Anja Huwe

Singer, visual artist, and goth icon Anja Huwe is best known to music fans as the frontperson of influential post-punk group Xmal Deutschland. The group was initially pigeonholed as part of the Neue Deutsche Welle movement, while Huwe was constantly compared to Siouxsie Sioux, but both of these comparisons proved to be off-base, as the band had a distinctive style and commanding presence all their own. They released their debut album, Fetisch, on 4AD in 1983, and continued making music for the remainder of the decade, moving in a more pop-influenced direction with their final outing, 1989's Devils (their only album sung entirely in English). Following the breakup of Xmal Deutschland, Huwe became a television producer, then dedicated her career to painting, photography, and other art forms. She resumed making music with 2024's Codes, her first solo album, which updated the dark, heavy dance-rock sound of her former band.