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Mute News: DAF returns with Best Of and tour! + COMPETITION!

Mute is gearing up to release another retrospective release, detailing the career of one of electronic music’s defining bands. 30 years after the release of their debut album, ‘Ein Produkt der Deutsch-Amerikanischen Freundschaft’ Düsseldorf’s notorious DAF will release “DAS BESTE VON DAF – 20 Lieder der Deutsch Amerikanischen Freundschaft”, a new Best Of compilation album on 30th March 2009.

DAF paved the way for bands like Nitzer Ebb, Die Krupps and Front 242, and was part of the Mute family from the very start. Coinciding with the release, DAF will perform a concert at London’s Islington Academy on March 28th. Says Robert Görl, “A reunion of DAF was always in the air – it was only a matter of time.”

This is a unique chance to re-visit an integral part of Mute’s history – both live and on record. Not to be missed!

So far, three dates remain on DAF’s reunion tour:

March 14: Venezia, Italy (Fucina Controvento)
March 28: London, England (Islington Adademy)
July 25: Waregem, Belgium (Expo Festival)

To celebrate the return of DAF, Mute have given us some goodies to give away. We want you to tell us what DAF track is your favourite, and why? You can do so in the comments! Do not forget to register a VALID, WORKING email address, or we can’t contact you, should you win.

FIRST PRIZE: A really nice Mute “goodie bag” with an assortment of nice Mute stuff. Second and third runner up will receive the new DAF Best Of album!

26 Comments

  • Adam

    1

    Kebab Träume, because that song was the first DAF-song I heard and it was so mindblowing and different from anything else I have ever heard. It was the startingpoint from where I went deeper and deeper into the synthetic soundscapes aka EBM.

  • Frank Habet

    2

    Favourite Song: Der Räuber und der Prinz. Because this song is extra oridinary. The had a fantastic audience in the german TV with a absolutly crazy decoration, show and presentation. I will never forget it. I was so happy, that the reunit again...

  • gadget

    3

    "Co Co Pino" from "Die Kleinen Und Die Bösen" LP is my favourite. I just love its amazing synth riff and ridiculous vocals. So bizarre, yet very funky!

  • Yamma Naim

    4

    Kebabtraume is the Greatest Song in the Universe! But in all honesty, DAF is the most under rated band in the history of the industry/electronic genre. Along with Cabaret Voltaire and Fad Gadget, they innovated a sound that was unheard of in their time. There are many bands that try to copy Depeche Mode such as Camouflage & Redflag in their own respective ways but nobody has ever been able to emulate DAF's musicianship and their unique sound. The reason why I choose Kebabtraume as my favorite song is because it was the first one I had heard from them. This song grabbed me from the first listen with its orgasmic synth, and German preach... Deutschland, Deutschland!!! I wish DAF was more well known in the US, I would have been able to see them in Los Angeles or somewhere in California. If I ever get a chance to form a band, there is no doubt in my mind that DAF would be one of the biggest influences to the sound. I wish I knew what instruments they used on their old albums. DAF created the dirty electro sound, and I will forever preach their greatness to the masses!

  • Painful

    5

    Actually, my favourite track is Der Mussolini for the sheer nonsense of it all.

  • bongmute

    6

    My fav DAF song still is "Ein bisschen Krieg". It reminds me some very great nights!(Like "Liaisons Dangereuses - Los Ninos Del Parque" do).

  • abbe

    7

    The DAF song of choice is of course Liebe auf den ersten Blick. Because Mr Görl looks so damn fantasticly cool in the promo. And it´s a very good song as well.

  • SLIICKMAN

    8

    I really like Alles Ist Gut I think they were a band way ahead of the times besides we wouldn't have Nitzer Ebb without them

  • Well Wrong

    9

    Definately the best ever DAF song must be "Alle Gegen Alle" (although most DAF songs briliant!); great lyrics & hypnotic beat make this song the very special one. I also love the cover version by Laibach but nothing beats the original, of course!

