Between the GDR underground, and state radio: Lutz Schramm, Moderator of the GDR youth radio station DT 64, wanted to give independent GDR-Bands a Forum. And schrappte always a hair sharp at the border to the Illegal along.
Lutz Schramm moderated from 1986 to 1993, the show “Parocktikum” in the GDR youth radio station DT 64, and later of the ORB. Here are the more “unusual” music that was not played in the charts, the there was also, in part, on plates delivery. So Schramm had good contacts with the underground scene of the GDR. He played in the Radio demo tapes of Bands that were seen by the state authorities rather critical – and got even been in Trouble before. In a DW Interview, the now 60-Year-old of music, censorship, and situations between two chairs telling.
DW: Mr Schramm, what has she to the unknown, uncomfortable Bands so fascinated?
Lutz Schramm: My interest has always been in the independent music. When I started with Parocktikum, I wanted to play music from the GDR and the socialist countries such as Hungary and Poland. However, it was not officially as much of music, which fit stylistically into what I wanted to do – so Indie, Punk, experimental music. Then I tried to make contacts with the Bands, to the scene.
You had the Stasi on the Kieker – also because of their contacts with the scene?
In my Stasi files, it wasn’t that I was specifically spied on, because I had a wire to the scene. The would not have which brought a lot. Because the scene didn’t trust me completely. There’s been people who have thought of working at the state radio, who knows what the hell is with all the stuff we have told him, since we prefer to make a bow drum.
A lot of “Underground”concerts took place in churches
How did the music from the underground, ultimately, to the Radio?
First of all, not at all. From about 1980 there was in the GDR, Punk, the power of the state has a beat but complete, and the small Punk scene that has developed there, with Spies by the people thrown in jail and out of the country disgusted. So hardly anyone from the scene was the mid-80s active or so deep underground that no one has noticed it.
But there were now others who have said: Okay, we want to do independent music, but we also want to reach the audience. And the could be be classified.
What does this mean?
If you wanted to occur in the GDR as a musician officially, you had to have a classification. There was a Commission which has taken to ensure that all of the musicians master their instruments, and whether the Whole of the GDR-ideology fits. [If the Bands have passed this test, they were allowed to note officially occur and the panels produce.d.Ed.]
The avant-garde-Band “AG Geige” was “Parocktikum” known
And when a Band on the Radio wanted to be played, you had to submit the texts?
Yes, especially the Bands that were so loud that you could not understand the texts. And then it was decided. In the case of a “no” was usually, “because you are playing bad”. But in principle, it was the content. The “classified by” Bands like Feeling B or Hard Pop could occur, but then made just as before.
If it was censored, what was criticized, exactly?
Everything that went against the state. Army, party, concrete critique of the system. There were also other taboo topics: the environment, freedom of travel, Nazis. To sing with: Against Nazis, it was already possible – but only against Western Nazis.
But there were times where certain things that were a problem, then all of a sudden no longer went. To sing after Chernobyl on the environment, at the time of the reactor accident is more difficult than two years later. Since it was often the skill of the copywriter, to not say something, what to pronounce.
State established – but not always compliant: carousel were not allowed to sing of free thoughts
What did the copywriter is because to Express themselves, without offending anyone – so that but nevertheless, everyone knew, what is it?
In a Song of the group a Lift, it means “To the South, to the South, then, I wanted to fly”. It was about freedom and to get Away. And for me, that always meant “To the West, to the West”.
In “Loving a girl” from the carousel, a girl stands on the Assembly line and making with your hands to heavy work. The guy sings, “But with the head, you can do what you want”. And someone in the GDR, told broadcasting? How? What? “With the head, you can do what you want”?? The was then taken out of the Radio.
The Puhdys were one of the “established” Bands, and also played in the West
In the West, we knew the Puhdys, Karat, City. Since some of the texts were, however, in which we thought, this is so brave that kind of singing.
Of course, the established lyricists don’t have Packed, only love and beautiful things in lyrical metaphors, but be careful, the one or the other political Statement.
The young, independent scene was there condition. In “Born in the GDR” from Sandow, it does not mean “we feel walled in”, but it says “we can go to our limits, have you ever seen over it”. This is, of course, lyrical and easy to sing, but the statement is quite clear: “There’s a wall, we can’t get behind is”.
Lutz Schramm operates the website parocktikum.de
Have you set for yourself because sometimes through prohibitions and music played, because they found it just great?
I showed my Plan each Time my station Manager. It is taken every single Song under the magnifying glass. And so I played a cassette of the “Fanatical hairdressers”. After that, the editor-in-chief music, said he would get a call came in, I have played in a Band that had no game permission. I told him: “Yes, this is a demo, I games more. I can think of but not from any a certificate of good conduct, send, next Time I’ll be better.” Then it was all done virtually.
Something like this shows that the censorship was rather arbitrary: On the one hand, is really strict and on the other hand, it was said: “Let there by and watch that happen to you because it’s nothing Bad.”
Who looked different, got faster Trouble
You also have to get ever one in the face…
This was after I hung up at an event as a DJ. On the way home me and stopped a guy and – BAM! – I had his Hand in the face. I asked, “Why now?” and he said, “For what are you doing”. That’s all.
I was aware that there was this real Underground, where people Stress had with the state. Someone that was looked like a Punk, and that’s why police officers controlled or just time for a, two nights at the remand prison, because it got deleted – so someone felt safe kidding, if he has the Radio and someone at DT 64 funny punk music played. There have been harassed on the one hand, Punks from the state and on the other hand, as was done, as if it were the most Normal thing in the world.