X Marks the Pedwalk
Encyclopedia
X Marks the Pedwalk) is a German
band
whose styles
range from post-industrial dance to electronic body music. X Marks the Pedwalk’s influence in the industrial and electronic music scenes
was considerable during the 1990s, as they were one of the first and most popular acts from the now defunct record label
, Zoth Ommog.
, Kraftwerk
, and DAF, Schmechta started a band called Scarecrow with his school-mate Regan Eracs (born Jörg Böhme).
Shortly after releasing their first single
, 1988's "Black Door", the members of Scarecrow were offered to sign to German DJ Talla 2XLC
's new record label, Zoth Ommog. Thereafter, the project name was changed to X Marks the Pedwalk, and both members adopted pseudonyms for themselves.
Schmechta, who did the writing
, production
, and engineering of all X Marks the Pedwalk tracks, was the only consistent member throughout X Marks the Pedwalk’s history. After the release of the first album
, Freaks
, and then the "Cenotaph
" single, Böhme left the band in 1992 to pursue other interests, and Schmechta enlisted the help of his brother Raive Yarx (born Thorsten Schmechta, June 14, 1971).
At this time, Schmechta decided to focus on music as a career, and built T.G.I.F. Studios (an acronym for "Thank God It's Friday!
"). Although a new member had arrived, X Marks the Pedwalk's musical style did not change drastically until after the Schmechta brothers' first two efforts together: Human Desolation
and The Killing Had Begun
. 1995's single "Facer", however, saw the combination of "Techno-Dance and Crossover-Industrial with EBM
-elements". The final two X Marks the Pedwalk albums, Meshwork
and Drawback
, received favorable reactions by many fans within Europe, and thanks to the latter's release by Metropolis Records
, helped build an extended fanbase in North America
. Some listeners, however, rejected the new sound of X Marks the Pedwalk (see Meshwork
).
André Schmechta put aside his work on X Marks the Pedwalk in the late 90's (along with his multitude of side-projects) to concentrate on his family and career. He is married to Stefanie Eckmann (born March 21, 1969) who has contributed vocals to X Marks the Pedwalk under the name Estefania, and has two children: Lennard Christian and Luis Maximilian.
X Marks the Pedwalk returned in late 2009/early 2010 with a new album and single, with live shows in 2010.
, Germany on December 16, 1989, where they opened for industrial music artists Vomito Negro
. Most live material at that time came from their then just-released single "Arbitrary Execution
", and the previously released Scarecrow single "Black Door
".
Their first tour throughout Germany began after the release of Freaks
, with an additional concert being played in Budapest
, Hungary
. Three subsequent concert tours throughout Germany occurred again after the release of "Cenotaph
", Human Desolation
, and The Killing Had Begun
. With few exceptions, these live shows took place in Germany.
X Marks the Pedwalk was a band that consisted of two members at a time (secondary members Böhme and Thorsten Schmechta never appeared together on an album with André Schmechta), therefore, they never performed completely live, but rather relied heavily on the incorporation of DAT
playback. This was complemented with "live overdubs, drum-effects, lead-melodies, [and] atmospheres...", and André Schmechta on lead vocals. Estefania did not appear on an X Marks the Pedwalk release until The Killing Had Begun
, and never toured live with them.
As of 2004, X Marks the Pedwalk still receives requests to play live, although André Schmechta has said that "at the moment it's impossible to plan a tour or concerts".
PAX was a project that was created as the result of a working relationship between André Schemchta and Heiko Daniel. Schmechta, who was producing an album for Daniel, felt that they had "something fascinating, easy, emotional and outstanding." From this, two albums and an EP were born.
Ringtailed Snorter was a solo-project by André Schemchta, the first song of which was written as a tribute to a friend who had died. Ringtailed Snorter differs from X Marks the Pedwalk in its use of "clean structures" and "minimal soundscapes to leave more [space in] the minds of the audience."
Hyperdex-1-Sect was a one-time collaboration between André and Stefanie Schemchta and Jonathan Sharp of the project New Mind. Their release features remixes by the artists' main projects (X Marks the Pedwalk and New Mind, respectively), as well as a remix by cEvin Key
's project, Download
.
U-Tek saw the coming together of Alexis Schaar (also known as AL/X/S, former producer for X Marks the Pedwalk) and André Schemchta to form a project that combined Alexis's dance and club music background with Schmechta's EBM background. The duo's second project, A-Head focused less on this interaction and more on creating alternative electro music.
Deluga was a darkwave
project by Thorsten Schmechta, Stefanie Schmechta, and Falk Aupers. The project never got past the first demo stage.
