Formed in 1982 and based in Berlin, Germany, Die Haut (which translates to "the Skin" from German) originally consisted of Christoph Dreher, Remo Park, Martin Peter, and Thomas Wylder. Essentially an instrumental act, Die Haut gained attention by having a revolving series of guest vocalists, including one Nick Cave on four tracks on their debut full-length, the 1983 release Burnin' the Ice. Other guest vocalists on future releases included Kid Congo Powers, Anita Lane, Debbie Harry, Mick Harvey, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Blixa Bargeld, Lydia Lunch, and Alan Vega. While the band would go through many lineup changes over the years, Die Haut centered around Christoph Dreher and Remo Park for the better part of the '80s. Park left in 1985 to be replaced by Rainer Lingk, who remained with the band until 1997, the year in which the last official full-length offering from the band, Spring, was released. A remix collection of the music from Spring, titled Springer, followed in 1998. Both Remo Park and Christoph Dreher have continued to work, albeit as separate acts, well into the 21st century. ~ Christopher True