Fuchsbau, Chemnitz, Germany1st May 2026
Unify Separate - “46 Years Fuchsbau”
“Songs find you when you need them most” (Eric Alper)
And sometimes it’s an entire album - and with it, the whole band - that finds you. And UNIFY SEPARATE from Stockholm, Sweden somehow found me. More precisely, it was a message from a friend who sent me the band’s Bandcamp link in October 2022 and asked for my opinion on the second UNIFY SEPARATE album 'Music Since Tomorrow'.
The album resonated with me so strongly that it became my second album review in this magazine, and my second article ever. Even though I hadn’t intended to write album reviews at all. They’re a hell of a lot of work and I really prefer writing about concerts. Well, if I were to review this album today, the text would probably be more detailed and read quite differently. But I wasn’t a music journalist, and at the time I had absolutely no idea how to approach something like that.
I’m still not a music journalist, but you grow with your tasks and experiences. These days, I’m even a little proud of one or two reviews - though this album review isn’t one of them. But it is what it is, and ‘Music Since Tomorrow’ is hardly the only work by the Swedish-Scottish duo that I’ve examined for this magazine. There will certainly be many more to come. At least, I hope so. Over the past three and a half years, UNIFY SEPARATE have become something like my band of the heart, and over time a friendship has developed with Andrew Montgomery (vocals) and Leo Josefsson (machines, second voice), for which I’m very grateful.
So, it went without saying that on this 1st of May 2026, there was nowhere else I’d be but at the Fuchsbau Chemnitz, where UNIFY SEPARATE had been invited as guests to celebrate the club’s 46th anniversary. Fortunately, some of my friends felt exactly the same way, and so this concert evening would later turn into a small family gathering I’d been hugely looking forward to for weeks. But you already know how it goes: first things first, but not necessarily in that order.
Before we turn to the events of this evening, we need to take a brief look at the history of this club - after all, 46 years is no small feat, and the Fuchsbau is a piece of Chemnitz’s cultural history. However, this isn’t possible without also delving, just a little, into the history of Chemnitz itself: The third-largest city in the Free State of Saxony was first mentioned in documents in 1143 under the name Kameniz. In the course of the Industrial Revolution, Chemnitz developed into an important industrial city following the founding of the German Empire in 1871.
During the period of high industrialisation, Chemnitz became a major city in the course of 1882, with a significant domestic textile and mechanical engineering industry. The city takes its name from the Chemnitz river, which flows through it as it lies in the Ore Mountain Basin on the northern edge of the Ore Mountains. At the beginning of the 1930s, more than 361,000 people still lived in the city, whose historic centre was 80% destroyed in the spring of 1945.
Following the founding of the GDR (7 October 1949), the city was renamed Karl-Marx-Stadt on 10th of May 1953, to mark the 70th anniversary of Karl Marx’ death. The Karl Marx Monument - over 13 metres high including its plinth - which stylises the head of Karl Marx and is colloquially known as “the Nischel”, remains a landmark of the city to this day.
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And this is where the circle closes. We find ourselves at Carolastraße 8, Karl-Marx-Stadt, in 1980, where the Fuchsbau was founded as the Central FDJ student club (FDJ = Freie Deutsche Jugend / Free German Youth, one of the GDR’s youth organisations) of the TH Karl-Marx-Stadt (TH = Technical University). Back then, it had little to do with what we would now call club culture. The Fuchsbau was more of a youth club, where alongside weekend dances there was also a varied programme during the week to keep young people entertained. After all, we didn’t exactly have much else in “the East”.
Over the years, the Fuchsbau evolved from a student club into a discotheque and music pub, eventually becoming a scene venue. In the 1990s, it underwent several renovations, and the entrance was moved from Bahnhofstraße to Carolastraße. Despite all the changes, it has retained its character as a charming, labyrinthine basement. In the 2000s, the Fuchsbau focused heavily on the wave, gothic and black metal scene, and - following its renaming to Club FX - began opening up again to a broader audience.
Shortly after the 35th anniversary in 2015, the previous owner, Olaf Walter, handed over his “baby” to Karsten Kluge after more than 30 years, and on 1st of April 2017 the Freie Presse reported: “Club FX goes, the FUCHSBAU returns”. The venue once again underwent extensive renovations. Today, Karl-Marx-Stadt is once again called Chemnitz, and Club FX is once again the Fuchsbau - one of the oldest clubs in the city. And we are celebrating its 46th anniversary.
