Steven Brown, Gründer der bekannten Postpunk-Combo Tuxedomoon, bringt in wenigen Wochen ein Album seines Ensemble Kafka heraus, dessen Besetzung ursprünglich nur für den Soundtrack eines Films – El Informe Toledo von Albino Alvarez – zusammenkam und schnell zu einer Art Band zusammengewachsen ist. Das selbstbetitelte Debüt, das wie eine cinematische, von zeitgenössischer Musik beeinflusste Version traditioneller mexikanischer Musik mit ooulenten Bläsern und stimmungsvollen Gitarren klingt, enthält in der Mehrheit Stücke dieses Soundtracks und erschien in seiner ursprünglichen Form 2013. Die neue, erweiterte Fassung erscheint am 5. Dezember auf CD und zum Download bei Klanggalerie.

“Tuxedomoon is an experimental, post-punk, new wave band from San Francisco, California. The band formed in the late 1970s at the beginning of the punk rock movement. Pulling influence from punk and electronic music, the group, originally consisting of Steven Brown and Blaine L. Reininger, used electronic violins, guitars, screaming vocals and synthesizers to develop a unique “cabaret no-wave” sound. Bassist Peter Principle joined the band and in 1979 they released the single “No Tears”, which remains a post-punk cult classic. That year they signed to Ralph Records and released their first album, Half-Mute. All members of the band had solo careers next to the output of Tuxedomoon, with Steven Brown releasing a new album in 2021, and touring Europe in 2022.

After composing and recording the sountrack for the film El Informe Toledo Steven was asked by the director Albino Alvarez to perform the music live at the film’s premiere in the Cineteca Nacional in Mexico City. Having employed session musicians for the recording, Brown found it necessary to form a band in order to accomplish the task. Although the original idea was to only participate in the premier of the film, the audience response was so overwhelming that Brown and partner Julio Garcia decided to continue the project and Ensamble Kafka was born This group combines contemporary music techniques with traditional Mexican music thereby humbly attempting to create new traditional music.” (Klanggalerie)