| Short
Biography : The German synth-pop trio
Camouflage was officially formed in 1984 by vocalist Marcus Meyn and
keyboardists/programmers Heiko Maile and Oliver Kreyssig. The group took
first place in a radio-sponsored song contest in 1986, and before long,
their debut single, "The Great Commandment," was scaling the
German charts. Their full-length debut, Voices and Images, was released in
1988, reflecting the group's classic new wave synth-pop influences, but
most of all Depeche Mode. 1989's Methods of Silence began to broaden
Camouflage's sonic palette, yet the Depeche Mode sound still remained at
the forefront. Oliver Kreyssig then left the group, leaving Maile and Meyn
as a duo augmented by several studio musicians. By the time of 1991's
Meanwhile, Camouflage had garnered a not insignificant following on
college radio; the album moved still farther away from synth-pop and
incorporated greater instrumentation. However, with the advent of grunge,
synth-pop lost a great deal of its footing on college radio; Camouflage
soon found itself without an American record deal. 1993's Bodega Bohemia,
available only as an import, moved back towards synth-oriented music and
took a darker tone than much of their previous work. The mostly
instrumental Spice Crackers followed in 1995, after which the future of
the band was cast into doubt; a best-of compilation, We Stroke the Flames,
was released in Germany in 1997. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide |
