TORTUGA BAR is the first Solo-Project of the Songwriter Mark Kowarsch.
1989-1994
From 1989-1994 Mark Kowarsch played with Christopher Uhe & Jan Beigel in the Band SPEED NIGGS, released 3 Full-Lenght Albums, lots of Singles, played over 350 Shows in Europe and gained the public Reputation as one of the best european alternative Rock-Trios in the late Eighties. The brilliantly Debut Album "Boston Beigel Yeah!!" was released 1989 on "Beat All The Tambourines" - a pretty small Partnerlabel of Phillip Boa's CONSTRICTOR Imperium - and SPEED NIGGS got voted as NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR 1989 (Reader's Poll) in the German Magazine SPEX & lots of Fanzines. SPEED NIGGS rocked the Clubs all over Europe together with DAS DAMEN, NAKED LUNCH, MIRACLE WORKERS, TV PERSONALITIES, SOUNDGARDEN, THE LEMONHEADS, MAUREEN TUCKER, SOUL ASYLUM, YO LA TENGO, JAD FAIR, FRUIT CHILD LARGE, THE CLEAN, L7, DEAD MOON, GRANT HART and many more. SPEED NIGGS recorded 4 Livesongs with EVAN DANDO of THE LEMONHEADS SYLVESTER 1989 in the legendary "Extasy" Club in Berlin and worked together with EVAN in the Studio on the Track "Paint It Sweet" for the second SPEED NIGGS Album "Another Valley On The Long Decline" in 1990.
In January 1995 SPEED NIGGS released a CD Re-Issue of "Boston Beigel Yeah!!" with the 7 Bonus Tracks of their never-released EP for the insolvent Berlin HELLHOUND Label.
CLICK HERE FOR SPEED NIGGS SONGS, FOTOS & BIO ON MYSPACE
1995-1998
After the Split of SPEED NIGGS the two Songwriter and Musicians Mark Kowarsch and Christopher Uhe formed the Band SHARON STONED and released the incredible Debut Album "License To Confuse" 1995. SHARON STONED worked together with LOU BARLOW, THE NOTWIST, SYLVIA JUNCOSA and for the second Time with EVAN DANDO (on the Track "Special Plan"). "License To Confuse" was released in Europe, USA and Japan. Pretty unusual was not only the Combination of weird 4 Track Homerecording LoFi Sounds, the Collaboration with lots of popular Guestmusicians and HiFi Studiotracks but also the unexpected high Sales, Reviews & Airplays worldwide. After the terrific "Tape" 7' for the friendly Berlin Label CITY SLANG, SHARON STONED signed to SONY/COLUMBIA. The second Album "Sample & Hold" was released 1996 (with Studio Guests Roeland Van Niele of GITBOX!, TUESDAY WELD, FURTIPS, Hans Platzgumer of HP ZINKER & DIE GOLDENEN ZITRONEN, Tom Liwa, Dirk von Lowtzow of TOCOTRONIC and THE NOTWIST) and was produced by SCHNEIDER TM. SHARON STONED supported the whole "CAR BUTTON CLOTH" European Tour of THE LEMONHEADS in 1996, a huge Festival Tour in Summer (ROCK AM RING, ROCK IM PARK, HURRICANE, SOUTHSIDE, RHEINKULTUR, MAMMA MIA,..) and released the "Down" Single (1996) and "Your Very Own EP" (1997). Over the years Mark Kowarsch & Christopher Uhe used to have diverse Line-Ups for their Concerts and Tours - also for their legendary and highly-celebrated Hosting Appearances and Live Sessions at plenty of "WAH WAH" & "FAST FORWARD" Shows on the german Music-TV Channel VIVA 2.
Members of THE NOTWIST, 18TH DYE, FRED IS DEAD, TUESDAY WELD, RAGAZZI, MUSTANG FORD, THE BEAUTIFUL NEW BORN CHILDREN, LOCUST FUDGE, A MILLION MERCIES & SCHNEIDER TM were part of the SHARON STONED Community.
