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Thread: Das Simple - is this Zeuhl or what ?

  1. #1

    Das Simple - is this Zeuhl or what ?

    Now, this is a band to watch. Their second album will be released on october 15th.
    I saw them yesterday playing that new repertoire, opening for MirthKon. They clearly stole the show. These young bucks presumably have no idea, but they're reinventing Zeuhl - darker than ever, and on steroids. Their live sound is sometimes reminiscent of Guapo or One Shot. Perhaps a touch of King Crimson too. Zeuhl metal with a dash of math rock ? whatever.
    https://soundcloud.com/#das-simple/i...octe-premaster
    https://soundcloud.com/#das-simple/0...-serpent-part1
    https://soundcloud.com/#das-simple/plesim

    There is hope for the future, since they managed to convince an audience far too juvenile (relatively speaking !) to even know, let alone care, about Zeuhl or RIO. The writing is consistently strong and concise, the challenging pieces are efficiently executed. Youth ! remember that ? My only reservation would be about their (mercifully infrequent) use of "vocals".
    Nevertheless, I did not notice a single "meh" / "wtf?" moment in there : no useless "I'm a Composer" bits arbitrarily pasted together (as is so often the case, e.g. with contemporary RIO). This is because they are not attempting to imitate the elders : this is not another oh-so-orthodox De Futura rehash. And yet (although comparison is not reason) that's what they sound like - with a vengeance !
    They're coming to get you.

    http://dassimple.com/
    Last edited by unclemeat; 01-26-2014 at 07:57 AM.

  2. #2
    Hey, I like it, but I am not so sure it is a reinvention of Zeuhl, since it more sounds like a reinvention of one the older King Crismon versions. Ain't shabby no matter how you define it. :-)
    I'm not lazy. I just work so fast I'm always done.

  3. #3
    I am describing the concert I attended (and - surprise ! - the rhythm section was on top of the mix).
    The recorded examples linked above do indeed tell a different story, in terms of sonic landscape / possible references. But from a compositional standpoint, the new material, as presented on stage, seems praiseworthy to me.
    Last edited by unclemeat; 09-18-2013 at 07:37 AM.

  4. #4
    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    It reminds me somewhat of KC Discipline era.
    I like it, could be a great live band, but as many other new bands, they lack some (quiet) holes in the soundwall to be dynamic, and that gets a bit tiresome in the long run.

  5. #5
    New album available for sale here :
    http://das-simple.bandcamp.com/album...rum-imus-nocte

    You can listen to the whole thing here :
    https://soundcloud.com/das-simple/se...rum-imus-nocte
    Last edited by unclemeat; 01-26-2014 at 08:14 AM.

  6. #6
    Subterranean Tapir Hobo Chang Ba's Avatar
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    I'm listen to the 2013 album now...my mind is linking them to Jack Dupon, with a bit more metal in their sound (especially the vocals obviously). Don't hear much Zeuhl here...but it's pretty enjoyable.

    Thanks for the links.
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  7. #7


    "In girum imus nocte"

  8. #8
    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hobo Chang Ba View Post
    I'm listen to the 2013 album now...my mind is linking them to Jack Dupon, with a bit more metal in their sound (especially the vocals obviously). Don't hear much Zeuhl here...but it's pretty enjoyable.

    Thanks for the links.
    Tend to agree with the Jack Dupon references rather than Zeuhl.
    Ian

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  9. #9
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by unclemeat View Post


    "In girum imus nocte"
    A tad of Zeuhl, but this sounds more like punkish Math nRock to me...


    or Crimson on LSD
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  10. #10
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    Just listened to the bandcamp sample of In Girum Imus Nocte....Holy fuck!!! Amazing!. And to the person above who mentioned 'they lack quiet holes in the music', there is a very quite break at about the 2 minute mark of this song. Luckily for me, an evil metal friend of mine has been slowly indoctrinating me into the crazy world of growling vocals, so even that I can deal with, lol!

    Is it too late to book this band for RIO? What a great addition this would be. Definitely ordering that album.

    neil
    Last edited by boilk; 01-25-2014 at 01:46 PM.

  11. #11
    I was a bit amazed on reading that Andrew McKenna Lee, leader of The Knells, had little knowledge of Magma's music - as opposed to having obviously heard a lot about them throughout the years. Their stuff (Knells', I mean) would almost certainly have been tagged "a new era for Zeuhl" or something if they'd been a French ensemble. Of course, he -did- namecheck Art Bears and Dead Can Dance, which perhaps makes it even more odd how he apparently hadn't (yet) dwelled into Magma.

    Of course, this begs the necessary quest; does an artist have to refer or relate directly to established tropes of stylistic origin for his/her own to fit in with it? I don't think so. It's back again to the issue of Zappa distancing himself from the "progressive" tag as an obvious move against the (negative) depths of templative capture. As if Spielberg could have designated 'Saving Private Ryan' a slapstick comedy in pure insistance of creative intent. It simply doesn't work that way.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

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