LiLiPUT

Few bands in the history of punk rock have combined such fierce creative energy with such turbulent circumstance as LiLiPUT. Born in the buzzing underground scene of Zürich, Switzerland, in 1978, the band initially performed under the name Kleenex, a moniker that would prove short-lived but unforgettable. Their original lineup featured Lislot Ha on drums, Klaudia Schiff on bass and vocals, and Regula Sing handling lead vocal duties. It was during the encore of their very first live performance that Marlene Marder, a friend of the band, stepped in on guitar — and never left.

Kleenex wasted no time making their presence felt. Financing the recording of their debut EP themselves, they released it through Sunrise, a local label run by friends, in 1978. The record caught the ear of the legendary BBC disc jockey John Peel, who championed the band enthusiastically on his influential radio shows. This exposure led to a deal with the iconic Rough Trade Records, propelling the band onto the European stage. Their debut single, Ain't You, arrived in November 1978, followed by a sweeping European tour that announced them as a force to be reckoned with.

The band's identity, however, was about to be legally challenged. The multinational corporation Kimberly-Clark, owner of the Kleenex trademark, threatened legal action, forcing the band to reinvent themselves. They emerged as LiLiPUT, a name that carried with it a sense of playful defiance entirely in keeping with their spirit. Saxophonist Angie Barrack joined the fold, adding a new sonic dimension to their already adventurous sound. The singles Eisiger Wind and Split both made waves on the UK Independent Singles Chart, demonstrating that LiLiPUT's appeal stretched well beyond Switzerland's borders.

Through a series of lineup changes that would have broken lesser bands, LiLiPUT continued to evolve. When Astrid Spirit stepped in as lead vocalist, the band entered what many consider their most artistically fertile period. Now a trio of Schiff, Marder, and Spirit, the band released their self-titled debut album in 1982, followed by the single You Did It in 1983. Despite exhaustion from relentless touring, the three women summoned enough resolve to record a second album, Some Songs, released in December 1983. Tragically, by the time it reached listeners, the band had already agreed to disband, as Spirit's pregnancy and desire to focus on motherhood made further touring impossible.

Musically, LiLiPUT occupied a thrillingly unconventional space. Their sound fused thrashy punk energy with husky and squealing vocals, ramshackle drumming, scratchy guitar work, and a thick, funky bass that anchored even their most chaotic moments. Lyrics delivered in both English and German added to the band's cut-up surrealist charm. Instruments like saxophone, flute, and violin appeared without warning, making each recording feel like a small act of creative rebellion. Critics and scholars have placed them alongside bands such as The Raincoats, The Slits, Delta 5, and Bush Tetras as pioneers of a distinctly feminist and experimental strain of post-punk.

The band's legacy has only grown with time. AllMusic declared that LiLiPUT had made some of the best, most adventurous, and most exhilarating music of the punk era. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana immortalised the band by reserving a spot on his personal list of 50 favourite albums for anything recorded by Kleenex. Compilation releases, including the 1993 double-disc Kleenex/LiLiPUT and the 2016 collection First Songs, have ensured that new generations of listeners continue to discover their extraordinary catalogue.

The story of LiLiPUT is ultimately one of resilience, reinvention, and raw artistic courage. Marlene Marder, who passed away on 15 May 2016 at the age of 61, left behind not only her guitar work but also a written memoir of her time in the band. Klaudia Schiff, the only member to have remained throughout the band's entire history, turned her creative energy toward painting. Their music, however, refuses to stay still — restless, urgent, and utterly alive, just as it always was.