Even though only a dozen tickets were sold in advance, club owner Karsten remains optimistic. There have been many last-minute enquiries about tickets on the door, and accordingly a lively crowd is expected for the celebrations. After all, the Fuchsbau team has put together an extensive programme for the occasion. As a special highlight, guests can look forward - after the concert by my band of the heart, UNIFY SEPARATE - to an extensive party across two floors lasting into the early hours.
And there’s no shortage of food and drink this evening either. Einszwopommes will be serving guests outside the club with chips and currywurst (also available in a vegan version). The first 46 birthday guests will receive a voucher as a thank-you, which they can redeem outside at Einszwopommes. And all of this for 15 euros. That certainly sounds like a fantastic evening and - spoiler alert - it’s exactly what we’re going to get.
Unify Separate
After that brief history lesson, we finally come to the musical part of this report. Thank you for sticking with it. If you’ve made it this far, you’ve probably already heard of UNIFY SEPARATE and know exactly why you’re reading this. Feel free to scroll straight on to the next section. If not, here’s a bit more information about this fantastic band - the reason for my visit to Chemnitz today.
So, who exactly are these UNIFY SEPARATE? Let’s start with the Swedish half of the duo, Mr Leo Josefsson. Leo is a defining figure in Stockholm’s synth scene. With his bands LOWE and STATEMACHINE, he has won several Scandinavian Alternative Music Awards. As a producer with his own studio, Leo won a Swedish Grammy in 2023. In UNIFY SEPARATE, Leo is the man on the machines and the second voice.
The duo’s primary vocal cord comes from Scotland, though he now also lives in Stockholm, and goes by the rather lovely name of Andrew Montgomery. With a unique voice spanning well over three octaves, Andrew caused quite a stir during the Britpop era with GENEVA between 1996 and 2000, touring among others with SUEDE.
The two musicians joined forces over ten years ago and began writing together. Under the name US, the duo released their first album ‘First Contact’ in 2019. Following successful performances with DIARY OF DREAMS and SUEDE, the aforementioned second album ‘Music Since Tomorrow’ was released in October 2022 under the expanded new band name UNIFY SEPARATE.
The pandemic, an increasingly uncertain world, and personal conflicts shaped the work on ‘Music Since Tomorrow’, which explores environmental issues, social media burnout, and the alienation of modern life. For me, it’s an album full of fantastic electronic Indie Pop that transforms dark thoughts into defiant, anthemic songs and sounds noticeably more melancholic than its predecessor. The synthesiser sound, inspired by film soundtracks, became deeper, darker - an expression of a wide range of conflicting emotions reflected in the lyrics.
The lyrics, alongside Leo’s sensational soundscapes and Andrew’s extraordinary voice, are the true strength of this formation. The two don’t deal in clichés or empty phrases. There’s real intelligence in it, life experience, a great deal of emotion, and plenty of soul. For me, their shows are therefore always a bit like a small musical therapy session - intense, multifaceted, authentic. Perhaps you’ll get a little impression of that in a moment. I’ll certainly do my best. And perhaps you’ll soon see the duo’s live qualities for yourselves. You’ll have the chance to do so in June at the Black Lower Castle Festival in Kranichfeld, what is a lovely small festival with a great line-up and a wonderful setting. It’s definitely worth going.
After several single releases, their EP ‘Heavy Meta’ was released in April 2025, followed by further singles as a foretaste of the forthcoming album ‘The God Particle’. It is expected to be released towards the end of the year. www.unifyseparate.com / www.facebook.com/usmusicspace
Music & Performance
Somehow, I only ever seem to come to Chemnitz in winter - bloody freezing, usually wet, and not particularly inviting. I don’t think I’ve ever actually been there in May. It’s a public holiday, the weather is already almost summery, and the sun is shining at least as brightly as I am. So, I enjoy my breakfast, hop in the shower, and set off for Chemnitz fairly early. I want to use the afternoon for a short walk and a bit of sightseeing. It would be a shame to waste the lovely weather in the car or the hotel.
