V.A. (VARIOUS ARTISTS) (COMPILATIONS) — DECODER (OST)
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Released on standalone CD for the first time in 33 years, this now-complete edition of the ground-breaking cult soundtrack is finally here.
A cult classic of sci-fi dystopia, "Decoder" (1984) saw EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN's members working alongside GENESIS P-ORRIDGE (THROBBING GRISTLE / PSYCHIC TV) and WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS. It's one of the strangest (and most prescient) films of the decade. The film was made in Hamburg and Berlin, and directed by Klaus Maeck 'Muscha' (who directed several punk films).
The lead roles are played by Christiane F and FM Einheit from Neubauten, who also contributed to the film's score. Genesis P-Orridge, the kingpin of the English industrial scene, also appears as a priest of the Black Noise faith. Author William S. Burroughs portrays an insurrectionist salesman of audio equipment (and contributes spoken word to the soundtrack), and American cult actor Bill Rice plays a detective.
SOFT CELL contributed their classic 'Seedy Films', while MATT JOHNSON from THE THE wrote a frenetic, deformed song for the film that is both fantastic and painful to listen to, and EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN's 'Compressed Metal' is sublime. Dave Ball (SOFT CELL), Jon Caffery and Genesis P-Orridge composed the rest of the soundtrack.
A futuristic film, and a joyous application of William S. Burroughs' "The Electronic Revolution", which proposes a seditious and rather poetic method of subverting the masses and inciting them to rise up against the forces of order.
MUZAK IS MORE THAN MUSIC.
CD in matt-laminate digipak, with 10-page foldout booklet.
Mitwirkende
veröffentlicht am 19. September 2025
Recorded by Dave Ball and Genesis P-Orridge at Audio International Studios, London 1983.
Recorded by FM Einheit, Jon Caffery and Alexander Von Borsig at Rudas Studios, Dusseldorf, 1983.
Engineered by Adam Moseley, Felix Beyer, Jason Stokes, Matthew Dabell, Stefan Kühne.
Mixed by Jon Caffery.
Produced by Klaus Maeck, Muscha.
Graphic design for Cold Spring by Abby Helasdottir.
Licensed from Interzone Pictures.
Watch the trailer: youtu.be/-Vu2ySzInU8
https://coldspring.bandcamp.com/album/decoder-csr356cd
"Talk about bad timing! I recently read film-maker Klaus Maeck's autobiography, in German, with the idea of publishing an English translation. His managerial role with Einsturzende Neubauten, his 'Decoder' movie and connections with William Burroughs all tick on the positive side, but his texts about the many journeys are not for him or my series of books about music. However, I translated the chapter about 'Decoder' to be included in 'The Third Annual', my magazine/yearbook, which I will publish when Vital Weekly is gone and buried. It's a pity that Cold Spring reissues the soundtrack of 'Decoder' before that happens; it would be great publicity (oh wait... But will you remember when you see me announcing 'The Third Annual'?).
The movie is about a young man who takes his lessons from Burroughs' 'The Electronic Revolution', and manipulates muzak recordings from shops and fast food joints (the fictitious fast-food chain H-Burger) and feeds them back into the 'system'. The leading roles are played by Christiane F (herself subject of the book 'Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo' about her life as a junkie) and FM Einheit from Neubauten, and also features Genesis P-Orridge (as a priest of the Black Noise faith), William S. Burroughs (an insurrectionist salesman) and American cult actor Bill Rice plays a detective.
I saw the movie in the late 1980s, and possibly again later when I downloaded it (though I'd rather not mention that), but it got lost over time. The same goes for the soundtrack, which I may or may not have heard. Now I am playing the reissue, I believe this may be the first time I heard it. I recognise Soft Cell's 'Seedy Films', but I must have picked that up somewhere else; it's a fine piece. I realise I don't hear as much Soft Cell as I'd like. Other pieces are by FM Einheit, Einstürzende Neubauten, FM Einheit & John Caffey & Alexander von Borsig and The The, all delivering one piece. At the same time, P-Orridge and Dave Ball (of Soft Cell) have five pieces, and P-Orridge a short solo one. While The The and Soft Cell are rooted in the world of pop music, plus the seedy 'Sex and The Married Frog (Ball & Genesis), the other pieces are definitely 'avant-garde', 'electronic' and turning music against muzak. This is best exemplified by the Caffey/Einheit/Von Borsig piece, the
longest on this album, with what sounds like heavily treated field recordings, maybe from H-Burger, transformed into a firm piece of anti-muzak. Unlike many other soundtracks I review, this one is more song-based and not sketches of atmospheric music. Maybe this is the classic form of a soundtrack album?
