PROGRESSIVE PUNK
Coined by Andy Martin of the Apostles to describe Doc Wör Mirran’s unique approach to creating music, this is not punk in sound, but in spirit. Recorded between 2016 and 2020, for this mammoth project DWM tried something different. Instead of recording enough tracks for a full-length CD, the idea was to simply record a large amount of material, and then choose the best tracks for a vinyl album, maybe even a double LP. Once everything was recorded and mixed, copies of all the tracks were given to the various DWM members to listen to and list favourites. The problem was, with few exceptions, there ended up no real consensus of what were the strongest tracks. So instead, the tracks were arranged into groups of 20 minutes, roughly the length of an LP side. Once all were mastered, we ended up with 12 separate “sides”. Released at first as mini-CDs (vinyl is planned!) on Mirran Threat, each release will feature a different cover artist. Further releases with tracks from these sessions include the "Hiraeth" and "Ancient Future" picture discs, the double C-60 cassette set "Mischen Impossible" of remixed versions and unreleased tracks, as well as Stefan Schweiger's remixed compilation "Second Try".
Please note, all Progressive Punk releases are also available for download and streaming through our Bandcamp page.
Artist: Doc Wör Mirran
Title: Progressive Punk 1
Label: Marginal Talent Format: CD Catalog #: Talent Thirty-Two (MT-635) Release Date: February 20th, 2022
The first in the series, with cover art by Joseph B. Raimond. Including the stand-out tracks "The Erdogan Insult" and both parts of "Obscured By Krauts" and featuring Stefan Schweiger, Michael Wurzer, Joseph B. Raimond, Ralf Lexis, Adrian Gormley, Genesis P. Orridge, Alex Kammerer and .m23.
Artist: Doc Wör Mirran
Title: Progressive Punk 2
Label: Marginal Talent Format: CD Catalog #: Talent Thirty-Three (MT-636) Release Date: February 20th, 2022
Featuring cover art by DWM founding member Bernard H. Worrick, his first contribution to DWM in almost thirty years! Featuring "The Dead Guitarist", one of the most complicated and difficult recordings DWM has ever attempted. With Stefan Schweiger, Michael Wurzer, Joseph B. Raimond, Adrian Gormley, Genesis P. Orridge, Bernard H. Worrick, Ralf Lexis, Reinhard Bauer, Alex Kammerer and .m23.
Artist: Doc Wör Mirran
Title: Progressive Punk 3
Label: Marginal Talent Format: CD Catalog #: Talent Thirty-Four (MT-637) Release Date: February 20th, 2022
Cover photography by Conny Eirich this time. Standout tracks include Raimond's "Junior Blues", a tribute to his late father, as well as "The Soundtrack Of My Life / Rat Race", which features a guitar solo by Frank Abendroth's son Leon that we believe to be on par with the best solos in the history of rock. Just take a listen if you doubt our opinion. Besides Leon and Frank, this release also includes Stefan Schweiger, Michael Wurzer, Joseph B. Raimond, Ralf Lexis, Jello Biafra, Genesis P. Orridge, Conny Eirich and .m23.
Artist: Doc Wör Mirran
Title: Progressive Punk 4
Label: Marginal Talent Format: CD Catalog #: Talent Thirty-Five (MT-638) Release Date: February 20th, 2022
Part four features cover art by DWM's longtime sax and art collaborator Adrian Gormley. Stand-out tracks are "Ballad Of The Deplorables" as well as "Quatschdenker", DWM's answer to the wave of brainless conspiracy theorists that currently enjoy all their undeserved media attention. Featuring the talents of Stefan Schweiger, Michael Wurzer, Joseph B. Raimond, Adrian Gormley, Genesis P. Orridge, Bernard H. Worrick,and Frank and Leon Abendroth.
Artist: Doc Wör Mirran
Title: Progressive Punk 5
Label: Marginal Talent Format: CD Catalog #: Talent Thirty-Six (MT-640) Release Date: May 31st, 2022
The photography of Sascha Stadlmeier, head honcho at Attenuation Circuit, the label from Augsburg that has released several DWM titles in the last decade, is featured on the cover of the fifth installment of the Progressive Punk series of mini CDs. The three tracks on this release feature the considerable saxophone skills of Adrian Gormley. Also featured are Stefan Schweiger, Joseph B. Raimond and Alex Kammerer.
Artist: Doc Wör Mirran
Title: Progressive Punk 6
Label: Marginal Talent Format: CD Catalog #: Talent Thirty-Seven (MT-641) Release Date: May 31st, 2022
Joseph B. Raimond's uncle, Ottmar Bergmann, himself a well-known artist and art philosopher in the German art-scene, contributes the cover art for the sixth installment of the series, which features "Sax And Violins", a mammoth jazz/rock/drone track. Stefan Schweiger, Michael Wurzer, Joseph B. Raimond, .m23., Adrian Gormley, Alex Kammerer, Ralf Lexis and Reinhard Bauer contribute musically.
