Wolfsheim (band)
| Wolfsheim | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Hamburg, Germany |
| Genres |
Darkwave Synthpop |
| Years active | 1987–2004 |
| Labels |
Strange Ways Records Metropolis Records |
| Past members | Pompejo Ricciardi Oliver Reinhardt Peter Heppner Markus Reinhardt |
Wolfsheim (German pronunciation: [ˈvɔlfs.haɪm]) was a synthpop band from Hamburg, Germany that consisted of Markus Reinhardt and Peter Heppner. Although never officially disbanded, Wolfsheim has been inactive since 2005 due to a dispute between the two members, which even led to trials in 2007 and 2008 that forbade either member to continue Wolfsheim without the other. The band's musical style takes cues from the 1980s New Romanticism and new wave, usually considered synthpop or darkwave. They are best known for their singles "The Sparrows and the Nightingales" (1991), "Once in a Lifetime" (1998) and "Kein Zurück" (2003). Their lyrics tend to be melancholic, but at the same time modernist.
The band was founded in 1987 by Markus Reinhardt and Pompejo Ricciardi and was named after Meyer Wolfshiem, a fictional character from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. Reinhardt's brother Oliver Reinhardt joined the band some time afterward. After co-founder Ricciardi left the band and was replaced by Peter Heppner who had known the band members from mutual friends and from growing up in the same neighborhood in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg, they produced their first demo tape Ken Manage in 1988. Their first performance was at Werkstatt 3, a small club in Hamburg. Oliver Reinhardt left the band, leading to the band's definitive lineup with Markus Reinhardt (music) and Peter Heppner (lyrics and vocals).
After making a second demo tape Any But Pretty (1989), Wolfsheim applied at various labels to no avail, until they caught the attention of the one-man independent record label Strange Ways Records. Wolfsheim's "The Sparrows and the Nightingales" (1991), was the first single to be released on Strange Ways. The song became a fast hit, even though it was not heavily promoted. Their debut album No Happy View (1992) was also released on Strange Ways and did well in the charts. The follow-up Popkiller (1993) reached the German Media Control Charts, albeit at a low position. In February 1995, Wolfsheim released the compilation album 55578, comprising many tracks previously featured on singles, as well as some unreleased material. The first 55,578 copies were special editions that contained a bonus disk with material recorded at the Strange Ways Festival. The album remained in the German charts for five weeks. The 1996 album Dreaming Apes reached number 91. Following its release, Wolfsheim embarked on their first tour in May 1996. A live recording was released in October 1997 named Hamburg Rom Wolfsheim.
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