Birmingham 6 Biography
Birmingham 6, formed in late 1991 by Denmark-natives Kim Løhde Petersen and Michael Hillerup, focus on political and social criticism with a framework of industrial dance music influenced by KMFDM and Front 242. The duo took their name from a group of Irishmen living in Birmingham, England, who were accused of IRA-sponsored terrorism and sentenced to prison under false evidence (popularized by Daniel-Day Lewis in the movie In the Name of the Father). Petersen and Hillerup gave their demo tape to Claus Larsen from Leæther Strip. Several labels became interested, and the Danish Slop Pail/Transfixion imprint signed Birmingham 6 and released singles in 1992 ("Israel") and 1993 ("Contagious").
Controversty soon began to follow Petersen and Hillerup just after their debut album, Mindhallucination, appeared in 1994. First Annie Lennox objected to the use of a Eurythmics sample on the album, and promised legal action if it were not taken off. Representatives of T. Rex also declined the use of a sample, and a Birmingham radio station banned the group from the airwaves entirely, due to their name. In 1995, Birmingham 6 signed an American deal with the industrial label Cleopatra; Assassinate compiled material from both Mindhallucination and the Contagious single. The Policestate EP followed in mid-1995, and the remix album To Protect and to Server (The Policestate Remixes) was released early in 1996.
Error of Judgement, Birmingham 6's second album, was released in mid-1996 and featured Jean-Luc de Meyer of Front 242 on vocals. You Cannot Walk Right followed in 1997, with Resurrection appearing two years later. Also available is the Love Vs. Lust import EP, a side project with Danish DJ TBM-1 called 6 Incorporated. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
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