12th November 2001, the release date of the Frank Popp Ensemble’s first single „Hip Teens Don’t Wear Blue Jeans“ which from then on creeped its way through thousands of ears, brains and guts. Time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mr.Popp’s musical outing with friends, companions and teenage idols who cover, remix or mess up Frank Popp Ensemble songs during the weirdest time of our generations. Under extraordinary conditions 21 fantastic artists recorded their versions:

GERRY LOVE:
As a massive Teenage Fanclub fan, this contribution is something very special to me. Gerry Love wrote and sung almost all the big TFC hits and most of my favourite songs. „Radio“, „Star Sign“ or „Sparky’s Dream“ been hymns of my youth and his work on albums like „Songs Of Northern Britain“ or „Man-Made“ is as incredible! Still wowed Gerry said yes immediately, when I asked him if he can imagine doing a cover.

THE POSIES:
Another huge alltime-favourite of mine is this Seattle outfit led by genius songwriters and singers Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer who became buddies after their Blood/Candy show at Berlin’s Magnet Club. The first record I discovered was the legendary „Frosting On The Beater“, which Frank Kühl ordered me to purchase when I was working in his record shop in 1993. It blew my mind. Until today I am pretty impressed how you can create an album full of superhits, that have everything. It’s a big honour and pleasure to me, that the boys were able to record this killer version seperately in France, Los Angeles and Ontario / Canada at light speed!

24/7 DIVA HEAVEN:
So proud of my Berlin friends, who’re going straight through the roof with their debut album „Stress“. If you dig grungy 90s Grrrl Punkrock like L7, Bikini Kill or Babes In Toyland, this is your thing for sure! Catch ’em live if you can, it’ll get you in a headlock! Here’s their killer version of a song from my 3rd album „Receiver“.

HAMMERHEAD:
It must have been around 1991 when I saw this hell of a band at some youthclub „Teestube“ in my hometown Hilden. They had a show with befriended local hardcore heroes „Intricate“, sharing the same drummer Osche, who I went to school with. „Stay Where The Pepper Grows“ is one of the greatest and most brutal hardcore records ever made, no doubt about it. Of course I had to convince these louts to be on the album and record their first „soul tune“ ever. It turned out nasty!

LOVE MACHINE:
Ina from Unique Records told me that Marcel, singer from their stellar act Love Machine, has always fancied to cover the 2001 hit single, so there we go with a cosmic jam that unites sinister Zappa-esque vocals and a luscious spacefunk groove. Well done, boys!

MARIA GHOERLS feat. AYDO ABAY:
The former frontman of „Blackmail“ and creator of electropop combo „Abay“, who already appeared on the Ensemble’s last album „Receiver“, teams up with Berlin’s darkdisco outfit „Maria Ghoerls“ to transform a raw sixties r&b tune into an impelling new wave floorfiller that has the knack to bust club speakers after the pandemic-related hiatus.

FÜNF STERNE DELUXE:
German Hip Hop has always been a bit difficult to me, but that Hamburg style and artists like Eins Zwo / Dendemann, Deichkind or Fünf Sterne Deluxe just got it! The skills, the flow, the lyrics and my kind of humour. „Dein Herz Schlägt Schneller“ is one of the best „Deutschrap“ tunes for sure and I was superhappy when Tobi Tobsen and Das Bo joined in to do this terrific mash-up of my tune „Scarecrow“ and their „Die Kids Sind Okay“. Here and there I crossed ways with the single members of the old line-up when in beautiful Hamburg. Sharing the stage, deejaying or just Fischmarkt afterparty drinking and all of it was lotsa fun, just like this tune!

EROBIQUE:
Carsten Meyer has always been a genius disco Brian Wilson to me. We met in the late 90s in Münster and Düsseldorf, when labels Unique Records and Deck8 worked together and we spent several nights together performing and partying, me behind the decks and him on stage or on the dancefloor (He’s an ace dancer too!). His live sets were mental already back then. In the last 20 years he worked on thousands of projects and collaborations, he’s a busy bee indeed. So I consider myself very lucky to have my old soul brother on board with this beautiful remix!

CORDUROY INDUSTRIES:
Twins Ben and Scott Addison, the masterminds of legendary UK Acid Jazz Band Corduroy deliver a fantastic fully instrumentated version of Belly Bossanova, that reminds a bit of their all-time classic „Something In My Eye“, which was a big hit at „Unique Club“ in the early 90s, a legendary clubnight in Düssedorf’s Rheingold-Saal, that brought together the best songs of all genres and was a big musical influence to me. After being a huge Corduroy fan for years, I had the pleasure Ben joining the Frank Popp Ensemble live band for some years as a drummer. An incredibly talented, creative and funny guy, I’m happy to have met! Also check out my song „Psychedelic Girl“ with Ben on Vocals. Kind of an acid jazz classic as well krrr.

