Tohuvabohu

Infobox Album
Name = Tohuvabohu
Type = album
Artist = KMFDM


Released = August 21, 2007
Recorded = November 2006 – 2007
Genre = Industrial rock Industrial metal
Length = 51:09
Label = Metropolis Records/KMFDM Records
Producer = Sascha Konietzko, Jules Hodgson
Reviews =
*"ReGen Magazine" Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.regenmag.com/Reviews-1068-KMFDM-Tohuvabohu.html link]
Last album = "Ruck Zuck" (2005)
This album = "Tohuvabohu" (2007)
Next album = "Brimborium" (2008)

"Tohuvabohu" is industrial rock group KMFDM's fifteenth studio album, released on August 21, 2007, on the band's record label KMFDM Records and Metropolis Records. It was recorded in Seattle, Washington.

The word "tohuvabohu" is derived from the biblical Hebrew phrase "tohu va bohu", meaning "without form and void" or "chaos and utter confusion", which was used to describe the state of the earth before creation. [cite web | url=http://www.stargods.org/SellerCreation1.htm | title=The Biblical History of Creation, Part 1 | first=Bob | last=Sellers | accessmonthday=March 23 | accessyear=2007] [cite web | url=http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/AHR/archive/Issue-June-2001/thomas.html | title=Adulterous liaisons: Jean Rhys, Stella Bowen and feminist reading | first=Sue | last=Thomas | work=Australian Humanities Review | accessmonthday=March 23 | accessyear=2007 | quote=According to the OED Tohuvabohu is 'That which is empty and formless; chaos; utter confusion'.] The band describes their usage of the term as meaning "wild and chaotic".cite web | url=http://www.kmfdmrecords.com/news/news.htm | title=KMFDM Records News | publisher=KMFDM Records | accessmonthday=June 7 | accessyear=2007]

According to KMFDM Records' press release for "Tohuvabohu", the album was to feature a variety of sounds, including techno (“Looking For Strange”), metal (“Saft und Kraft”), industrial (“Spit or Swallow”), darkwave (“Tohuvabohu”), sweeping epic (“Bumaye”), and pop rock (“Fait Accompli”). The band also revealed the album would include songs featuring several languages previously unexplored by the group, including Latin, Hebrew, Lingala, and Spanish.

On July 12, 2007, the song "Looking For Strange" was premiered on "The Core" radio show on WNRN in Charlottesville, Virginia. [cite web | url=http://electroindustrialradio.com/wordpress/?p=104 | title=The Core - 7-12-07 - Playlist | publisher=The Core/WNRN | accessmonthday=July 28 | accessyear=2007] The song is now available on the band's official MySpace page. [cite web | url=http://www.myspace.com/officialkmfdm | title=KMFDM Official MySpace | accessmonthday=July 28 | accessyear=2007]

On July 30, 2007, the album was leaked in its entirety following the leaks of the songs "Superpower" and "Saft und Kraft".There is a hidden track in the North America, Europe and Oceania versions. It is the original Tohuvabohu remixed by the industrial artists Angelspit. The Remix has since been included in the Brimborium album.

Cover art conflict

Shortly after the cover artwork for "Tohuvabohu" was revealed on the KMFDM website, longtime cover artist Brute! made a posting to his personal blog indicating his displeasure at the fact that the band had altered his original artwork submission. In the final version used on the album, the original red color palette had been switched to orange, and several stylized buildings and cranes in the background had been replaced with a starburst pattern. A handful of readers left comments expressing both support for his artistic integrity and hope that the incident would not result in a rift between the artist and the band; eventually KMFDM frontman Sascha Konietzko offered an explanation. cite web | url=http://bruteprop.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-kmfdm-cover.html | title=BRUTE!: New KMFDM cover | first=Aidan | last=Hughes | date=June 7, 2007 | work=bruteprop.blogspot.com | accessmonthday=August 18 | accessyear=2007]

Track listing

# "Superpower" – 4:16
# "Looking For Strange" – 5:18
# "Tohuvabohu" – 5:20
# "I Am What I Am" – 4:52
# "Saft und Kraft" – 4:36
# "Headcase" – 3:57
# "Los Niños Del Parque" (cover, originally by Liaisons Dangereuses) – 3:58
# "Not In My Name" – 4:50
# "Spit or Swallow" – 4:11
# "Fait Accompli" – 5:05
# "Bumaye" – 4:46

Personnel

* Lucia Cifarelli – vocals
* Jules Hoodilson – guitar, bass, programming
* Sascha Konietzko – vocals, analogue synthesizers, bass, programming
* Andy Selway – drums, programming
* Steve White – guitar, programming
* Army Denio – alto saxophone (1)
* Jin Kninja – Paris Selmer 'radial' trumpet (1)

References