Der Blutharsch
Encyclopedia
Der Blutharsch is the primary musical project of Austria
n musician Albin Julius
.
, Julius' first release as Der Blutharsch was a self-titled picture disc
(1996), limited to 250 copies. Early Der Blutharsch recorded material was very dark ambient
in sound, heavy on historic samples and post-industrial melodic drones. As the discography progressed, the material became more lively, with the more bombastic approach and a focus on a form of martial industrial with emphasis on neoclassical instrumentation combined with experimentalism. Subject matter and imagery largely derived from historical topics relating to the history of Germanic Europe.
With the release of Time Is Thee Enemy! in 2003, Julius took Der Blutharsch into the direction of a rock band
. Gone were the martial aspects of Der Blutharsch, only apparent to some extent in promotional imagery. Instead of a one-man project, promotional material showcased the project as a fleshed out group. Live shows continued in this direction with a focus on placing the group further into the area of psychedelic rock
. Subsequently, any traces of the previous focus on historical themes disappeared with new promotional imagery showcasing references to psychedelic pop art.
instruments and female vocal accompaniment. Julius has since enlisted several musicians as "full time" members of the group with the setup of a traditional rock band. In September 2009 they played at the Incubate (festival)
in Tilburg
, Netherlands
.
, WKN (Wir Kapitulieren Niemals). This translates from German to English as We will never surrender.
within a triangular shield, reading 'Der Blutharsch' in the upper portion of the triangle in a Fraktur font. This appeared on most early Der Blutharsch vinyl releases and on the original Der Blutharsch website, but was replaced on later pressings by the new logo.
embellished with oak leaves. Reissues of old material also excluded the previous logo in favor of the 'new' logo.
material, in the composition of his works. Der Blutharsch however released a 7" split single with the Italian fascist band Zetazeroalfa
, but worked as well with the anarchist left-wing band Terroritmo.
Der Blutharsch recently published a split single in 7" vinyl alongside Italian band Sottofasciasemplice and a split single 7" with Austrian doom band Our Survival depends On Us.
http://vinylfroinde.rockoi.com/board/viewtopic.php?p=1190&sid=c1700a44ea0ba0c63489fb04fdb89b96http://www.zetazeroalfa.org/discografia.html
http://ie.novopress.info/?p=574
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n musician Albin Julius
Albin Julius
Albin Julius is an Austrian martial music and industrial artist; his primary musical project is called Der Blutharsch.Julius founded the history-themed, folk-based ensemble, The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud...
.
History
Originally a side project to The Moon lay hidden beneath a CloudThe Moon lay hidden beneath a Cloud
The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud was an Austrian musical duo composed of Albin Julius and Alzbeth...
, Julius' first release as Der Blutharsch was a self-titled picture disc
Picture disc
Picture discs are gramophone records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or coloured vinyl.-Development:...
(1996), limited to 250 copies. Early Der Blutharsch recorded material was very dark ambient
Dark ambient
Dark ambient is a subgenre of ambient music that features foreboding, ominous, or discordant overtones. Although it had its roots in the 1970s, Dark ambient emerged in the 1980s and 1990s with the introduction of newer, smaller, and more affordable Effects units, synthesizer and sampling technology...
in sound, heavy on historic samples and post-industrial melodic drones. As the discography progressed, the material became more lively, with the more bombastic approach and a focus on a form of martial industrial with emphasis on neoclassical instrumentation combined with experimentalism. Subject matter and imagery largely derived from historical topics relating to the history of Germanic Europe.
With the release of Time Is Thee Enemy! in 2003, Julius took Der Blutharsch into the direction of a rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
. Gone were the martial aspects of Der Blutharsch, only apparent to some extent in promotional imagery. Instead of a one-man project, promotional material showcased the project as a fleshed out group. Live shows continued in this direction with a focus on placing the group further into the area of psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
. Subsequently, any traces of the previous focus on historical themes disappeared with new promotional imagery showcasing references to psychedelic pop art.
Live
Live, Der Blutharsch started as a one-man electronic music show. Later, Albin Julius performed as a two or three man show, with martial drumming and spoken (or shouted) lyrics. This can be seen in the Gold Gab Ich Für Eisen (1999) video. Later, Der Blutharsch became a full band, with acousticAcoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
instruments and female vocal accompaniment. Julius has since enlisted several musicians as "full time" members of the group with the setup of a traditional rock band. In September 2009 they played at the Incubate (festival)
Incubate (festival)
Incubate is a multidisciplinary arts festival in Tilburg, the Netherlands. On June 16, the festival changed it name into Incubate after a request by the Austin, US based festival SXSW to change its name. Between 2005 and 2008 the festival was called ZXZW....
in Tilburg
Tilburg
Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout....
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
WKN
Julius releases all Der Blutharsch material on his own record labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, WKN (Wir Kapitulieren Niemals). This translates from German to English as We will never surrender.
Original logo
Originally, Der Blutharsch used a logo that was a single Sig RuneSig Rune
Sig is the name given by Guido von List for the Sigel or s rune of the Armanen Futharkh, and is also used by Karl Maria Wiligut for his runes.-Nazism:...
within a triangular shield, reading 'Der Blutharsch' in the upper portion of the triangle in a Fraktur font. This appeared on most early Der Blutharsch vinyl releases and on the original Der Blutharsch website, but was replaced on later pressings by the new logo.
Current logo
On later Der Blutharsch releases, the original Sig Rune logo was replaced with an iron crossIron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
embellished with oak leaves. Reissues of old material also excluded the previous logo in favor of the 'new' logo.
Controversy
Despite his repeated claims to the contrary, Julius' opponents have sometimes labeled his work as fascist. This conclusion is generally reached due to Julius' use of aesthetics that may appear fascistic and his additional use of military-related themes and aesthetics, including Third Reich-eraNazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
material, in the composition of his works. Der Blutharsch however released a 7" split single with the Italian fascist band Zetazeroalfa
Zetazeroalfa
ZetaZeroAlfa is a musical group from Rome. They are the official band of CasaPound Italia.- History :"Zetazeroalfa was born first as a joke...
, but worked as well with the anarchist left-wing band Terroritmo.
Der Blutharsch recently published a split single in 7" vinyl alongside Italian band Sottofasciasemplice and a split single 7" with Austrian doom band Our Survival depends On Us.
http://vinylfroinde.rockoi.com/board/viewtopic.php?p=1190&sid=c1700a44ea0ba0c63489fb04fdb89b96http://www.zetazeroalfa.org/discografia.html
http://ie.novopress.info/?p=574
Discography
| Year | Title | Format, Special Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | First | 7", limited to 250 copies. |
| 1998 | Der Sieg des Lichtes ist der Lebens Heil! | LP |
| 1998 | Der Gott der Eisen wachsen liess | LP |
| 1999 | Gold gab ich für Eisen | CD & video box |
| 1999 | The Pleasures Received in Pain | LP |
| 2000 | The Track of the Hunted | LP/CD |
| 2001 | First | CD rerelease |
| 2002 | When all else fails! | LP/CD |
| 2004 | Time is thee enemy! | |
| 2004 | Speech of Truth Will Be Eternal | |
| 2005 | When Did Wonderland End? | 555 copies in heavy weight black vinyl. 555 copies in red vinyl. CD with DVD. |
| 2007 | The Philosopher's Stone | CD/LP |
| 2009 | Flying High! | CD/LP |
Compilations
| Year | Title | Format, Special Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Der Tod Im Juni | CD 5". |
| 2003 | Fire Danger Season |