Klang is back

The return of the son of the vengeance of the Pop Theory 50 What's nice about fiftysomethings is that they know their stuff. On top of passion, they have the experience. Every woman knows that. Same goes for music. If you keep your enthusiasm intact and add more than thirty years of practice, you are all set. Look at The Stones, AC/DC, Sparks, U2, Eagles... Rimples, allright, but no signs of musical decrepitude. OK, now that we've dealt with that, let's talk about the essential stuff: the music. For some of you who were partying to pop songs way before Nirvana or R.E.M. burst on the scene, waaaaaay before Justin Bieber or Rihanna were even born, the name of Klang will invoke the Belpop years, the rich pop and rock era of the eighties that spawned numerous bands like The Machines, Luna Twist or De Kreuners. Flash-back This is the late seventies. Prog-rock is dying a death, Punk is pogoing on its way out, and New-Wave is taking its place. Kurt and Klaus Klang, real brothers using a fake name, release their first album. The band features Denis Rufin on drums and Bob Franxon on guitar. Recorded in London and The Netherlands, «The Pop Theory» is a mix of light pop infused with strands of New-Wave. The blue sleeve hides little gems and radio hits : Beat It, I Wish You'd Call Me A Red, Wailing In The Moonlight, Nagasaki Sun… Bob leaves and is replaced by Phil Bertran (renamed Philip Prince for his good looks) to record the second LP, «Dots and Dashes». This new effort presents a more cohesive sound, embracing shamelessly the delights of pure power-pop. Things seem to get really rolling, with the band playing the AB in Brussels. But the departure of drummer Denis to pursue his education in the US brings it all to a sad ending. Typical: you dream, you make it happen, and then it all falls apart. Life is a bitch, sometimes. Klaus Klang will go on to make a few solo records (Soul Thing, anyone?) before joining a record company in Flanders in the mid-nineties. Bob will be a jurist and Kurt/Alain will be working at an insurance company. So, there you go... life goes on. But life can take some unpredictable turns. Now Thirty years after having disbanded, the trio meet up again at a concert of The Names. Eyes sparkle. There is talk of giving it a last go, just for the fun of it. Since Denis permanently resides in New Orleans, the band recruits Paul Englebert, who used to drum in eigties band The Ice Creams, and a few years later recorded Continental Circus with his transient band b-burnt featuring ex-Machiavel guitar hero Thierry Plas. Klang is back. With a vengeance. The Angry Old Men give a few gigs playing their old repertoire, and have lots of fun doing it. But as time passes, they crave for new challenges. Starting in spring of 2012, the band rehearses new songs penned by Klaus, and records a demo for a new album in Paul's Cosy Garage studio. Phil Bertran replaces Alain on bass, and with a no-nonsense approach, the band gets back to its fundamentals: high-energy pop, rooted in The Beatles but laced with 50 years of rock. The sound is punchy, precise, timeless. No nostalgia involved, just pleasure and craftmanship; catchy melodies and hours of battling it out in a studio. The results? 12 tracks of pure pop, heralded by the first single to be released in late August. A-side: Rock Paper Scissors playing the game of love can be tricky B-side: Bad Hair Day, a darker folksy tune about the consequences of unwelcomed changes in one's life. Both tracks mixed by Thierry Plas, giving them that fine veneer of radiophonic deliciousness. Klang is back. Give them a listen, they are ready to play.... Funny music by serious people. Booking: Fanny Noel / Jude Production +32 478 229 750 info@judeproduction.com