Die Warzau – Bodybag / Shakedown

Die Warzau – Bodybag / Shakedown

A strong example of late-1980s Chicago industrial dance music, "Bodybag / Shakedown" brings together the hard-edged electronic sound of "Die Warzau" with an unusually remix-heavy six-track configuration. Issued on Fiction/Polygram around 1990, the 12" followed the group's debut album Disco Rigido, originally released in October 1989.

The A-side is devoted entirely to "Bodybag", presented in three contrasting versions. "The Warzone Mix" provides the main extended treatment, while "The Live Mix" offers a shorter interpretation and Ralphie Rosario's Remix brings a more overtly club-oriented approach. The combination reflects Die Warzau's position at the intersection of industrial music, EBM and the Chicago dance scene.

The B-side opens with "Smacktime", a track credited to Jim Marcus, Van Christie and Chris Connelly, with Connelly also providing vocals. It is followed by "Shakedown (The Wargasm Mix)" and another Ralphie Rosario remix, giving the record a particularly strong dancefloor emphasis.

Die Warzau were formed in Chicago in 1987 by Jim Marcus and Van Christie, initially performing as Die Warzau Synfony. Their early work combined industrial electronics, sampling, percussion and dance rhythms, placing them alongside the emerging American industrial/EBM scene while retaining a distinctly Chicago club sensibility.

For collectors of Die Warzau, EBM, industrial dance, Wax Trax!-adjacent sounds and late-80s/early-90s underground electronic music, Bodybag / Shakedown is an interesting period 12" with six different cuts and mixes.

Tracklist:

Side A
A1. Bodybag (The Warzone Mix) – 6:03
A2. Bodybag (The Live Mix) – 3:55
A3. Bodybag (The Ralphie Rosario Remix) – 6:54

Side B
B1. Smacktime – 4:50
B2. Shakedown (The Wargasm Mix) – 6:00
B3. Shakedown (The Ralphie Rosario Remix) – 6:11