DAAU
Encyclopedia
DAAU is a music group from Antwerp, Belgium
. The band was founded in 1992 and borrowed its name from the novel Der Steppenwolf
(1927) by Hermann Hesse
.
The current line-up consists of Simon Lenski
(cello
), Roel Van Camp (accordion
), Han Stubbe (clarinet
) and Hannes D'Hoine (upright bass). In the course of DAAU's history, other musicians have joined the quartet for a limited period of time: Adrian Lenski (piano
), Janek Kobalski (drums
), Angélique Willkie (vocals
), Fré Madou (upright bass) and Geert Budts (drums). On record, the band also collaborated with An Pierlé
, Ya Kid K
(Technotronic
) and David Bovée (Think of One).
(back then called A Beatband) and dEUS. For dEUS, DAAU also recorded a version of the cult-hit "Suds & Soda".
In 1996 Sony Classical signed the band, re-released the debut album, and released the follow-up We Need New Animals (1998). The album was recorded in the Spanish village Ronda
and introduced vocals, electronics, drums and guitar to the sound of DAAU. The band was invited to support 16 Horsepower
on tour in Europe. The record sold very few copies and Sony decided to shift the group to Columbia Records, which released their third album Life Transmission (2001) before sacking the group later that year. Even though record sales were once again below expectations, the group scored some small radio-hits and toured extensively in the Benelux
and played for large crowds at Rock Werchter
and Pukkelpop
festivals.
In 2002 the band set up a record label of their own, titled Radical Duke, and released an EP of music they composed for a dance play Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain, also known as Colours. Later a compilation of outtakes and alternative versions was released, titled Ghost Tracks.
Two years later the group returned to the acoustic approach of its early days and released their fourth record Tub Gurnard Goodness, including a cover of Radiohead
's "2+2=5
". On tour, DAAU expanded itself to a sextet with a new rhythm
section. Tub Gurnard Goodness was released in Europe and the group played many concerts in Germany, Czech Republic and in France with electro dub crew Ez3kiel. In Hungary they were present at the Sziget festival, in Denmark at Roskilde Festival
.
In 2006 the band released their first record as a sextet, Domestic Wildlife. Shortly after, bass player Fré Madou decided to leave the band.
In 2010 the band released The Shepherd's Dream, now as a quartet.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The band was founded in 1992 and borrowed its name from the novel Der Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf (novel)
Steppenwolf is the tenth novel by German-Swiss author Hermann Hesse. Originally published in Germany in 1927, it was first translated into English in 1929. Combining autobiographical and psychoanalytic elements, the novel was named after the lonesome wolf of the steppes...
(1927) by Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature...
.
The current line-up consists of Simon Lenski
Simon Lenski
Simon Lenski is a cello player from Antwerp, Belgium. His main activity lies within the band DAAU which he co-founded in 1992.As a cello player, he is a much sollicited guest musician for other artists and music groups, often together with his brother Buni Lenski. In 2004 he set up a collaboration...
(cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
), Roel Van Camp (accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
), Han Stubbe (clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
) and Hannes D'Hoine (upright bass). In the course of DAAU's history, other musicians have joined the quartet for a limited period of time: Adrian Lenski (piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
), Janek Kobalski (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
), Angélique Willkie (vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
), Fré Madou (upright bass) and Geert Budts (drums). On record, the band also collaborated with An Pierlé
An Pierlé
An Pierlé is a Belgian pianist and singer-songwriter.-Career:...
, Ya Kid K
Ya Kid K
Ya Kid K. is a Congolese-Belgian hip hop artist. Her sister, Karoline 'Leki' Kamosi, is an R&B singer.-Biography:...
(Technotronic
Technotronic
Technotronic is a Belgian studio-based music project formed in 1988 by Jo Bogaert , who had already made his musical mark in the beginning of the 1980s as a part of a cover band and as a solo artist under various New Beat projects, including The Acts of Madmen and Nux Nemo...
) and David Bovée (Think of One).
Career
In 1994 they debuted with their acoustic self-titled album on the label Jack&Johnny, which also released the first material by Zita SwoonZita Swoon
Zita Swoon is a Belgian indie rock group. They entered the music scene of Antwerp in 1993, still under the name A Beatband with the EP "Jintro Travels The Word In A Skirt". The group is typical of the music scene in Antwerp, with members playing in numerous other groups. Best known member is singer...
