Over two years after Steamboat Switzerland hit the (post) improv and (post) noise scene with their "Live" CD, only now do the long awaited follow up CDs appear. If the debut CD presented a patchwork of improvisation, own and foreign compositions and rock pieces, Budapest and ac/dB [Hayden] are compact, integral and equally imploring monolithic works. And yet the two CDs couldn't be more different. Budapest is the result of a purely improvised concert they gave in Danube metropolis in the Fall of 1999. The noise and prog rock roots have been compressed so much that there are no more clichés nor more citations, only tension that bursts asunder. The CD was mixed and co-produced by Stephan Wittwer, who contributed the intro, a little gem about the state of being chopped up. The grunge track that the band played following their improvisation, as an encore, is also a composition from Wittwer.
The liner notes to this CD were written by Dietmar Dath.

ac/dB [Hayden] is a clash of two compositions: "dB" is a work that the English composer Sam Hayden exclusively wrote for Steamboat Switzerland. On the CD, "dB" alternates with "ac," a collective composition of the band's members, Dominik Blum, Lucas Niggli and Marino Pliakas. Both pieces rub against, wash around and contrast each other as well as radically questioning each other. Thus, an uncommon tension-filled opus comes into being, that (as dumb as it may sound) is more than the sum of its parts. ac/dB [Hayden] demonstrates how powerful, explosive and, well yes, swinging new music can be. Or is it really the progressive music of the "now time" that simply blows away the entire postrock of the last few years and makes us forget it all?
Two CDs were necessary (they function autonomously) in order to give a halfway decent picture of the band. It was worth it. Deeper and deeper in the uncanny intimacy of abstraction!

Attention!: Budapest and ac/dB [Hayden] are ALSO appearing together in a box limited to 200 copies. This box will exclusively contain a single with unpublished tracks. ac/dB [Hayden] will also be released as an LP (200 pieces) and is only available directly from the label or band.

 Steamboat Switzerland (also on GROB655, GROB859, GROB961,)

 Dominik Blum (Homepage) (also on GROB960)

 Lucas Niggli (Homepage)

 Marino Pliakas (Homepage)

  back to GROB catalog

GROB317 School of Velocity - Homework