My hotel is only a few minutes’ walk from the Fuchsbau. After my stroll, I don’t feel like sitting around in the hotel for long and - as always - arrive at the club far too early. Honestly, growing up in the GDR, having been to Chemnitz several times, and still needing to turn 50 before finally dropping by this lovely little place for its 46th anniversary. Shame on me.
The two ladies at the grill and I remain on our own for quite a while. There’s a staircase next to the entrance, so I take a seat there and let the evening sun shine on my face. At some point, around half past seven, more visitors gradually (very gradually) start to trickle in. Shortly after eight, the doors open, and there are still fewer than ten of us. But club owner Karsten said it would be fine.
By now, though, it’s almost irrelevant to me whether we end up being ten, fifty or a hundred people tonight. Because I’ve just fallen in love. Fallen in love with this cosy little place and its unbelievably friendly and accommodating team. I enter the club through a small corridor and take a moment to look around. Straight ahead is the bar, where I immediately grab myself a drink. To the right is the main floor, with the stage set up at the very back.
Next to it, in the passage leading to the Bravo Lounge, the merch stand has found its place. The Bravo Lounge itself takes its name from the décor - the walls are completely covered with cut-outs from Bravo magazine. Normally, this is the smoking area, but today the lounge is serving as a backstage area for the band and crew. In the corridor beside the bar area and the main floor, there are small alcoves, and at the far end there’s a second floor. We only discover that much later, though.
I chat at the merch stand with “head of sales” Frieda while more and more friends gradually arrive. Andrew and Leo also join our lively little group - family gathering. After a while, the two musicians excuse themselves to get ready for the show. In the meantime, we place our bums exactly where they belong - right in front of the stage.
Shortly after nine, there are still just five of us standing there. The rest of the guests (I’d currently estimate around 40) are spread out along the bar or seated opposite and further towards the back. The holiday weekend and the sunny weather are probably tempting many to celebrate elsewhere - outdoors and in the fresh air, most likely. That’s a bit of a shame, but it’s not going to dampen the mood in here.
At ten past nine, club owner Karsten steps onto the stage, grabs the microphone and greets those present: “Hello there, here with us at the Fuchsbau. 46 years - so practically as old as I am. Lovely to have you all here, I’m really pleased. Many, many thanks to those brave enough to buy advance tickets, and also thanks to everyone who’s shown up here tonight. Today we’re celebrating our 46th, and for that we’ve got a very special project: UNIFY SEPARATE, a Scottish-Swedish duo. And they’re really looking forward to playing here. They’ve already fallen in love with the club, just like most people who come here…”
I feel exactly the same way. Karsten wishes us all a great time and sincerely thanks his team, who will carry us through the evening. That’s followed by warm applause - well deserved by the club, the team, and everyone involved, as I can already say at this point. “Let’s get the party started, shall we? UNIFY SEPARATE - enjoy!” The boss asks those present to move a bit closer to the front. “It’s just more fun,” and he’s absolutely right about that.
I love that moment when the lights go down, a little fog envelops part of the stage, and the intro begins. UNIFY SEPARATE have expanded their lighting concept with screen visuals that kick in alongside the music. Light tubes are attached to the microphone stand and the keyboard, later changing colour depending on the mood, though at the beginning they shine in a bright white. And by the way, both the lighting and especially the sound are surprisingly good. I honestly wouldn’t have expected that in such a small club, and I’m genuinely impressed.
The audience seems to follow Karsten’s request and moves further towards the front of the stage. The stage and dance floor itself is separated from the slightly raised bar area at the back by a few steps, meaning you also get an excellent view from there. Leo steps onto the stage, is greeted with warm applause, and starts warming up.
The intro fades away, the first notes of ‘Closure’ cut through the room, and then Andrew steps onto the stage as well. He too is welcomed with applause. “You guard yourself against the pain / You take no risks and feel no shame” - the opener from the second album ‘Music Since Tomorrow’ lets you sink gently into the soundscapes of UNIFY SEPARATE. Andrew’s voice finds its way - “And then it breaks through / And then it breaks through / Breaks through / Breaks through…” - so soft, so clear, and yet so direct and relentless. And then you’re simply blown away - “Come on!” The intensity of that voice, the power and energy radiating from Andrew’s performance, remain utterly astonishing and fascinating to me every single time.
