Post by sacrilegend on Jun 2, 2007 11:59:53 GMT -5
Kek '66
Biography
It is hard to imagine that almost nothing is left of the musical grandeur that radiated from the Netherlands in the 1960s. Bands like Q65 and The Outsiders, considered worldwide to be the best and wildest of all the Beat, have hardly managed to cast a shadow on the things to come. When in 1996 The Kliek called it a day, it looked like the last remnants of the (in)famous Nederbeat had finally left the scene.
Unfortunately for all the people who were glad to be rid off it, Amsterdam-based Kek 66 returned the beat to the Dutch and European stages. Especially many of the smaller, badly lit, semi-squatted, almost torn down clubs and venues have known this and since the end of 1999 also the larger clubs in the country. The turbulent success over the last five years led to 2 singles and two LP's (ofcourse also on vinyl) and several tours in the Netherlands and abroad.
Singer/guitarplayer Robert Müter, bassplayer Marc de Regt and drummer Zjenja Guberman convince as the true interpreters of a long lost and forgotten genre. The passion-drenched garagenoise, the non-conformist, innocent looking, breathtaking youngsters and their sober yet uncomparibly vivid show never cease to get new crowds out of their wits of excitement.
www.kek66.nl/kekbioen.htm
History
In 1995 the illustrious neo-sixties band The Kliek broke up, after 8 years of hard work and lots of effort in order to try to get attention for the band's trademark - faithfully reproduced sixties-garagepunk classics and self-written songs in that same vein. The bandmembers went separate ways. Marcel Kruup had his 15 minutes of fame as a member of the Treblespankers, the Dutch reincarnation of the Shadows. Theo Brouwer, bassplayer in the final line-up of the Kliek plays in a couple of "hobby" bands, Big Paulus and de Sgeurvreters. For a while we didn't hear of Robert Müter, the singer of the Kliek. It was known to only a few that he had formed a new band in 1996, called Kek 66.
Robert Müter
Stefan Steutel
Marc de Regt
In a recent interview in Dutch newspaper Het Parool he indicates that this was a deeply rooted desire: "In the early days it [the Kliek] was loads of fun, exciting. But I should have started my own band a lot earlier, I should have had more faith in myself. Now I was only the singer in that band, with a chief above me."
Only when the Kliek split (one of the reasons for that was the ever increasing tension between the singer Müter and "chief" guitarplayer Kruup) the opportunity presented itself. He formed a new band, this time a trio with himself taking up the guitar as well as doing the vocals. The rhythmsection consisted of two old friends. Stefan Steutel, on drums, played in the Kliek for a while when they started out many years ago and Marc de Regt, bassplayer and backingvocalist, has his roots in the Wieringermeerpolder, just as Robert. They are old friends, going back more than 20 years.
Kek 66 can be considered the perfected version of the Kliek. The main references are the same: American garagepunk from the mid 1960s and Nederbeat. Names? The Electric Prunes, The 13th Floor Elevators, The Remains, but also and perhaps even especially The Golden Earrings (stil with an "S") and English merseybeatbands such as the Hollies and the Searchers. On the basis of these names you should be able to get an idea of the music as Kek 66 makes it. Guitars with a rough edge on one hand, catchy melodies and nice double vocals on the other. Other similarities with the Kliek are the extraordinary attention for authenticity in the use of equipment and the sound, and the multitude of obscure coversongs on the reportoire. There is one main difference with the Kliek. The time wasn't ready for the Kliek: they were largely dismissed by the Dutch music press as an anachronism and called "annoying". Kek 66 however has been hailed as one of the greatest discoveries of the last years.
Some quotes from the Dutch press:
"...a band that recently made one of the best ever popalbums made in the Netherlands." (Noordhollands Dagblad)
"One of the best Dutch poprecords of recent years is the debut of the trio Kek 66." (Het Parool)
"Already one of the Nether-classics of the year" (Oor)
But the success didn't come immediately. The first years the band didn't seek publicity, in order to quietly perfect their playing together. From the time with the Kliek there were still many useful contacts abroad, especially in Spain. Because they were neglected in their own country, most Kliek records appeared on Spanish and German recordlabels. In this light, it is not so strange that Kek's first single "Na na na" appeard on the Spanish Guerssen label in 1996. On vinyl, as is the proper thing to do with sixties music. "Na na na" was originally a hit by the Shoes in the 60s. On the B-side 2 songs, A song in Spanish, "Angela" and "You treated me bad". In 1996 the guys from Kek go on a first major tour in Spain and France as support for the legendary Arthur Lee and his band Love.
