Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1978 in Düsseldorf, Germany |
| Founder | Gabriel "Gabi" Delgado-López, Robert Görl, Kurt "Pyrolator" Dahlke, Michael Kemner, Wolfgang Spelmans |
| Headquarters | Düsseldorf , Germany |
| Products | Electropunk and Neue Deutsche Welle music |
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft (; translating to "German-American Friendship"), commonly known as D.A.F., was a pioneering German band in the electropunk and Neue Deutsche Welle genres, originating from Düsseldorf in 1978. The founding members were Gabriel "Gabi" Delgado-López on vocals, Robert Görl handling drums, percussion, and electronic instruments, Kurt "Pyrolator" Dahlke on electronic devices, Michael Kemner playing bass, and Wolfgang Spelmans on guitar. In 1979, Dahlke left and was succeeded by Chrislo Haas, who contributed electronic instruments, bass guitar, and saxophone. From 1981 onward, the group functioned as a duo consisting solely of Delgado-López and Görl. Gabi Delgado-López passed away on 22 March 2020 at the age of 61.
The band's lyrics frequently employed satire of mainstream media language rather than addressing specific topics directly. Tracks such as "Sato-Sato" and "Der Mussolini" illustrate Delgado-López's fascination with the phonetic qualities of words. Prior to the 2003 Iraq conflict, D.A.F. issued the politically charged single "The Sheriff (An Anti-American Song)".
Their album Alles ist gut was honored with the German "Schallplattenpreis" by the "Deutsche Phono-Akademie," signifying its high regard within the music industry.
Origins and initial releases
In August 1978, Görl arrived in Düsseldorf and encountered Delgado at the punk venue Ratinger Hof. Görl recounted, "DAF's earliest formation was just Gabi and me rehearsing in the basement of Ratinger Hof. We developed our core concepts there with strong determination as a duo. Gabi played the stylophone, while I was on drums." This scene fostered several early Neue Deutsche Welle acts, with Görl and Delgado participating in multiple projects. The first two albums by D.A.F. showcased the original quartet’s work across varied musical directions. Their debut album, Ein Produkt der Deutsch-Amerikanischen Freundschaft (1979), issued under Dahlke's Ata Tak label (then called Warning), contained 22 instrumental improvisations recorded during Delgado's brief absence.
The band then moved to London, which at that time was considered a hub for innovative music. Daniel Miller signed them to Mute Records, releasing Die Kleinen und die Bösen, an album blending studio sessions with live recordings. While Ein Produkt... was characterized by intense, overlapping synths and guitars, Die Kleinen... offered a more refined sound featuring anarchic synthesizer elements layered over a steady rhythm.
Virgin Records era
Transitioning into a duo of Delgado and Görl, D.A.F. secured a contract with Virgin Records and released Alles ist gut, their breakthrough record that elevated their status to pop icons within Germany and earned praise across the UK.
Görl's drumming focused on straightforward beats with nuanced variations, complementing Delgado’s vocal delivery. Their instrumentation was deliberately sparse, utilizing Korg MS-20 and ARP Odyssey analog synthesizers controlled by a Korg SQ-10 sequencer which functioned both as melodic support and bassline—demonstrated clearly in "Der Mussolini." The compositions combined raw vocal intensity with mechanical sequences and dynamic percussion. The track "Der Räuber und der Prinz" featured a Glockenspiel-like sound adding an eerie atmosphere.
Alles ist gut achieved sales in the hundreds of thousands within Germany, positioning D.A.F. as the fifth most successful German-language band in that market.
Following this success, the albums Gold und Liebe and Für Immer continued in a similar style until critics observed that the creative scope of their 16-step sequencer had been fully explored. These works incorporated influences ranging from rhythm and blues to microtonal experimentation found in tracks like Im Dschungel der Liebe (from Für immer) and Knochen auf Knochen (the B-side of "Sex unter Wasser"). All three records were produced by Konrad "Conny" Plank, renowned for his innovative contributions to Krautrock and electropop music scenes. The addition of an Oberheim OB-Xa synthesizer was featured on Für immer. The band dissolved during the production of this album.
Post-split
Following the band's separation, both members embarked on solo projects: Delgado released Mistress under Virgin Records, while Görl issued Night Full Of Tension through Mute.
In 1985, Delgado and Görl came together again to produce 1st Step to Heaven, their sole album performed entirely in English, which reached number 46 on the Swedish album charts. Delgado described this as a conscious departure from their usual style: "Now we sing in English, now we don’t wear black."
Their impact expanded over the years, with DJ John Peel referring to them as the Grandfathers of Techno. Both artists continued with individual careers, Robert earning acclaim within the techno scene. Additionally, Delgado collaborated with Wotan Wilke Möhring on two albums under the name DAF/DOS.
In 2003, DAF reunited to release Fünfzehn neue D.A.F.-Lieder, merging the traditional sound shaped by producer Plank with Robert’s techno influences. Traditional drums were replaced by electronic rhythms, while Gabi’s vocal style and use of the ARP Avatar synthesizer remained integral. Deutsche Welle highlighted the album’s critique of American cultural dominance, particularly through the track "Der Sheriff," which climbed to number 2 on the German Alternative Charts (DAC) and secured 15th place on the DAC Top 100 Singles of 2003.
Despite plans for additional recordings, the group disbanded once more before completing another album. In 2007, Görl performed under the name DAF.Partei alongside Thoralf Dietrich.
Since their thirtieth anniversary tour in 2008, Delgado-Lopez and Görl have occasionally reunited. In 2010, they issued a limited single titled "Du bist DAF," restricted to 2010 copies, with a preview made available on SoundCloud.
