KLAUS NOMI (ABO #240)

KLAUS NOMI
DO YOU NOMI?

This strange little man from Essen, Germany became somewhat of a cult idol after his tragic death in 1983. He was, back then, at the beginning of a promising career which was sadly interrupted by AIDS. Relocated on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, his falsetto voice, strange costumes, otherworldly aura all created a character which became a favourite of New York City's arty/new wave late 70s scene. It took him quite a long time to secure a record deal even after his spectacular appearance with David Bowie on Saturday Night Live but, when he finally did, success was there for him. Two albums were released while he was alive, the self-titled "Klaus Nomi" and "A Simple Man", both displaying Nomi's peculiar mix of new wave and operatic themes. One can wonder why a career that short deserved a "baistophe", the answer is quite simple: it just needed it. Whatsmore, the addition of 2008's "Za Bakdaz: The Unfinished Opera" (a collection of early demos) has provided a worthy addition to the tracklist. So, here it is, "Do You Nomi?", a 55 minutes long tribute to a great artist which left us too soon.