Frontstages.be is een site van en door Vincent Claeys. Op deze blog en de frontstages.be site kan je tal van foto's terugvinden van concerten en bands.
One of the most popular Darkwave bands internationally, the Crüxshadows started in the early 1990's in a little town in North Florida. Over the last 15 years their success among the gothic, ebm, new wave, & dark electronic genres has earned them a near legendary underground status. The bands dark electronic rock and introspective lyrics quickly earned them a fan base beyond the United States, particularly in Europe. With a constant and ambitious release schedule, and a dizzying live performance itinerary, they have turned conventional wisdom on it's ear & maintained their position among the scenes elite from each year to the next. They have played many hundreds of shows worldwide including concerts in Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Ireland, England, Belgium, The Netherlands, Poland, France, Hungary, The Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Canada, Spain, The United States, The Peoples Republic of China, and many, many more. They were one of the first Western acts to play in Romania & Serbia following the cold war. During 2006 and 2007 they undertook a year long tour that covered North America, Europe, and even parts of Asia. The Crüxshadows were the first band from the Gothic genre to receive permission to play in China, and in 2007 they became one of only a handful of western alternative bands to perform at the Greenpeace Midi Open-air Festival in Beijing, China. In recent years they have had several alternative chart toppers in Western Europe and their festival shows have drawn audiences in excess of 20,000 people to the front of the stage during their performance. In fact in 2005, The Crüxshadows headlined the free 4-day Bochem Total festival in Germany, which drew a total attendance of just under one million people.
In the United States, the band has had two Billboard 1 hits; the late 2006 release of Sophia (1 Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Chart, 7 Billboard Hot Singles Sales Chart), and more recently in September 2007 with Birthday (1 Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Chart, 2 Billboard Hot Singles Sales Chart). Both songs appear on the 2007 album release Dreamcypher.
A blend of new wave, gothic, pop, rock, and electronica, the band's unique and often catchy songs have become staples of the darkwave, ebm, and electro- alternative scene. Notable tracks from The Crüxshadows include Leave Me Alone (the all time highest charting "goth" song on the now defunkt mp3.com), Eurydice (it spent over 2 years in the top 10 New Wave charts of mp3.com), Deception (originally part of the Vampire the Masquerade - Music from the Succubus Club disc, it has been recorded in both English and German), Winterborn (this Sacrifice) (2 DAC*), Dragonfly (2 DAC), Tears (2 DAC), Helen, Return, Resist/r, Foreverlast (4 DAC), Monsters (2 DAC), & of course the legendary Marilyn, My Bitterness (2 DAC).
The band's uniqueness transcends the realm of dance or club music. The rich and romantic flavor of the electric violin, mixed with crunchy and sometimes biting guitar lines, gives the Crüxshadows a wide berth of musical possibilities. This is juxtaposed with the cold digital world of electronic textures and synthesis associated often with synth-pop and EBM. Add the moody musings of front man, composer, founder, and lead singer Rogue, and you have a guarantee that this band is anything but typical. Songs by The Crüxshadows are immediately recognizable. Lyrically, they draw heavily from ancient mythology, and tend to focus on themes of responsibility, loyalty, passion and faith. The bands motto is Live, love, be, believe, and it serves as a reminder that while The Crüxshadows may write catchy songs, the band has depth that extends beyond the dance floor.
That depth has earned the band many fans among the literary crowd, including notables Caitlin Kiernan, John Ringo, and New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman. The Crüxshadows wrote a song based on Gaimans movie, Mirror Mask called Wake the White Queen, which Gaiman included on his CD, Wheres Neil When You Need Him? With over 14 CDs, a DVD, and more compilation appearances than you can count, The Crüxshadows have made themselves synonymous with a new breed of electro-goth music. Their energy and intensity on stage led them to be called "the best live band in Europe today" by the host of Hamburg's popular Crazy Clip Show and their performances have been aired regularly on German national television. Songs by The Cruxshadows have appeared on ABC World News, National Geographic Television, The Style Channel, MTV and many others including some in Europe and Asia. In 2005 The Crüxshadows was voted the 5 best band in the EBM, Darkwave, Gothic, & Industrial scene (all time) in a recent international poll hosted by the Wave Gothic Treffen in Germany. If you have an opportunity to see them live, don't pass it up. Known for their theatrical, yet sincere, impassioned, and exciting performances, The Crüxshadows are indeed one of a kind.
