Formed by brothers Stephen and Martin Eicher in 1978, the Swiss band Grauzone were part of the ‘Neue Deutsche Welle’ (New German Wave) – a collective of European bands who took their inspiration from punk, early electro and the grey decaying urban cities around them. From its early beginnings in 1981 from the underground punk scenes of Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg (amongst others) to commercial success in the mid-eighties, the NDW is now regarded to have exerted its influence on genres such as, new beat , electroclash and the ‘dance-punk’ phenomena of the early noughties.

‘Film 2′ is one of the genre’s understated masterpieces.  A b-side from the hit single ‘Eisbar’ (which was later covered by the Ad Man’s wet-dream group Nouvelle Vague), the track is unnerving and extraordinary. With it’s slightly off-kilter four to the floor beat and minimal yet driving sound, it’s a song that was way ahead of its time. Featuring on many mix compilations over the years (most notably Hot Chips’ DJ Kicks album), just shows the timeless quality of this cult 1981 gem.

Grauzone – Film 2