Mark Reeder

Mark Reeder formed the punk band The Frantic Elevators together with Mick Hucknall (Simply Red) and Neil Moss in Manchester, early 1977.[5] In 1978, he decided to leave Britain and move to West Berlin. While living there he became Factory Records German representative[6] promoting the label's bands, Joy Division and ACR, simultaneously he worked as a sound engineer for bands like the all-girl avant garde group Malaria! (who he also co-managed) or punk band Die Toten Hosen.

In 1981, Reeder formed the synthpop-rock duo Die Unbekannten,[7] together with Alistair Gray, and then drummer Thomas Wydler (who later played in Die Haut and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) joined, Die Unbekannten became a trio. After Wydler left to play in Die Haut, he still remained as Die Unbekannten guest drummer for the occasional live gig.

They released two very dark and depressive 12" EPs between 1981 and 1982. Debut EP, Die Unbekannten(1981) which consisted of 3 tracks "Radio war",[8] "Casualties",[9] and "Poseidon",[10] Their second EP Dangerous Moonlight (1982) which had 4 tracks "Don't Tell me Stories", "Perfect Love", "Against the Wall" and "The Game". Dangerous Moonlight was repressed with a different cover design in 1983.

In March 2005, Die Unbekannten released the limited edition vinyl LP Don't Tell Me Stories (on vinyl only)[11] featuring the above 2 EPs and some unreleased material.

A music review concluded that[12]

Die Unbekannten is of course an 80’s band. They combine the best of new wave, gothic rock and post-punk.

Meanwhile, Smirnoff Wall of Sound film 2008 described Reeder to be one of the Godfathers of the early electronic music and Gothic Rock scene.[13][14]

In 1983, Reeder helped put together the Berlin Special of The Tube, a UK Channel 4 TV pop programme, which he co-presented together with Muriel Gray. This show featured music from both sides of the walled city (debuting bands like "Die Ärzte" and featuring "Die Tödliche Doris" and "Die Haut") and for the first time ever, a young East German band he'd literally discovered on the street, called "Jessica" appeared on a UK TV show, fronted by Tino Eisbrenner. It was also the first time that a British TV crew had ever filmed a pop programme both in the GDR (East Berlin) and West Berlin.

In 1984, "Die Unbekannten" changed their name to "Shark Vegas" and toured Western Europe with New Order.[15] In 1986, Shark Vegas released one of the most sought after Factory 12" single You Hurt Me[16] (FAC111) which was produced by Bernard Sumner[17] (the founding member of Joy Division, New Order and now the lead vocalist of Bad Lieutenant). This single was also released in Germany on the Toten Hosen Totenkopf label (TOT11) with different versions of the song. Both releases of the single were some of the first 12" to be designed by Mark Farrow who went on to design covers for The Pet Shop Boys.[18][19] [20]

The only other track Pretenders of Love[21](FAC US 17) was featured on the only US factory compilation.

Reeder had contacts to the East Berlin underground new wave music scene and travelled a lot to East Berlin for concerts. He eventually helped to bring Die Toten Hosen over to East Berlin for their two secret gigs in 1982 and 1988, the 1982 gig being the first concert by a western punk band in East Berlin, disguised as a religious service. In summer 1989, he was officially asked if he would produce the album Torture, for up-and-coming East German indie band Die Vision for the East German state-owned record label AMIGA in East Berlin. This was probably the first east–west joint venture. Reeder is recognised as the only Englishman ever to have had the privilege to make a record in the East, because literally days after finishing recording the album, the notorious Berlin Wall fell.[22]

Due to this album production, Reeder had made useful contacts at AMIGA the (now former) East German state-owned record label, now renamed ZONG.[23] He managed to convince them to allow him to set up a new electronic dance label office in the "Abhör Raum 101" situated in the building directly behind the Reichstag.

In December 1990, Reeder founded his own electronic dance music record label "Masterminded For Success" or MFS as it became known. The name MFS was actually taken from the initials of Ministry for State Security (Stasi) in East Germany.

Reeder had a gift for uncovering the hidden talents of many early techno and trance artists.

He once stated in an interview together with DJ Paul van Dyk,

MFS was founded to offer opportunity to talented people.[24]

As an artist himself, Reeder was the creative driving force behind his labels, which provided a great platform for many young and then-unknown artists. He ran both his labels with an unconventional approach and a passion rarely seen in the music industry. Reeder was deeply devoted to all his artists and was involved in almost every aspect of their musical productions, from their concept, recording and mastering, to PR texts, as well as their artistic cover-design ideas.

In 1993, a trance music documentary Berliner Trance was born, presented by Mark Reeder, directed by Ben Hardyment.

