
18th Dye
18th Dye is a Berlin-based German/Danish noise rock band formed in 1992 by German Sebastian Büttrich (vocals, guitar), Danish-German Heike Rädeker (vocals, bass) and Dane Piet Breinholm Bendtsen (drums).
Drone-heavy, fuzzed out debut LP Done, produced by Iain Burgess (Naked Raygun, Ministry, Big Black), was initially released in Germany in 1992 before the band gained a recording and distribution deal with US Independent label Matador Records in 1994, having been championed by Yo La Tengo. A second release, the self-produced six song EP Crayon followed in 1994.
In 1995, 18th Dye moved to Danish label Cloudland Records and recorded their second album, Tribute to a Bus, recorded by Steve Albini (The Breeders, PJ Harvey, Big Black, Pixies, Nirvana) in Nayant La Gracoyere, France. More dynamic and diverse than previous recordings, its skillful blended noise and melody suggest such influences as Sonic Youth and The Wedding Present, though the economic, sparse and angular playing call to mind Wire at their peak. It is characterised by oblique English-as-second-language, math based lyrics.
Poolhouse blue
"Poolhouse Blue" features vocals from bassist Heike Rädeker
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The band have recorded three Peel sessions: in July 1994, March 1995 and February 1999.
18th Dye broke up in 1999 with Büttrich and Bendtsen going on to form Kikkert and later Test, while Rädeker has played with Evonike and Wuhling.
They reformed in the summer of 2005 and have begun to debut new songs at recent shows around Europe. In November 2007, 18th Dye signed a new recording contract with Danish-based record label Crunchy Frog Records (The Raveonettes, Junior Senior, Heavy Trash, PowerSolo, The Naked, epo-555).
In 2008, a new album Amorine Queen was released and the band toured the USA.