Some other projects by André Schemchta included two with wife Stefanie, Viviane and Polyxena, the latter also featuring Heiko Daniel, and Lighthouse with friend Bernd Schöler.
an and Canadian Electronic body music
scenes, yet its members were looking to create a sound that was unique to themselves. Early X Marks the Pedwalk was often compared to fellow industrial musicians Skinny Puppy
; Front Page magazine titled an article about X Marks the Pedwalk, "Die deutschen Skinny Puppy?!" (The German Skinny Puppy?!). Later, however, as their style progressed, X Marks the Pedwalk would begin to find other bands compared to them. According to André Schmechta, "The concept and themes for the lyrics around [X Marks the Pedwalk] were influenced by the idea to lighten up the dark side of [the] human psyche…" Although the latter may be true, in as much as it was an objective strived for by the band, X Marks the Pedwalk found most of its audience in fans of gothic and industrial music
- scenes typically associated with dark culture. What Schmechta describes as X Marks the Pedwalk's "aggressive percussion and synthesizer sequences" may have contributed to its place within the harder dance music scenes.
In addition to Skinny Puppy, comparable bands include many of the Zoth Ommog label-mates of X Marks the Pedwalk. Some of the more prominent similar acts include Leæther Strip
, Evil's Toy, Armageddon Dildos
, Spahn Ranch
, Mentallo & The Fixer
, Birmingham 6
, and Funker Vogt
.
Ringtailed Snorter
Hyperdex-1-Sect
U-Tek
A-Head
Viviane
Polyxena
Lighthouse
author Fritz Leiber
that describes the beginnings of a war between pedestrians and motorists. The story is glancingly referenced in Stephen King
's book Danse Macabre
.
Since the earliest days of X Marks the Pedwalk, members have assumed pseudonym
s for themselves. André Schmechta was known as Sevren Ni-arb ("Brain Nerves" spelled backwards), his brother Thorsten was Raive Yarx (Yarx is "X-Ray" spelled backwards). Early member Jörg Böhme was called Regan Eracs (Regan is the name of the possessed child in The Exorcist
, and Eracs is "scare" backwards). Stefanie Eckmann Schmechta, because she was a student of Spanish
, listed her name as Estefania.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
whose styles
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
range from post-industrial dance to electronic body music. X Marks the Pedwalk’s influence in the industrial and electronic music scenes
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
was considerable during the 1990s, as they were one of the first and most popular acts from the now defunct record label
Record 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,...
, Zoth Ommog.
History
X Marks the Pedwalk was founded by Sevren Ni-Arb (born André Schmechta, May 13, 1969) in 1987. Schmechta - himself a classically trained musician - became interested in synthesizers at an early age, and found himself part of several bands after he was able to buy his first keyboard at the age of 16. At that time, with influences such as Skinny PuppySkinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial musical group, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial genre....
, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
, and DAF, Schmechta started a band called Scarecrow with his school-mate Regan Eracs (born Jörg Böhme).
Shortly after releasing their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, 1988's "Black Door", the members of Scarecrow were offered to sign to German DJ Talla 2XLC
Talla 2XLC
Talla 2XLC, real name Andreas Tomalla, is an electronic music producer and DJ whose work has spanned from industrial music to trance music.-History:In 1979, Talla 2XLC began DJing with the sounds of Kraftwerk, YMO, and Depeche Mode....
's new record label, Zoth Ommog. Thereafter, the project name was changed to X Marks the Pedwalk, and both members adopted pseudonyms for themselves.
Schmechta, who did the writing
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and engineering of all X Marks the Pedwalk tracks, was the only consistent member throughout X Marks the Pedwalk’s history. After the release of the first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Freaks
Freaks (X Marks the Pedwalk album)
Freaks is the debut full-length release by German industrial music band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was originally released by Zoth Ommog in Europe as both an LP and CD, and was later released by Metropolis Records in North America with slightly different artwork and tracklist.-Summary:Freaks, which...
, and then the "Cenotaph
Cenotaph (single)
Cenotaph is a stand-alone single by German industrial band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was originally released by Zoth Ommog records in Europe as both an LP and CD in 1992 .-Summary:...
" single, Böhme left the band in 1992 to pursue other interests, and Schmechta enlisted the help of his brother Raive Yarx (born Thorsten Schmechta, June 14, 1971).
At this time, Schmechta decided to focus on music as a career, and built T.G.I.F. Studios (an acronym for "Thank God It's Friday!
TGIF
TGIF is an initialism for the phrase "Thank God It's Friday", celebrating the last day of the work/school week before the weekend. Its origin dates to the 1960s. It was first popularized by the restaurant T.G.I. Friday's which was founded in 1965. However, it became mainstream by the late 1970s,...
"). Although a new member had arrived, X Marks the Pedwalk's musical style did not change drastically until after the Schmechta brothers' first two efforts together: Human Desolation
Human Desolation
Human Desolation is the second full length album by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe as both an LP and CD, and in North America by Cleopatra Records as a CD....
and The Killing Had Begun
The Killing Had Begun
The Killing Had Begun is the third full length album by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe as both an LP and CD, and in North America by Cleopatra Records as a CD....
