Krisma

Krisma

Company type	Musical duo
Industry	Music
Founded	1976 in Milan, Italy
Founder	Maurizio Arcieri, Christina Moser
Defunct	2015
Headquarters	Milan , Italy
Products	Music albums, singles

Krisma, initially known as Chrisma, was an Italian electronic and new wave duo established in 1976 by Maurizio Arcieri (1942–2015) and Christina Moser (1952–2022).

1976–1979

The partnership between Arcieri and Moser began in Milan in 1976 under the name "Chrisma," which derived from their combined initials. That same year, they relocated to London to record the tracks "U" and "Amore" with producer Nico Papathanassiou and his brother Vangelis, working under the guidance of manager Anthony Fawcett. Their collaboration extended into 1978, resulting in the album Chinese Restaurant and the single "Lola".

Their sophomore album, Hibernation, was released in 1979.

1980–1989

By 1980, the duo had adopted the name "Krisma". Their third studio album, Cathode Mamma, featured synthesizer contributions from Hans Zimmer. The single "Many Kisses" gained significant traction across European markets. During this era, Krisma also developed the Krismino, recognized as the first minisequencer. In 1981, they transitioned from Polygram to CGD, a division of CBS.

The 1982 release Clandestine Anticipation was an innovative concept album centered on water's various states, complemented by videos shot in tropical settings that aired on Rai 1's Mister Fantasy program.

In 1986, Krisma moved their base to New York City, where they produced three music videos for MTV and later collaborated with France 2. They were regular guests on Italia Uno's "Be Bop a Lula," hosted by Red Ronnie. Singles from this period include "Nothing To Do With the Dog" (known internationally as "Fido") and "Iceberg".

Their 1988 album Non ho denaro marked their final vinyl production and is regarded as one of their most elusive releases.

1991–2015

Throughout the 1990s, Krisma remastered their early catalog while continuing freelance projects for Rai 3, Italy’s public broadcaster. They contributed special effects to Marco Ferreri’s film Nitrato d'Argento (1996) and acted as consultants for Benetton’s Centro Ricerca Comunicazione. On July 22, 1998, they launched Krisma TV, which broadcast via Skyplex and later Eutelstat across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

In June 2000, Krisma debuted their official website www.krismatv.net. Around this time, Arcieri embarked on a solo endeavor named Re-Birth, releasing the bilingual single "Kara" in 2001. In 2002, Krisma collaborated with Turin’s Subsonica on the track Nuova Ossessione.

Later that year, Arcieri and Moser joined forces with Minox at Suite Inc. studio in Pistoia, Italy. This collaboration culminated in the EP KrismaSuite, which was released on February 25, 2025.

Christina Moser, Krisma’s lead vocalist, passed away on October 13, 2022.

Discography

Albums

• Chinese Restaurant (1977) (as Chrisma)
• Hibernation (1979) (as Chrisma)
• Cathode Mamma (1980)
• Clandestine Anticipation (1982)
• Nothing to Do with the Dog (1983) (US release titled Fido)
• Iceberg (1986)
• Non ho denaro (1989)
• Chybernation (2011)

Singles

• "Amore"/"Sweet Baby Sue" (1976) (as Chrisma)
• "U part. I"/"U part. II" (1977) (as Chrisma)
• "Lola"/"Black Silk Stocking" (1977) (as Chrisma)
• "C-Rock"/"Mandoya" (1977) (as Chrisma)
• "Gott Gott Electron"/"Vetra Platz" (1979) (as Chrisma)
• "Aurora B."/"Hibernated Nazi" (1979) (as Chrisma)
• "Many Kisses"/"Rien Ne Va Plus" (1980)
• "Cathode Mamma"/"Rrock" (1980)
• "Water"/"Samora Club" (1982)
• "Nothing to Do with the Dog"/"Find a Friend" (1983)
• "Be Bop"/"Be Bop (rep.)" (1985)
• "Iceberg"/"Skyline" (1985)
• "Signorina"/"Hotta Choccolata" (1987)

Collaborations

• "Suffocation" – featured on Vangelis' 1980 album See You Later
• "Nuova Ossessione" – included on Subsonica's 2002 album Amorematico
• Contributions to Franco Battiato's 2004 album Dieci Stratagemmi: "Odore di Polvere da Sparo", "23 Coppie di Cromosomi", and "Apparenza e Realtà"
• "Australia" – part of Garbo's 2006 tribute compilation Congarbo
• KrismaSuite – a collaborative effort with Minox and Enfantronique

External links

• Official site
• Chrisma's Discogs page
• Additional Discogs listing
• IMDb entry
• Krisma updates blog