En Esch, born near Frankfurt, is an orchestra percussionist, drummer,
programmer, producer, sound mixer, guitarist and singer. He was a member of the German
industrial rock group,
KMFDM, from 1985 to 1999, during which time he contributed to ten studio albums and more than a dozen singles as musician, composer and producer.
Sascha Konietzko claims to have given Esch his nickname because the latter felt that his real name was inappropriate for the stage. It is derived from the German pronunciation of his initials (N. Sch.). Esch lived in Germany until 1992, when he moved to
Chicago to join Konietzko, who had moved there a year earlier. It was at this time that Esch first worked with
Pigface, whom he also toured with in the early 1990s. This would be the first time Esch "left" KMFDM and Sascha would proclaim
Money as their last album together. After moving to New Orleans he released a solo album,
Cheesy, in 1993. While Konietzko eventually relocated to Seattle, WA, Esch would adhere to his nomadic ways and eventually wind up in NYC in the mid to late 90's. Esch would also "leave the band" in 1996 resulting in minimal output into the album
Xtort, although Sascha did not proclaim the band "done" this time, not until 1999's poignantly titled
Adios. Esch would not return when KMFDM "reformed" in 2002 and has not appeared on any albums post-
Adios. When
KMFDM broke up in 1999, Esch briefly worked with the band Pizza Whore, which changed its name to Barely Legal, and included Trixie Reiss of
The Crystal Method. In 2007, he began collaborating with fellow German musician
Mona Mur. The two released the album
120 Tage in February 2009, and toured together in support of the release over the next two years. Esch and Mur joined Schulz,
Raymond Watts, and
Mark Durante to perform at the Wax Trax! Retrospectacle in Chicago, a charity event celebrating the industrial music label, and performed KMFDM songs from the 1990s. A second album by the duo of Esch and Mur was released in 2011. A second solo album,
Spänk, was successfully crowdfunded and released in late 2014. His third solo album,
Trash Chic, was originally scheduled for release on 31 May 2016, but was postponed to 1 July. Esch would hit the road in support of
Trash Chic, opening for, and playing guitar, in 's live band, alongside former Slick Idiot guitarist Guenter Shulz. == Personal life ==