. 1995's single "Facer", however, saw the combination of "Techno-Dance and Crossover-Industrial with EBM
Electronic body music
Electronic body music or industrial dance is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic dance music...
-elements". The final two X Marks the Pedwalk albums, Meshwork
Meshwork
Meshwork is the name of the fourth album by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe and Cleopatra Records in North America, both in CD format.-Summary:...
and Drawback
Drawback (album)
Drawback is the name of the fifth album by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe and Metropolis Records in North America, both in CD format.-Summary:...
, received favorable reactions by many fans within Europe, and thanks to the latter's release by Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based record label, distributor, and mail-order store specializing in the post-industrial field such as electro-industrial, synthpop, futurepop, darkwave, and gothic musical genres....
, helped build an extended fanbase in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Some listeners, however, rejected the new sound of X Marks the Pedwalk (see Meshwork
Meshwork
Meshwork is the name of the fourth album by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe and Cleopatra Records in North America, both in CD format.-Summary:...
).
André Schmechta put aside his work on X Marks the Pedwalk in the late 90's (along with his multitude of side-projects) to concentrate on his family and career. He is married to Stefanie Eckmann (born March 21, 1969) who has contributed vocals to X Marks the Pedwalk under the name Estefania, and has two children: Lennard Christian and Luis Maximilian.
X Marks the Pedwalk returned in late 2009/early 2010 with a new album and single, with live shows in 2010.
Live
The first X Marks the Pedwalk concert was performed in WiesbadenWiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, Germany on December 16, 1989, where they opened for industrial music artists Vomito Negro
Vomito Negro (band)
Vomito Negro is a Belgian industrial band formed in 1983. The name is Latin for "black vomit", a phenomenon that arises in the last stage of the disease yellow fever, when the patient throws up his putrefied intestines and ultimately dies.-History:...
. Most live material at that time came from their then just-released single "Arbitrary Execution
Arbitrary Execution
"Arbitrary Execution" is the name of a single by German industrial music band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe in LP format.-Summary:...
", and the previously released Scarecrow single "Black Door
Black Door
Black Door is the first single by the band Scarecrow. Shortly after, the band switched labels to Zoth Ommog, where they became known as X Marks the Pedwalk.-Live:...
".
Their first tour throughout Germany began after the release of Freaks
Freaks (X Marks the Pedwalk album)
Freaks is the debut full-length release by German industrial music band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was originally released by Zoth Ommog in Europe as both an LP and CD, and was later released by Metropolis Records in North America with slightly different artwork and tracklist.-Summary:Freaks, which...
, with an additional concert being played in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Three subsequent concert tours throughout Germany occurred again after the release of "Cenotaph
Cenotaph (single)
Cenotaph is a stand-alone single by German industrial band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was originally released by Zoth Ommog records in Europe as both an LP and CD in 1992 .-Summary:...
", Human Desolation
Human Desolation
Human Desolation is the second full length album by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe as both an LP and CD, and in North America by Cleopatra Records as a CD....
, and The Killing Had Begun
The Killing Had Begun
The Killing Had Begun is the third full length album by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe as both an LP and CD, and in North America by Cleopatra Records as a CD....
. With few exceptions, these live shows took place in Germany.
X Marks the Pedwalk was a band that consisted of two members at a time (secondary members Böhme and Thorsten Schmechta never appeared together on an album with André Schmechta), therefore, they never performed completely live, but rather relied heavily on the incorporation of DAT
Digital Audio Tape
Digital Audio Tape is a signal recording and playback medium developed by Sony and introduced in 1987. In appearance it is similar to a compact audio cassette, using 4 mm magnetic tape enclosed in a protective shell, but is roughly half the size at 73 mm × 54 mm × 10.5 mm. As...
playback. This was complemented with "live overdubs, drum-effects, lead-melodies, [and] atmospheres...", and André Schmechta on lead vocals. Estefania did not appear on an X Marks the Pedwalk release until The Killing Had Begun
The Killing Had Begun
The Killing Had Begun is the third full length album by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe as both an LP and CD, and in North America by Cleopatra Records as a CD....
, and never toured live with them.
As of 2004, X Marks the Pedwalk still receives requests to play live, although André Schmechta has said that "at the moment it's impossible to plan a tour or concerts".
Side projects
Throughout the course of X Marks the Pedwalk's history, André Schemchta especially formed or joined several side projects as a creative outlet for music that had a different sound than X Marks the Pedwalk. This is a list and short description of some of the other ventures taken upon by members of X Marks the Pedwalk.PAX was a project that was created as the result of a working relationship between André Schemchta and Heiko Daniel. Schmechta, who was producing an album for Daniel, felt that they had "something fascinating, easy, emotional and outstanding." From this, two albums and an EP were born.
Ringtailed Snorter was a solo-project by André Schemchta, the first song of which was written as a tribute to a friend who had died. Ringtailed Snorter differs from X Marks the Pedwalk in its use of "clean structures" and "minimal soundscapes to leave more [space in] the minds of the audience."
