Death Letters
Dordrecht, South Holland, Netherlands | INDIE
Music
Press
”Skremmer vi bort publikum eller spiller et annet band der ute”, spurte gitaristen i den nederlandske duoen Death Letters halvveis inn i sin larmende, primale, høyoktane, energiske og spennende konsert. Det ukjente internasjonale alibiet på festivalen innfridde som et ungt og jagende White Stripes. Et band som jagde pysene ut!
Synd at ikke drammensere på musikkfestival er litt mer nysgjerrige og åpne for å utfordre seg selv. Byen synes mer eller mindre desinfisert mot genuine rockefans, men de som var på konserten fikk et sterkt inntrykk fra treskolandet. Med flere og høyere splitthopp enn den aldrende Jahn Teigen har levert på noen år øste gitaristen av testosteronsprengt energi, mens trommeslageren banket skinnet som om det gjaldt livet. Eller noe enda viktigere.
Death Letters klarte definitivt å gi undertegnede kick. Flere svake smil i den glisne rekken av interesserte rockefans tydet på at jeg ikke var alene. Og duoen ga åpenbart mer enn 100 prosent av seg selv. Litt sky og mangelfull i sin kommunikasjon ut men de uttrykte likevel ekte takknemlighet. De hadde fortjent mer.
Det unike med dette bandet er at de blander pønkrock, ja nesten helt over i trash, med rå blues gjennom gitaren og roligere passasjer fulle av mystikk som roer ned og brekker opp. I det hele tatt er Death Letters lette å sammenligne med svært tidlig White Stripes og Black Keys, men de har noen progressive ideer de er alene om.
Konserten begynte med ca 50 tilskuere. Raskt var vi nede i 30 før noen kom til igjen. Med høy og klar stemme i kontrast til de møkkete gitarene og primale trommene var duoen fra Nederland denne festivalens lyspunkt for undertegnede. Skal byen fortsatt ha en rockefestival så må publikummet spas fram og kjenne sin besøkelsestid når Sex Pistols-energier som dette strømmer ut fra scenen i fri flyt.
Publisert søndag 06. juni 2010 kl. 12:20.
Sist oppdatert søndag 06. juni 2010 kl. 12:20. - Drammens Tidende
the_death_letters_4_photo_andre_dieterman.jpgBITTERZOET, Amsterdam
28 november 2010
De zondagavond is berucht in de concertwereld. Een groot deel van Nederland zit dan het liefst voor de buis, starend naar voetbal of op zijn minst een praatprogramma over die sport: dat dat zijn weerslag heeft op het aantal concertbezoekers, daar kunnen The Whigs en The Death Letters (foto) vanaf nu over meepraten. In de Bitterzoet is zondagavond het aantal bezoekers op een paar handen te tellen. Maar of dat iets af doet aan de ongelooflijke energie waarmee deze bands op het podium staan? Nee, dat absoluut niet.
Allereerst is het de beurt aan Death Letters. Het nog altijd piepjonge duo uit Dordrecht -18 en 19!- heeft zich de laatste tijd bijna geruisloos gewijd aan deel twee van hun carriere. Met een nieuwe platendeal en een in Austin opgenomen album op zak staan ze hier op de planken in Bitterzoet, tijdens het door Paradiso georganiseerde concert, ongetwijfeld om weer een beetje op stoom te komen. En het is een openbaring. Leeftijd, ervaring of afkomst blijken gewoon niet mee te tellen: Death Letters opereren furieus op de paar vierkante meters podium die ze gegeven zijn. Drummer Victor Brandt smijt werkelijk met energie en maakt ook technisch veel indruk. Zanger-gitarist Duende Ariza Lora (zwart overhemd, rode stropdas) gaat bovendien tekeer als een beest en is meer en meer een felle, uitstekende gitarist. In een vloek en een zucht is het optreden weer voorbij, maar met Eric Corton en een opa die alles filmt als onderdeel van het publiek is een ding zeker: 2011 zou echt wel eens het jaar van Death Letters kunnen worden.
