Supermax (band)

{{short description|Austrian musical project}} {{More citations needed|date=January 2017}} {{Infobox musical artist  | name = Supermax | image = Kurt Hauenstein AMADEUS2008b.jpg | caption = | image_size = | origin = [[Frankfurt am Main]] | years_active = 1975–2011 | genre = {{hlist|[[Reggae]]|[[funk]]|[[disco]]|[[Rock music|rock]]}} | label = {{hlist|[[CBS]]|[[Universal Music Group|Universal]]|[[Ariola]]|[[Warner Music Group|WEA]]|Venus Records}} | website = {{url|supermax.cc}} | current_members = | past_members = }}

'''Supermax''' was a project of [[Austrians|Austrian]] musician and [[record producer|producer]] Kurt Hauenstein (1949–2011), best known for the 1979 hit "It Ain't Easy", and "Lovemachine", a 1977 German #4 [[Single (music)|single]], that peaked at #6 in Switzerland, #9 in Austria and #96 in [[United States|US]].

The first members of the band were Kurt Hauenstein (Mini Moog, vocals), Hans Ochs (guitar), Ken Taylor (bass guitar), Lothar Krell (keyboards), Peter Koch (percussion), Jürgen Zöller (drums) and the singers Cee Cee Cobb and Jean Graham. After Ken Taylor left the band in 1979, Kurt Hauenstein returned to his original music instrument, the bass guitar. Later, Bernadet Onore Eben and Jessica Hauenstein, the daughter of Kurt Hauenstein, joined the group as backing vocal singers. From 2006 [http://www.bretterbauer.at/ Raimund Bretterbauer] joined as his Sound Engineer and Co Producer.

In 1981, Supermax toured as the first mixed-race band through [[South Africa]] for 21 gigs.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loPNmvTdAb0 Supermax - 1981 South Africa Tour]</ref> Despite warnings and death threats, Supermax finished the tour, but this made some countries refuse permits for entry, and consequently the group was black-listed by some political organizations.<ref>[http://www.supermax.cc/history.html Supermax-Homepage]</ref>

In 1983, Supermax was invited to play as special guest from Europe at the Reggae Sunsplash Festival in Montego Bay, Jamaica.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmZLDSy4Lus Supermax – 1983 Reggae Sunsplash Festival, Montego Bay, Jamaica – German Press Trailer]</ref>

==Discography== * 1976: ''Don't Stop the Music'' * 1977: ''Lovemachine'' * 1977: ''[[World of Today]]'' * 1979: ''Fly with Me'' * 1980: ''Types of Skin'' * 1981: ''Meets the Almighty'' * 1983: ''Electricity'' * 1986: ''Something in My Heart'' * 1988: ''Just Before the Nightmare'' * 1990: ''World of Tomorrow'' – ''Hansa'' * 1992: ''Tha Max Is Gonna Kick Ya'' * 1993: ''One and All'' * 1995: 3 Club-CDs: ''Spirits of Love'', ''Living in a World'', ''Magnetic Rhythm'' * 1997: ''Supermax – 20th Anniversary'' * 1998: ''"YAKU" Total Immigration'' * 2001: ''Terminal 2002'' * 2007: ''Remaxed Vol. 1'' * 2007: ''Remaxed Vol. 2'' * 2008: ''Supermax – Best Of'' * 2009: ''[[Zemlyane|ЗЕМЛЯНЕ]] & SUPERMAX''

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category|Kurt Hauenstein}} *[http://www.supermax.cc Official web site] *{{Discogs artist|Supermax|name=Supermax}} *{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p20858|label=Supermax}}

[[Category:Austrian pop rock music groups]] [[Category:Austrian reggae musical groups]] [[Category:Austrian funk musical groups]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 1976]] [[Category:English-language Austrian musical groups]]