THE
ACE UP ONE´S SLEEVE: Entartete Kunst.
Joy Division, Bauhaus, Placebo, The Cure, Radiohead,
Pixies,...
the quintet from Barcelona have good references to write
good songs.
The nazi régime
has defined all the art works that couldn't be included in Hitler's
idea of
art. Picasso, Chagall, Grosz, Kandinsky, Klee and many others were,
for the nationalsocialists, degenerate artitsts.
This is the referent that explains the name of this band. Formed around
1996, Entartete Kunst are a group that have progressed step by step;
from the usual beginnings at school, till the first demos, and the
unavoidable changes of members in the group.
During seven years they didn't have done lots of concerts, but they
offer secure, expressive and passionate lives. Two demos and other
live demos are their only recordings; not many recorded tracks, although
they assure that "we have more songs but not recorded yet".
In spite of this, they don't go unnoticed. The secret is in their
music. Not many catalan bands are in debt to Joy Division, Bauhaus
and Buzzcocks, and are bold not only to reproduce their songs, bringing
forward contemporary sounds from Placebo, Radiohead, Mogwai, Red House
Painters, Pixies and some slowcore groups.
The singer,
Miquel, adds that they have made a real progress between their two
demos:
"New Noise (edit 1999) was darker and more
repetitive, with longer songs." From that oppressive
atmospheres almost gothics, they have progressed with "Where
have they been?" to a dark pop sound near to The Cure.
"I think that now we are more into emo style -says Mario
who plays keyboards-, but we all like many differents kinds
of music, and this makes difficult to say anything specific about
our music, and on the other hand, it's always easy to remember some
other bands. Because of this, we do punk, goth and pop songs".
Being semifinalists
in the last Emergenza edition, is a good omen if some record company
dares to bet for them.
Where have
they been?:
"
Where have they been?" begins with a bass line that doesn´t
offer any doubt, because could remember one of some of the best Joy
Division songs. Then the guitars, the dark and bit turmented voice...
all could show that we are hearing a tribute band from Joy Division.
But, fortunately, Entartete Kunst know how to mix all the music they
like. Because of this, in this demo there are voices that brings to
mind Placebo, keyboards that recalls The Cure and guitars reminiscents
of Radiohead. They are dark, but having a feeling and not acting,
and this gives them credibility, and furthermore, future.