Early Singles (1981-1982)

While Xmal Deutschland gained more listeners in the Anglosphere after they signed to 4AD for two albums, it was their first releases in their German homeland that made their name. The 2024 collection Early Singles served as a useful introduction to those two singles in particular, “Schwarze Welt” and the first studio version of their iconic goth anthem “Incubus Succubus,” along with associated B-sides and a couple of bonus cuts for good measure. Anja Huwe’s lead vocals and the percussive intensity of many of the tracks led to perhaps understandable Siouxsie and the Banshees comparisons at the time but it does the quintet a real disservice. If anything, their ear for working in electronics on many tracks lends them a synth-punk edge also very much in keeping with other acts in the general Neue Deutsche Welle atmosphere of the time. There’s a real sense of live edge in the performances, most notable by default with a previously unreleased concert version of “Allein,” while “Incubus Succubus” has the strength of the more familiar later take already in place. Credit also to the excellent cover photo, an alternate take of the “Schwarze Welt” art, featuring their famed mulitcolored hair but this time facing the camera, if not directly looking at it.