started an extensive tour in the US and all over Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, England, Belgium….). After this the band split up, and once again it was only Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring. Brezel started to build more instruments, making it easier for two people to play on stage. In 2000 Françoise issued a book – her third novel called “Zitterparties”, after “Autobigophonie” and “Abenteuer einer Provinzblume”. She did a reading-tour, on which Brezel accompanied her musically. Stereo Total also did another 4-week-tour in the US. In the Volksbühne Stereo Total presented a special evening about the French movie director Jacques Tati. They showed parts of his movies, played over the top, all in the full stage decoration of the movie “Mon Oncle”. Françoise sang two songs on the record of the glamorous Khan.
Musique Automatique 2001–2004
Françoise and Brezel started recording again with the help of their producer Cem Oral, a half Turkish, half Finnish technical genius from the band Air Liquide, who focused the widespread ideas for the new record and gave the band a new sound – away from the home recording practice of the older records. The record came out in Europe at Bungalow/labels, in Japan at Avex and in America by Bobsled and was re-released after the split from Bobsled records on Kill Rock Stars. After the release Stereo Total – still a duo, like in the early days – began a 5 month tour, which started in the US, Canada, Mexico and went on all over Europe (France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, England, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Czech Republic, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland) to Russia. They continued in 2002, and for part of the tour they played as a support act for the American band The Strokes. In Summer 2002, Stereo Total played Festivals all over Europe and were invited to play at the Gay Pride in Iceland. They made two singles and two videos for “Musique Automatique”: “Liebe zu dritt” was made by Cabine, who also designed of the album cover, and “Wir tanzen im 4 Eck”, which was made by Randy Kolbe. The singles featured remixes by Felix Kubin, Christopher Just, Jammin Unit, Candy Hank and Bis. In October Stereo Total played at the exhibition of Wolfgang Müller, member of the band Die Tödliche Doris, who released the song “Wir tanzen im 4-Eck” in 1982. The exhibition was about a invisible record by Tödliche Doris. It consisted of two records, released in 83, and when you play them at the same time, you will hear the third one. Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring stood on two different stages. Each of them played the songs of one record live, and the audience in the middle heard the invisible record in total stereo. The “Weekend”-film and concert was shown again in France.
Do The Bambi 2005–2006
In 2005 STEREO TOTAL released “Do The Bambi”, their first album on Munich-based label Disko B. Mixing romanticism, anarchy, happiness and mourning the 19 tracks of the self-recorded album are intimate, intense, amusing, agitating, furious and explosive at the same time. Stereo Total wanted to make something kitschy and fucked-up – and they succeed of course! The album was again released in Europe and America (by Kill Rock Stars) and was followed by several amazing tours and concerts in all parts of West and Eastern Europe, North and South America and – for the first time – China.
Paris – Berlin 2007
In cooperation with Bavarian Broadcasting, Stereo Total produced the radio play “Patty Hearst.” 2 songs from the radio play can also be found on the Stereo Total album “Paris – Berlin,” released in 2007. “Ich Bin der Stricherjunge,” off the same album, became a veritable radio hit and the video (Dir. Sim Gil) won at the 2008 International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and at the MuVi Awards (Best Music Video).
From Spain to Canada 2008–2009
Stereo Total multilingual: the Madrid label Elefant released “NO CONTROLES,” a Spanish language record. A purely French language record, “CARTE POSTALE DE MONTREAL,” was released on Dare To Care in Canada including, among their own classics, the Quebec hit “Illegal.” Their cover version brought them the same success, and on their tour through Quebec they played the song countless times on radio and television programs.
Françoise Cactus had several exhibitions of her paintings, and in addition her life-sized crocheted doll Wollita has twice awarded the Wollita Art Prize. In the meantime, Brezel Göring was plumbing the extremes of high culture and subculture: on the high end with his electronic improvisations together with the Elbipolis Barock Orchestra and on the subcultural side with releases of the Punk/Electro bands Robotron and Dreipunktbande on his record label “Verboten in Deutschland.” They were also touring: Australia and Europe, Chila, Moldavia, Russia, etc. and more unusual for Stereo Total, Gay Pride in Iceland.
Baby Ouh 2010–2011
“BABY OUH” was released in 2010 on Disko B and Kill Rock Stars; the album is glamorous, hysterical and romantic. As always after a release, an extensive, worldwide tour followed. A further highlight of the year: Stereo Total composed the soundtrack for the Japanese pink movie “Underwater Love.” A pink movie is a very popular comedic genre in Japan in which the plot is constantly interrupted with explicit sex scenes. Very amusing…! The film did a successful round of the 2011 film festivals. Stereo Total played at film parties and Disko B released the soundtrack on vinyl.
Françoise Cactus und Brezel Göring traveled to Los Angeles twice during Spring and Summer and recorded a new album live onto tape with the producer Gus Seyffert (Black Keys, et al.)
Cactus versus Brezel 2012
“Die Frau in der Musik” is the first Stereo Total release on their new label Staatsakt, issued in the 7” vinyl format. The release of the album “Cactus vs Brezel” follows in June. The album was recorded and produced by Gus Seyffert (Black Keys) in his studio in Los Angeles using analogue equipment only.
After having produced a number of the radio plays in the past (“Autobigophonie” in 2005, “Patty Hearst” in 2008) the band begun to record film music, mostly for Asian underground movies (i.g. “Underwater Love” in 2011 and “Ruined Heart” in 2014).
Yéyé Existentialiste 2015
The UK label Blow Up Records releases a best-of-album under the title “Yéyé Existentialiste”. The band is also recording a new studio album that is gonna be released in february 2016. For the first time Françoise Cactus wasn’t just writer, composer, drummer and singer but also a producer, mixing all tracks of “Les Hormones”.