Over their 15 year history, The Crüxshadows have performed with a broad range of bands including some notables like The Cure, Bjork, Ladytron, Apoptygma Berzerk, Placebo, Sisters of Mercy, Skinny Puppy, VNV Nation, Mesh, Bad Religion, Clan of Xymox, Tool, The Jesus & Mary Chain, 69 Eyes, Covenant, Project Pitchfork, and many, many more.
Current band members are: Rogue (vocals, songwriting, programming, lyrics, keyboard programming, some violin, front man), Valerie Gentile (guitars), Jen Jawidzik (AKA Pyromantic - keyboards / back-up vocals), David Wood (violins), and JoHanna Moresco (violins). Current dancers are Jessica Lackey and Sarah Kilgore (dancer / back-up vocals).
Following the 2007 DreamCypher Tour, Rachel McDonnell (violin and some keyboards) retired from the band. Other Former members & dancers include: George Bikos (former guitar player), Chris Brantley (former keyboards), Stacey Campbell (former guitar player), Sean Flanagan (former keyboard player), Tim Curry (former guitar player), Trevor Brown (former keyboard player), Kevin Page (former guitar player), Sarah Poulos (former singer/ dancer), Rachel Ulrich (former dancer), Beth Allen (former dancer), Holly McCall (former dancer), Roo Smith (former dancer), & Liz Repass (former dancer).
Bone-crunching beats, apocalyptical electro hymns and very energetic live appearances. Hailing from Germanys real industrial heartland, the former coal and steel centers of the Ruhr area, [:SITD:] made a name for itself a while ago, and can be counted amongst the most acclaimed electronic projects of the present international club scene.
[:SITD:] was formed in spring 1996, the members are Carsten Jacek (Vocals, Lyrics), Thomas Tom Lesczenski (Music, Programming, Backing vocals) and Francesco Frank DAngelo (Keys).
[:SITD:] stands for Shadows In The Dark, which is a metaphorical expression for the music and lyrical content of the band.
Project of Vasi Vallis (Frozen Plasma, ex-NamNamBulu) founded in December 2004. Reaper. An exciting new industrial eargasm set to attack the dancefloors. This Greek/Swiss project combines industrial beats with dark and eclectic samples from horror movies, gothic church choruses, orthodox Greek ceremonies and ancient celtic rituals. Industrial and menacing but also melodic and emotional. A unique new sound, song by song.
ELUSIVE marked 2001 with their outstanding debut, Destination Zero, an album that impressed fans and the music press alike from the very beginning. Contrary to what the album title suggested, mastermind Tommy Olsson and charismatic frontman Jan K. Barkved had a very definite idea of where they wanted to go; their sights were set on the rock zenith. Positive reviews all around, destination Zero was celebrated as the best debut album since 86, and oustanding shows in their Norewegian homeland and at assorted festivals (M'era Luna 2002, Geel 2003 Headliner, The Invitation 2004 Co-Headliner) established ELUSIVE, strengthened by the addition of guitarist Kristian Gundersen to the line-up, as a force to be reckoned with on the international rock scene. Expectations were high with the release of the 2005 follow-up, The Great Silence, and it picked up seamlessly where the debut left off, taking the band one step higher.
In 2007, Destination Zero marks the next milestone in ELUSIVEs history as the first track of their third album Locked Doors, Drinks And Funerals Songs From The Desert. "It was meant to be the opening track of the same album, but it would have destroyed the balance explains Olsson, the creative force behind the songwriting, mixing and production of the album. Developed and recorded between November and January in the bands Black Riders Studios, with the final mastering done by Inge Engelsvold at Dreamlab Studios, the songs on Locked Doors, Drinks And Funerals werent created specifically for the album at the outset. Some of the songs were written while we recorded, and others Ive been writing on for years, Tommy reveals. Weve got a closet full of tapes and CDs, which are demos or more like sketches we record whenever we get inspired, but we never finish a song before the song gives us a sense or purpose to finish it. Theres no timeline for good songs in the ELUSIVE universe so it doesnt matter if the idea was done last week or if its 15 years old as long as its good.
There is a timelessness that defines ELUSIVEs individualism. The band works outside and independent of fashion and musical trends, concentrating instead on the essence of their art; an unlimited passion for writing songs.