The band declared their definitive split in January 2015 and subsequently embarked on a farewell tour beginning that May.
An authorised biography entitled Das ist DAF, authored by Miriam Spies and Rudi Esch and published in 2017, recounts the band's history from Delgado and Görl’s viewpoints. They are acknowledged as trailblazers in both techno and EBM genres.
Delgado passed away in 2020. Following this, Görl released a final DAF album named Nur Noch Einer in 2021, which was created using archival recordings paired with newly written lyrics.
Legacy
The track "Alle Gegen Alle" by D.A.F. was reinterpreted by Laibach in 1994. Meanwhile, "Der Mussolini" saw cover versions by Atrocity in 1997 and KMFDM in 2006. Patrik Sampler’s novel The Ocean Container (2017) makes reference to the song "Greif Nach Den Sternen."
Style
Görl characterized their sound on Alles ist gut during a 1981 interview with Melody Maker:
- Most bands acquire a synthesizer and their initial instinct is to tune it for a clean, conventional tone. They miss out on harnessing the raw power inherent in synthesizers... Our goal is to fuse advanced technology with physical energy so that past influences blend seamlessly with futuristic elements.
Delgado elaborated on his vocal approach in that same discussion:
- The singing style diverges from typical rock ’n’ roll or pop vocals. At times it resembles a Hitler speech—not due to ideology but reflecting a unique German cadence marked by a sharp crack! crack! crack! rhythm.
Early on, the band resolved not to perform songs in English. Delgado explained:
- This choice goes beyond image; it is fundamental because from its inception DAF rejected imitating American pop or rock culture. We perceive an overwhelming American presence across culture, television, and music globally. One of our core objectives was to resist adopting rock ‘n’ roll conventions or singing in English. We maintain an identity distinct from American influences.
As lyricist, Delgado explored subjects ranging from political beliefs and violence to raw physical sexuality, occasionally adopting a childlike perspective. Growing up as the offspring of working-class Spanish immigrants during the politically turbulent period known as the German Autumn in Wuppertal, he conveyed West German social realities with bluntness and detachment, unafraid of provoking controversy through his lyrics.
In both performance and media presence, D.A.F., akin to New York's Suicide, anticipated synthpop duos of the later 1980s such as the Pet Shop Boys and Soft Cell, featuring Delgado as an outgoing frontman contrasted by Görl’s reserved electronic musician role. Visually, from Alles ist gut through 1st Step to Heaven, they crafted an image characterized by black leather attire, muscular physiques, hairy chests, and perspiration.
Studio albums
| Title | Album information | Highest chart positions | Additional notes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER | AUS | SWE | |||||||
| Ein Produkt der Deutsch-Amerikanischen Freundschaft |
|
— | — | — |
| ||||
| Die Kleinen und die Bösen |
|
— | — | — |
| ||||
| Alles ist gut |
|
15 | 16 | — |
| ||||
| Gold und Liebe |
|
35 | 10 | — |
| ||||
| Für immer |
|
— | — | — |
| ||||
| 1st Step to Heaven |
|
— | — | 46 | |||||
| Fünfzehn neue D.A.F.-Lieder |
|
95 | — | — | |||||
| Nur Noch Einer |
|
— | — | — | |||||
| The symbol "—" indicates albums that either did not chart or were not distributed in the respective country. | |||||||||
Compilations
- D.A.F. (LP, Virgin V-2533, issued in 1988)
- Hitz Blitz (CD, JCI JCD-9027, released in 1989)
- Der Mussolini (12", The Grey Area, a compilation EP with five tracks, issued in 1998)
- Das Beste von DAF (CD, Mute DAF-4-CD, released in 2009)
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart positions | Album association | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER | BEL (FL) | |||
| "Kebab-Träume" / "Gewalt" | 1980 | — | — | Non-album single |
| "Als wär's das letzte Mal" / "Der Mussolini" | 1981 | — | — | Alles ist gut |
| "Der Räuber und der Prinz" / "Tanz mit mir" | — | — | ||
| "Goldenes Spielzeug" | — | — | Gold und Liebe | |
| "Liebe auf den ersten Blick" | — | — | ||
| "Sex unter Wasser" / "Knochen auf Knochen" | — | — | ||
| "Verlieb dich in mich" / "Ein bisschen Krieg" | 1982 | — | — | Für immer |
| "Absolute Body Control" | 1985 | — | — | 1st Step to Heaven |
| "Brothers" | — | 23 | ||
| "Pure Joy" | 1986 | — | — | |
| "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi" | 47 | 17 | ||
| "The Gun" | 1987 | — | — | Hitz Blitz |
| "Der Mussolini" (Remix) | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Liebe auf den ersten Blick '88 Remix" | 1988 | — | — | |
| "Verschwende deine Jugend" / "El que" | 1989 | — | — | |
| "Der Sheriff" (Anti-Amerikanisches Lied) | 2002 | — | — | Fünfzehn neue D.A.F.-Lieder |
| "Du bist DAF" | 2010 | — | — | Non-album single |
| "Der Mussolini" (Giorgio Moroder & Denis Naidanow Remix) | 2017 | — | — | |
| "Boys Noize / Görl & Hell Remix" | — | — | ||
| "Ich denk an dich" | 2020 | — | — | |
Sources
External links
- German industrial music bands
- German new wave ensembles
- Electronic body music acts
- Neue Deutsche Welle performers
- Musical groups formed in 1978
- Musical groups disbanded in 2021
- German electronic music artists
- Mute Records signees
- Virgin Records artists
- Musical groups originating from Düsseldorf
- Electropunk bands
- 1978 establishments in West Germany
- 2021 disestablishments in Germany
- Musical groups disestablished in 2021