#prohaska

#196: V/A - “ist da wer?”

disclaimer: i played bass in PROGRAMM C, so it’s a little hard for me to simply review the subsequent 7”s, which is why i’m going to write a little bit about my memories around those records instead.

Dietmar, the guitarist from Konstrukt, was also behind the Hammerwerk label. With the two 7” compilations 'Und keiner weint uns nach' (with Fall Time., Käthe Core, Manface, Konstrukt) and 'Ist da wer?' (with Konstrukt, Kobayashi, Kawasaki, Programm C, Prohaska), he has succeeded in perfectly documenting a part of the hardcore scene.

While Konstrukt and Kawasaki (the electro project of T., the sound engineer of Konstrukt) were two veterans of the Viennese scene, Kobayashi (St. Pölten), Prohaska (Baden) and Programm C (Götzendorf/Himberg/Vienna) were among the “young and wild” of the scene.

The release show (you’ll find a scan of the poster here) for the compilation on October 30, 1998 at the EKH in Vienna is still one of the best shows I can remember. There was a limited yellow and a black vinyl version of the record. 

As for the songs themselves: from grindcore and emoviolence to powerviolence and industrial (Kawasaki remix by Konstrukt), everything was there. Above all, the songs by Kobayashi, Prohaska and Programm C are certainly among the still carefree highlights of the bands. You can listen to the compilation on YouTube.

Howard Chaykin, cover illustration for Blackhawk #3 (DC Comics, 1987).

Howard Chaykin, splash page from Blackhawk #1 (DC Comics, 1987).

#197: PROHASKA - “cordoba achtundneunzig”

“cordoba achtundneunzig” (recorded in march 1998 at ekh studio) is certainly one of the best hardcore records from austria. PROHASKA have blended the north-core style of LOXIRAN with the sound of KONSTRUKT and created their very own mixture. 

“cordoba achtundneunzig” is not only musically very appealing. the whole concept behind the record is completely coherent: from the record packaging to the enclosed booklet (actually a small fanzine with guest contributions) to the content in the booklet and the songs, the record is a complete work of art.

PROHASKA use soccer metaphors for the entire content, which they themselves subsume under the heading “soccer symbolism”. based on the soccer match between austria and germany at the 1978 world cup in córdoba, argentina, they stylize a battle between small (austria) and large (germany) in order to criticize germany's fantasies of great power that were rampant in the 1990s (after reunification with the GDR). of course, they do not fall into any nationalistic thoughts that “normal austria” associates with the surprising 3:2 victory over germany back then. 

as samples between the songs, PROHASKA use edi finger's original radio commentaries from the live broadcast from córdoba in june 1978, which have long since become part of austrian media history. 

from “prominentenanstoss” to “cordoba 1978”, the six songs on the 7” released in 1998 by paracelsius (alex haase) and the charon collective have still not lost their charm in 2025. 

Karin Prohaska; „Schleich nicht wie die Katze um den heißen Brei“

Felix Prohaska * Bach

BACH – Cantata No. 78, Jesu, Der Du Meine Seele I. Chorus, “Jesu, Der Du Meine Seele” II. Aria Duetto, Soprano And Alto, “Wir Eilen” III. Recitative, Tenor, “Ach! Ich Bin” IV. Aria, Tenor “Dein Blut” V. Recitative, Bass, “Die Wunden” VI. Aria, Bass “Nun du wirst mein Gewissen stillen”VII. Chorale, “Herr, Ich Glaube” Teresa Stich Randall – sopran, Dagmar Hermann – alto, Anton Dermota – tenor, Hans…