Not only does ELUSIVE bridge the gap between tradition and modern edge, between fresh arrangements and polished melodies with ease, they remind people that theres more to Gothic Rock than contrived bombast and depression for the sake of image. ELUSIVE is about powerful guitar rock with a unique melancholic twist. Each track on Locked Doors, Drinks And Funerals has its own fascinating aura. So Destination Zero transports the legant and also frightening coolness of the modern industrial age while Into Your Arms seems to indulge in the endless warmth of the prarie there wasnt a specific vision this time as opposed to our two previous albums. We just started recording and didnt think about where it was going, says Olsson. Some of the songs point back to The Great Silence, others point to Destination Zero. And some of them are possibly pointing towards our next album, who knows? Its an evolving thing. But it still sounds distinctively ELUSIVE.
With Locked Doors, Drinks And Funerals, ELUSIVE in 2007 are focusing on their strengths: sophisticated lyrics backed by captivating melodies, heavy riffs and atmospheric keyboards, a path that has put them even higher on the peak of rocks Olympus.
Psyche are an enduring legend of independent electronic music. From cold harsh industrial, through warm synthpop, dancefloor minimal, dark wave, and beyond. From The Brain Collapses, and Unveiling The Secret through to Goodbye Horses, Sanctuary and 15 Minutes. Starting at the end of 1982, as brothers Darrin and Stephen Huss performed for the first time in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada under the name PSYCHE. A combination of horror and electronics that in the area of Western Canada was completely unheard of and would continue to be quite shocking for some time. 1985 saw their debut album Insomnia Theatre unleashed worldwide through their own label and licensed to New Rose Records out of Paris, France. After underground success with The Brain Collapses, the big Eurohit Unveiling The Secret followed in 1986, Psyche has since then continued to release a variety of songs and albums enveloping every facet of the electronic pop music genre. Various members have collaborated with Darrin and continued the hitmaking from Misery, to the renowned cover versions of Soft Cells Sex Dwarf and Q Lazzarus Goodbye Horses, on to Sanctuary, and what can be heard on The 11th Hour as well as seen on their DVD encompassing 20 years of visual performances on Imaginary Life. Psyche recreated their track Unveiling The Secret with the help of other artists. A total of 12 versions plus 3 new tracks were released as Unveiling The Secret 2.0. The band has performed in North America, Australia, South Africa, most of Europe, and is planning a world tour in 2008.
French electro band from Strasbourg. The band has been created in February 2003 by Olivier and Cedric. The singer (Laurent) and the guitarist (Stéphane) have reached the band several months after the first title creation. Their first concert took place in Colmar on 31/08/2003. It was a great success. Only one month later, they played again in Lahr. At that time, they were looking for a guitarist, and they had their first contact with Stéphane one week before that concert. He heard their music for the first time in Lahr. The quality of the melodies and of the voice delighted him and he decided to join (PAIN :)) the band the following week. The next concert was held in Strasbourg early 2004. The guitar was now distinguishable among the most famous titles (like join pain and vision fetish). After three months of rest, they performed their first concert far away from their home country ! The audience was completely unknown. However, the people was freaking out and was asking for more at the end ! Their first Maxi CD Dominer was out at 28 December 2004 . The band has joined early 2005 the swiss label Urgence Disk Record and released their first album. Dolls of Pain proposes an original music, a blend of each member influences. One can say that Dolls of Pain is coumpounded of Dark Electro, of New Wave, of a Indus drop and of an aftertaste of pop. For others, it is rhythm, pure energy shaded by latex and leather. Fetichist words lead to introspection of our own wishes, our hidden desires of domination and.... being dominated. Since 2004, the band Dolls of Pain have toured more than 30 times in France, Belgian, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Germany.
ialma is a group of 5 young women settled in Brussels. These singers have been gathering traditional songs of their ancestors from Galicia (Spain) for quite a few years. After they released their first a capella cd « Palabras darei », their second one « Marmuladas », where Galician melodies blend with arrangements of Belgian musicians, Ialma carries on with passing on its songs in a style of its own, varying from authentic to modern styles which create some seductive and festive modern music .
Conducted by Ad Cominotto, Ialma innovates in its third album covering a song of the « Red Hot Chili Peppers » band in the purest Galician traditions thanks to the collaboration of former female singers in this song entitled « Lévame ». An amazing initiative for a « Nova era », a new generation of the Galician tradition.
It was in Ostend in the Flemish part of Belgium that Arno Hintjens was born on May 21, 1949. His mother was into the latest things and liked Greco and rocknroll. As for his father, an aviator and mechanic in the aeronautic industry, he was someone who liked politics and American literature.
