Bettina Köster
| Bettina Köster | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born | 15 June 1959 |
| Origin | Herford, Germany |
| Genres | Avant-garde, dark ambient |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, saxophone, guitar |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels |
Crépuscule Psycho Rebel, Jungle |
| Associated acts |
Mania D Einstürzende Neubauten |
Bettina Köster (born 15 June 1959 in Herford) is a German musician, saxophonist, composer, singer, songwriter and producer.
Fall 1978, Köster, student of the Berlin art school Hochschule der Künste, began playing Saxophone for the Berlin underground band DIN A Testbild. In May 1979 Köster started with Karin Luner, Beate Bartel, Eva Gossling and Gudrun Gut an all-girls-band project Mania D. In Fall 1979 Mania D performed in New York at Arleen Schloss A's, and in the Club Tier 3.
In the same year she opened with Gudrun Gut the store Eisengrau (metalgrey), showing underground fashion, Super 8-movies and artwork as part of the concept. Köster's Eisengrau-concept emerged to a scene hot-spot for Tabea Blumenschein, Alexander von Borsig, Blixa Bargeld and others. 1980 Eisengrau began publishing small editions of tapes with the musical works of underground bands, classifying thereby Eisengrau to a medium for music.
Bettina Köster belonged to a group of Berlin artists named genius dilettantes, who, starting in 1980, performed in quick changing band-formations such as Liebesgier, Nachdenkliche Wehrpflichtige and Einstürzende Neubauten among others. Wolfgang Müller from Die Tödliche Doris invented the characterizing term of the "genius dilettantes" in his book about the Berlin scene published at the Merve-Verlag. The British radiohost John Peel referred to Köster, Gut and Beate Bartel who meanwhile had separated, during a show on 25. July 1981, as his "Queens of Noise". Mania D's produktion track 4 was chosen by Peel in his Radio-Show to as the single of the year.
In the same year Köster and Gudrun Gut started the Indie band Malaria! Malaria! gained international recognition with their song "Kaltes klares Wasser", they performed at the New Yorker Studio 54 and Mudd Club. Malaria toured with Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Birthday Party among others. As a lyricist Köster influenced succeeding girl Bands, such as Chicks on Speed, who released a cover version of Malaria's 1981 Hit "Kaltes Klares Wasser". In Playboy Magazine January 1985 "The Girls of Rock 'n' Roll", she is model together with Grace Jones, Tina Turner, Pat Benatar and Diana Ross.
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