Hyperdex-1-Sect was a one-time collaboration between André and Stefanie Schemchta and Jonathan Sharp of the project New Mind. Their release features remixes by the artists' main projects (X Marks the Pedwalk and New Mind, respectively), as well as a remix by cEvin Key
CEvin Key
cEvin Key is the pseudonym of Kevin William Crompton , who was a founding member of the industrial music band Skinny Puppy, along with Nivek Ogre. In addition to his work with Skinny Puppy, cEvin Key has had several side projects, including Doubting Thomas, Cyberaktif, and Hilt...
's project, Download
Download (band)
Download is an electronic music group formed by Dwayne Goettel and cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy in 1994. The initial lineup also included Off & Gone's Phil Western and Mark Spybey of Dead Voices on Air, but has since been particularly fluid, with Key and Western being the only constant members...
.
U-Tek saw the coming together of Alexis Schaar (also known as AL/X/S, former producer for X Marks the Pedwalk) and André Schemchta to form a project that combined Alexis's dance and club music background with Schmechta's EBM background. The duo's second project, A-Head focused less on this interaction and more on creating alternative electro music.
Deluga was a darkwave
Darkwave
Dark Wave or darkwave is a music genre that began in the late 1970s, coinciding with the popularity of New Wave and post-punk. Building on those basic principles, dark wave added dark, introspective lyrics and an undertone of sorrow for some bands...
project by Thorsten Schmechta, Stefanie Schmechta, and Falk Aupers. The project never got past the first demo stage.
Some other projects by André Schemchta included two with wife Stefanie, Viviane and Polyxena, the latter also featuring Heiko Daniel, and Lighthouse with friend Bernd Schöler.
Timeline
- 1969 - André Schmechta is born.
- 1969 - Stefanie Eckmann is born.
- 1971 - Thorsten Schmechta is born.
- 1987 - X Marks the Pedwalk is formed under the name Scarecrow, with its initial members being André Schmechta and Jörg Böhme.
- 1988 - Scarecrow released their first single, "Black Door". Scarecrow is signed to Zoth Ommog records, and changes their name to X Marks the Pedwalk.
- 1989 - "Arbitrary Execution" single is released. X Marks the Pedwalk plays their first live show.
- 1990 - "Danger/Disease Control" single is released.
- 1991 - "Abattoir" single is released.
- 1992 - The first full-length album, Freaks is released, followed by the "Cenotaph" stand-alone single.
- 1992 - Jörg Böhme leaves the band and is replaced by Thorsten Schmechta. André Schmechta builds T.G.I.F. studios.
- 1993 - "The Trap" is released, followed by the second full-length album, Human Desolation. "Paranoid Illusions", the second single from the aforementioned album, is also released.
- 1994 - The third full-length CD, The Killing Had Begun, is released followed by a best of collection titled Airbacktrax. Stefanie Eckmann makes her first appearance.
- 1995 - The "Facer" single is released in Europe, along with the Cleopatra RecordsCleopatra RecordsCleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label.- History :Founded in 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in gothic rock, hard rock, heavy metal and reissues of out-of-print music...
release Four Fit (another collection). The fifth album, Meshwork is also released. - 1996 - X Marks the Pedwalk releases their final album, Drawback.
- 1998 - André Schmechta switches careers and sells T.G.I.F. studios. Metropolis RecordsMetropolis RecordsMetropolis Records is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based record label, distributor, and mail-order store specializing in the post-industrial field such as electro-industrial, synthpop, futurepop, darkwave, and gothic musical genres....
releases the collection Retrospective. - 2003 - X Marks the Pedwalk makes a brief reappearance on Dying Culture Records with a 2CD best-of collection called Experiences, and contributes two new tracks to the release, "Bloom" and "Hothead".
- 2004 - André Schmechta meets with former X Marks the Pedwalk producer Alexis Schaar (also of A-Head and U-Tek) in the latter's studio in HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
for a small recording session. Details on this interaction have yet to be elaborated. - 2009 - sevren ni-arb has announced a new album will be released later this year.
- 2010 - The comeback: X Marks the Pedwalk releases single Seventeen and album Inner Zone Journey. Re-Union show at Wave-Gotik-Treffen 2010 in Leipzig, Germany. Impressions:
- 2010 - sevren ni-arb has announced a first Live DVD.
Philosophy and style
X Marks the Pedwalk was inspired by the late 1980s EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and Canadian Electronic body music
Electronic body music
Electronic body music or industrial dance is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic dance music...
scenes, yet its members were looking to create a sound that was unique to themselves. Early X Marks the Pedwalk was often compared to fellow industrial musicians Skinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial musical group, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial genre....