In the 1960s, Arno travelled to Asia and made the ritual visit to Kathmandu. We also caught a glimpse of him singing in St. Tropez, on the Greek islands, or in Amsterdam. Undeniably turned onto music, he sang for the first time on stage during a summer music festival in Ostend in 1969. Following this he began his career in bands, among them Freckleface between 72 and 75. He played the harmonica. After a unique album which they produced themselves, Arno left the group for another, Tjens Couter. It was in fact a duo with Paul Decouter. Like Freckleface their repertoire was mostly rhythm nblues and in any case, very Anglo-Saxon.
Around 1977, Arno and Decouter formed TC Bland with Ferre Baelen and Rudy Cloet. The group had a certain fame and toured around Europe a lot. But in 80, joined by Serge Feys on keyboards this group became TC Matic, one of the most innovative European rock groups of the period. Quickly Decouter was replaced by Jean-Marie Aerts, who would remain one of Arnos travelling buddies. Europeans, they were indeed that. Their tours took them regularly across Scandinavia, England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. During the summer of 1981, their first namesake album was released. Then, on EMI records, they recorded several albums, among them LApache in 1982. Some of their songs like Elle adore le noir or Putain Putain are still considered today as pillar compositions of that time.
In 1985, they were the opening act for the Simple Minds during their European tour. But 85 also marked the end of TC Matic who would forever cease to exist in 86.
Arno set out on a solo career with his first namesake album as early as 86. Recorded on a bet with the musicians from TC Matic and entirely composed by Arno, the album was primarily in English. One French song came out of the lot Quest-ce que cest? whose only words are Quest-ce que cest? repeated a good forty times.
During the years spent with different groups, Arno made himself a solid name in the music scene. His talent as an artist is widely recognised. As for his wild personality full of ups and downs, it puts him among the most noticed of the rock scene. In his new solo life, Arno didnt have much difficulty asserting his talent on the music scene.
In 1988 he released a second album Charlatan which was still primarily in English. We found however Le Bon Dieu a sublime cover of the most famous Belgian singers Jacques Brel. Two years later, set up in Paris, he released Ratata. From this record written almost entirely with Jean-Marie Aerts, we recall Lonesome Zorro and its heady melody maintained by its chorist Beverly Brown. On June 26, 1990, Arno went on the Parisian stage at the Cigale.
In 91, Arno works on his companion Marie-Laure Berauds album. At the same time on his solo route he didnt look down upon the idea of doing some group work. So, in 1991, he found himself with Charles et les Lulus for an eponymous album. Surrounded by Roland Van Campenhout and Adriano Cominotto, he redid some blues classics by Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Rufus Thomas. From the blues he went straight to Nashville to record a new album in 1993 Idiots Savants. After Brel, Arno borrowed Les Filles du bord de mer from another famous Belgian singer Adamo. This new cover confirmed his undeniable talent to give new life to old songs. This latest remains one of his flagship songs.
On February 16th, 1994 Arno stopped off at lElysee Montmartre in Paris.
After Charles et les Lulus, came a new group digression with Arno et les Subrovnicks in 94. Joined by old friends Adriano Cominotto (ex-Lulu), Rudy Cloet (ex-TC Matic) and Geoffrey Burton and Francois Garny, Arno recorded the album Water in the South West of France.
Still in 94 Arno got started in cinema soundtracks with Personne ne maime by Frenchwoman Marion Vernoux. The cinema milieu wasnt unknown to him because in 78 in Belgium he wrote the music for the film Le Concert dun homme seul.
After a 20-year career primarily in English, Arno released his first album fully recorded in French in 1995. Thirteen tracks co-written with Jean-Marie Aerts or Adriano Cominotto. We find the cover of Brels le Bon Dieu as well as two new songs Elle pense à lui by Charlélie Couture and particularly Comme à Ostende written by Léo Ferré and Jean-Roger Caussimon. Arno reached the top of the charts with Les Yeux de ma mere. The album favoured the mix of genres, from tango to jazz to blues to which Arnos voice always gives a special texture.
December 13th, Arno played the Bataclan in Paris before starting off his tour around France and Switzerland and before he took off for the United States where he sang in New York and Austin, Texas.
