Herwig Mitteregger

Austrian-born Herwig Mitteregger launched his professional path in Berlin as a member of Nina Hagen’s backing ensemble, bringing his skills as a singer, songwriter, drummer, and seasoned figure from Germany’s new wave circuit. After issuing two albums alongside Hagen, the group parted ways in 1980, pointing to the vocalist’s “bossiness” before re-forming as the upbeat Spliff. Stepping away from Spliff duties in 1983, he issued his first solo effort, Kein Mut -- Kein Mädchen, handling every aspect of songwriting, production, and performance single-handedly. Subsequent scoring for Uwe Friesner’s film Baby and further Spliff activity followed, yet the band dissolved permanently once their label declined to issue a 1986 album. Growing frustration with industry support for his solo output led Mitteregger, by the mid-’90s, to relocate discreetly to Spain, where he has since contributed only occasional recordings for other artists. A notable return occurred in 2005 when he teamed with multi-instrumentalist Knutson on the single “Marie-Johanna,” a dancefloor reworking of Spliff’s earlier hit “Carbonara.”