Stereo Embers The Podcast 0375: Lucia Cifarelli (KMFDM)

"Let Go" Formed by braintrust Sascha Konietzko in Germany and Paris in 1984, KMFDM got their start as a performance art project but it didn't take long for their propulsive industrial rhythms to establish them as one of the most dynamic bands around. Over the course of their career they've toured the world, sold millions of records and unleashed an uninterrupted string of classic albums like 1986's What Do You Know, Deutschland?, 1990's Naive, 2002's Attak and their brilliant new one Let Go. KMFDM's albums are always a blast of unbridled energy and Let Go is no exception--it's a dynamic blend of crunchy electronica, cascading metal riffs and lashing industrial beats and all combining to make one of the most ferociously danceable albums of 2024. As far as branding consistency goes, it gets no better than KMFDM, whose unmistakable and inimitable sleeves have been done by artist Aidan Brute Hughes, whose work captures the ferocious energy and belief system of the band. And what of that belief system? Well, let's just say it's a continued railing against oppression, censorship, war and violence. Not too shabby, right? Now, KMFDM are really a musical collective so they've had a revolving door of members; the Long Island-born singer Lucia Cifarelli joined the band in 2002 and close to 25 years later, she's still there. Married to Konietzko, the two have forged an enduring creative and romantic partnership. A singer of tremendous power and range, Cifarelli was the former singer of Drill, whose lone album for A&M in the '90s was one I listened to a lot. She's one of those performers who was put on this planet with instant artistic force--she sings with muscle and finesse and like a great baseball pitcher, the best way to describe her is as someone who's got the stuff. www.kmfdm.net www.luciacifarelli.com www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenbooks.com X: @emberseditor IG: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com