’80s goth greats Xmal Deutschland announce ‘Gift: The 4AD Years’ box set

Germany’s Xmal Deutschland, classic goth greats and one of the seminal ’80s 4AD groups, are getting a retrospective box set. Gift: The 4AD Years features new Abbey Road remasters of their 4AD albums Fetisch and Tocsin, plus the Incubus Succubus II and Qual EPs, and will be out May 9 via 4AD.

Gift‘s artwork features photography by Peter Schulte and was designed by Timothy O’Donnell, who based it on original art by 4AD’s in-house company, 23 Envelope. It also comes with a photo booklet containing images by Kevin Cummins, Paul Slattery, Sheila Rock, and more, plus liner notes by Chris Roberts.

“When we started, the punks said it was not punk and the avant-garde people said it’s not avant-garde. So nobody could really say what it was,” singer Anja Huwe says in the lineer notes. “It was…Xmal Deutschland, you know? This really strange band from Hamburg. It comes from our bodies, our souls, and yes, our hearts. Of course we take ourselves very seriously.”

Check out the artwork and tracklist for Gift: The 4AD Years below.

“Incubus Succubus,” which was Xmal Deutschland’s first single for 4AD, made our list of 13 Great ’80s Goth Songs, and you can listen to that below.

GIFT: THE 4AD YEARS

Fetisch LP
(A1) Qual
(A2) Geheimnis
(A3) Young Man
(A4) In Der Nacht
(A5) Orient
(B1) Hand In Hand
(B2) Kaempfen
(B3) Danthem
(B4) Boomerang
(B5) Stummes Kind

Tocsin LP
(C1) Mondlicht
(C2) Eiland
(C3) Reigen
(C4) Tag für Tag
(D1) Augen-blick
(D2) Begrab Mein Herz
(D3) Nachtschatten
(D4) Xmas in Australia
(D5) Derwisch

Incubus Succubus II EP
(E1) Incubus Succubus II
(E2) Vito

Qual EP
(F1) Qual – 12” Remix
(F2) Zeit
(F3) Sehnsucht