English

Berlin’s Knorkator are an enigmatic and extraordinary band that masterfully and exquisitely combines mischievous antagonistic hardcore metal with subtle classical elements. Their live performances are legendary, bizarre roller coasters with a colourful motley crew of styles: walking a tightrope between swearing and gentle prose on one side and on the other solemn delusions of grandeur and infantile idiocy.

Singer Stumpen is the personification of this diversity, or more fittingly exorbitance. A fully tattooed bald man that curses his audience vociferously and at the drop of a hat belts out a dizzying falsetto aria.

Pianist Alf Ator is also the band’s composer and lyricist. He enjoys smashing up his instruments in rhythm and throwing foam rubber keyboards into the audience.

Guitarist Buzz Dee’s eminence and individual guitar work are the autonomous and self-determined driving force behind the band’s sound.

Knorkator were founded in 1994 by Stumpen and Alf Ator with Buzz Dee replacing the original guitarist J. Kirk Thiele in May 1996.

Up to 2008 Knorkator have been helped to perfect their sound by the following musicians

Thomas Görsch (Drums 1995-1997)
Chrisch Chrasch (Drums 1997- 2003)
Tim Buktu (Bass 2003 – 2008)
Nick Aragua (Drums since 2003)

Initially the band played to audiences in their native surroundings of Berlin and neighbouring Brandenburg. Winning a newcomer competition gave them the chance to tour further afield and in 1996 they got a support slot touring Germany with Rio Reiser (ex Ton Steine Scherben) who unfortunately died during the tour!

They signed their first record deal with Rodrigo Gonzales (Die Ärzte) in 1998 and over the next 10 years released 6 studio albums, 2 DVDs and a stack of singles with labels Universal (Mercury Records), Nuclear Blast, Vielklang and Sanctuary.

The band raised a few media eyebrows in 2000 when they entered the national finals for the German Eurovision Song Contest entry. Their vibrant archetypal performance caused quite a TV furore resulting in German red-top BILD asking „who let these morons on television?“.

From 1996 to 2008 Knorkator played over 700 gigs and 120 festivals (including Wacken Open Air, With Full Force, Highfield Festival and Bizarre), published 3 books and had their own radio show presented by Stumpen and Alf on Radio Fritz called the „Fritz Kommunikator“

In 2008 the band announced that they were calling it a day leaving a void in the occidental musical landscape that no one else was able to fill. And that is why they are back.

Thus in April 2011 Knorkator, with Nick Aragua and their new bassist Rajko Gohlke, will be calling a day on calling it a day!