; Front Page magazine titled an article about X Marks the Pedwalk, "Die deutschen Skinny Puppy?!" (The German Skinny Puppy?!). Later, however, as their style progressed, X Marks the Pedwalk would begin to find other bands compared to them. According to André Schmechta, "The concept and themes for the lyrics around [X Marks the Pedwalk] were influenced by the idea to lighten up the dark side of [the] human psyche…" Although the latter may be true, in as much as it was an objective strived for by the band, X Marks the Pedwalk found most of its audience in fans of gothic and industrial music
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
- scenes typically associated with dark culture. What Schmechta describes as X Marks the Pedwalk's "aggressive percussion and synthesizer sequences" may have contributed to its place within the harder dance music scenes.
In addition to Skinny Puppy, comparable bands include many of the Zoth Ommog label-mates of X Marks the Pedwalk. Some of the more prominent similar acts include Leæther Strip
Leæther Strip
Leæther Strip is a Danish musical project founded on January 13, 1988 by Claus Larsen. Its influence has been most felt in the electronic body music and electro-industrial genres. Perhaps to a certain extent, it may have influenced various film score productions. Leæther Strip was one of the...
, Evil's Toy, Armageddon Dildos
Armageddon Dildos
Armageddon Dildos is a German electro-industrial-duo consisting of Uwe Kanka and Dirk Krause . The act was formed in 1988 in Kassel Germany, and the name comes from the slang term for intercontinental ballistic missiles. They perform songs in both German and English.The Armageddon Dildos have been...
, Spahn Ranch
Spahn Ranch (band)
Spahn Ranch was an electro-industrial group from Los Angeles. Active from 1992 to 2000, the band was well known in a sub-genre of industrial music for its fusion of electronic dance, industrial and gothic music.-History:...
, Mentallo & The Fixer
Mentallo and the Fixer
Mentallo and the Fixer is the project name used by Texan electro-industrial musicians Gary Dassing and Dwayne Dassing from 1988 to 1999, and by Gary Dassing alone from 1999 to the present day. The band has several releases on the American record label, Metropolis Records...
, Birmingham 6
Birmingham 6 (band)
Birmingham 6 is a Danish electro-industrial/EBM group founded in 1991 and named after the Birmingham Six, a group of Irish men mistakenly imprisoned for the Birmingham pub bombings. Members include Kim Løhde Petersen and Michael Hillerup....
, and Funker Vogt
Funker Vogt
Funker Vogt is a German electronic music project with an aggressive style, formed by vocalist Jens Kästel and programmer Gerrit Thomas in 1995. Other members of the band are keyboardist/manager Bjorn Bottcher, live guitarist Frank Schweigert and lyricist Kai Schmidt...
.
Members
- Sevren Ni-arb (born André Schmechta, 13 May 1969): Founder, songwriter, vocalist, producer, and engineer.
- Regan Eracs (born Jörge Böhme): Early member of X Marks the Pedwalk, from 1988 to 1992.
- Raive Yarx (born Thorsten Schmechta, 14 June 1971): Concepts, structures, and electronics. Became a member in 1992.
- Estefania (Stefanie Schmechta née Eckmann, born 21 March 1969): Secondary vocalist, debuted on the album, The Killing Had Begun.
Equipment
In 1992, André Schmechta created T.G.I.F. studios, recording not only all of X Marks the Pedwalk's subsequent material, but also albums by fellow electronic music artists Armageddon Dildos (who were also on Zoth Ommog) and Evil's Toy, among others. T.G.I.F. was built and designed specifically for the creation of electronic and industrial music, what follows is a list of some of the equipment utilized by Schmechta not only as both a writer and performer, but also as a producer:- TascamTASCAMTASCAM is the professional audio division of TEAC Corporation, headquartered in Montebello, California. Tascam is credited as the inventor of the Portastudio, the first cassette-based multi-track home studio recorders. Tascam also introduced the first low-cost mass produced multitrack recorders...
M3700 analog mixing consoleMixing consoleIn professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board, mixing desk, or mixer is an electronic device for combining , routing, and changing the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals. A mixer can mix analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer... - TannoyTannoyTannoy Ltd is a Scottish-based manufacturer of loudspeakers and public-address systems. The company was founded in London, England as Tulsemere Manufacturing Company in 1926, but has been based in Coatbridge, Scotland, since the 1970s...
and YamahaYamaha (manufacturer)is a multinational corporation and conglomerate based in Japan with a wide range of products and services, predominantly musical instruments, electronics, motorcycles and power sports equipment.-History:...
loudspeakers - AkaiAkaiAkai is a consumer electronics brand, founded by Saburo Akai as , a Japanese manufacturer in 1929. It is now headquartered in Singapore as a subsidiary of Grande Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which also owns the formerly Japanese brands Nakamichi and Sansui. The Akai brand is now used...
S3000, S1100, S1000Akai S1000The Akai S1000 is a 16-bit professional stereo digital sampler, released by Akai in 1988. The S1000 was among the first professional-quality 16-bit stereo samplers. Its abilities to splice, crossfade, trim, and loop music in 16-bit CD-quality sound made it popular among producers of this era...
