durantula history and selective discography
Never one for the mainstream music scene, on Welcome to Earth, durantula utilized extreme recording techniques to achieve his unique sound. Written, performed, and produced in it’s entirety by Mark, including all the artwork for the CD and this website. There are no other musicians or singers on the CD. Welcome To Earth is a “concept album” with no breaks between tracks and unlike many current CDs by an artist, (where all songs tend to sound the same), each song on Welcome to Earth has it’s own sound and style. For some people this difference takes some getting used to.
Although the durantula CD is all Mark, he has been known primarily for his work in groups and playing behind other artists. Since retiring from the Waco Brothers, (whose eighth CD on Bloodshot Records, “Waco Express Live and Kickin'”, was released march 2008), durantula is now focused on releasing new recordings as “The MoaiMen” and re-releasing remastered recordings of “The Next Big Thing”, “The Aliens” and possibly even some rare “Public Enemy” tracks.
Mark had joined KMFDM in 1992 and soon had collaborated with band members to write and record the “Angst” CD on Wax Trax Records. Mark went on to tour and record two more CDs with the band, “Nihil” and “Xtort”.
Previously, Durante was working with The Revolting Cocks on the eventful U.S. tour of 1990, (on which he played just a few songs a night with the band), to the 1991 European tour where Mark played guitar full time. (Chris Connelly’s excellent book “My Life As A Revolting Cock” and Jason Pettigrew’s Alternative Press magazine article are recommended reading).
This brings us to the late 1980’s when Mark played with The Slammin’ Watusis who recorded two CDs, (CDs were the “new” thing back then) on EPIC records. At that time “Alternative” music was new to the Major Labels, and EPIC was bought out by SONY Music who seemed to only be interested in Springsteen and Michael Jackson. Even after a cool third album demo produced by Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, Sony didn’t get it and dropped the band. It was during this time that the band also played gigs as The Blue Watusis, (performing all Chicago blues material). It was during this time too that Blue Watusis drummer Marcus David came up with the tounge-in-cheek nickname “durantula” for Mark and the rest is history.
In the early 1980s Mark played with groups The Aliens and notorious punk band The Next Big Thing, and way back in 1978 Mark founded and named his new rock group Public Enemy. The name and logo were later “borrowed” by another band who have had much success with it.
And to take things full circle, one song on durantula’s Welcome to Earth CD was written in 1968,(I Wonder), by a young Mark who had taken up the guitar inspired mainly by Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa and Merle Travis.
selective discography:
durantula on SCR Records: durantula-Welcome To Earth-SCR0004, released 2002 The Moaimen-Pearls Before Swine-SCR0007, released 2010 The Aliens-I Was Born-SCR0008, released 2010 The Next Big Thing-SCR0005, released 2010
Waco Brothers on Bloodshot Records: Waco Express Live & Kickin’ at Shubas Tavern-BS144, released 2008 Freedom and Weep-BS119, released 2005 New Deal-BS085, released 2002 Electric Waco Chair-BS054, released 2000 Waco World-BS043, released 1999 Do You Think About Me-BS024, released 1997 Cowboy in Flames-BS015, released 1997 To the Last Dead Cowboy-BS006, released 1995
The Pine Valley Cosmonauts on Bloodshot Records: Salute the Majesty of Bob Wills-BS029, released 1998
Skull Orchard on Sugar Free Records: Jon Langford’s Skull Orchard-SF006, released 1997
KMFDM on Wax Trax/TVT Records: Xtort-TVT7242-2, released 1996 Nihil-TVT7199-2, released 1995 Angst-TVT7202-2, released 1993
Rev. Co. on Wax Trax Records: (Live tracks on) Beers, Steers and Queers Remixes EP-Waxcds9149, released 1991
Slammin’ Watusis on Epic/Sony Records: Kings of Noise-EK44488, released 1989(out of print) Slammin’ Watusis-EK44044, released 1988(out of print)
Public Enemy on SCR Records: Possession-SCR0003 (single, out of print), released 1979
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