Matador was founded in 1982 by BEATE BARTEL, MANON P. DUURSMA and GUDRUN GUT
for experimenting in sound and visual
arts.
Their first performance was in june 1982 at the Documenta in Kassel at which time Beate was still busy with LIAISONS DANGEREUSES and Gudrun and Manon with MALARIA. This was followed
by performances in women centers and artschools, releases on cassette-labels in England,
Japan and Germany and involvement in experimental movies.
After the 1987 release of their first album A TOUCH BEYOND CANNED LOVE on WHATS
SO FUNNY ABOUT they began to explore the unlimited worlds of MIDI and sampling. The cover
version single STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE and their second album SUN were released
1989/90 by NORMAL Records and although recieving consistantly good reviews i.e." most
intelligent pop heard for a long time...", they continued to remain outside the established
music mafia.
In 1991 they toured with a new live band setup, created filmmusic for R.Wolkenstein
scientific movie DUST, and all the while writing and recording their 3rd Album
ECOUTE which was released on MOABIT Records. Produced by themselves it is a sum
total of the Matador experiments to that date.
This is music that dares to experiment on the one hand, while brandishing commercial
cliches on the other. It drives by shooting arrows of melancholy or flowers of love.
Baring the souls of three women, their eyes, the tears, scars layed out, the feast,
the fury, yours to listen to and dream along.Very moody...
There are loose plans for new material, but nothing has been decided yet.
