LiLiPUT were a Swiss punk band active from 1978 to 1983, initially known as Kleenex. According to AllMusic, the band "made some of the best, most adventurous, most exhilarating, and most critically derided music" of the punk rock era.
History
The group formed in Zurich in 1978 under the name Kleenex, with a line-up of Regula Sing, Marlene Marder, Klaudia Schiff, and Lislot Ha. After releasing an EP in Switzerland, the band were signed by Rough Trade Records and released their debut single "Ain't You" in November 1978. In early 1979, Sing was replaced by Chrigle Freund, who was later replaced by Astrid Spirit. The band's second single "You" was their last under the Kleenex name as the threat of legal action by Kimberly-Clark in 1979 prompted a change of name to LiLiPUT. The band released two further singles, both of which were hits on the UK Indie Chart, before releasing their first, self-titled album in 1982. A second album, Some Songs, was released in December 1983, by which time the band had split up.
Post break-up
In 1993, Swiss label Off Course Records released a 46-track double-disc CD collecting Kleenex/LiLiPUT's 1978-83 releases. In 2001 it was re-issued in the US by the Kill Rock Stars label and subsequently on a 4 LP Box-Set on Mississippi Records. Kurt Cobain from Nirvana listed the band's music in his list ofTop 50 favorite albums. In 2010, Kill Rock Stars released a 24-track CD/DVD set Live Recordings, TV-Clips, and Roadmovie. On 15 May 2016, guitarist Marlene Marder died at age 61.
Musical style
LiLiPUT's exuberant sound combined spirited thrashy punk with unconventional vocals and lyrics, both in English and German. Their music featured husky or squealing vocals, ramshackle drums, scratchy and twanging guitar, thick funky bass, saxophone and occasionally flute, violin, or other instruments. The cut-up surreality of their lyrics and energetic sound put them in a league with bands like The Raincoats, Delta 5, The Slits, Essential Logic and Bush Tetras. The band's sound developed throughout their career, due in part to line-up changes; the earlier recordings are more noisy and energetic, while the later songs are more complex and haunting.
Band member chronology
1978: Klaudia Schiff, Lislot Ha, Regula Sing, Rudolph Dietrich, Gogi
1978-1979: Klaudia Schiff, Marlene Marder, Lislot Ha, Regula Sing
