Birmingham 6

Birmingham 6, formed in late 1991 by Denmark-natives Kim Løhde Petersen and Michael Hillerup, focus on political and social criticism with a framework of industrial dance music influenced by <a href="spotify:artist:3V4IvzRQYP5mzuVtkcHgVa">KMFDM</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:2tyMOS8xKREgpEwHnLc6EX">Front 242</a>. The duo took their name from a group of Irishmen living in Birmingham, England, who were accused of IRA-sponsored terrorism and sentenced to prison under false evidence (popularized by Daniel-Day Lewis in the movie In the Name of the Father). Petersen and Hillerup gave their demo tape to Claus Larsen from <a href="spotify:artist:0klcoRwPQF1GMv8FrA7F8V">Leæther Strip</a>. Several labels became interested, and the Danish Slop Pail/Transfixion imprint signed Birmingham 6 and released singles in 1992 ("Israel") and 1993 ("Contagious").

Controversty soon began to follow Petersen and Hillerup just after their debut album, Mindhallucination, appeared in 1994. First <a href="spotify:artist:5MspMQqdVbdwP6ax3GXqum">Annie Lennox</a> objected to the use of a <a href="spotify:artist:0NKDgy9j66h3DLnN8qu1bB">Eurythmics</a> sample on the album, and promised legal action if it were not taken off. Representatives of <a href="spotify:artist:3dBVyJ7JuOMt4GE9607Qin">T. Rex</a> also declined the use of a sample, and a Birmingham radio station banned the group from the airwaves entirely, due to their name. In 1995, Birmingham 6 signed an American deal with the industrial label Cleopatra; Assassinate compiled material from both Mindhallucination and the Contagious single. The Policestate EP followed in mid-1995, and the remix album To Protect and to Server (The Policestate Remixes) was released early in 1996.

Error of Judgement, Birmingham 6's second album, was released in mid-1996 and featured Jean-Luc de Meyer of <a href="spotify:artist:2tyMOS8xKREgpEwHnLc6EX">Front 242</a> on vocals. You Cannot Walk Right followed in 1997, with Resurrection appearing two years later. Also available is the Love Vs. Lust import EP, a side project with Danish DJ TBM-1 called 6 Incorporated. ~ John Bush, Rovi