The following year we found Arno in the cinema world but this time as an actor. He played the homosexual swimming instructor in Camping Cosmos by Belgian director Jan Bucquoy who also directed La vie sexuelle des Belges which attracted a lot of attention. Back on stage in October 96 with an evening at the Olympia on the 7th. A live album was released the following year, Arno (en concert à la Française) which took the best moments from his tours. An album in English was also released in 97 Give me the gift but it was only destined for the American market. Finally in 97, French actor Michel Piccoli gave him a role in Alors Voilà. Arno also wrote the soundtrack.
After Charles et les Lulus, Arno went to Charles and the White Trash Blues in 1998. Within this new occasional group, where we find guitarist Geoffrey Burton he gives us an album between blues and rock and whose covers, now part of his repertoire, go from the Kinks to Nina Simone. In 99 its again with a cover song that we find him. But this time its as a guest on the album by American Beverly Jo Scott, who lives in Belgium. Together they did an entertaining track which is a synthesis of la Fille du Père Noël by Dutronc and Jean Genie by Bowie.
Arno returned to the music news in August 99 with a new album entitled A Poil Commercial. Recorded in Arnos habitual blues-rock vein, A Poil Commercial brought the singers husky whisky-and-cigarettes vocals even further to the fore.
The singer followed on with a tour spread over the year 2000 and including 170 concerts. And, after a last concert in Prague, the Parisian Cité de la Musique gave him carte blanche to put on a show of his own choice. Alone on stage with his usual band, he gave a very warm and tasteful bal rock, which was grandly applauded by a public of loving fans. A month later a compilation summarising his 30-year career was released.
Arno stormed back into the music news on 26 February 2002 with an album full of tender rock ballads entitled Arno Charles Ernest (the singers real name). The 15 tracks on the album, recorded in a more acoustic vein than usual, included a duet with Jane Birkin (Elisa) and a cover of the Rolling Stones classic Mothers Little Helper. Shortly after the album release Arno kicked off a new tour with a concert at the Olympia in Paris on 8 March 2002.
Arno, the insatiable wordsmith, was back at the forefront of the music scene in May 2004 with a second album written entirely in French. The album, entitled French Bazaar, was the 26th of his career. Shot through with the lucidity and acerbic wit with which Arno has made his name, French Bazaar proves that the Flemish singer who has just turned 55 is still full of life and vitality.
When Belgian singer-songwriter Milow released his debut album, The Bigger Picture, in early 2006, few people had an idea what he was all about. Indeed, he had gained local notoriety two years prior when he became a finalist in the Rock Rally, a local battle of the bands, and his first single, More Familiar, had received some modest airplay from several Belgian national radio stations, but his appeal with critics and fans alike was just taking root.
Today, in his native country of Belgium, Milow is a household name. He has been rocketed to regional stardom, in part due to the success of his smash hit You Dont Know, which reached number three in Belgiums national singles chart and helped to sell over 13,500 copies of the album on which it originally appeared. Last year, Milow was presented with a TMF Award for Best New Artist, VRT Radio 2 ordained him the Most Promising Newcomer of 2006, and at the beginning of 2008, he won 3 Belgian Music Industry Awards (Best Music Video, Best Breakthrough, Best Song). It is not surprising that many are excited to find out what the future has in store for him.
For Milow, or Jonathan Vandenbroeck, one thing was clear from the start. His new record, Coming of Age (2008 Homerun Records), was by no means to going to be a carbon copy of his first album. To a large extent, The Bigger Picture was a bed-sit record. This time I wanted the music to sound a little more abrasive and powerful. Ive been playing with a band for a year and a half now, and that inspired me to explore the extremities of my musical expression a bit more. And indeed, my new songs range from quiet and acoustic to pretty loud and up-tempo.
Some of these new songs certainly hark back to the austerity of tracks on The Bigger Picture, but new songs like Canada and the beefed-up first single, Dreamers and Renegades, show a light-heartedness that will be a surprise to those who are already fans of the first record. My debut album sounded quite serious at the time, so I suppose it doesnt hurt that my new songs sound comparatively toned-down, Milow offers with a smile. But while I was writing my new stuff I also felt the urge to dig a little deeper than I did before, to work on my songs more elaborately, and to further explore my vocal abilities. Never before had my singing hit such high and low registers as it did on this record. Not less striking is the additional vocal presence of Nina Babet, a British singer now living in Belgium, who had previously lent her voice to Ozark Henrys The Sailor Not the Sea. Babet and Milow sing a fetching duet on the track Darkness Ahead and Behind.
