Anyone familiar with the group "Propoganda"?

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

Your thoughts/experiences?

What are they like...what would be a comparable group?

 

[Qvist]

You mean the mid-eighties, ZTT, Trevor Horn-produced German group?

They are one of the true gems of 80s pop, in my opinion. Steely, majestic, complex pop music that sounded almost impossibly good in 1986, and still does. I was hugely into their brilliant first single (Dr. Mabuse). I am sorry to say I also bought all the pseudo-avantgarde crap Paul Morley couched the band in - the whole Zang-Tumb-Toom thing is a highly interesting lesson in eighties deviousness, if media manipulation masquerading as philosophy deserves so harsh a description. They were, sadly, a one-album band though (that album being of course A secret Wish). The follow-ups were pretty embarassing.

As for comparables, there aren't really any very good ones that spring to mind. You could mention the other Horn-produced bands of the time (ie, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and The Art of Noise), but they're not that similar. I guess you could see some vague references to Krautrock or Einstürzende Neubaten, but this was really high-polished pop music by comparison.

 

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

Thank you.

I have discovered these and will give them a listen. If you are interested:



Propaganda - P. Machinery [Reactivate](1985 - 12''Vinyl)


A. P. Machinery (Beta Mix)
B. Frozen Faces (Echo)

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QDYGBBOV





Propaganda - Dr. Mabuse Vs. P. Machinery [Super Maxi Mix] (1985 - E



01. Dr. Mabuse (12'' Mix) 10:41
02. P_Machinery & Dr. Mabuse (Minimix) 11:32
03. Dr. Mabuse (Super Maxi Mix) 19:45
04. P_Machinery (12''Version) 8:02

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=51Q8U25P



Notes :This release contains early demos for Propaganda's A Secret Wish album, alongside two remixes from 2002. Released by former Propaganda member Andreas Thein, it also includes Ralf Dörper and Suzanne Freytag from the group in performance.
Disziplin is a cover of Throbbing Gristle's Discipline
Limited edition of 1000, privately pressed by Andreas Thein.

01. Disziplin
02. Sünde
03. Disziplin Dub
04. Sylvian's Machine
05. Mabuse (Remixed By Rei$$dorf Force)
06. Mabuse (Remixed By Eric D. Clark)

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UBN4N4TX


there is more at

http://ebm-industrial-free-music-heaven.blogspot.com/search?q=propaganda

where i found the above.

 

[nogodsnomasters85]

I LOVE 80's synthpop.

 

[anon x]

I loved Claudia Brucken!

Duel from their first album,A Secret Wish,is great.
Even better is the "shouting version"(Jewelled) on the remix album,Wishful thinking.

PLAY LOUD !

(oh,this is great too:"When your heart runs out of time - Glenn Gregory & Claudia Brücken"
http://musiconvinyl.blogspot.com/2008/12/when-your-heart-runs-out-of-time-glenn.html

Pretty sure this song morphed into Roy Orbison's Wild Hearts Run Out Of Time on his King Of Hearts album

 

[Qvist]

Even better is the "shouting version"(Jewelled) on the remix album,Wishful thinking.

PLAY LOUD !

I used to do that in the morning, first thing after getting out of bed. Knocks some life into you. That, and Bowie's It's no Game Pt. 1.

How my parents didn't murder me, I'll never know.

The shouting version is on A Secret Wish too (Jewel), and I really prefer that to the one on the remix album.

cheers

 

[anon x]

I used to do that in the morning, first thing after getting out of bed.

Me too!

I prefer the "Jewelled " version myself.
Think I may just have to put it on and frighten the neighbours.

 

[Happy Maudlin]

I'm familiar with propaganda, though I haven't heard any songs from them in particular.