Z CAR M – The Underground Years

In 1980, in Kaiserslautern, Germany, a new musical chapter began. After his time with the rock group Bourbon, Berny A. Racz decided to follow his own musical direction and create something independent. In a small basement rehearsal room in the Racz family home, Z CAR M began to take shape.

What started as an idea between three musicians developed into an independent band built around original compositions, experimentation and the freedom to make music their own.

The original line-up: 
Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Huth – Vocals - Frank Wagner – Drums-
Berny A. Racz – Vocals, Keyboards

The band's musical identity began to take shape in a small basement rehearsal room in the Racz family home. This was where the three musicians developed their own material, rehearsed and experimented with different sounds.Berny's keyboard setup included a Korg CX-3 organ, a Hohner D6 Clavinet and a Crumar Multiman string machine, alongside a Leslie speaker. The band focused mainly on original compositions, with lyrics written mostly in German, as well as some in English.

The next step was to capture the band's music. With the help of fellow musician Michael Kowalski, Z CAR M recorded an early demo using a reel to reel recorder. The recordings included around ten original songs.

They preserved the musical ideas and experiments that had developed in the basement rehearsal room and marked an important step in the band's early history.

Z CAR M's story was not limited to the rehearsal room. Outside the music, there were friends, parties and the places where the local underground scene came together.Berny documented many of these moments with his Super-8 camera.

The footage captures scenes around Kaiserslautern, including gatherings with friends, an occupied house, the Sender hill and places such as the former Thing, later known as the Bermuda Triangle.These recordings preserve a personal snapshot of the people, places and atmosphere surrounding the band during those years.

After a period focused on rehearsals and recording, Z CAR M returned to the stage. Performances at local venues brought the band's music directly to audiences in the Kaiserslautern underground scene.

The surviving records document the following appearances:15 February 1982 – Flash 18 September 1982 – Kuckucksnest, 15 February 1983 – Flash, 18 February 1983 – Kuckucksnest. The February 1983 performance at Kuckucksnest is the final documented appearance of the original line-up in the material preserved for this story.

The final documented appearance of the original line-up took place at the Kuckucksnest on 18 February 1983. It marked the end of an important chapter in the band's history.

The surviving material does not establish one precise date or a single event that brought the original line-up to an end. What followed was a new phase in Berny's life.

By 1984, his seven-room shared flat had become a meeting place for musicians, punks and friends. In 1985, moving into a new apartment marked the beginning of another chapter. The original line-up belonged to a particular time and place, but the underground spirit surrounding those years would continue.

The years between 1980 and 1983 were more than just a chapter in a band's history. They were a time of musical exploration, friendship, independence and creative freedom.

But the story of Z CAR M did not end with the original line-up.

The name continued as the solo music project of Berny A. Racz, who carried the musical journey forward through new compositions, recordings and creative experiments.

Over the years, Z CAR M has grown into an independent solo project with 12 published albums, spanning decades of musical development and artistic exploration.

From the underground beginnings in Kaiserslautern to the music being created today, the spirit of Z CAR M remains alive — an ongoing journey built on independence, creativity and a lifelong passion for music.

R.I.P. my old friend and companion (+ Dec. 06, 2025)