CLICK HERE FOR SHARON STONED SONGS, FOTOS & BIO ON MYSPACE
1997-2001
1997 Mark Kowarsch, Vanessa Kowarsch, Christian Hagedorn & William Honda formed ELEKTROSUSHI. After 4 Singles on 4 different Recordlabels ("Heavenly" EP on HAUSMUSIK) and lots of Songs on Compilations & Fanzine EP's they signed to NOISOLUTION and released the selftitled splendid Debut Album with some Studio Guests like Francoise Cactus of STEREO TOTAL, Julia Wilton of POP TARTS & DAS BIERBEBEN, LOW FI GENERATOR, Marco Blazejczak of MONOLAND and Mike Watt (MINUTEMEN, fIREHOSE, THE STOOGES). ELEKTROSUSHI recorded their Debut enthusiastically in only a few days at the VIELKLANG Studio in Berlin and Andrew Pekler (MUCUS 2, SAD ROCKETS) produced this Album extremly harmoniously.
ELEKTROSUSHI recorded a Barry White Coverversion of "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe", released as a Japan-only Single and on FAMILIENANGELEGENHEITEN 2 Compilation with Dirk von Lowtzow of TOCOTRONIC and the incredible Cello of Charles Curtis - it turned into ELEKTROSUSHI's biggest Radiohit and brought them lots of Airplay worldwide, especially in the Collegestations in Australia, Japan & USA. ELEKTROSUSHI supported the SUPERSTAR MAGAZINE TOUR and played with SMOG, SPORTFREUNDE STILLER, HAZELDINE, TIED AND TICKLED TRIO, POP TARTS, READYMADE, KNARF RELLÖM, JUD, THE SEA AND CAKE, SCUMBUCKET, MUCUS 2, MOTORPSYCHO and many more.
CLICK HERE FOR ELEKTROSUSHI SONGS, FOTOS & BIO ON MYSPACE
2002-2006
Mark Kowarsch formed the "LIKELY TO BE DROPPED DJ TEAM" together with
Klaus Cornfield (KATZE) in Cologne/Germany and they both worked as Resident DJ's in Cologene's coolest Clubs like GEBÄUDE 9 & STEREO WONDERLAND from 2002-2005. Mark Kowarsch played Drums in Cologne's gorgeous Riot Girrl Band KLITPOP and Leadguitar & Vocals in the 2 Piece-Boy/Girl-Duo DIE SCHWARZEN QUADRATE - at this time Mark wrote the Songs "BIKA", "ROCCO, YOU'RE SO POSH" & "ADDICTED" for the forthcoming TORTUGA BAR Debut. It was nevertheless the birth of Mark's Soloalbum Masterplan!
2008
Almost 3 Years of Songwriting and Organization-it was a long and winding Road-but 2008 is definitely the time for TORTUGA BAR. 20 Songs for the TORTUGA BAR Debut Album going to be recorded with different Musicians and Friends in Cologne, Munich, Nürnberg, Malta, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Amsterdam, London and Hamburg in the first half of the Year 2008.
TORTUGA BAR DEBUT
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARIANCE BY
PHILLIP BOA , SEDLMEIR , SPORTFREUNDE STILLER , MUFF POTTER , DAVID CUNNINGHAM , RUMMELSNUFF , VIRGINIA JETZT! , KATE MOSH , KATZE , BERNADETTE LA HENGST , NAVEL & many lovely folks more.
PRODUCED BY
THE STRIKE BOYS .
RELEASE DATE
HOPEFULLY SEPTEMBER 2008.
TORTUGA BAR's Version of "Alison's Starting To Happen" together with
KATE MOSH & WRONGKONG appear on the "SQUEALING FANS - A TRIBUTE TO
IT'S A SHAME ABOUT RAY & THE LEMONHEADS" Compilation.
Release Date is May 19th 2008,
exclusively via Download from:
www.lemonheads.co.uk
TORTUGA BAR CONTACT :
ALEXANDRA GSCHOSSMANN
0179/5970111
0176/ 68073225
+49 (0) 911 3475256
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COMMUNITY PUBLISHING & PROMOTION
DIRK WILBERG
Brückstr. 52
44135 Dortmund
FON: +49(0)231/9330100
FAX: +49(0)231/933010-16
[email protected] ----------------------------------
TORTUGA BAR GRAPHICS & ARTWORK BY
MORITZ STETTER & PM HOFFMANN
MARK KOWARSCH appears on the forthcoming Album of SCHNEIDER MC
MARK KOWARSCH appears on the forthcoming Album of SOUNDCOURSE