, S-950 samplersSampler (musical instrument)A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or... - E-mu SystemsE-mu SystemsE-mu Systems, Inc. is a synthesizer maker and pioneer in samplers and low-cost digital sampling music workstations.-History:Founded in 1971 by Scott Wedge and Dave Rossum, E-mu began making modular synthesizers...
EmaxE-mu EmaxThe Emax was a line of samplers, developed, manufactured, and sold by E-mu Systems from 1986 to 1995. Sold alongside their more expensive Emulator II and III samplers, the Emax line was conceived after the release of the Akai S-612 and Sequential Prophet 2000, and was designed to compete for the...
samplerSampler (musical instrument)A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
, Vintage Keys / Procussion [sic] - ClaviaClaviaClavia Digital Musical Instruments is a Swedish manufacturer of virtual analog synthesizers, virtual electromechanical pianos and stage pianos, founded in Stockholm, Sweden in 1983 by Hans Nordelius and Mikael Carlsson.-The Company:...
Nord Rack virtual analog synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - RolandRoland Corporationis a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
JD-800Roland JD-800The JD-800 was a digital synthesizer released by Roland in 1991. The synthesizer featured many knobs and sliders for patch editing and performance control - features which some manufacturers, including Roland, had been omitting in the name of 'streamlining' since the inception of Yamaha's DX-7...
, JD-900, JX-8P synthesizers, TR-808 drum machineDrum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music... - KorgKorgis a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners...
MS-20Korg MS-20The Korg MS-20 is a patchable semi-modular monophonic synthesizer which Korg released in 1978 and which was in production until 1983. It was part of Korg's MS series of instruments, which also included the single oscillator MS-10, the keyboardless MS-50 module, and the SQ-10 sequencer...
, ProphecyKorg ProphecyThe Korg Prophecy is considered one of the earliest "virtual analog" synthesizers, although its synthesis capabilities went beyond many of its VA contemporaries....
, Poly-800Korg Poly-800The Korg Poly-800 is a synthesizer released by Korg in 1983. Its initial list price of $795 made it the first fully programmable synthesizer that sold for less than $1000. It featured a 49 key non-velocity sensitive keyboard, two buttons for data entry, and a joystick controller, which could...
synthesizers - YamahaYamahaYamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
CS-1X synthesizer - OberheimOberheimOberheim Electronics is an American company, founded in 1969 by Tom Oberheim , which manufactured audio synthesizers and a variety of other electronic musical instruments.-Oberheim Electronics:...
Matrix-6 and Matrix-1000 synthesizers - QuasimidiQuasimidiQuasimidi Musikelektronik GmbH was a German synthesizer manufacturer. It was founded in 1987 by Friedhelm Haas and Jörg Reichstein. It was originally based in Kirchhain, but moved to Rauschenberg in 1998...
Quasar synthesizer - Novation Bass-Station synthesizer
- DoepferDoepferDoepfer Musikelektronik GmbH is a manufacturer of audio hardware based in Gräfelfing, Germany, founded by Dieter Döpfer.The product range covers analog modular systems, MIDI controller, MIDI hardware sequencers, MIDI-to-CV/Gate/Sync Interfaces, MIDI master keyboards and special MIDI...
MS-404 analog synthesizerAnalog synthesizerAn analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s such as the Trautonium were built with a variety of vacuum-tube and electro-mechanical technologies... - EnsoniqEnsoniqEnsoniq Corp. was an American electronics manufacturer, best known throughout the mid 1980s and 1990s for its musical instruments, principally samplers and synthesizers.- Company history :...
SQR-Plus synthesizer - WaldorfWaldorf MusicWaldorf Music AG is a German synthesizer company. It was founded on 1 January 2003 to take over the actual business of the Waldorf Electronics GmbH which had become insolvent. Waldorf is best known for its Microwave wavetable synthesizer and Q virtual analogue synthesizer lines.- History :Waldorf...
Microwave wavetableWavetable synthesisWavetable synthesis is used in certain digital music synthesizers to implement a restricted form of real-time additive synthesis. The technique was first developed by Wolfgang Palm of PPG in the late 1970s and published in 1979, and has since been used as the primary synthesis method in...
synthesizer - AtariAtariAtari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
and Apple Macintosh personal computers
Singles
- "Black DoorBlack DoorBlack Door is the first single by the band Scarecrow. Shortly after, the band switched labels to Zoth Ommog, where they became known as X Marks the Pedwalk.-Live:...
" (1988) - "Arbitrary ExecutionArbitrary Execution"Arbitrary Execution" is the name of a single by German industrial music band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe in LP format.-Summary:...
" (1989) - "Danger/Disease ControlDanger/Disease ControlDanger/Disease Control is the name of a single by German industrial band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe in LP and CD formats.-Summary:...