And that connection which inevitably forms between these two musicians on stage and the people standing before them never fails to captivate me anew. It makes absolutely no difference whether there are forty or fifty people like tonight, or several hundred as there were at the Amphi Festival last year.
“A thousand likes / How many lies?” - the “Unifyers” among us sing along word-perfect. The rest are given a helping hand during ‘Dying On The Vine’ thanks to the lyrics projected onto the screen. I love that moment when Leo comes in: “The cats, the food, the remedy / Your kids, your life, your family / Can’t you see the irony / In non-exclusive privacy?” And then Andrew with that magnificent chorus you just can’t get out of your head no matter how hard you try: “It leaves me cold / It leaves me blind / The little things / You leave behind / It makes me sick / It makes me tired / The game you play / To be admired”. The Scot delivers these lines with such intensity, almost with anger. Simply brilliant.
The duo has put together a really lovely setlist for this weekend. But first, Andrew warmly thanks everyone for the invitation: “Thank you, Dankeschön. Karsten, thank you for the invitation here, to play this club’s happy birthday 46. Good to see you guys for our first time in Chemnitz. We#re called UNIFY SEPARATE.” We are obviously in the best club in Chemnitz, and Andrew would quite like to know whether anyone here has been coming for all 46 years. Normally Leo is the duo’s king of dead jokes, but Andrew seems determined to catch up.
During ‘Slow Armageddon’, the man on the machines once again proves that he can do far more than just twist knobs and hammer away at keys - he’s also one hell of a singer. “Walking on shattered glass / But we never learned from the past...” And the moment Andrew comes back in, I’ve got goosebumps all over again. I love those moments when your skin starts to tingle and the music completely takes hold of you. And that is exactly what UNIFY SEPARATE do so perfectly. They create goosebump moments.
Between ‘Technicolor’ and ‘Embrace The Fear’, Andrew slips in a bit of promotion for the two released albums, which are also available at the merch stand, and announces further releases for the future. He seems slightly worried that nobody has understood a word he said anyway. “Does everyone understand Scottish?” But the message got across, don’t worry. “I see the world, I see the world / In technicolor, technicolor” - the light tubes on the microphone stand and keyboard glow in constantly changing colours. The harmony between these two wonderful voices is simply fantastic. Andrew keeps pushing himself, spurring on both himself and the audience at the same time - “Come on!”
During ‘Embrace The Fear’, Leo briefly steps forward, encourages the crowd to clap along, and kisses Andrew on the head - what a lovely “couple”. Joking aside, the two gentlemen simply get on brilliantly, on and off stage alike, and you can feel that warmth in the way they interact with one another. The positive energy between them is infectious and spills straight out into the audience. A wave of sympathy vibrates through the air, and I too am completely uplifted by so much good energy. The people here, this beautiful club, the music - it all simply feels like coming home. A safe space for everyone, and my own very personal happy place.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is my great friend and my band mate of the last ten years. He’s called Leo Josefsson.” Andrew jokes a little about his bandmate’s German skills. “Whenever he speaks German, he orders taxis or pizza,” which apparently tends to go wrong most of the time. But Andrew himself doesn’t speak any German at all - “I’m sorry.” Still, he promises to improve and wants to learn a bit before the next visit here. The two of them genuinely seem to like the club a great deal, and I can absolutely understand why. I already mentioned that I too have completely fallen head over heels for this place.
The two agree on the next song. “Okay, this is a ballad - ‘Never Get Over’.” Andrew’s facial expressions, his gestures, the way he moves on stage, and how the lyrics and his voice still fill the room even when his lips aren’t pressed against the microphone, are simply fascinating - detached and yet still so intense and penetrating. Ah, goosebumps all over again! This song has something hypnotic anyway.
I can’t even begin to describe what this music triggers in me or how grateful I am for every live moment with these two gentlemen. At this point, I need to slip in a small - no, a very big - thank you to Epicentre Booking and especially to Markus. The band signed with them in January, which will undoubtedly bring Andrew and Leo to German stages more often, I’m quite certain of that. Following appearances at the Black Lower Castle Festival in June and the SOLAR FAKE fan club event in August, further gigs are already being planned. Unfortunately, no details can be revealed just yet. So, I can only recommend keeping your eyes open. We’ll keep you updated as best we can.
