Das Pop
Three years in the making, with more false starts than an Olympic relay race, the time has finally come for Ghent based 4 piece Das Pop to release their incredible new album. Recorded and mixed by Soulwax in a host of studios across Europe, the record has already grown a reputation of it's own in music circles.
Spoken about in hushed tones and dogged with rumour much like the Stone Roses 'Second Coming' and Wilco's 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot', this is a career defining album. A genre spanning album. ‘Das Pop’ (released on N.E.W.S Records on 2nd November) is testament to the power of great pop music, an album that stands tall in the face of fads, over night trends and style-over-content posturings.
From the mo-town-esque guitars, swelling stings and behemoth-sized hooks of album opener 'Underground', through to the jaunty, Weller-esque groove of future single ‘Never Get Enough’ the sonic spectrum of the album leaves those familiar with the band in no doubt that this is the rawest and most direct record Das Pop have ever recorded and a heat seeking missile of an album that will find plenty of new fans too. Gone are the synthesizers and sequencers of previous albums, to be replaced with the simple sound of four musicians in a studio letting the song writing do the talking.
As Soulwax’s Stephen Daewale put it: "They're such a brilliant live band that we wanted to capture that on tape. So we literally just recorded them playing together in a room. And because they're such good musicians and songwriters, the results sounded amazing." In fact, the superstar production duo were so taken by Das Pop’s infectious energy, they agreed to produce the album in exchange for a few roast beef dinners.
Formed in guitarist Reinhard Vanbergen’s musty bedsit in Ghent, Begium by school friends Bent Van looy (vocals), Niek Meul (Bass), and Reinhard the line-up was completed in 2007 with the addition of Kiwi Matt Eccles. The band soon picked up a fearsome live reputation, garnered from supporting the likes of Parisian Dance heroes Justice (who included debut single ‘Underground’ on their renowned Fabric Live! Mix CD), Alphabeat, Soulwax, Erol Alkan and The Gossip.
Call it what you like. Garage-rock you can dance to. Electro tinged dance you can sing your heart out to, but ‘Das Pop’ is simply a record for all seasons, all moods, and for all ages. The band’s mission is simple, to make 3 minutes of noise that will do incredible things to you. In the words of lead singer Bent “As a band, we set out of make the very best pop music imaginable, Nothing has the same power as pop.”
Das Pop play the following UK tour dates: -
26 Nov 2009 London Islington Academy 2
27 Nov 2009 Liverpool Evol
28 Nov 2009 Manchester Sound Control
29 Nov 2009 Glasgow ABC