Fischer-Z – PUNKT! (Ltd. Edition)

For John Watts, his new project PUNKT! marks the end of an era and the beginning of something new. The title means “full stop”—behind a difficult personal period, but above all behind his old way of working. After almost 50 years in which he retained full control as the creative driving force behind Fischer-Z, Watts is consciously opening himself up to intensive collaboration.

PUNKT! was created in collaboration with producer Tony McAnaney. Watts wanted to bring together talented individuals “to create something that none of us expected.” Their contrasting working methods and critical creative exchange resulted in an album that gained enormous strength through this filtering process. Watts himself says that he should have collaborated more much earlier on.

The result is a completely reimagined “art punk” sound with tremendous energy that deliberately sets itself apart from the previous album. It’s not traditional rock music, but a diverse mix of the anarchic steampunk of the title track (Watts describes it as “AC/DC playing funk”), the ghostly Motown pulse of “When Love Goes Wrong,” and the moving political storytelling of “Conclusion.”

Since the early days of new wave, John Watts has always seen himself as an “art punk”—driven by politics and the desire to be different. PUNKT! brings this attitude into the present and proves that breaking old patterns is the most powerful way to create something new.

Tracklist:

1. Conclusion
2. Wonder
3. Moonlight On A Lake Of Diamonds
4. One Is Still One
5. Can’t Undo
6. When Love Goes Wrong
7. Supermoon
8. 100 Wised Up Monkeys
9. Too Much
10. PUNKT!