Kurt

Kurt is a German post-punk, indie and art-rock band from Germany, also described as a post-hardcore and noise rock group formed in 1994. The band presents itself as a loud, guitar-led act built around driving bass, sharp guitars, heavy drums and forceful vocals, with a sound that takes melody and harmony and breaks them down into noise-driven rock.

Line-up

The group is listed with Armin Nagel, Denis Erath, Frank Otto and Kurt Koblizek as members. Another description of the band gives a different line-up: vocals by てんてん (Tenten), guitars by 伶希 (Ryouki) and 癒マ (Yuma), bass by 三狼 (Saburou), and drums by 規明 (Kiaki). The band is also associated with the names Tenten, Yuma, Ryouki, Ranmaru/Oto and Kiaki in later activity.

Activity and releases

One account says the band forms in November 2004 under the name KuRt, with Tenten, Yuma, Ryouki, Ranmaru and Kiaki coming from earlier groups including Hanamuke, Visage and Misora. It then announces itself publicly in January 2005. Under that name, it releases the single Oritatamishiki Ojiichan on 21 January, limited to 2,000 copies, followed by a DVD titled Gozen 3Ji Hoshi Furu Yoru, which includes a promotional video, the album Junketsu sengishiri metsuretsu and a live DVD. Later in the same year it issues three maxi singles and another DVD containing four promotional videos.

In 2006 the group releases NEIGHBORHOOD NUMBER, described as a memorial album recorded with Oto on bass, and then a series of six singles in collaboration with the visual kei magazine SHOXX under the title THEE SPIDER EFFECT. These releases are issued monthly from July, each limited to 2,000 copies and available only by mail order and through selected shops. The band also plays its first concerts abroad in Seoul, South Korea, in September. Its final release is THEE SPIDER EFFECT BEST, a compilation of the series with three new promotional videos.

Disbandment

The KuRt period ends with Tenten’s departure after a Christmas oneman show on 24 December 2006. The remaining members then announce that the band will disband after a final concert on 11 February 2007, without adding a replacement vocalist. KuRt is described as officially disbanded.

Other association

The name Kurt is also used for a different German band formed in 1993 and for unrelated musicians in Austria and Britain, but the German band described above is the act associated with post-punk, indie, art-rock, post-hardcore and noise rock.