Xmal Deutschland probably won’t need much of an introduction to post-punk fans. First gracing these ears on the John Peel show in 1983, when he played ‘Incubus Succubus II’, a recording which became their most famous track – and for good reason, it’s one of the best post-punk / goth tracks ever put to tape – I couldn’t believe how great they sounded. And they sang in German! It was like a whole new world opening. Alas, I had to go to school the next day, which tells you all you need to know really, and none of my school-friends cared for the music, and by the time I was actually old enough to go and see Xmal, I was pursuing much noisier music. The 80s, of course, was a very fast-moving decade for music, with the latter half being very different to the former. And surely, over time, this music would just fade away, anyway, I thought, and something else would replace it?
Well, not exactly. I still managed to acquire all the Xmal vinyl over the next few years ( you’re jealous, admit it ) and it was only later in life that I accepted how unsurpassed the dark-synth music of that era remains – it just refuses to go away and ‘age’, and the mantle burns on in the dark hearts of young and old alike, with a myriad artists and DJs keeping things going.
And that I think is the best description of what the three hundred or so people who had rushed from work on a dark Wednesday evening to get to the venue early enough to see Anja Huwe perform, got to experience. Anja’s recent musical output in collaboration with the very talented Mona Mur, whilst paying homage to those early days, sounds current and vital, with powerful soundscapes and textures framing the formidable presence of Anja’s voice and lyrics.
Suffice to say I think they pretty much stunned those in the audience who turned up just after 8pm to ‘check out the support’ and witnessed such a heavy, driving set, particularly with new tracks like ‘Exit’. Anja, at the age of 67, can still sing, her voice powerful and inspirational. The setlist contained: Boomerang, Polarlicht, Autumn, alongside; Rabenshchwartz, Sleep with One Eye Open, and Pariah. The new music fits with the old – everything sounds in place, everything seems right. People were impressed. And as they entered the last song of the set, Incubus Succubus, there was a cheer from the crowd. If you’re reading this and there is still time to see them, do it now. 10/10
faustian nosebleed 
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