The recording of The Bigger Picture was supervised by Nigel Powell, who was a founding member of British band The Unbelievable Truth. For Coming of Age, Milow chose to team up with producer Jo Franken. We had already collaborated on the single version of You Dont Know and we hit it off immediately, the singer fondly remembers. In terms of sound and recording technique, Jo is an absolute master. I had been sending him acoustic demos I had cut in my attic room, which he would comment on. Thus, the seeds were sown for what was to become a highly satisfactory exchange of ideas. Neither of us is easily pleased, but this time we put our stakes as high as we possibly could. Milow and Franken decided not to prepare extensively for the recording sessions and to keep their time in the studio both short and intense. As a result, everything was captured on analogue tape in a mere three days. Nearly all of the tracks on Coming of Age were performed live, with just a few overdubs.
Even more than on his first album, Milow obsessed over the quality of his lyrics on the new record. This time I wanted to try to write songs of more epic proportions and to tackle themes that are less common in regular pop songs. I wanted to tell the type of story that, especially in the region in which I live, had not been told before. Most of these stories are the fruits of my imagination, some are entirely fictitious, but theres not a single song on my album which is not somehow rooted in day-to-day life. I hate non-committal lyrics. It has always been my ambition as a songwriter to deal with things that are credible and real. Though it was inspired by the great American Folk storytelling tradition, Coming of Age is intended to be a uniquely Belgian artifact and a product of my own experience. All the songs on the album reflect what is happening here and now.
The songs on the record are, consequently, infused with references to Flemish topics and events. Stephanie, a song which subtly recreates the sound of the E Street Band, is a tribute to a teenage girl who was murdered by her stepmother and stepbrother. Her horrific fate was in all the local papers in August 2004. Another chilling documentary song is Herald of Free Enterprise, inspired by the shipping disaster that took place just off the coast of Zeebrugge exactly twenty years ago.
The song Milow probably is most proud of is The Priest. Its about the choices you make when you are young, but which will have a huge impact on the rest of your life, he explains. Milow deals with dysfunctional family ties in House by the Creek, which boasts an arrangement reminiscent of the soundtrack to the American television series Carnivale. On the records title track, Milow addresses the long and winding road to adulthood through childhood dreams, which he sings is inevitably bound to become watered down and transformed into compromise as one gets older. Still, Milow firmly states that listeners should never separate his story lines from the music. Its not exceptional for me to counter a dark, downbeat lyric with an upbeat tune. The picture only becomes complete when you put all the separate parts together.
Over the course of the last year, Milow has become progressively aware of the potential power of his music. Its a wonderful outlet. Im very aware of how lucky I am to be able to exorcise my demons on stage. One question remains, however: does he take enough time to enjoy his success to its fullest extent? Im glad for every dream Ive been able to realize and for every plan that has come to fruition, Milow confirms. But the very minute one obstacle gets crossed, I start looking out for the next one ahead. Im afraid I cant help it. Its just the way I am.
Led by erstwhile Firewater co-conspirator and international piano man Paul Wallfisch, Botanica is a band named for those mysterious stores stocking spells, potions and artifacts of ritual. Botanica makes punk rock chamber music for the 21st century. Pauls gypsy past has taken him to 40 countries, including performances of various sorts in in China, Finland, Indonesia and Guineawhere he became an overnight sensation lipsynching on the only TV show in the land. Past lives saw collaboration with Love & Rockets, Congo Norvell, Stiv Bators, Syl Sylvain, Stan Ridgeway and a parade of French people as diverse as Anne Pigalle and Johnny Hallyday.
Bridging the gap between Secret Machines and The Dresden Dolls, Botanica produces dark, gritty, epic, acid, sexy music that is neither blind to politics nor ignorant of romance. Called the sonic equivalent of an Aki Kaurismaki film by Intro Magazine (Germany), Botanicas music was also recently described in the New Yorker as trafficing in sonic noir with an undercurrent of sinewy menace sinister sophisticates providing the perfect soundtrack to the after-hours, urban experience.
For Malediction, (Checkered Past Records), Botanicas first album, front-creature Wallfisch joined forces with legendary bass goddess Abby Travis (Beck, KMFDM), and Ivan Knight (Friends of Dean Martinez,). The illustrious guests included Daniel Ash (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets), Frankie Infante (Blondie), and Kid Congo Powers (Nick Cave, Cramps). Grandeur, sweep, romance & edge, wrote the Boston Globe. Dark & angry fun, added The Big Takeover. Tabloid narratives about dysfunction dementia and doom lush beauty you can sink your teeth into, from The L.A. Weekly. Botanica toured nationaly from 1999-2002, including support dates with 16 Horsepower, Super Furry Animals and Rocket From the Crypt.