(back then called A Beatband) and dEUS. For dEUS, DAAU also recorded a version of the cult-hit "Suds & Soda".
In 1996 Sony Classical signed the band, re-released the debut album, and released the follow-up We Need New Animals (1998). The album was recorded in the Spanish village Ronda
Ronda
Ronda is a city in Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about West from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is approximately 35,000 inhabitants.-History:...
and introduced vocals, electronics, drums and guitar to the sound of DAAU. The band was invited to support 16 Horsepower
16 Horsepower
16 Horsepower was an American alternative country music group based in Denver, Colorado. Their music often invoked religious imagery dealing with conflict, redemption, punishment, and guilt through David Eugene Edwards's lyrics and the heavy use of traditional bluegrass, gospel, and Appalachian...
on tour in Europe. The record sold very few copies and Sony decided to shift the group to Columbia Records, which released their third album Life Transmission (2001) before sacking the group later that year. Even though record sales were once again below expectations, the group scored some small radio-hits and toured extensively in the Benelux
Benelux
The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany...
and played for large crowds at Rock Werchter
Rock Werchter
Rock Werchter is a Belgian annual music festival held in the village of Werchter, near Leuven, since 1974. It is one of the five biggest annual rock music festivals in Europe...
and Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop is an annual music festival which takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium in mid-to-late August. It is held within a large enclosure of fields and woodland—between a dual carriageway called Kempische Steenweg—in the village of Kiewit, approximately 7 km north of Hasselt...
festivals.
In 2002 the band set up a record label of their own, titled Radical Duke, and released an EP of music they composed for a dance play Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain, also known as Colours. Later a compilation of outtakes and alternative versions was released, titled Ghost Tracks.
Two years later the group returned to the acoustic approach of its early days and released their fourth record Tub Gurnard Goodness, including a cover of Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's "2+2=5
2 + 2 = 5 (song)
"2 + 2 = 5" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the third and final single from their sixth album Hail to the Thief in 2003. The song reached number 15 on the United Kingdom singles chart.-Lyrics and background:...
". On tour, DAAU expanded itself to a sextet with a new rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
section. Tub Gurnard Goodness was released in Europe and the group played many concerts in Germany, Czech Republic and in France with electro dub crew Ez3kiel. In Hungary they were present at the Sziget festival, in Denmark at Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...
.
In 2006 the band released their first record as a sextet, Domestic Wildlife. Shortly after, bass player Fré Madou decided to leave the band.
In 2010 the band released The Shepherd's Dream, now as a quartet.
Line-up
- Buni Lenski (violin) (1992-2006)
- Simon Lenski (cello) (1992-present)
- Han Stubbe (clarinet) (1992-present)
- Roel Van Camp (accordion) (1992-present)
- Adrian Lenski (piano) (2001-2002)
- Janek Kobalski (drums) (2001-2002)
- Geert Budts (drums) (2004-2006)
- Fré Madou (upright bass) (2004-2006)
- Hannes D'Hoine (upright bass) (2006-present)
Discography
- Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung (1995)
- We Need New Animals (1997)
- Life Transmission (2001)
- Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain (2002)
- Ghost Tracks (2004)
- Tub Gurnard Goodness (2004)
- Domestic Wildlife (2006)
- The Shepherd's Dream (2010)
Side-projects
- Simon LenskiSimon LenskiSimon Lenski is a cello player from Antwerp, Belgium. His main activity lies within the band DAAU which he co-founded in 1992.As a cello player, he is a much sollicited guest musician for other artists and music groups, often together with his brother Buni Lenski. In 2004 he set up a collaboration...
with Bo Wiget - Bear Guts Quartet
- Donkey Diesel
- Kiss My JazzKiss My JazzKiss My Jazz is a group of musicians based in Antwerp, Belgium. Their music is a lo-fi mix of jazz, rock and experimental music. Members of the group include former member of dEUS Rudy Trouvé:-Albums:* In Docs Place Friday Evening, 1996, Knitting Factory...