In 1997 the band leaves Holland for a second tour of Spain. During a Psychedelic Party in het Vrieshuis in Amsterdam Stefan leaves the band. neems Stefan afscheid van de band. Like in the days of the Kliek Stefan Steutel was replaced by Russian Zjenja Guberman. The sixties undergroundscene picks up the name Kek 66, without the apostrophe from now on, and their reputation is spreading but it's far too early to speak of fame.
For a long time there is not much action, but in 1998 a second single, called "How many times" is released on French Larsen records. During this year the recording of the debutalbum starts. For more than a year the band works at it in the evening hours.
Finally, in 1999 things really start to work. The LP, simply called Kek 66, is presented in the legendary Amsterdam club Paradiso. 14 songs, 8 covers and 6 compositions by Robert, straight from the sixties, yet timeless as well. The best proof that you can achieve great things with limited means - just a guitar, a bass, drums and two voices. It's remarkable how these own compositions are praised in every review of the album sofar.
The vinyl version (for the real sixties-fan) is released by Utrecht-based Pornogram records, the CD - "the moneymaker" - is on Spanish Animal records, the same recordcompany that also released the final farewell-CD by the Kliek "live at cafe mono". When they are discovered by the musicpress, and the first reviews are printed ("Kek 66 too good to be true" in Noordhollands Dagblad) the demand for the CD grows. The choice for Animal records in faraway Spain turns out to be not that good, since demand is much higher than the supply. In less than a year the LP has sold 500 copies, and the counter for the CD has passed 3,000 some time ago already.
The availability greatly improves as Sonic Rendezvous, large independent wholesaler from Alkmaar, takes over the Dutch distribution of the CD. Despite all the raving reviews the record only reaches number 28 in the "Moordlijst", the Dutch indie-recordslist, but it stays in the Lowlands top 25 popularity poll for more than 3 months. Nevertheless Kek 66 does not play at Lowlands because the band leaves for Scandinavia and Russia at the end of August for a large series of gigs. A logical result from the growing popularity throughout Europe, proven once more by coming tours in Germany and Spain.
www.kek66.nl/kek-geschen.htm
Discography
Singles:
How Many Times 7" (Larsen Recordz, year ?, LZ 046)
How Many Times
Land Of Dreams
Albums:
Kek '66 LP (Pornogram, year ?, porno 014)
On The Outside Looking In LP (Larsen Recordz, year ?, LZ 071)
Compilations:
A Tribute To Arthur Alexander LP/CD (Larsen Recordz, 2001, LZ 063)
www.grunnenrocks.nl/bands/k/kek66.htm
Biography
It is hard to imagine that almost nothing is left of the musical grandeur that radiated from the Netherlands in the 1960s. Bands like Q65 and The Outsiders, considered worldwide to be the best and wildest of all the Beat, have hardly managed to cast a shadow on the things to come. When in 1996 The Kliek called it a day, it looked like the last remnants of the (in)famous Nederbeat had finally left the scene.
Unfortunately for all the people who were glad to be rid off it, Amsterdam-based Kek 66 returned the beat to the Dutch and European stages. Especially many of the smaller, badly lit, semi-squatted, almost torn down clubs and venues have known this and since the end of 1999 also the larger clubs in the country. The turbulent success over the last five years led to 2 singles and two LP's (ofcourse also on vinyl) and several tours in the Netherlands and abroad.
Singer/guitarplayer Robert Müter, bassplayer Marc de Regt and drummer Zjenja Guberman convince as the true interpreters of a long lost and forgotten genre. The passion-drenched garagenoise, the non-conformist, innocent looking, breathtaking youngsters and their sober yet uncomparibly vivid show never cease to get new crowds out of their wits of excitement.
www.kek66.nl/kekbioen.htm
History
In 1995 the illustrious neo-sixties band The Kliek broke up, after 8 years of hard work and lots of effort in order to try to get attention for the band's trademark - faithfully reproduced sixties-garagepunk classics and self-written songs in that same vein. The bandmembers went separate ways. Marcel Kruup had his 15 minutes of fame as a member of the Treblespankers, the Dutch reincarnation of the Shadows. Theo Brouwer, bassplayer in the final line-up of the Kliek plays in a couple of "hobby" bands, Big Paulus and de Sgeurvreters. For a while we didn't hear of Robert Müter, the singer of the Kliek. It was known to only a few that he had formed a new band in 1996, called Kek 66.
Robert Müter
Stefan Steutel
Marc de Regt
In a recent interview in Dutch newspaper Het Parool he indicates that this was a deeply rooted desire: "In the early days it [the Kliek] was loads of fun, exciting. But I should have started my own band a lot earlier, I should have had more faith in myself. Now I was only the singer in that band, with a chief above me."