With All Seven Fingers (Subway Records/Alive), the bands second album, was released across Europe to rave reviews in October 2002. Recorded on tour in Chicago and in Brooklyn at both Martin Bisis legendary cave and Tamir Muskats (Balkan Beat Box, Big Lazy) Vibramonk. With All Seven Fingers picked up where Malediction left off, casting its spell through twelve magic tracks of sultry grooves, leering waltzes, fragile beauty and flat-out rock n roll. The opening track, Complicated Life, boasts a little conversation between Al Sharpton and superstar of the future Roman baby doc Casper. Kid Congo takes a star turn as the Barry White of indie rock on the spellbinding Power. John Andrews, (Page Hamilton, Frankenorange), joined the band as touring guitarist and following the life-changing epiphanies of Greifswald, Germany and other previously unvisited European metropolises, he never left. He is joined by mini-golf champion and master chef Christian Bongers, (Loudspeaker, Michael Gordon), moonlighting on bass, and drummer, glockenspieler and castanets virtuoso extraordinaire Keith Crupi, who lists as his influences Kiss & Ute Lemper, and whose recent work includes the pope gig at Giants Stadium, Ringling Brothers Circus at Madison Square Garden, and a command performance on vibraphone for the Kidney Dialysis Center.
Planning insurrections from their current home in New York, Botanica has toured Europe four times in the last 2 years, performing to sold-out theatres in five countries supporting 16 Horsepower. The L.A. Weekly wrote that Botanica should be inducted into the underrated hall of fame. Positivirages (France), wrote of the incomparable songwriting, Botanica delivers a veritable masterpiece reminiscent of the best of Nick Cave and Tom Waits. Visions (Germany), gave the album 9 out of 10 stars and With All Seven Fingers was in the top ten on their critics list. Botanica contributed the track Broken Bicycles to the Tom Waits tribute album New Coat of Paint released on Manifesto Records and also featuring Screaming Jay Hawkins, Carla Bozulich, Lydia Lunch and Sally Norvell accompanied by Paul at the ivories.
Botanicas music has been used in several films including Men Cry Bullets (Phaedra), and The Takedown (Dimension/Miramax). Botanica, (with ex-Jesus Lizard David Sims), is featured in Greg Pritikens film Dummy (Artisan Entertainment), starring Adrien Brody and Milla Jovovich. Paul also scored the film. (Soundtrack on Jellybean/SONY)
Summer 2003 found the band touring France for the first time and returning to Germany to begin recording their third album Botanica vs. the Truth Fish, a vivid collection of sexy, swampy political mayhem that puts Botanica in a class by itself. The album was finished at Pete Mins Fallout Shelter in Brooklyn and Pauls basement in Harlem and features cameos from guitarist Oren Kaplan (Gogol Bordello, Firewater) and the Meredith Yayanos string trio (Walkmen, Wilco). Following a recent Tonic show, the Trifecta Newsletter wrote: Botanica might be the best band in Manhattan right now: eerie, reverb guitar, macabre piano, powerful vocals, intense lyrics and a riveting, uncompromising live show.
B. vs. the T.F. was released on Rent A Dog/Alive (Germany) in Feb. 05. In April, among TV and radio appearances in several countries, the band taped a full concert for the legendary Rockpalast show on Germanys WDR. A documentary on Botanica for the French-German network Arte is in the works. 3/4 of Botanica hsas recently been seen and heard as the backing band to Scottlands finest voice, Miss Angela McCluskey. But rumor has it theyll all be fired soon.
While Continuing their long-time collaboration with producer-engineer-guitarist Pete Min, 1/2 of the new album Berlin Hi-Fi was recorded in the German capital with the hardest working man in Deutschland, Moses Schneider and his asshole free posse. The results is been released on May 5, 2006, along with a single/ep Botanica Lifting Over Berlin.
Racoon is a Dutch pop-rock band founded in 1997. Bart van der Weide (vocals) and Dennis Huige (guitar) were fed up with the sound of their hardcore rockband Victem and decided to go acoustic. Their first writings resulted in a song called Rapid Eye Movement. For their first release, a demo called Its an Ice Cream Day, Stefan de Kroon (bass) and Paul Bukkens (drums) completed the bands line-up.
