Everything about the album »Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung« (Anarchist evening entertainment) by the band of the same name sounds promisingly weird. Formed in Antwerp in 1992, the band’s rather unconventional name, derived from Hermann Hesse’s »Steppenwolf«, emphasises the role of the four classically trained musicians as musical non-conformists who deliberately ignore all conventions and boundaries. On their début album »#1«, DAAU present an almost bizarre musical mixture of chamber music, Eastern European folklore, jazz and minimal with a punk attitude. The quartet has transcended the traditional boundaries of the music business from the very beginning.
Particularly noteworthy is the structure of the album’s six tracks, which they refer to as »Drieslagstelsels« or »three-field system«—a reference to an early medieval agricultural method. In simple terms this means that each of the group’s songs consists of three main movements. But what has the Middle Ages got to do with it? Through the use of string instruments, accordion, clarinet, bass and drums, the musicians manage to capture the courtly style of the Middle Ages and skilfully expand it with elements from the wazn repertoire, interweaving them with influences from blues, salsa, swing and electronic music. »Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung« is without a doubt an album that transcends conventional genre boundaries and is now finally available on vinyl.