Only when the Kliek split (one of the reasons for that was the ever increasing tension between the singer Müter and "chief" guitarplayer Kruup) the opportunity presented itself. He formed a new band, this time a trio with himself taking up the guitar as well as doing the vocals. The rhythmsection consisted of two old friends. Stefan Steutel, on drums, played in the Kliek for a while when they started out many years ago and Marc de Regt, bassplayer and backingvocalist, has his roots in the Wieringermeerpolder, just as Robert. They are old friends, going back more than 20 years.
Kek 66 can be considered the perfected version of the Kliek. The main references are the same: American garagepunk from the mid 1960s and Nederbeat. Names? The Electric Prunes, The 13th Floor Elevators, The Remains, but also and perhaps even especially The Golden Earrings (stil with an "S") and English merseybeatbands such as the Hollies and the Searchers. On the basis of these names you should be able to get an idea of the music as Kek 66 makes it. Guitars with a rough edge on one hand, catchy melodies and nice double vocals on the other. Other similarities with the Kliek are the extraordinary attention for authenticity in the use of equipment and the sound, and the multitude of obscure coversongs on the reportoire. There is one main difference with the Kliek. The time wasn't ready for the Kliek: they were largely dismissed by the Dutch music press as an anachronism and called "annoying". Kek 66 however has been hailed as one of the greatest discoveries of the last years.
Some quotes from the Dutch press:
"...a band that recently made one of the best ever popalbums made in the Netherlands." (Noordhollands Dagblad)
"One of the best Dutch poprecords of recent years is the debut of the trio Kek 66." (Het Parool)
"Already one of the Nether-classics of the year" (Oor)
But the success didn't come immediately. The first years the band didn't seek publicity, in order to quietly perfect their playing together. From the time with the Kliek there were still many useful contacts abroad, especially in Spain. Because they were neglected in their own country, most Kliek records appeared on Spanish and German recordlabels. In this light, it is not so strange that Kek's first single "Na na na" appeard on the Spanish Guerssen label in 1996. On vinyl, as is the proper thing to do with sixties music. "Na na na" was originally a hit by the Shoes in the 60s. On the B-side 2 songs, A song in Spanish, "Angela" and "You treated me bad". In 1996 the guys from Kek go on a first major tour in Spain and France as support for the legendary Arthur Lee and his band Love.
In 1997 the band leaves Holland for a second tour of Spain. During a Psychedelic Party in het Vrieshuis in Amsterdam Stefan leaves the band. neems Stefan afscheid van de band. Like in the days of the Kliek Stefan Steutel was replaced by Russian Zjenja Guberman. The sixties undergroundscene picks up the name Kek 66, without the apostrophe from now on, and their reputation is spreading but it's far too early to speak of fame.
For a long time there is not much action, but in 1998 a second single, called "How many times" is released on French Larsen records. During this year the recording of the debutalbum starts. For more than a year the band works at it in the evening hours.
Finally, in 1999 things really start to work. The LP, simply called Kek 66, is presented in the legendary Amsterdam club Paradiso. 14 songs, 8 covers and 6 compositions by Robert, straight from the sixties, yet timeless as well. The best proof that you can achieve great things with limited means - just a guitar, a bass, drums and two voices. It's remarkable how these own compositions are praised in every review of the album sofar.
The vinyl version (for the real sixties-fan) is released by Utrecht-based Pornogram records, the CD - "the moneymaker" - is on Spanish Animal records, the same recordcompany that also released the final farewell-CD by the Kliek "live at cafe mono". When they are discovered by the musicpress, and the first reviews are printed ("Kek 66 too good to be true" in Noordhollands Dagblad) the demand for the CD grows. The choice for Animal records in faraway Spain turns out to be not that good, since demand is much higher than the supply. In less than a year the LP has sold 500 copies, and the counter for the CD has passed 3,000 some time ago already.
The availability greatly improves as Sonic Rendezvous, large independent wholesaler from Alkmaar, takes over the Dutch distribution of the CD. Despite all the raving reviews the record only reaches number 28 in the "Moordlijst", the Dutch indie-recordslist, but it stays in the Lowlands top 25 popularity poll for more than 3 months. Nevertheless Kek 66 does not play at Lowlands because the band leaves for Scandinavia and Russia at the end of August for a large series of gigs. A logical result from the growing popularity throughout Europe, proven once more by coming tours in Germany and Spain.
www.kek66.nl/kek-geschen.htm
Discography
Singles:
How Many Times 7" (Larsen Recordz, year ?, LZ 046)
How Many Times
Land Of Dreams
Albums:
Kek '66 LP (Pornogram, year ?, porno 014)
On The Outside Looking In LP (Larsen Recordz, year ?, LZ 071)
Compilations:
A Tribute To Arthur Alexander LP/CD (Larsen Recordz, 2001, LZ 063)
www.grunnenrocks.nl/bands/k/kek66.htm