Musician, composer and producer Bruno Kramm, who together with Stefan Ackermann formed the Gothic and Dark Wave band Das Ich, died suddenly on Friday September 25 at the age of 58. The star collapsed outside the venue following a performance in Granada, Spain. Although emergency services were called they were unable to save him and he was confirmed dead at the scene.
Concert promoter confirms death
The concert promoter, Distortiongirl Eventos, confirmed the sad news in a social media post. "It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we must announce Kramm's death after the concert in Granada. Despite the help offered locally, nothing more could be done for him," their statement read.
His official cause of death has not yet been revealed but Spanish media report local authorities are assuming it natural causes. No further details are currently available. His long-time Das Ich partner Stefan has not yet commented publicly on the death of his bandmate.
Career highlights
The duo first met in 1986 at the Crazy Elephant discotheque in Bayreuth and initially played together in Dying Moments before forming Das Ich in the late 1980s. They went on to become one of the most prominent acts in the Neue Deutsche Todeskunst (New German Death Art) scene in the early 1990s topping the alternative and independent charts on numerous occasions.
They went on to enjoy success with influential albums such as Die Propheten, Staub and Egodram and songs like Gottes Tod and Destillat. Away from the band he worked as a producer and ran his own label Danse Macabre making him one of the scene's most influential figures, not only as a musician but also behind the scenes, for decades.
Fans pay tribute
Tributes flooded in for the star as shocked fans learned the news. Taking to Facebook one penned: "Saw Das Ich in Phoenix years ago! Great show, I have never seen anybody hit the keys as hard as he did that night, he played with a fury! RIP Bruno."
Another added: "I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of a legendary figure from the German 'Death Art' and post-punk scenes. Many people fail to realize just how wonderful and diverse the global goth and post-punk cultures are, or the vast array of backgrounds and individuals that make them up. He was one of the key figures who—brick by brick—helped build the foundations of post-punk and industrial music. His absence will undoubtedly be deeply felt. As a fellow German, I feel this loss all the more keenly."
A third chimed in: "We saw Das Ich last at Das Bunker not long ago and Bruno gave a very moving speech against racism and fascism and loving each-other. We didn’t want the news of his passing to be true." Meanwhile a fourth shared: "Rest in peace! What a devastating loss for the world. Das Ich 4ever," followed by a crying emoji.