" (1990) - "AbattoirAbattoir (single)"Abattoir" is the name of a single by German industrial music band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe in LP and CD format.The song Abattoir is sometimes credited as "Abbatoir" on subsequent compilations...
" (1991) - "CenotaphCenotaph (single)Cenotaph is a stand-alone single by German industrial band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was originally released by Zoth Ommog records in Europe as both an LP and CD in 1992 .-Summary:...
" (1992) - "The Trap" (1993)
- "Paranoid IllusionsParanoid IllusionsParanoid Illusions is a single by German industrial music band X Marks the Pedwalk, the second from the album Human Desolation. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe as both an LP and CD.-Summary:...
" (1993) - "FacerFacerFacer is a single by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe in CD format.-Summary:Facer is notable for marking a new era in the musical style of X Marks the Pedwalk, which became less harsh and incorporated more elements of electronic body music...
" (1994) - "Seventeen" (2010)
Albums
- FreaksFreaks (X Marks the Pedwalk album)Freaks is the debut full-length release by German industrial music band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was originally released by Zoth Ommog in Europe as both an LP and CD, and was later released by Metropolis Records in North America with slightly different artwork and tracklist.-Summary:Freaks, which...
(1992) - Human DesolationHuman DesolationHuman Desolation is the second full length album by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe as both an LP and CD, and in North America by Cleopatra Records as a CD....
(1993) - The Killing Had BegunThe Killing Had BegunThe Killing Had Begun is the third full length album by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe as both an LP and CD, and in North America by Cleopatra Records as a CD....
(1994) - MeshworkMeshworkMeshwork is the name of the fourth album by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe and Cleopatra Records in North America, both in CD format.-Summary:...
(1995) - DrawbackDrawback (album)Drawback is the name of the fifth album by German band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe and Metropolis Records in North America, both in CD format.-Summary:...
(1996) - Inner Zone JourneyInner Zone Journey-Track listing:# "Lifeline" - 5:20# "Runaway" - 4:37# "Obscure Reason" - 5:13# "Satellite" - 4:01# "Seventeen" - 4:58# "Winter Comes Tomorrow" - 4:43# "Human Scientists" - 4:47# "Clean Hearts" - 6:06# "Stripped By Tears" - 4:41...
(2010)
Compilations
- AirbacktraxAirbacktraxAirbacktrax is the first "best-of" album by German industrial music band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Zoth Ommog in Europe as both an LP and CD, and in North America by Cleopatra Records as a CD with the alternate title, Abattoir....
(1994) - Four Fit (The Singles Part Two) (1995)
- RetrospectiveRetrospective (X Marks the Pedwalk album)Retrospective 88-99 is the name of the third "best-of" album by German industrial music band X Marks the Pedwalk. It was released by Metropolis Records in North America in CD format.-Track listing:# "Facer" – 5:39# "Abattoir " – 5:54...
(1998) - ExperiencesExperiences (album)Experiences is the name of the fourth and fifth "best-of" albums by German band X Marks the Pedwalk.-Disk one:# "Bloom"# "Maximum Pace"# "W.I.T.I.A.K."# "Missing Light "# "Special Sign"# "Never Look Back "# "Desolation"...
(2003)
Side project discography
PAX- The Power of Pure IntellectThe Power of Pure IntellectThe Power of Pure Intellect is the first album by PAX, a side project of Sevren Ni-arb from X Marks the Pedwalk and former X Marks the Pedwalk producer AL/X/S.-Track listing:# "Coined World"# "Low-Down"# "Catch My Fire"# "Welcome to Your System"...
, 1995, CD - High Speed Digital Spirit ProcessingHigh Speed Digital Spirit ProcessingHigh Speed Digital Spirit Processing is the second album by PAX, a side project of Sevren Ni-arb from X Marks the Pedwalk and former X Marks the Pedwalk producer AL/X/S.-Track listing:# "Visual Effect" – 4:12# "Tesselated Parts" – 4:16...
, 1997, CD - High Speed E.P.High Speed E.P.High Speed E.P. is the third and last release by PAX, a side project of Sevren Ni-arb from X Marks the Pedwalk and former X Marks the Pedwalk producer AL/X/S.-Track listing:# "Outfaced" – 5:25# "Acolyte " – 7:00...
, 1997, 12"
Ringtailed Snorter
- Revealing ObstaclesRevealing ObstaclesRevealing Obstacles is the first release by Ringtailed Snorter, a side project of Sevren Ni-arb from X Marks the Pedwalk.-Track listing:#"A Kind of Loss"#"Mirror"#"Window I"#"No Chance"#"Influence"#"Motivation"#"Window II"#"Longing for Shelter"...
