The seed of Xmal Deutschland originated in Hamburg, Germany, in 1980, where a five-girl line-up decided to defy the odds: Anja Huwe (vocals), Rita Simon (bass), Caro May (drums), Manuela Rickers (guitar), Fiona Sangster (keyboards). Soon after, Rita Simons was replaced by Wolfgang Ellerbrock, the first male presence in the group. A couple of independently released singles in 1981 (Grossstadtindianer) and 1982 (Incubus Succubus) introduced Xmal to the British underground scene, and most importantly to the 4AD label - Fetisch is their first album.