...from where the putrid smell rises
'NTL'-story (part I) by Sea Wanton

Enraged, the singer hurls his slim body against the concrete-post. 
Is there a bone grinding? 
Loud noise, some bass loops and the throbbing rhythm of
the sequencer driving behind the stage - into the flashing movie loops. 
Many well known faces, even in the huge crowd. 
At this concert, the idea for 'Non Toxique Lost' (NTL) is born.

Kunsthofschule “Städel“, Frankfurt, Germany 10th November 1980, "TG+" - A Deluxe Boxed CD Edition IRCD38 (cd no 5), At 26 minutes this recording is interrupted by a member of the audience jumping onto the stage and pouring a bottle of wine onto Chris Carter ’s equipment... which resulted in a shorter than usual performance...

'Pogo' (formerly member of 'Suburban Punx')
rips the microphon out of 'Genesis P-Orridge' 's 
hand and howls his "you need discipline". 

(video on Youtube)

Steffen Schütze (formerly member of 'Jean Gilbert') knows all
the 'Throbbing Gristle'
takes anyway but prefers the sounds of 'Whitehouse'. 
Achim Wollscheid (formerly member of 'Die Edelweisspiraten')
has been experimenting 
with new movie and sound structures for a few years. 
Sea Wanton (formerly member of 'Messehalle' and 'No Aid')
bought a new synthesizer only yesterday. 
Thus, it may start immediately! 
The band is named 'Non Toxique Lost' (NTL). 
 ('LOST' is a chemical weapon). 
And while ever so many compact cassette distribution-companies
are created in Germany and elsewhere, 
it's logic for the first product to be a compact cassette. 
Thus we move to 'Pogo's 2 room flat and take over the
bathroom (to use the fine reverb). 
Roger Schönauer (from 'P16.D4') turns on his 4-track reel-to-reel
'Teac' tape recorder, 
'Pogo' whispers into the mike as much as it can take. 
Achim Wollscheid rips wild riffs on his electric guitar and then pushes 
them over flanger, phaser and distortion gears. 
T.Poem now founds (together with Peter Klum) a cassette label, 
which is called 'Can Can', a "cassette-only" label. 
('Can Can' is the name of a french dance, by the way). 
And this is where the first 'NTL' product is released 
(mind the name 'Ohne Titel', which translates to 'No Title'). 
Some days later, the 'Losts' are already playing live. 
T.Poem induces some deafening groans and shrill howls from his violin. 
Sea Wanton mistreats his syntheziser, sequencer and his drum/tape machine. 
Achim Wollscheid thrashes on his 6-string 'Fender' guitar and 'Pogo'
sings along cynically, together with the excited audience: 
"we are satisfied...satisfied..." while pounding wildly in front
of some punks with his black leatherboots. 
In the middle of the set the power is turned
off ("disturbing the peace" the policeman says) 
and when he's right - he is right ! 
No doubt - there is now a need for a rehearsal room. 
A youth center is quickly found, the amps are turned on,
the volume is pulled up to its limits and shortly thereafter the last 
few listeners are tormented ("...this is only noise, why don't you try to make some music?" ). 
Thus, again the equipment must be packed and moved off as fast as we 
can but as luck would have it, there is another room. 
Right above the department of pathology of the University of Mainz (Germany). 
Once again everything is set up and during the rehearsal
you can see the strange carcases through the holes of the rotting floor 
from where the putrid smell rises. 
The volume is increased and 'Pogo' shouts, as if wanting to wake up those lying down there - 
but the dead cannot dance anymore! (excuses to 'Dead Can Dance' !) 
Someone from the university administration has "ethical" doubts and moves 
the 'Losts' to a so-called "true" rehearsal room. 
And here, the next section of the 'Losts' story starts ...

Sea Wanton at the "true" rehearsal room, 1983
(playing his Korg MS-20, the MFB-rhythmmachine and the MFB-sequencer,
using a Novanex 100-OPS amplifier and T.Poem's reel to reel tape machine)

further background informations 

It was Joachim Stender who started the whole thing, somewhen 
in 1979. He founded 'Messehalle' and pushed their name into the 
'Sounds', a german music magazine. Some chaotic gigs established 
a small punk audience. While Sea Wanton 
played  bass with 'Messehalle', they took part in the 
'Neue Deutsche Welle' (NDW) (a german derivate of the 'New Wave' 
music development). Lot of own material and cover versions of 
'S.Y.P.H'., 'Der Plan' and 'Mittagspause' (to name a few of the best !).


Some of their songs were released on the "cassette-only" label
'Neuer Frühling' (sometimes called 'Nouveau Printemps', which later became 'Can Can').

Later on Joachim Stender quit to form 'P.D'. (now called 'P16.D4'.) 
to become more experimental. 

Joachim Stender, 1980, image courtesy of SELEKTION

Sea Wanton joined a so called 
"neo post punk" band named  'No Aid'. Sometimes their sounds 
reminded at 'Hawkwind' or 'Amon Düül'.
Playing synthesizer, drums and (bass)guitars, they caused a lot of riot and 
laughter. But the public was not very interested in their 
aggressive and chaotic life-style. 

'No Aid ' (ca 1981) from left to right: Sea Wanton, Pak, Axel, Renate, Alex

Thus, Sea Wanton created 'Non Toxique Lost'. (short name: NTL). 
After all the quarrels about drug consum and hippie-behavior, 
he intended to build up a more political, a more social encouraged 
and sophisticated band. With strong links to the newest art movements
and against the political stupidity of those "modern times". He had
also been publisher of a so called fanzine, titled 'Handbook of Fun'.
The magazine (call it simply a fanzine, which pretended to be a "fun-zine")
was made of some fotocopies in black and white and only contained collages
and band propaganda. Also, he worked for the german 'Sounds' music magazine.
'Pogo', the obsessed 'Throbbing Gristle' fan, did the vocals (being on
duty as frontman with the 'Suburban Punx', also). Achim Wollscheid
and nowadays in guidance of the 'SELEKTION' label, an experienced
guitar player and art student, was responsible for the distorted
and echoed sounds. T.Poem (aka Steffen Schütze) did some violin work and damaged
the self-invented "steeltubes",
while on stage (e.g. live at the 'ATONAL 2 festival', 1983, Berlin). 
Peter Klum did some tape cuttings.

'NTL', live at the 'GEMINOX-festival', 1984, Frankfurt

Great stuff, than !! (for some days we have been friends !!) 

NTL gigged in some european countries as well. 
Besides 'Psychic TV', 'Zos Kia, 'Bourbonese Qualk' they
played only once. In 1986, 'NTL' released their first album. The
longplayer was called 'Wanton'" (label: 'Can Can') and included some calm and cool
(NOT CHILLIN‘ !) sounds. But the 'Losts' (as their fans called
them friendly) failed to place this product in the big music
machinery (yes, I'm only kidding). They had to sell the lp while they they performed
in Trier (D), Frankfurt (D), Berlin (D), London (UK), Amsterdam (NL) and Arnheim (NL). 

Although Cem Oral (aka 'Jammin' Unit' and from 'Air Liquide')
and 
Heiko Wöhler (synthesizers and samplers)  helped out at two gigs in the
Netherlands (which had been promoted by 'Staalplaat'),
'NTL' disappeared from the stage of active, influential industrial
groups, almost unnoticed by friends and foes.

end of the 'NTL'-story (part I)

...from where the putrid smell rises

more...(NTL story, part II)

to get to know the videos & cassettes & vinyls and anything else
(from 1982-)