LIGA DER GEWÖHNLICHEN GENTLEMEN:
This group from Hamburg consists of some „Superpunk“ members, old buddies from Hamburg, that I once remixed, deejayed together at Northern Soul nights and shared the stage at „Monsters Of Soul“ or was it „Monsters Of Mod“? Don’t remember. Anyway.. This Madness-like ska version of my trashbilly/surf tune is just incredible!

WHITEY:
Until today his „A Walk In The Dark“ is one of my favourite tracks to deejay when it comes to rather electronic club sounds. Whitey is an excellent singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Love his music a lot which is a great mix of 80s electronic wave and rock&roll. Check out his 2005 album with the killer title „The End Of The Tunnel Is A Train“. Great to have my old Schlesisches Tor neighbour on the album!

ÖSTRO 430:
My first official DJ-Set was at the legendary „Ratinger Hof“ in Düsseldorf, where also this girls started their career, but in 1979, I am very proud to have the coolest german girl punk band ever on this record. They translated and slightly changed the original lyrics just perfectly to their version „Hey Mr. Unschuldslamm“ in typical Östro-Style with angry riotgrrrl vocals, dry bass/drums and squeaky saxophone. Brilliant!

ANGIE REED:
If I remember right I had a little crush on Angie when she did a show at the basement of „Coffy“ in Düsseldorf, around 20 years ago. She’s an incredible performer and artist with a voice to melt away. We haven’t seen each other since that show and this project reconnected us. Nice! And her trippy delay-fueled take on my first FPE song „High Voltage“: Very nice!

ASCII DISKO:
Daniel is a producer (Tigerbeat for example), likes heavy rock music and black metal, but he also likes in-your-face techno and ebm’ish electro, which he produces under the alias „Ascii Disko“. We spent some crazy nights deejaying together at Hotel Shanghai, he remixed „Breakaway“ back then and we met up in Mallorca where he lives since 10 years or so, riding his motorbikes and preparing his comeback, presenting his first album since 2011 this year. Check this outrageous Berghain-banger remix!

COBRA KILLER:
This duo consisting of Annika Line Trost and Gina D’Orio had quite a lot of wild things going on during their active period 1998-2010. They started to release on the infamous DHR-Label of Alec Empire (Atari Teenage Riot), touring the states with Sonic Youth and causing a sensation with their nasty live shows. Now coming back to life with their first output in 11 years on this compilation! Dang!

BERND BEGEMANN:
I met Bernd at the Unique Club for the first time after his solo performance and he just split up with his girlfriend. When I told him we’re going on a big tour in Italy soon, but our guitar player couldn’t do it, he joined the FPE line-up for some time and travelled south with us. Sure thing this old stager in showbiz, who started his career in 1987 with his influential band „Die Antwort“, had to contribute something: A cover of a cover!

SUZAN KÖCHER:
Solingen Rock City, where I lived the first 12 years of my life, had always great bands to offer. Accept, S.Y.P.H., The Embryonics or Cave4, just to name a few. This young lady here is the latest sensation from Solingen and the show I put on 2019 at Berghain Kantine was a total blast. Stay tuned for more exciting releases on Unique Records!

SPLINTER:
Some years ago I put on a show with Dirty Fences and that popular band from Holland, called „Death Alley“. A total hurricane of a show, especially the singer Douwe was a real asskickin frontman. I saw them several times after that before they split unfortunately, but Douwe came straight up with his new outfit Splinter, who signed to Robotor Records, the label of Kadavar’s Lindemann. Check it out, it’s boogietime!

SPACE CHASER:
Berlin’s metal heroes, fronted by the one and only Mullet King Siggi, picked one of my old faves and formed it into an incredible speed metal burner. Musically a revelation! If you dig 80s heavy metal and new school bands like Municipal Waste, Warbringer or Havok, don’t miss out on this folks!

BTM:
This is a thrash metal project, exclusively created for this record. I always had the horns of „Breakaway“ in my head as some kinda Slayer-like metal-riff, so I met up with Matthias and Leo from Space Chaser, who could imagine recording and arranging it this way. It turned out amazing and with singer Hänz Hazard from local thrash combo „Reactory“, the song completed, so I could mix and finish it.

COSMIC DEAD:
The perfect ender for the album comes from my spacerockin’ Glasgow buddies. An almost 10-minute-long synthloaded psychedelic doom orgy, as no one else can do it. Who has ever seen these freaks live, knows what I’m talkin about. Wicked!