Artist: Doc Wör Mirran
Title: Progressive Punk 7
Label: Marginal Talent Format: CD Catalog #: Talent Thirty-Eight (MT-642) Release Date: May 31st, 2022
Another of Joseph B. Raimond's family contributes the cover for the seventh installment, this time his cousin Giulietta Ochenfuß. "Sonic Nightmare" is an amazing track on this release. Contributions from Stefan Schweiger, Michael Wurzer, Joseph B. Raimond, Adrian Gormley, Alex Kammerer and Ralf Lexis.
Artist: Doc Wör Mirran
Title: Progressive Punk 8
Label: Marginal Talent Format: CD Catalog #: Talent Thirty-Nine (MT-643) Release Date: May 31st, 2022
Part eight features cover art by DWM's longtime friend and musical collaborator Jad Fair. "Make Racism Wrong Again" is a wonderful track, and who can resist the industrial charm of "A Portrait Of Ann Coulter's Ugly Soul"??? Featuring the talents of Stefan Schweiger, Michael Wurzer, Joseph B. Raimond, Adrian Gormley, Genesis P. Orridge, Alex Kammerer, Ralf Lexis and Reinhard Bauer.
Artist: Doc Wör Mirran
Title: Progressive Punk 9
Label: Marginal Talent Format: CD Catalog #: Talent Forty-Three (MT-645) Release Date: November 28th, 2022
There is a story behind the cover art to the ninth installment of the Progressive Punk series. Several years ago, both Stefan and Joseph played in the punk band "The Pisstons", and one of their concerts was at the Indra bar in Hamburg on the street Große Freiheit in the infamous red-light district of St. Pauli, and where the Beatles played their first ever concert in Germany. As a Beatles fan, this was particularly important for Joseph, to actually stand on the same stage where the Beatles once stood many decades earlier. Later, while organizing the release of the split Bealtes/Doc Wör Mirran "Cry For A Shadow" 7" single, DWM was in contact with Klaus Voormann, famed graphic artist who designed the cover to the Beatles landmark album "Revolver" and who himself is an accomplished studio musician, playing on dozens of albums including many solo albums of the ex-Beatles John Lennon, George Harrison and a few Ringo albums as well. While organizing the cover with Klaus, Joseph noticed that he had also created "Boulevard Of Broken Strings", a drawing of the street Große Freiheit in Hamburg. In fact, one can almost see the Indra bar about a block behind the figure in the drawing. Joseph knew that he just had to ask Klaus if DWM could use this cover for one of the releases in their Progressive Punk series. Further contributions from Stefan Schweiger, Michael Wurzer, Joseph B. Raimond, Adrian Gormley, Alex Kammerer, Ralf Lexis and Conrad Schnitzler.
Artist: Doc Wör Mirran
Title: Progressive Punk 10
Label: Marginal Talent Format: CD Catalog #: Talent Forty-One (MT-646) Release Date: November 28th, 2022
Part ten in the series features beautiful cover art by Raja Ram, originally of the late 60s psychedelic band The Quintessence and today half of the duo Shpongle, probably the only band of the last 30 years or so that has had a significant influence on the work of DWM. "Robotic Gigolo" is a fun track with wonderful saxophone by Adrian and "Hector The Loser" again highlights the bagpipe talents of Reinhard Bauer. Featuring Stefan Schweiger, Michael Wurzer, Joseph B. Raimond, Adrian Gormley, .m23., Ralf Lexis, Leon Abendroth and Reinhard Bauer.
Artist: Doc Wör Mirran
Title: Progressive Punk 11
Label: Marginal Talent Format: CD Catalog #: Talent Forty-Five (MT-651) Release Date: November 28th, 2022
Part eleven in the series features cover art by Cal Schenkel, known for the many album covers he designed for some of the early Frank Zappa/Mothers Of Invention releases, as well as the cover for the iconic Captain Beefheart album "Trout Mask Replica". "Qanus" is a wonderful track that is a comment on all the crazy conspiracy theories going around these days and which once again features the guitar talents of Leon Abendroth, the son of our late member Frank Abendroth. Contributions from Stefan Schweiger, Michael Wurzer, Joseph B. Raimond, Leon Abendroth.
Artist: Doc Wör Mirran
Title: Progressive Punk 12
Label: Marginal Talent Format: CD Catalog #: Talent Forty-Six (MT-652) Release Date: November 28th, 2022
The twelfth and final installment in the series. Some great tracks on this mini CD, but the standout is probably "We Are All Rainbows (if we want to be)". Cover art by Joseph B. Raimond's late friend William Weber which depicts his portrait of Jack Kerouac, a friend of William's from their Beatnik days together in the North Beach district of San Francisco. Featuring the talents of Stefan Schweiger, Michael Wurzer, Joseph B. Raimond, Adrian Gormley and Ralf Lexis.