This is part II of my conversation with Ralf Dörper and Michael Mertens. It took place in July 2024 from their homes in Germany.
Propaganda was formed in Düsseldorf, West Germany, in 1982, by Ralf Dörper (a member of the pioneering German industrial band Die Krupps). As a trio, with artist Andreas Thein and vocalist Susanne Freytag, the group made initial recordings in Germany which were destined for future release in the UK, where Ralf Dörper's early experimental recordings had received critical acclaim by radio DJ John Peel and journalist Chris Bohn (aka Biba Kopf). With the inclusion of classically trained musician and composer, Michael Mertens and singer Claudia Brücken (who had been in an all-female band, The Topolinos, with Freytag), music journalist Paul Morley signed the band to Trevor Horn's newly formed ZTT label in 1983.
The group relocated to the United Kingdom and released the single "Dr. Mabuse", named after the fictional character, made famous by filmmaker Fritz Lang. The single reached the Top 30 in the UK Singles Chart, and the Top 10 in Germany. The group appeared on various TV shows in the UK, including Channel 4's The Tube. Here, as well as performing "Dr. Mabuse", the group also gave one of its few performances of a cover version of Throbbing Gristle's song "Discipline".
Before the year was out, Thein was asked to leave the band due to musical differences. With Mertens now filling the gap left by his departure, the band forged ahead with recording its follow-up single and debut album. However, both of these were to be delayed as a result of the unexpectedly huge success of ZTT's most famous signing, Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
Stephen Lipson, one of Horn's established studio engineers, took his place along with Andy Richards playing keyboards, but the delay meant that Propaganda's second single, the more pop-oriented "Duel", did not surface until April 1985. Perhaps the band's most recognizable release, it was also their highest-charting single in the UK, reaching number 21.
In May 1985, with Frankie Goes to Hollywood becoming tax exiles in Ireland, the band effectively headlined "The Value of Entertainment", a series of showcase gigs of ZTT signings, held at the Ambassadors Theatre in London. The shows also featured Art of Noise, Anne Pigalle, Andrew Poppy and Instinct. Propaganda was joined on stage by former Simple Minds bassist Derek Forbes and ex-Japan drummer Steve Jansen.
The first week of July 1985 finally saw the release of the band's debut album, A Secret Wish which was written by Mertens and Dörper. After receiving considerable critical acclaim and some commercial success, it reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was followed by another single, "p:Machinery", in August 1985, which only reached number 50 in the UK, but becoming a bigger hit in Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland and even being used in the hit US TV Show Miami Vice (1986 episode: The Fix).
The group spent the rest of the year on their "Outside World" tour, taking in Europe and America. They were joined once again by Derek Forbes on bass, with his fellow ex-Simple Minds colleagues Brian McGee on drums, and Kevin Armstrong on guitar, with backing tapes used for most of the keyboard parts. In the meantime, a remix album, Wishful Thinking, was released in November 1985. Originally intended for the American club market, the album was also released in Europe, but against the wishes of the group themselves.
On 20 May 2022, the xPropaganda album titled The Heart Is Strange by Brücken, Freytag and Lipson were released in various formats by Universal Music on the ZTT imprint. The album peaked at no. 11 in the UK, higher than any of Propaganda's previous releases.
Forty years since their inception, and almost two decades since their last release, art-synth auteurs Propaganda return with a brand-new chapter in their enthralling story. This self-titled set from principal songwriting partnership Ralf Dörper and Michael Mertens embodies the depth and drama of their early work. Conceived and crafted entirely in their native Düsseldorf, a deliberate decision to help them stay true to themselves and featuring guest appearances from the acclaimed Hauschka and ascendant Thunder Bae, this is Propaganda at their most essential.
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