But back to the evening of 1 May 2026 and to the Fuchsbau in Chemnitz. “Meine Damen und Herren - Andrew Montgomery.” So, Leo can apparently do a bit more in German than just order pizza and taxis after all. Which earns Andrew his well-deserved applause. Leo gets rid of his jacket - ‘Before The Silence Comes’.
“Thank you very much. Is anybody here going to Black Lower Castle Festival?” The answer from the front row: “Yeah!” That certainly makes a musician’s heart happy. “Okay, we’re playing there. See you there everybody.” Of course! But for now, the question is: “Are you ready for your ‘Detox’?” Unlike the audience, Andrew doesn’t seem entirely ready yet and appears to have a brief little lapse. So, today’s detox begins somewhat shakily, but by the second line he’s back in the flow. Live, this song has so much power, and much like a real detox cure, afterwards you feel both slightly exhausted and better than ever.
Leo once again gives his thanks in German: “Vielen Dank, Chemnitz”. “If you came here late, we are UNIFY SEPARATE. He’s Swedish, I’m Scottish. We live in Stockholm. Now we’re here and we are really, really happy to be here. Fuck AI! Let’s fight back!” Firmly determined and armed with a healthy dose of anger, we collectively declare war on the machines - ‘Kill The Machine’. Leo’s voice mutates into an instrument, becoming not only the mechanical echo of the actual lyrics but also shaping a large part of the music itself. Andrew especially urges the people further at the back to join in. After all, we’re at war here - “let’s kill the machine”. By the way, the current single is available for streaming or download on Bandcamp, “which is the artist’s friend.” You’ll also find all of the duo’s releases there, so do go and have a look.
I certainly would have wished for a few more people tonight. Both the club and the band would have deserved it. But at least there’s finally enough room to dance. And 'Dark Heaven' is exceptionally well suited for that. At the end, there’s some thunderous applause. Andrew checks whether everyone’s doing alright. Screaming from the crowd - “That’s the spirit!”
The two still have one more song in store for us - “if you want it.” Leo gives German another try: “Möchtest du einen...” but that’s as far as he gets before switching back to English - “...more song?” Of course we want another song, maybe even two. “Life is a voyager. This is called ‘Voyager’. Thank you. Friday night. Let’s fucking have it. Come on!” What an energy. What a song. What a finale! Andrew practically challenges the audience, repeatedly holding the microphone out towards us - “Come on, come on” - and the crowd joins in. “Forty six, Fuchsbau forty six, Fuchsbau forty six, come on, come on, one last push...” and then everyone together one last time.
The two of them warmly thank everyone and leave the stage. But there’s still one very particular song missing for me, and without it I’m certainly not leaving this place. After all, some of those notes didn’t find their way beneath my skin for no reason. The duo returns. And there it is - my beloved ‘Solitude & I’. “You and me v tomorrow / Living off joy and sorrow...”
Andrew sits down on the edge of the stage before stepping right down to us in front of it, where he brings ‘Solitude & I’ to a close with that wonderful, almost sacred outro we were already lucky enough to hear at the Amphi Festival. And once again tonight, it sends a powerful wave of goosebumps across my skin. “We are UNIFY SEPARATE. You were lovely. Thank you...” The rest disappears beneath the cheers and applause. For the closing photo, Andrew has to climb back onto the stage, though he prefers taking the long way round on the outside.
It’s around twenty past ten and time for the party, where we end up lingering across both floors until shortly before one in the morning. Andrew and Leo also join us for a while, chatting with old and new fans and friends alike. We round off the evening in cheerful company and leave this stylish little club long after midnight. I’m already full of anticipation for tomorrow, when UNIFY SEPARATE will play another show at the Kulturzentrum Bunte Welt in Cottbus, where there’ll also be a reunion with my friends from MENTAL EXILE. But that is a story for another day. And I’ll tell you about it later. So, stay tuned.
Setlist
01. Intro
02. Closure
03. Dying On The Vine
04. Slow Armageddon
05. Technicolor
06. Embrace The Fear
07. Never Get Over
08. Before The Silence Comes
09. Detox
10. Kill The Machine
11. Dark Heaven
12. Voyager
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13. Solitude & I
All Pictures by Aileen Ritter
