Hailing from West Berlin, Birth Control has been a staple of German's progressive rock community for more than 50 years. The group was formed in 1966 by bassist Bernd Koschmidder, organist Reinhold Sobotta, saxophonist Rolf Gurra, vocalist Fritz Gröger, guitarist Reiner Borchert, drummer Hugo Egon Balder, and guitarist Klaus Orso. The self-titled debut album Birth Control was released in 1970, with Operation following in 1971. All seven members of Birth Control's founding lineup had left the band by the time Hoodoo Man appeared in 1972, with drummer/vocalist Bernd Noske and guitarist Bruno Frenzel emerging as the band's new leaders. Albums like 1976's Backdoor Possibilities, 1978's Titanic, and 1981's Deal Done at Night maintained Birth Control's reputation as a prolific rock act, but Frenzel's death in 1983 brought the band to a temporary halt. Birth Control reformed a decade later, with Noske now leading a revised roster of newly-hired bandmates. Once again, the group remained active in the studio and on the road, releasing 1995's Two Worlds, 1996's Jungle Life, and 1999's Getting There before kickstarting the 21st century with 2003's Alsatian. Noske passed away on February 18, 2014, and the band took a two-year hiatus before reforming in 2016. Now featuring organist Hannes Vesper, guitarist Martin Ettrich, drummer Manfred von Bohr, and bassist Peter Föller, Birth Control celebrated its longevity with the album Here and Now in 2016. Open Up followed in 2022.
