User:Xhyljen/eden

Eden was one of the first Christian rock bands from Germany. Their album "Perelandra" is in the genre today as one of the landmark productions in the early 80s.

History
From the band "The Starfighters" emerged in the late sixties in Iserlohn, the band "Taras Bulba Clan". As part of the Jesus People movement founded some of the members in December 1972 in Eininghausen at Prussian Oldendorf one of the first Christian communities in Germany and changed the name to "Truth By Christian" to. Were able to stay the initials TB. The substantial financial support by Erika Pils was the basis for all further musical and evangelistic activities of the group.

Because of different beliefs, the community was abandoned in 1974. Some of the members moved to Lüdenscheid, where it on 23 February 1976 the interdenominational Christian Youth Fellowship Association Free Association (FCJG) founded, devoted to the rehabilitation of drug addicts. In a former Christian Hospice in the street in Lüdenscheid station, now called the "House Wiedenhof," began the same year with the work.

Among the board members of the FCJG were three musicians from the former Eininghausener community. From 1977, we began again to make music. A new group was founded under the name Eden. The rehabilitation work was then more and more placed in other hands. Since April 1982, took Walter Heidenreich officially the head of FCJG from the previous founder and director, Michael Claren. This widemete then the intensive construction of a Christian book and media publishing.

In the years 1978 to 1982 three albums were produced. The last public appearance was on 19 of EDEN December 1981 at the Christmas Rock Night in Ennepetal. Dirk Schmalenbach produced after 1984 under the project name "Yavanna" yet the album "Images from Middle Earth". With his second wife Gertrud Schmalenbach he formed in 1997 a successor group, also under the name Eden.

Michael and Anne Dierks moved in 1980 with their children after Wermelskirchen and founded a company of medical. In 2003, he devoted himself to the sideline again, and founded a music label and studio 'Dirx Handmade Music'. Here he produced in 2003 with his son Tim is one of the first unofficial CD with Henrik Freischlader launched in 2008 and the reactivation of the legendary studios of Conny Plank in Wolperath after it had stood empty two years. Since 2007 he leads a successful series of blues events and blues sessions at the factory in Kattwinkelschen Wermelskirchen.

Michael Claren produced for him the first 3D animation for spinal implants, after he sold his publishing company and has founded a video production. He now lives in the USA and is no longer active musically.

Hans Fritzsch founded a small company, which deals with the production of medical instruments. Here he also worked closely with Michael Dierks, and developed it for special tools for spinal surgery. Musically, he has long played with a new edition of the Star Fighters and his daughter Jeannine encouraged.

Band Members

 * Armin Dressler - drums
 * John Miller - drums
 * Michael Claren - bass and vocals
 * Hans Fritzsch - guitar
 * Michael Dierks - keyboards and vocals
 * Dirk Schmalenbach - violin, keyboards and vocals
 * Mario Schaub - flute and saxophone
 * Michael Wirth - percussion
 * Claren Jolie, Anne Dierks, Irene Heidenreich, Annette Schmalenbach († 1998) - vocals
 * Markus Egger - Guest vocals on the first production of "expectation" and some live performances

Albums

 * Erwartung 1978
 * Perelandra 1979/1980
 * Heimkehr 1980

Links

 * link to the three albums
 * The EDEN story by Dirk Schmalenbach (in German with pictures)
 * Today's musical activities by Michael Dierks

EDEN (Rockgruppe) Eden