Kurt “Supermax” Hauenstein dies

We are very sad to report that legendary Austrian musician Kurt "Supermax" Hauenstein has died. Hauenstein was the founder of the band Supermax who’s hugely influential mixture of funk, disco and reggae infused dance-rock made them massive stars in both the European charts and the burgeoning underground disco scene.

Their song ‘Love Machine’ is a bona-fide cosmic classic that you can still hear in clubs today, but they also recorded many other influential tracks. Made up of both black and white musicians, Supermax were the first mixed race band to perform in apartheid era South Africa, earning themselves death threats and blacklists from various groups in the process.

Still touring up to very recently, the band continued to release music through the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s with their last single ‘I Love My Harley’ being released in 2009.

Hauenstein was just 62 when he died this weekend at his home, from a heart related illness.

Published March 21, 2011.