Optimo’s JD Twitch Curates Compilation of ’80s German Post-Punk and DIY Music

Strut have just announced a new compilation curated by Optimo's JD Twitch! Out 9th November, Kreaturen der Nacht brings together a selection of classics, rarities and oddities from Germany's original post-punk and DIY scene.

1980 to 1984 was an era of particular artistic upheaval in Germany as strong subculture scenes formed in many German cities. Emphasis was placed on expression rather than technical perfection, artistic impact rather than skill. DIY self-organisation prevailed with the establishment of small record labels and independently produced records and cassettes. Bands experimented across genres and consciously abandoned the English-speaking mainstream with German band names and lyrics.

“[The compilation] is not designed to tell a definitive story of what was going on in Germany in this era,” JD Twitch explains. “Rather, it is simply an arbitrary collection of records I adore from a specific era with a specific attitude that hopefully together sum up some of the musical undercurrents in Germany at that time.”

Two years in the making, the package features a host of rare and unseen photos from the period along with extensive interviews with artists including Beate Bartel (Mania D.), Christoph Dreher (Die Haut), Michael Hirsch (P1/E) and Thomas Voburka (Weltklang). Listen to a track from Leben Und Arbeiten below, and check the tracklist and cover art.

Kreaturen der Nacht tracklist:

01. Leben Und Arbeiten – Amanita
02. Malaria! – Your Turn To Run (I Will Be Your Only One)
03. Ausserhalb – Zeitzelle
04. Die Haut – Der Karibische Western
05. Aus Lauter Liebe – Pingelig
06. Mania D. – Track 4
07. Exkurs – Fakten
08. Christiane F – Wunderbar (JD Twitch Edit)
09. Sprung Aus Den Wolken – Dub And Die
10. P1/E – Up And Above / Up And Above Dub
11. Franz Erlmeier & Fritz Köstler – Öffnen Sie Mal Ihre Tasche
12. Populäre Mechanik – Scharfer Schnitt (No. 1)
13. Andreas Dorau & Die Marinas – Fred Vom Jupiter
14. Weltklang – Vob Heimat
15. Stefan Blöser – Voyager One
16. Matthias Schuster – An Rah Robeel

Kreaturen der Nacht is out 9th November via Strut, pre-order it here.