- LiveXS
““There were rumours about Death Letters being an incredible live sensation. Well, they are! It’s only a matter of time before they’ll be picked up in the rest of Holland, Europe and The States.” (OOR)
“A mad timebomb heading for a breakthrough.” (Fret)
“It seems like there’s a credible and worthy band on stage with decades of experience.” (VPRO’s 3voor12)
“This pair is simply a revelation and nothing less. Bookers be aware: This must and will go around the country!” (Musicfrom.nl)
“Death Letters were raging across the stage as if there was a complete band performing, and left an indelible impression.” (AD/De Dordtenaar)
“They are young, determined, talented and wanted. That story is only getting better.” (Musicfrom.nl)
“Intense tracks with filthy riffs that sound powerful and very energetic and overflow with youthful eagerness.” (alternative.blog.nl)
“Holland is already at their feet; next stop Europe?” (fileunder.nl)
“Their Crazy Mind Blues is solid as a rock, and when playing songs like An Ache In My Brain and Schizophrenic every club in Holland will be on fire for sure!” (OOR)
- several
Discography
Ep: "Play it like you mean it" - December 2007
Album: The Death Letters" - February 2009
Single: Schizophrenic - May 2009
Album: release April 15th 2011
Photos
Bio
They're not even allowed in the amazing venues Austin has to offer without supervision, but that didn't keep the Dutch band 'Death Letters' from taking off to Texas when only 18 and 19 years old. They were there for a one sole purpose: recording their second album with one of their favourite producers. This particular producer has worked with bands from the likes of And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, JET, The Datsuns and The Dandy Warhols and goes by the name of Chris 'Frenchie' Smith. Just a couple months after they finished recording they flew back to their beloved Austin to play the prestigious SXSW Festival (March 2011)
How they got here? Well, here's the tale of two youngsters chasing their dream in a far-away land.
During the Great Depression of the 30’s, American blues hero Son House wrote and recorded his signature song “Death Letter”. Somewhat 76 years later in 2006, singer/guitarist Jordi “Duende” Ariza Lora (19 yrs old) and drummer Victor Brandt (18 yrs old) borrowed the name for their band, inspired by the song’s characteristic raw emotion and urgent rhythm. Also influenced by groups like The Thermals, Oceansize, Death Cab for Cutie, Cult of Luna and At The Drive-In, Death Letters aren’t even close to their twenties yet, but are already bursting with talent and growing experience.
Hitting it off immediately in their first rehearsal, Jordi and Victor became a tight musical pair and recorded their debut EP “Play it like you mean it” shortly afterwards. The EP was a success receiving excellent reviews.
Things really kicked off when the guys, then aged 15 and 16, entered a band competition and made their first TV appearance. They went for gold and got it; a backstage gig at Holland’s finest summerfestival ‘Pinkpop’. With the media all over them it was time to get serious; that same year they recorded their first full-length album.
Amsterdam based label Cool Buzz soon honed in on the Death Letters powerful sound and dynamic live performances, signed them in a heartbeat and released their debut self titled album in February 2009 throughout The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The album delivers thirteen solid tracks drenched with rock, blues and a steep dose of punk boiled down to true grittiness written with blood, sweat and the occasional tear.
Gaining more attention with the release of the album, Death Letters began to tour a whole range of venues and festivals including Paradiso, Zwarte Cross and Paaspop, as well as several German stages. The Germans couldn’t get enough of the pair and so Death Letters teamed up with the Stagg-O-Lee Label (partner of the infamous Glitterhouse Records) to release the album in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.
The stage provides Death Letters with a free license to exalt untamed madness through their energetic live sets. Frontman Jordi literally jumps, flies, kicks and dives across the stage never compromising the integral performance of any song. His voice remains sturdy and sharp, his howls perfectly co-ordinating with his skills as a guitarist in spectacular licks. Now add Victor’s loud and incredibly taut drumming and you have a stage performance that impresses contemporaries and creates even more devoted followers.
But you will have to have just a little patience before the band will hit up the stages again. As mentioned Death Letters have just recorded their new album and are currently preparing its release for April 2011. As the band develops, this second album will have a substantially different vibe, drawing more on a complex psychedelic punkrock sound than the blues rock they started out with.
Watch out for Death Letters – things are only going to get more intense from here..
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