The Danubians is the exciting, international band comprising
Amy Denio – vocals, accordion, alto sax & bass
Pavel Fajt – drums
and half of Hungary's Kampec Dolores:
Csaba Hajnocy – guitar, sampler
Gabi Kenderesi – vocals, violin
Recorded live in Italy & Hungary in 1999, at points this features
Csaba playing samples of Amy & Gabi's voice, while they sing along
live with the samples! Nine charming songs that chart the territory
where Eastern European folk influences meet with rock, improvisation,
soaring vocals and accordions!
We have long wanted to work with Amy Denio on one of her own projects & are thrilled she brought us such a great one!
"With members of the (Ec)
Nudes, Pluto, and Kampec Dolores in presence, one expects to hear
avant-rock songs and that's what the Danubians do. Although their music
never reaches the level of intensity any of the former bands can
deliver, it remains more accessible to casual listeners. The Danubians
have roots in American (Amy Denio), Czech (Pavel Fajt), and Hungarian
cultures (Csaba Hajnóczy, Gabi Kenderesi) and blend accordion, alto
saxophone, and violin with electric guitars, beatbox, and sampling to
craft avant-gardist bouncy songs. The band's best feature is the dual
vocals of Denio (Nudes, Curlew) and Kenderesi (Kampec Dolores). They
sing in various real and invented languages, answering each other or
singing on top of each other with beautiful complicity. The music
itself is a less-rock/more-danceable version of Fajt's band Pluto
("Palm Tree" is a good example of that). The electronic drums (about
half of the tracks) can be annoying at times, especially considering
how good a drummer Fajt is. Guitarist Hajnóczy (also of Kampec Dolores)
is rather self-effacing, assuming the role of backup musician to leave
the spotlight to the two women. "Hanana" is the best piece of work, a
delicate interplay of voices over a mid-tempo gitano groove. Eastern
Europe touches can be felt throughout and fans of the Czech
avant-pop/rock scene (Pluto, Iva Bittova, Plastic People of the
Universe, etc.) will want to add this title to their collection.
Neophytes will find in The Danubians a welcoming entrance to that
corner of the pop world. Recommended." – François Couture / AllMusic
Cover art and high res images available below for download