Supermax (band)

Supermax was a project of Austrian musician and producer Kurt Hauenstein (1949–2011), best known for the 1979 hit "It Ain't Easy", and "Lovemachine", a 1977 German #4 single, that peaked at #6 in Switzerland, #9 in Austria and #96 in US. The first members of the band were Kurt Hauenstein (Mini Moog, vocals), Hans Ochs (guitar), Ken Taylor (bass guitar), Lothar Krell (keyboards), Peter Koch (percussion), Jürgen Zöller (drums) and the singers Cee Cee Cobb and Jean Graham. After Ken Taylor left the band in 1979, Kurt Hauenstein returned to his original music instrument, the bass guitar. Later, Bernadet Onore Eben and Jessica Hauenstein, the daughter of Kurt Hauenstein, joined the group as backing vocal singers. From 2006 Raimund Bretterbauer joined as his Sound Engineer and Co Producer. In 1981, Supermax toured as the first mixed-race band through South Africa for 21 gigs. Despite warnings and death threats, Supermax finished the tour, but this made some countries refuse permits for entry, and consequently the group was black-listed by some political organizations. In 1983, Supermax was invited to play as special guest from Europe at the Reggae Sunsplash Festival in Montego Bay, Jamaica.