  • Bogdanel

    10

    My favourite is "Das Mussolini". I heard it first a couple of years after it was released but it was instant hit for me. The lyrics were something unheard behind the iron courtain, really liked them. But I needed my father to translate them properly

  • Carlos Flores

    11

    My favourite track is "Tanz der Mussolinni". Its relentlessness blew me away the first time I listened to it, and still does to this day. I still have the old tape on which I recorded it from the radio and though the sound is not that good I like to play it every now and then (my wife hates, it by the way). Occasionally I have tried to find some best of compilation but to no avail, so a prize would come in handy!

  • darkon

    12

    "Als wärs das letzte mal" - Since i heard that song in the 80s i started to live my life, it could be the last time... ;)

  • sandokan

    13

    D.A.F. were influeintial for a lot of band I like. My first impact on them was "Der Räuber und der Prinz" so this is the song I like most.

  • Dean Thompson

    14

    Without doubt my favourite D.A.F. song is Kebabträume. Apart from loving the track it is the first record I ever purchased on the Mute label and it opened up a world of music and experience to me that I am still enjoying so many years later. All the bands and music I have enjoyed since on Mute from Nitzer Ebb to Recoil seem to me to stem from this one track and I will be eternally grateful to Gabi, Robert and the lads for this. Vielen dank.

  • Eric Downer

    15

    I'm going with "Die Kleinen und Die Bösen" not only for the fact that it is the title track of their classic album, but it is a truly stripped down and very forward thinking track... A sweet tension pervades throughout, culminating in the feedback sounds later on...

  • Adam

    16

    Kebab Träume, because that song was the first DAF-song I heard and it was so mindblowing and different from anything else I have ever heard. It was the startingpoint from where I went deeper and deeper into the synthetic soundscapes aka EBM.

  • AnyHow

    17

    My favorite track is "Nacht Arbeit". That's where I started from. First time I heard it in Depeche Mode '101' film. I wanted to find out what the music it was for a several years! Till I've found.

  • EonMac

    18

    For me it's "Tanz Mit Mir". Proper Industrial German music. Somehow I missed D.A.F when I was getting into Fad Gadget and Depeche Mode! Thanks to the Mute Audio Document CD collection I have now found them and believe it or not my 16 daughter loves them too. We are going to see then in Islington soon.

  • Bedz55

    19

    "Muskel" is my favourite... i saw the video 1982 on "Dreiklangsdimensionen" German TV...it was so different from anything else I have ever see and heard..pure EBM!

  • Glen

    20

    While I’m not eligible for the contest, I would just like to note that I have always been a big fan of “Brothers” myself. More on their poppy side, but I love that one.

  • John B

    21

    Kebabtraume. Why? It was playing as I lost my virginity!!!! :-)

  • Belek

    22

    My fave DAF song is Der Sherriff. Simply because to me, it marked the return of DAF to the music front with a song fitting exactly my point of view (about Bush's behaviour). Also, I considered that song to be like a German friend giving a good advice to his American friend, quite ironic if you ask me. The final point to this song being my favourtie is that it's a simple song musically speaking, very redundant au dance friendly, perfect for the EBM club scene.

  • Belek

    23

    WTF???!!!??? Just checked the tracklisting of this best of and my favourtie song is not on it... Too bad, really... :-(((

  • LISA SANDOVAL

    24

    CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THEM...HERE IN CHICAGO!LOVE THE NEW SOUND!!!

  • Duane

    25

    Der Mussolini it`s my fave by far it`s so random and one of my favourite bands Client covered it live with Robert playing drums.

  • Andreas

    26

    My favorite song is "Verschwende Deine Jugend" which has a powerful sound and stands -in my opinion- a bit more for the typical DAF-Music than "Der Mussolini". I also can recommend the german movie "Verschwende Deine Jugend", which has at least marginal to with DAF.