Gudrun von Laxenburg

Vienna-based techno/punk trio Gudrun Von Laxenburg prioritize live performance above all, channeling the raw intensity of their concerts directly into studio work. The three members—hard rock guitarist Daniel Helmer, classically trained violinist Christoph Mateka, and jazz-trained drummer July Skone—had crossed paths regularly as teenagers, yet the project only crystallized in 2009 when an acquaintance invited them to DJ a party. Rather than cueing up existing tracks, they arrived with samplers and synths to deliver real-time reinterpretations of '90s techno. The energetic set quickly generated further bookings at European festivals, where word-of-mouth exposure gradually widened both their audience and their standing as volatile techno/punk performers. Three years passed before they captured this approach on vinyl, issuing the 2012 single “Rave Kaputt, Was Dich Kaputt Macht.” Over the subsequent half-decade they refined their material and pursued a label agreement. To ensure their demo reached Skint Records, the band dispatched a USB drive housed inside a custom pyramid enclosure; the package secured immediate interest and a contract. Their first full-length release, Panic!, appeared in 2017.