Ralf Dörper | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Born | 11 January 1960 Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1979–present |
| Website | www |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument(s) | Keyboards, Synthesizer |
| Labels | |
Ralf Dörper (born January 11, 1960, in Düsseldorf) is a German electronic musician, composer, lyricist, and financial advisor who first came to prominence as a member of the Düsseldorf punk scene.[1] He later was a founder member of both the bands Propaganda and Die Krupps.
Early Career
editDörper's first release was as a member of the avant-garde band SYPH[2] This was followed by the experimental single "Eraserhead/Assault", which was a homage to the films and soundtracks of David Lynch and John Carpenter, released on a local record company, Rondo Records[3] and in the UK by Operation Twilight.
This single received international attention after John Peel played it on the BBC, and it was named single of the week in the New Musical Express.[4]
Die Krupps and Propaganda
editDörper's releases with the band Die Krupps from 1980/81 (Stahlwerksinfonie/Wahre Arbeit, Wahrer Lohn) were also highly praised in the British music press[5]; and the band is considered one of the pioneers of Electronic Body Music.[6]
After leaving Die Krupps in 1982, Dörper radically changed his style and co-founded the electronic pop band Propaganda. Alongside Scorpions, Nena, and Kraftwerk, Propaganda became one of the most successful German pop band of the 1980s. The hits such as Dr. Mabuse , Duel , P-Machinery and the album A Secret Wish (1985) reached No. 16. in the UK charts.[7]
Between 1989 and 1997, Dörper again worked with Jürgen Engler in Die Krupps. During this time, five new albums were released and the band played more than 200 concerts throughout Europe and North America. Since 2004 and 2005, he has also taken part in various reunion concerts by Die Krupps and Propaganda. In 2006, Die Krupps celebrated their 25th anniversary with a tour and various appearances at European festivals. Die Krupps celebrated their 30th stage anniversary in 2011 with a double headliner tour together with Nitzer Ebb. In interviews for the 2024 self-titled Propaganda album, Dörper said that he expects there to be considerable live work with Die Krupps in 2025.[8]
Other Projects
editA legal dispute with the record company ZTT and changes in Propaganda's line-up led to an involuntary three-year creative break, during which Dörper tried his hand at writing lyrics for other artists. While he was working on the Propaganda album "1234" (1989), he was already pursuing various side projects. Together with Andreas Thein, he released the acid club track "Dr. Acid & Mr. House". The Krupps-Nitzer-Ebb collaboration "Machineries of Joy", which he produced, led to the revival of Die Krupps. He also released a cover version of the Kraftwerk classic "Ruckzuck". On this version, released under the name Technocrat, Dörper also brought together remixers from the "Intelligent Techno" artists from the British label Warp Records, such as Richard H. Kirk from Cabaret Voltaire and Sweet Exorcist.
Work in Financial Analysis
editIn addition to his career as a musician, Dörper worked in the financial sector and was an analyst at the then Westdeutsche Landesbank. In the British Financial Times, Dörper was named Europe's No. 1 Stock Picker in his sector at the 2008 Best Brokerage Awards .
References
edit- ^ Peel, Ian (1992). "Propaganda in Formation". Unofficial Propaganda Homepage. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Tom (2008-10-15). "WFMU Features Pre-Die Krupps Projects from Ralf Dörper". Waveformless. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
- ^ "Rondo Records Diskografie". www.highdive.de. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
- ^ "Ralf Dörper: Why Does It Hurt When My Heart Misses The Beat? – Electronic Sound". Retrieved 2024-11-10.
- ^ "Die Krupps – Metropolis Records". www.metropolis-records.com. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ "Die Krupps - A38 Ship". A38 Hajó. 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ Petridis, Alexis (2022-05-24). "'We were a different side of the 80s. Not the Duran Duran 80s': the return of Propaganda". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
- ^ "Popdose Posts 5 Burning Questions for Propaganda's Ralf Dörper". Popdose. 2024-10-14. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
External links
edit- Ralf Dörper discography at Discogs