DAAU
We Need New Animals

THE REVIEW

I listened to the cover of "Suds & Soda" by dEUS done by them and released as a b-side of the single itself. One of my favorite songs, by one of my favorite bands. Completely transformed, stripped of the sung part (they almost only play instrumental pieces) but it didn't lose any of the allure and energy of the original. And all played with classical instruments, cello, violin, clarinet, accordion. Almost love.

Thanks to the internet, I discover that they are also from Antwerp, there are five of them, three of whom are brothers. All students at the conservatory of their city. The full name would be Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung, like their first album from '94. The acronym DAAU is used in '98, with their second work "We Need New Animals" for Sony Classical, in which electronics and drum parts are introduced into their music for the first time. An experiment that turned out to be original and well executed. You get a clear idea of their way of composing and playing from a phrase they love to quote in rare interviews, "We are classically derailed and play with a rock intention".

The goal of this album is to use instruments of classical origin to create predominantly pop songs, influenced by the most varied musical genres and played, especially live, with the energy of true rockers. It goes from the folk of "Waltz Delire" and "Hot Shades (My Medina)", which halfway changes skin and transforms into Arabic music in every sense, to the jazz of "Nix". But also reggae rhythms in "Oliphant", "stained at the end.
"Broken" starts unsettling, grows slowly, following the splendid voice of An Pierlé (also from Antwerp, needless to say...), for the first of the only two songs (the other is "Dip 'n Dodge" with Angelique Willkie) that make use of a singer.

But "Gin & Tonic" is my favorite. Enveloping, the instruments enter one by one and in an instant, I imagine myself inside a dark and smoky bar, a glass of the mentioned cocktail in hand, and my head swaying to the three plucked notes of the double bass (or maybe it's the cello?). At times it seems like listening to Massive Attack. If I were in another mental state, maybe 3D would appear to me dressed as Riccardo Muti directing them.
If I had to make comparisons or find references to other bands, only Quintorigo would come to mind, obviously without DeLeo's voice, which captures most of the attention on itself.

An interesting fact about their name, it’s a quote from a book by Herman Hesse, "Steppenwolf", which in a passage read:

"Anarchistische abendunterhaltung!
magisches theater
eintritt nicht für jedermann
nur für verrückte
eintritt kostet den verstand"

for those who don't know German (myself included):

"Anarchistic evening entertainment!
magical theater
entrance not for everyone
only for the insane
entrance costs sanity".