The history of Propaganda is one of a band, interrupted. Since their founding in 1982 in Düsseldorf, there have been multiple alignments of its members, with various combinations of the original group taking part. Today, like divided Germany, the core team from the days of A Secret Wish is split into two halves: xPropaganda, composed of Claudia Brücken (Act, Onetwo) and Susanne Freitag; and continuity Propaganda, led by Ralf Dörper (Die Krupps, Die Robo Sapiens) and Michael Mertens.
The occasion for cheers is the release of a new single by the boys. “Purveyor of Pleasure” features the vocals of German-based Thunder Bae (no, not the town on the edge of Lake Superior). It’s classy and catchy. And it’s a reminder of the effective combination of Mertens’ classical training and Dörper’s industrial aesthetic. An excellent, modern pop track – even without the ZTT spit-shine and Paul Morley nonsense.