Erben der Schöpfung

Lore & Background

Erben der Schöpfung was conceived in 1998/99 by Oliver Falk as a side project to his main band WeltenBrand. Falk initially sought cooperation with Thomas Rainer of L'Âme Immortelle, but Rainer could not join due to lack of time. Falk then began composing for the planned album Twilight and was introduced to singer Sabine Dünser. The project expanded when guitarist Pete Streit contributed to Falk's electronic/sample compositions, creating a unique blend that led to Streit becoming a band member. Their first longplayer Twilight was released in 2002 after the single Elis, which included a poem by Austrian Expressionist poet Georg Trakl.

Following successful live performances, including at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig, Tom Saxer, Jürgen Broger, and Franky Koller joined the band, and Alexander Krull of Leaves' Eyes a

Reader's Guide

Erben der Schöpfung occupies a notable place in the history of gothic and electronic music, particularly for its role in the formation of the band Elis. The legal dispute over the Twilight album and the band name illustrates the complexities of band ownership and intellectual property in the music industry. Their debut album Twilight is recognized for its electro-gothic metal sound with classical female vocals, focusing on themes of death and aging. The band's later work, Narben der Zeit, was intended to incorporate more EBM-electro elements and heavier guitars, with lyrics exploring paranormal activities and inter-human differences. Despite the lineup changes and legal battles, the band continued under Oliver Falk's leadership, releasing a second album and maintaining a presence in the dark-gothic-metal scene. Their legacy includes influencing the sound of subsequent projects and serving as a case study in band dynamics and legal challenges.

Did You Know?

• The band's single Elis contains a poem written by Austrian Expressionist poet Georg Trakl.
• After a legal dispute, Oliver Falk lost the license for his entire work Twilight but retained the name 'Erben der Schöpfung' as a brand.
• The other members of the band, after the split, formed the band Elis, named after the first single of Erben der Schöpfung.
• The band's second full-length album Narben der Zeit was released as a limited DVD and CD box on 27 November 2009.

Origins and the Birth of a Sound

Oliver Falk conceived Erben der Schöpfung as a parallel creative outlet to his primary band WeltenBrand, with initial ideas taking shape in 1998 and 1999. His first instinct was to recruit Thomas Rainer, known from L'Âme Immortelle, as a collaborator, but Rainer's schedule made participation impossible. Undeterred, Falk set about composing material for what would become the album Twilight entirely on his own. The project remained essentially a solo endeavor until Falk sought a vocalist and was connected with Sabine Dünser. What had been envisioned as a two-person effort expanded when Pete Streit was invited to perform electric guitar over one of Falk's electronic and sample-based tracks. The resulting fusion of programmed textures, Dünser's vocal delivery, and Streit's guitar work struck such a distinctive chord that Streit was brought in as a full member. This small, Liechtenstein-based ensemble thus established its foundational identity before ever stepping onto a stage.

The Split and Legal Battle

After a string of well-received live appearances, including a notable set at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival in Leipzig, Germany, the lineup swelled with the addition of Tom Saxer, Jürgen Broger, and Fraky Koller. Management was placed in the hands of Alexander Krull, who was also associated with Leaves' Eyes and Atrocity. However, this period of growth quickly curdled into conflict. A cascade of misunderstandings and personal disputes erupted among Falk, the other musicians, and the management team, ultimately dragging the group into a court proceeding. Falk received what he later described as false legal counsel: rather than dismissing the other members and the management, he was advised to simply walk away from the band. The consequence was severe—he lost the licensing rights to the entire Twilight recording. The one asset he managed to retain was the brand name Erben der Schöpfung itself. The remaining members rebranded as Elis, borrowing the title from the band's debut single, and even contributed a remix of Spiritual Cramp's "The Witch" to an album by the German group To Say Goodbye. Falk's own label, M.O.S. Records ltd., was dissolved in the aftermath.

Rebuilding and the Road to Narben der Zeit

With M.O.S. Records behind him, Oliver Falk signed a deal with Napalm Records and set about reconstructing Erben der Schöpfung from the ground up. Guitarist Rino Vetsch became the first new recruit, and in 2005 the formation was further expanded when Dina Falk—also a member of WeltenBrand—stepped in as vocalist. By August 2007 the group had entered the studio to record their second full-length work. What began as a modest EP concept grew into a complete album as the number of composed tracks expanded, and the release date slipped repeatedly before the project, titled Narben der Zeit, finally materialized. On 8 March 2008 the band announced the arrival of bassist Jens Wagner and guitarist Flo Riederer, solidifying a five-piece lineup. After a 2007 demo and a music video for "Jane Churm," the album was issued on 27 November 2009 in a limited-edition box set combining a CD with a DVD. This reformed era marked a deliberate shift toward heavier guitar work and deeper EBM-electronic textures, while retaining the project's signature dark-gothic aesthetic.

Sound, Themes, and Literary Roots

Erben der Schöpfung occupies a distinctive niche at the intersection of dark gothic metal and EBM, a blend that Oliver Falk has consistently described as evolving with each release. The debut album Twilight showcased electro-gothic metal arrangements anchored by classical female vocals, while the follow-up Narben der Zeit leaned further into programmed electronic elements and heavier guitar riffs. Lyrically, the project gravitates toward somber and existential territory: death, the passage of time, and the aging process recur as central motifs. Falk also drew on literary sources, most notably setting a poem by the Austrian Expressionist Georg Trakl to music on the 2001 single Elis. Later material broadened the thematic palette to include paranormal narratives—exemplified by the story behind the "Jane Churm" video—and explorations of interpersonal differences and tension. The overall sonic identity, forged from Falk's electronic and sample-based compositions, a powerful female vocal presence, and live guitar performance, remains the band's defining characteristic across both its original and reformed incarnations.