Knowing Cold Spring Records' love for reissues, may I suggest a DVD of the 'Decoder' movie? (FdW)
A cult classic of sci-fi dystopia, "Decoder" (1984) saw EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN's members working alongside GENESIS P-ORRIDGE (THROBBING GRISTLE / PSYCHIC TV) and WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS. It's one of the strangest (and most prescient) films of the decade. The film was made in Hamburg and Berlin, and directed by Klaus Maeck 'Muscha' (who directed several punk films).
The lead roles are played by Christiane F and FM Einheit from Neubauten, who also contributed to the film's score. Genesis P-Orridge, the kingpin of the English industrial scene, also appears as a priest of the Black Noise faith. Author William S. Burroughs portrays an insurrectionist salesman of audio equipment (and contributes spoken word to the soundtrack), and American cult actor Bill Rice plays a detective.
SOFT CELL contributed their classic 'Seedy Films', while MATT JOHNSON from THE THE wrote a frenetic, deformed song for the film that is both fantastic and painful to listen to, and EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN's 'Compressed Metal' is sublime. Dave Ball (SOFT CELL), Jon Caffery and Genesis P-Orridge composed the rest of the soundtrack.
A futuristic film, and a joyous application of William S. Burroughs' "The Electronic Revolution", which proposes a seditious and rather poetic method of subverting the masses and inciting them to rise up against the forces of order.
MUZAK IS MORE THAN MUSIC.
CD in matt-laminate digipak, with 10-page foldout booklet.
Mitwirkende
veröffentlicht am 19. September 2025
Recorded by Dave Ball and Genesis P-Orridge at Audio International Studios, London 1983.
Recorded by FM Einheit, Jon Caffery and Alexander Von Borsig at Rudas Studios, Dusseldorf, 1983.
Engineered by Adam Moseley, Felix Beyer, Jason Stokes, Matthew Dabell, Stefan Kühne.
Mixed by Jon Caffery.
Produced by Klaus Maeck, Muscha.
Graphic design for Cold Spring by Abby Helasdottir.
Licensed from Interzone Pictures.
Watch the trailer: youtu.be/-Vu2ySzInU8
https://coldspring.bandcamp.com/album/decoder-csr356cd
"Talk about bad timing! I recently read film-maker Klaus Maeck's autobiography, in German, with the idea of publishing an English translation. His managerial role with Einsturzende Neubauten, his 'Decoder' movie and connections with William Burroughs all tick on the positive side, but his texts about the many journeys are not for him or my series of books about music. However, I translated the chapter about 'Decoder' to be included in 'The Third Annual', my magazine/yearbook, which I will publish when Vital Weekly is gone and buried. It's a pity that Cold Spring reissues the soundtrack of 'Decoder' before that happens; it would be great publicity (oh wait... But will you remember when you see me announcing 'The Third Annual'?).
The movie is about a young man who takes his lessons from Burroughs' 'The Electronic Revolution', and manipulates muzak recordings from shops and fast food joints (the fictitious fast-food chain H-Burger) and feeds them back into the 'system'. The leading roles are played by Christiane F (herself subject of the book 'Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo' about her life as a junkie) and FM Einheit from Neubauten, and also features Genesis P-Orridge (as a priest of the Black Noise faith), William S. Burroughs (an insurrectionist salesman) and American cult actor Bill Rice plays a detective.
I saw the movie in the late 1980s, and possibly again later when I downloaded it (though I'd rather not mention that), but it got lost over time. The same goes for the soundtrack, which I may or may not have heard. Now I am playing the reissue, I believe this may be the first time I heard it. I recognise Soft Cell's 'Seedy Films', but I must have picked that up somewhere else; it's a fine piece. I realise I don't hear as much Soft Cell as I'd like. Other pieces are by FM Einheit, Einstürzende Neubauten, FM Einheit & John Caffey & Alexander von Borsig and The The, all delivering one piece. At the same time, P-Orridge and Dave Ball (of Soft Cell) have five pieces, and P-Orridge a short solo one. While The The and Soft Cell are rooted in the world of pop music, plus the seedy 'Sex and The Married Frog (Ball & Genesis), the other pieces are definitely 'avant-garde', 'electronic' and turning music against muzak. This is best exemplified by the Caffey/Einheit/Von Borsig piece, the
longest on this album, with what sounds like heavily treated field recordings, maybe from H-Burger, transformed into a firm piece of anti-muzak. Unlike many other soundtracks I review, this one is more song-based and not sketches of atmospheric music. Maybe this is the classic form of a soundtrack album?
Knowing Cold Spring Records' love for reissues, may I suggest a DVD of the 'Decoder' movie? (FdW)