Valentin Stilu

Valentin Stilu was a German rock band that formed in 1980 with Gunnar Hillers on vocals and guitar, Olaf A. Heine on bass, and Werner A. Soelberg on drums. They put out their first album, Das Spiel, in 1982, which included the title track that became one of their better-known songs. The band released four more albums through the 1980s before disbanding in 1990.

Their music had a dark, atmospheric quality that fit with what was becoming known as gothic rock. The songs on Das Spiel and later records like Shadowplay and Stigmata dealt with themes of love and loss in a fairly introspective way. Some listeners found the material too dark or morbid, but the band kept working in that vein without much compromise.

Valentin Stilu's records have been reissued in recent years, and their music still gets played by people who like that early 1980s German alternative sound. They were one of several groups from that period exploring similar territory, and their work has held up reasonably well for listeners who appreciate the style.