The band made a breakthrough appearance at the 1999 Noorderslagfestival in Groningen, resulting in lots of record deal offers. Contracted by Sonys S.M.A.R.T. label, they released their first album Till Monkeys Fly in January 2000. Produced by Michael Schoots, former Urban Dance Squad drummer, the album hit the charts receiving nationwide airplay. Both the first single Feel Like Flying and the second one, Blue Days, became a 3FM megahit. Their festival appearances on Parkpop and Lowlands confirmed their image as a live-act.
Summer 2001 Here We Go, Stereo! was released as their second full-length record. Widely acclaimed, this record was their ticket to play at the Netherlandss largest festival: Pinkpop.
While working on their third album, Sony ended the record deal. With help from Dutch radio station 3FM and the producer of their first album, they signed a contract with PIAS, to release their 3rd album early 2005. The fresh and mature sound, combined with a more serious approach on songwriting got Another Day a slow start with Happy Family. The second single Love You More hits hard: they claimed 3rd spot on the Dutch Top 40; the album skyrocketed to 6th position in the Album Charts. A succesful club tour during autumn and winter 2005 resulted in the release of their first live DVD called Another Night. And the fans really found their true love back, voting Racoon to be Pinkpops Gouden Tip (Viewers Choice) for 2006, claiming a spot on the mainstage.
After this clubtour they decided to fulfill a long-lasting dream for the bands vocalist (Bart van der Weide) and went on a theatertour all across Holland, with the adition of a keyboardplayer (Manu van Os) and a re-write of most of the songs to slim them down a bit. They blew away most fans with the awsome sounding back to basics tour filled with emotions and the track called "Close Your Eyes".
Following the highly praised debut single Surely, the (by public and press) much-appreciated album Falling Into Place, the Focus Trophy at the ZAMU Awards 2006 and a collection of fantastic concerts, DELAVEGA withdrew from the public eye during the winter to write a very promising second album. First single Little Clouds (built around the deep soul of front-lady Elke Bruyneel) has already been playing on the radio over the last few months. The incorporation of Elke - a jeune première who likes to rub her voice up to those of vocal queens like Ella Fitzgerald, Beth Gibbons and Angie Stone - was a great move musically. With her arrival Delavega last year began a promising new chapter involving dub, noise, (nu) jazz, funk, soul and urgent rock as musical sources. The new album THE DAY AFTER is out since 2007 OCT 22nd. DELAVEGA presented their 2nd full album to the audience NOVEMBER 14th at the Handelsbeurs in Gent and NOVEMBER 22nd at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels.
Jim Cole is a seven piece band built around Jimmy Coleman, a 28 year old singersongwriter who loves good old soul music.
Through the years, he managed to gather the attention of several well known artists all around Belgium, who encouraged him to release his own material.
Jim Cole's sound is all about funk, rock and very tight R&B, all these ingredients mixed to a very own, contemporary feel.
When listening to it, you will definitely hear his accuracy for motown, funky music and melody. A very promissing debut album is been released February 2008! Jim's third single "Goodbye?" has come out on November 2007, all together with a fantastic videoclip!
Roots in het verre Oosten, prijzen weggekaapt op diverse rockconcours, een sterke live reputatie en jong: The Hong Kong Dong mag niet klagen. De Gentse broer en zus Boris (zang, moog, keys, gitaar) en Sarah (zang, gitaart, Moog) Zeebroek zijn bovendien nog gezegend met een knotsgekke vader die Vlaanderen onveilig maakt onder het pseudoniem Kamagurka. De appel der creativiteit viel hier duidelijk niet ver van de boom. Met The Hong Kong Dong krijg je een eigenzinnige mix van rock, blues, dance, electro en pop; een kruisbestuiving die snijdende gitaarpartijen, hijgende longen, huilende moogs en strakke ritmes oplevert. Wee uw trommelvliezen, wanneer Sarah haar keel openzet. Bronnen van inspiratie zijn The Talking Heads, Beck, The Flaming Lips, QOTSA, The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, Zappa, Ween en vele anderen. Als je weet dat hun demo werd openomen samen met gitarist Geoffrey Burton (Arno) dan kunnen we alleen maar concluderen dat het goed gaat met Hong The Kong Dong.
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Foto: Vincent Claeys, Tekst: myspace