Let’s talk about the flash on the scene that was DAF The two main members had a nice intense run of five albums from 1979-1982. Not being fluent in German I may miss some of the lyrical subtleties (I know they were considered political and/or offensive to some…which I would put in the “plus” column if scoring at home) but I can attest to their great songs. Despite their relatively brief existence, they packed a lot of wonderful things into their first five records. Let’s look at them, shall we?
Ein Produkt der Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft
This album is the outlier in the group, made up of 22 short pieces (most under 2 minutes) that are mostly harsh and chaotic and, frankly, not fully developed at times. But, if you like your industrial music loud and clangy then this is the music for you. At this point DAF was a four piece as singer Gabi Delgado had left the band; the only vocals being an occasional “whoop.” The entire enterprise is fairly no-nonsense; the album is simply titled as “A Product…” and the tracks simply numbered (“Bild 1”, “Bild 2”, etc.).
What I find most interesting about this album is the drumming by Robert Görl. The tracks are often held together by his kit and you can hear some of the style of drumming which is deployed on later DAF albums, but within a very different setting. “Bild 12” serves up something a little different than most of the album – some pretty funky guitar and bass. Meanwhile, ”Bild 22” maybe gently hints at the more electronic direction DAF was heading (at least for a bit), but certainly didn’t offer a clear picture of where they would end up.
Die Kleinen und die Bösen
Delgado was back making DAF a five piece once again. “Osten Währt Am Längsten” starts off the record slowly with some sounds that might make you think you’re in for more “Produkt” but things are little more controlled. There’s still harsh guitar but this track is more melodic and there is some quiet vocal in the mix. Another surprise: the track runs almost six minutes; an eternity compared to the first album…another sign that things may be different.
Although we don’t know it yet, the songs on the reminder of the first half of the album provide clues to the transition to where DAF is headed. The tracks tend to be shorter again and include some abrasive noises, but there are also the driving rhythms and the move to a more accessible sound. The vocals are the newest element here and literally go from a whisper to a scream. And some of the vocal sounds are a real hoot (for example, check out the unhinged stylings on “Co Co Pino”).
Track 8 “Gewalt” starts the live half of the record with thundering drums and noise. Overall the live side is still more aggressive sounding and probably closer in spirit to the first record. What to expect next?
Alles ist gut
And then there were two… Görl and Delgado. The music on this record represents the completion of their development. Live drumming, repetitive synth lines, and vocals alternating between whispered suggestive sexuality and an aggressive speak/sing style. It was time to move to their breakthrough “Der Mussolini,” which uses familiar dictator names as dances; they called it Electronic Body Music.
Perhaps another description for those not familiar with DAF is that at this point they were somewhat like Germany’s answer to New York’s Suicide, but a little more danceable with the live drumming; “Ich Und Die Wirklichkeit” is a good example…think Teutonic Alan Vega.
Gold und Liebe
A second album released in 1981, and a further execution of the sound from the last one. For me this is the high point of the DAF arc. It has a slightly harder edge than the last one plus better songs. It had me and a friend walking around using our serious-sounding bass voices to bark out German phrases we were hearing from the songs like “El Que” or “Verschwende diene jugund.” I don’t believe the little German I pick up from these records would get me very far in Berlin…where would I ever work “waste your youth” into the conversation?
Für immer
Maybe you could argue DAF is trying for something a little different on this record, but I hear the sound of a band running out of steam. The music is less harsh vocally and musically is a little more varied in some respects, including some slightly cleaner production. There are some highlights like “Verlieb Dich In Mich” which hits the sweet spot for DAF, although with lighter vocal touch.
Several of the tracks are a slight disappointment compared to the last two albums (less melodic and slower rhythms – check out “Die Lippe” which almost sounds as if it’s being played at the wrong speed). The album goes out with a whimper on “Wer Schön Sein Will Muss Leiden”, as does DAF itself. With all that said, it may not be the first DAF record you pull out to play, but if you like the last two albums there is enough here to recommend.
After “Für immer” DAF ended as a consistent recording unit while Görl and Delgado went on to other separate projects. The duo has regrouped periodically and has also released a bit more material over the years, but has never reached the heights of these albums. Feel free to explore on your own; as for me, I’ll be over there shouting phrases from “El Que.”