Die Krupps sign multi-album deal with Dependent Records; new album due in 2026
Die Krupps (Photo by Thomas Ecke)
Industrial metal pioneers Die Krupps have signed a multi-album agreement with Dependent Records. The label confirms a new studio album for 2026 and says that a significant part of the band’s catalogue will be reissued in both digital and physical formats.
“We’re coming full circle and that is a good thing!” comments Jürgen Engler, citing a relationship with Dependent director Stefan Herwig that dates back three decades and collaborations in the mid-1990s. “Now in 2025, the time has come for Die Krupps and Dependent to join forces in order to write the next chapter in our long history.” Ralf Dörper adds that joining Dependent “in the 45th year of our band history” is a logical step for a group that has largely worked with independent labels.
Die Krupps European tour dates (2025)
All dates feature Johnny Tupolev; special guests vary by city as indicated below.
- 27 Aug 2025 — Kortrijk (BE), DVG Club
- 28 Aug 2025 — Düsseldorf (DE), Zakk*
- 29 Aug 2025 — Frankfurt (DE), Zoom*
- 30 Aug 2025 — Hamburg (DE), Uebel & Gefährlich*
- 31 Aug 2025 — Herford (DE), Kulturwerk#
- 02 Sep 2025 — Warszawa (PL), Hybrydy***
- 03 Sep 2025 — Krakow (PL), Hype Park***
- 05 Sep 2025 — München (DE), Backstage Halle*
- 06 Sep 2025 — Lindau (DE), Club Vaudeville*
- 07 Sep 2025 — Ljubljana (SI), Orto Hall***
- 09 Sep 2025 — Budapest (HU), Dürer Kert***
- 10 Sep 2025 — Wien (AT), Szene**
- 11 Sep 2025 — Praha (CZ), Rock Cafe***
- 12 Sep 2025 — Leipzig (DE), Hellraiser*
- 13 Sep 2025 — Nürnberg (DE), Hirsch*
- 14 Sep 2025 — Berlin (DE), Columbia Theater*
- 16 Sep 2025 — Stockholm (SE), Nalen***
- 17 Sep 2025 — København (DK), Pumpehuset***
- 18 Sep 2025 — Hannover (DE), Musikzentrum*
- 19 Sep 2025 — Oberhausen (DE), Kulttempel*
- 20 Sep 2025 — Uden (NL), De Pul***
- 21 Sep 2025 — London (UK), The Dome***
- 23 Sep 2025 — Aachen (DE), Musikbunker#
- 24 Sep 2025 — Paris (FR), Petit Bain***
- 25 Sep 2025 — Trier (DE), Forum*
- 26 Sep 2025 — Pratteln (CH), Z7*
- 27 Sep 2025 — Stuttgart (DE), Im Wizemann#
- 28 Sep 2025 — Dresden (DE), Beatpol*
* Schattenmann / # Erdling / ** Dymytry / *** Jesus On Extasy
About Die Krupps
Die Krupps formed in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 1980. The original lineup centered on Jürgen Engler (founder, composer) and Bernward Malaka, soon joined by Ralf Dörper. Engler had just come out of the Düsseldorf punk unit Male, while Dörper would later co-found Propaganda. The band name nods to the Krupp steel dynasty and the sonic world of metal, factories, and hard rhythm that defined the early aesthetic.
Early recordings landed on Alfred Hilsberg’s ZickZack label, including the debut “Stahlwerksynfonie” (1981), tracked at Can’s Inner Space Studio (with Holger Czukay in attendance). The 12″ “Wahre Arbeit – Wahrer Lohn” (1981) pushed metallic percussion and machine pulse into club context. “Volle Kraft voraus!” (1982) moved further toward sequenced synths; it appeared via WEA, not ZickZack.
“Entering the Arena” (1985) introduced English-language material and a polished, Fairlight-heavy approach, with Simple Minds drummer Mel Gaynor guesting on sessions that yielded the single “Risk.” After this phase, Engler focused on his Atom-H label, paving the way for the band’s 1990s reboot.
In 1989, Die Krupps reworked “Wahre Arbeit – Wahrer Lohn” with Nitzer Ebb as “The Machineries of Joy”, a bridge between early EBM minimalism and the band’s coming hybrid era. From 1992 onward, they fused EBM programming with metal guitars on “I” (1992) and “II – The Final Option” (1993); the latter featured Heathen/Exodus guitarist Lee Altus and drummer Darren Minter. The same period produced the “A Tribute to Metallica” EP, covering “Enter Sandman”, “Nothing Else Matters”, “Blackened”, “Battery” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, all mixed with John Fryer. “III – Odyssey of the Mind” (1995) and “Paradise Now” (1997) completed the first metal-leaning cycle.
After disbanding in 1997, Engler launched DKay.com, releasing “Decaydenz” (2000) and “Deeper into the Heart of Dysfunction” (2002), before Die Krupps re-activated in the mid-2000s.
The 2010s saw the band returning to the studio, resulting in such releases as “The Machinists of Joy” (2013) and “Vision 2020 Vision” (2019). The band also issued the covers set “Songs from the Dark Side of Heaven” in 2021 and released the archival 1981 live document “The Big Industrial Bang” on CD/DVD.
Guitarist Dylan Smith (ex–The Sisters of Mercy live) joined in 2024, and the band toured North America with Ministry in May 2025, their first U.S. run since 2018. In August 2025 they inked a new multi-album deal with Dependent Records, with a new album slated for 2026.
The current lineup includes Jürgen Engler (vocals, keyboards, guitars, steelophone), Ralf Dörper (keyboards), Paul Keller (drums), and Dylan Smith (guitars).
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