This documentary is combined with interviews such as Dr Motte, Paul van Dyk, Laurent Garnier, Paul Browse, Mijk van Dijk and MFS label supremo Mark Reeder. This now-legendary exploration into the underworld of what was the most significant force in driving dance music forward in the 20th century. It contains rare early footage of the 1991 and 1993 Love Parade, and of the now bulldozed Mutoid Waste Company land, E-Werk and Tresor – Berlin's legendary clubs that started it all in the former East Berlin.[25]

Reeder reactivated MFS in 2018, specifically to release the album Fragment by Chinese band STOLEN.[26]

In the meantime, Reeder has returned to his own music production. He worked with German filmmaker Joerg Buttgereit on many of his film and theatre projects (In 1991, Reeder starred in the Joerg Buttgereit splatter film) Nekromantik 2[27] and his sound is reminiscent of the 80s electronic rock-disco sound with a modern flair.

Reeder has since remixed tracks and worked with many well-known artists like the Pet Shop Boys & Sam Taylor-Wood "I'm in Love With a German Film Star" 2009 (Mark Reeder's Rundfunk remix), (Mark Reeder's Rias Radio Remix) and (Mark Reeder's Stuck in the 80s remix),[28] Bad Lieutenant "Sink or Swim" 2010 (Reeder's Rettungsring Remix) and (Reeder's Waterwing Remix),[29] Anne Clark "The Hardest Heart" (Heart and soul mix feat. Anne Clark),[30] John Foxx "Underpass" 2010 (Reeder Sinister Subway Mix),[31] (Mark Reeder's dark long sinister remix),[32] (Mark Reeder Sinister Subway Radio remix)[33] and other less known ones such as Noblesse Oblige, Spartak and Parralox.

Due to his extensive knowledge of the music industry, Reeder has participated and chaired panels at various international music conferences since the late 1980s. One of his first, being for the BID (Berlin Independence Days) in 1990, together with the Sex Pistols creator Malcolm McLaren and music writers Dave Rimmer and Jon Savage. Other conferences include chairing panels at ADE[38] (Amsterdam Dance Event) on various techno music subjects,[39] together with guest panellists Ben Liebrand, Ferry Corsten, Mark Gobulev and Jaydee. And join the "Musik & Maschine" International Techno Fair together with techno DJ Jeff Mills in Berlin. Reeder attended the first electronic dance music conference VIBRATO 2000 in New Delhi, India, and then London Calling in UK. He has given lectures and workshops at the Tecnogeist, San Luis Potosi and G. Martell College of Music and Audio in Mexico City.

• 30 May 2012: Dreaming New Futures participation as panelist/ guest speaker for dBs music networking conference.[40]
• 7 June 2012: Der Klang Der Familie panel at Tresor Berlin/ Berlin Tresor Exhibition, Red Gallery, London.[41]

Reeder initially studied advertising design, but disillusioned, left the Ad industry to work in a Virgin Records store in Lever Street, Manchester. Years later, he used his knowledge in advertising and design for his own labels MFS and Flesh, as well as for his own releases (with the exception of "You Hurt me" which was designed by his friend Mark Farrow). Reeder created all his labels' adverts and also wrote the majority of the copy and record texts. He additionally supplied designer Marc Schilkowski with design ideas although Reeder almost never credited himself on the records (Schilkowski is the one actually credited for the execution of the finished artwork on most MFS releases).

Reeder was actually involved in the creation of virtually all the MFS and Flesh record graphic designs:

• EPs design: (1981) Die Unbekannten "Die Unbekannten"; (1982) & (1983) Die Unbekannten "Dangerous Moonlight"
• Single design: (1989) Alien Nation "Travis" – by Mark Reeder & Dave Rimmer; (1991) Alien Nation "Lovers of the World"
• Album design: (1989) & (1990) Die Vision "Torture" – by Mark Reeder & Dave Rimmer; (1998) Assorted E for Europe – by Mark Reeder & Corvin Dalek; (1999) Assorted Stadtansichten – a Journey Through Berlin – by Mark Reeder & Corvin Dalek; (2001) Blue Amazon "Javelin" – by Mark Reeder & Corvin Dalek; (2002) "Wet & Hard" Various, Flesh Artists compilation – by Mark Reeder, Jan Kessler & Corvin Dalek; (2003) "Flesh For Fantasy" Various, Flesh Artists Compilation – by Mark Reeder & Jan kessler; (2003) "Tender Young Flesh" Various, Flesh Artists Compilation – by Mark Reeder & Jan kessler; (2003) Corvin Dalek "I am a Dalek" – by Mark Reeder & Corvin Dalek; (2005) Die Unbekannten "Don't Tell Me Stories" – by Mark Reeder & Anja Koestler; (2009) Blank & Jones/ Mark Reeder – "Reordered" – by Mark Reeder & Marc Schilkowski.

Reeder occasionally writes film, DVD and music review for various magazines, such as Stadtkomplize in Berlin, Laif magazine in Poland, B:EAST magazine and XMAG & Bassline in the Czech Republic. He is also a regular contributor to the Time Out Guide – Berlin.

He has also worked as a researcher and has been interviewed and quoted or being a main subject in many book publications. See below for Reeder's participant bibliography.

• Official Myspace page
• Official Soundcloud
• Mark Reeder's Mauerstadt
• MFS Official Website
• Mark Reeder at IMDb