, 1992, CD - Sexual Child Abuse, 1993, CD
- Look Back in the Mirror, 1998, CD
Hyperdex-1-Sect
- Metachrome, 1996, CD
U-Tek
- "Das Mass der Dinge", 1992, 12"/CD
- "Das Mass der Dinge Remixes", 1992, 12"
- "I'm Moving", 1995, 12"/CDS
- Goldene Zeit 1989-1993", 1997, CD
A-Head
- "Deep Down", 1992, 12"/CDS
Viviane
- "I Feel Love", 1996, 12"/CDS
Polyxena
- "Dream Your Dream", 1996, 12"/CDS
Lighthouse
- "The Move", 1996, 12"/CDS
Remixes
- "Dear God (Remix)", from the album Morbid Mind by Evil's Toy.
- "Dear God (X Marks the Pedwalk Remix)", from the album Morbid Mind and the EP Dear God Remix by Evil's Toy.
- "Industrial Love (Nuclear Winter)", from the remix album Industrial Love/Prediction by In Strict ConfidenceIn Strict ConfidenceIn Strict Confidence is a German electro-industrial band. Formed in 1989/1990, they were known as Seal of Secrecy until 1992. In Strict Confidence has been signed to several record labels, including Metropolis Records and WTII Records.-History:...
. - "Industrial Love (X Marks the Pedwalk Remix)", from the limited version of the album Face the Fear by In Strict Confidence.
- "Mind (X Marks the Pedwalk Remix)" and "Death is Not the End (X Marks the Pedwalk Remix)" from Hyperdex-1-Sect's album Metachrome.
- "Deep (S.A.R. Remix)" from the Deep maxi-single by SterilSteril (band)Steril is a German electro-industrial/alternative electronic band founded in 1990 in Oldenburg.Together with bands like Front Line Assembly, Project Pitchfork and Download Steril made the Off Beat Label the biggest independent label for electronic music in Germany.Besides a many appearances on...
. - "Schmutz (Bad Man Remix)" from the Schmutz maxi-single by ECO.
Production
Sevren Ni-Arb, as producer, for non-X Marks the Pedwalk related projects:- Armageddon DildosArmageddon DildosArmageddon Dildos is a German electro-industrial-duo consisting of Uwe Kanka and Dirk Krause . The act was formed in 1988 in Kassel Germany, and the name comes from the slang term for intercontinental ballistic missiles. They perform songs in both German and English.The Armageddon Dildos have been...
- Homicidal Dolls, CD, 1993
- "Homicidal Maniac", Single, 1993
- Evil's Toy
- Morbid Mind, CD
- SterilSteril (band)Steril is a German electro-industrial/alternative electronic band founded in 1990 in Oldenburg.Together with bands like Front Line Assembly, Project Pitchfork and Download Steril made the Off Beat Label the biggest independent label for electronic music in Germany.Besides a many appearances on...
- Egoism, CD, 1995
- Deep, Single, 1996
- Venus Trap, 1996
- ECO
- Schmutz, Single, 1995
Naming
The name X Marks the Pedwalk comes from a satirical story by science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author Fritz Leiber
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber, Jr. was an American writer of fantasy, horror and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theatre and films, playwright, expert chess player and a champion fencer. Possibly his greatest chess accomplishment was winning clear first in the 1958 Santa Monica Open.. With...
that describes the beginnings of a war between pedestrians and motorists. The story is glancingly referenced in Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's book Danse Macabre
Danse Macabre (book)
Danse Macabre is a non-fiction book by Stephen King, about horror fiction in print, radio, film and comics, and the genre's influence on United States popular culture...
.
Since the earliest days of X Marks the Pedwalk, members have assumed pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s for themselves. André Schmechta was known as Sevren Ni-arb ("Brain Nerves" spelled backwards), his brother Thorsten was Raive Yarx (Yarx is "X-Ray" spelled backwards). Early member Jörg Böhme was called Regan Eracs (Regan is the name of the possessed child in The Exorcist
The Exorcist
The Exorcist is a novel of supernatural suspense by William Peter Blatty, published by Harper & Row in 1971. It was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University, a Jesuit school...
, and Eracs is "scare" backwards). Stefanie Eckmann Schmechta, because she was a student of Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, listed her name as Estefania.
Audio Samples
See also
- List of industrial music bands
- Electronic body musicElectronic body musicElectronic body music or industrial dance is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic dance music...
- Zoth Ommog
- Metropolis RecordsMetropolis RecordsMetropolis Records is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based record label, distributor, and mail-order store specializing in the post-industrial field such as electro-industrial, synthpop, futurepop, darkwave, and gothic musical genres....
- Cleopatra RecordsCleopatra RecordsCleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label.- History :Founded in 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in gothic rock, hard rock, heavy metal and reissues of out-of-print music...
External links
- Official site
- Metropolis Records, North American distributor for Freaks, Retrospective, and Drawback
- Cleopatra Records, North American distributor for the other major X Marks the Pedwalk releases
- A complete list of records manufactured by Zoth Ommog, including those by X Marks the Pedwalk and some related projects
- Profile at Discogs.com