Here are some interesting facts about Malka "Yo Yo" Spigel, Israeli musician and artist and the founding member of the Israeli-Belgian rock band "Minimal Compact":
= Malka Spigel was born in Israel in July 19, 1954.
= Spigel grew up in Bat Yam and later in Kibbutz Marhavia, exploring music on her own despite limited access to records.
= In the early 80s Spigel moved from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam. She was initially not a musician, but the girlfriend of Rami Fortis.
= In 1980, "Minimal Compact" was formed by Sami Birnbach and Rami Fortis, as a sequel to a band called "S.O.B" which they formed in Amsterdam, together with Malka Spiegel, Berry Sakharof, and Neti Weissman.
= The band's activities in Amsterdam were unsuccessful, and Fortis returned to Israel, but the other members of the group continued to work together in Belgium and their joint activities gave birth to "Minimal Compact".
= Malka realized she could be a musician despite not being technically trained. Berry Sakharof was the one who helped her play the bass guitar.
= Spigel played bass guitar and contributed vocals for "Minimal Compact".
= In 1981 the band was signed by the independent record company "Crammed" and produced an EP that included the song "Static Dancing".
= In 1982 came out their first full-length album "One by One" which was recorded in London and included the songs "Babylonian Tower", "Disguise" and "It Takes a Lifetime". The inside cover of the album stated that Rami Fortis is a member of the band "In Exile".
= In 1984, Fortis returned to "Minimal Compact" and took part in the recording of their album "Deadly Weapons". Mlka's bass playing was an integral part of the band's sound.
= In 1985 came out the fourth album, "Raging Souls" which is considered the band's most successful. That was when Spigel met Colin Newman of "Wire", who was producing the album.
= The album featured the song "When I Go" which is sang by Malka and considered one of the best of "Minimal Compact". The song also featured in the Wim Wenders movie "Wings of Desire."
= In 1986 Malka Spigel and Colin Newman began working together on his albums "Commercial Suicide" and "It Seems." They got married the same year.
= In 1987, "Minimal Compact" released their fifth studio album "The Figure One Cuts". The album continues the line of the previous album and contains the song "Is It So?" which is a solo contribution by Malka.
= In addition to the studio albums, "Minimal Compact" collaborated with esteemed musicians like "Tuxedomoon's" Peter Principle and John Fryer.
= "Minimal Compact" was involved in several soundtracks, including the film "Wings of Desire", "Fuck Your Dreams This Is Heaven", "Made to Measure Vol. 1", "Lowlands Flight (Made to Measure Vol. 10)" As well as the live album "Minimal Compact Live".
(Photo: Roy Tee)
= In 1989 Malka wrote lyrics for three tracks of the Rami Fortis & Berry Sakharof "Foreign Affair" album.
= In 1990 Malka contributed vocals to the album "You" by "Tuxedomoon".
= In 1992 Spigel and Newman moved to London and established the swim ~ label to release their projects and other artists' works.
= In 1993 Spigel released her first solo album, "Rosh Balata," on the swim ~ label. The album was well-received, particularly in Europe, and drew comparisons to Björk.
= In 1994 Spigel and Newman formed the project "Immersion" and released "Oscillating." They also created an exhibiting at "The Irish Museum of Modern Art" in Dublin.
= In 1996 Spigel began establishing herself as a visual artist, furthering her education with a degree in fine art, specializing in video and photography.
= In 1997 She released two more solo albums, "Hide" and "My Pet Fish," and collaborated on Colin Newman's "Bastard."
= In 1999 Spigel and Newman released "Low Impact" with Immersion and a live album, "Live."
(Photo: Toby Mason)
= In the years 2000-2002 Spigel continued her studies and created video work with Immersion and for other bands.
= In 2004 She co-founded "Githead" with Colin Newman, Robin Rimbaud, and Max Franken. "Githead" released their debut EP, "Headgit." Music journalist Joe Tangari praised Spigel's contributions, particularly her bass work and vocal complexity.
= In 2005 "Githead" released their first full-length album, "Profile."
= In 2007 "Githead" released "Art Pop."
= In 2009 "Githead" released their third album, "Landing."
= In 2012 Spigel released the solo album "Every Day Is Like the First Day," a collaboration with Newman.
= In 2014 "Githead" released their fourth album, "Waiting for a Sign," and Spigel released another solo album, "Gliding."
= In 2015 Minimal Compact reunited for a series of live shows.
= In 2019 Minimal Compact released "Creation is Perfect," featuring new versions of their classic songs and a new track.
= In 2020 Malka Spigel released her fourth solo album, "Gliding & Hiding," which combined new tracks with previously unreleased material from the 1990s.
= Malka Spigel lives in Brighton and continues her work as a musician and visual artist. She exhibits her visual art in prominent venues such as The Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Royal Festival Hall. She frequently visits Israel, maintaining strong ties to her childhood home and the cultural scene there.
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