by Jason AnkenyGerman punk-pop outfit Madsen derived its moniker from the surname of the three Madsen brothers at the lineup's core: singer/guitarist Sebastian, lead guitarist Johannes, and drummer Sascha, all products of the Wendlands area. The siblings began collaborating as teens and in the late '90s formed the hard rock band Alice's Gun. The rap-metal project Hoerstuatz later followed, and in 2004 they shifted their emphasis yet again to punk, recruiting bassist Niko Maurer and keyboardist Folkert Jahnke to complete the Madsen roster. At year's end the quintet signed to Universal Music, issuing its debut single, "Die Perfektion," in the spring of 2005. Madsen's self-titled album followed weeks later, entering the German Top 20 on the strength of well-received performances at high-profile festivals including Rock am Ring and Nova Rock. Their 2006 follow-up, Goodbye Logik, fared even better, reaching the Top Ten.