BIOGRAPHY

About 1987 a lot of things were happening in Belgian music. In Brussels an electronic scene was developping (with bands as Pseudo Code, Digital Dance and others), in Leuven Ludo Camberlin (now co-producer of Praga Khan and Lords of Acid) started his own label Anything but Records and created opportunities for bands who tried something new (amongst them Neon Judgement, Poesie Noire, Men 2nd, Aimless Device and others). In Beveren, Dirk Ivens (ex-The Klinik, now Sonar, Dive and labelmanager of Daft-Records) started Body Records, and in a small village, called Breendonk a group of young people also tried a new direction with a combination of samples, synths and guitars. The Arch sent their first demo, Revenge Revival, to Body Records and the track appeared on the compilation Expo 87. Ludo Camberlin immediately felt the potential of the band too and released a new Revenge Revival mix and 3 other tracks on Anything But Records. The first Arch-EP, As quiet as was a fact. . Most of the Belgian press kindly ignored the new movement except for a fanzine called Mad in Belgium (editor-in-chief was Eric Didden, who now runs Gentlemanagement and manages bands as D.A.A.U., Buscemi and Janez Detd). An interview was published in M.I.B., but it was clear The Arch had to focus abroad where their music was called crossover. It appeared to be the right decision. They had gigs in places other beginnning bands could only dream of : Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Zagreb, Belgrade, Budapest etc. The first album, A Strange Point Of You was also released on Anything but Records, then Antler-Subway became their record company. After The Only thing in 1991 The Arch split. Wim Danzig and Ludo Camberlin left the band and then it became quiet. Months became years but in 1997 a German label released a new album called In Sofa and afterwards a compilation and a double compilation CD was available over there. Again there were a few gigs in Germany and Vienna but then it seemed quiet again, though it really wasnt. New songs were written, a drummer joined the band and left again, and Pieter De Clercq became a permanent member on guitar. The result will be a new album in fall . Wim Oosterlinck (one of the most famous radio DJs in Belgium) liked the new single Containerpark and put it as the first song on his podcast from and about London : The London Tapes. At their 20th anniversary the future or The Arch looks promising again.. Check out past and present and the link section for additional info.
Lou De Buyser (july 2006)

NEWS

09/2007 'THE ARCH INTERVIEW IN ZAP MAGAZINE'

This month there’s an interview in a Flemish magazine, Zap.Here’s the info for our Dutch-speaking fans : Zap op Myspace : http://www.myspace.com/zaptvZap is een catchy en vlotlezend maandelijks jongerenmagazine met centraal de complete outagenda van de AB in Brussel tot jeughuis X in Hoeselt. Zap informeert en houdt je op de hoogte van wat zich in de jongerencultuur afspeelt. Gedreven jonge freelance journalisten van divers pluimage spotten naar nieuwe trends in mode, design en multimedia, volgen de media op de voet en hebben oog voor aankomende releases van games, boeken, cd's, films en podiumacts. Eigenzinnige jonge fotografen samen met de wat wereldvreemde cartoonist lectrr en een gedurfde lay-out zorgen elke maand voor een blits magazine. Het multimediamagazine Netwerk, Sensoa, EVA (ethisch vegetarisch alternatief), Musicitems.be, reisinformatiepunt Wegwijzer, JIM, Movie Max zijn belangrijke partners van een magazine dat maandelijks bijna 20.000 lezers bereikt.Wil je opgenomen worden in de kalender?Zap verdelen in je jeugdhuis of winkel?Een gratis nummer aanvragen?Abonneren op Zap?Adverteren in ZAP?mail [email protected] http://www.zaptv.be

08/2007 'MY SUITOR'

Prelistening : first demoversion of “My Suitor” by The Arch feat. Drita Kotaji :
..
During “The Arch 20” concert, Drita Kotaji, singer of the 80’s cultband Berntholer ( see http://houbi.com/belpop/groups/berntholer.htm ) was one of our guests. Her song, “My Suitor” is the only Belgian song ever to be played in the famous John Peel Sessions on BBC1. In meantime it has been covered by Das Pop, Buscemi (on “Our girl in Havana”) and other bands. Afterward the concert, Stanley Livingstone, Buscemi DJ, called it the “goose-flesh feeling” of the gig. Further co-operation with Drita went without saying, and you will find “My Suitor” on the next Arch-CD. There are several covers of “My Suitor”, but this one will be the only one featuring the original singer. You can listen to a first demo-version at Drita Kotaji’s Myspace :

06/2007 'RIBDANCER released in Australia'

Australian indie dance collective The Bang Gang Deejays mash and crash their way through sixty-five tracks on their new mix CD for Modular. 'Light Sound Dance' arrives in September.
The Bang Gang Deejays are Jaime Doom, Gus Da Hoodrat, Dangerous Dan, DJ Damage, Ajax and Nolan Nolan. Together and individually they've been making Aussie indie kids dance via their riotous Bang Gang parties since 2003. This year the quintet also started a label, Bang Gang 12 Inches, home to releases from the oddly-named, but very Australian sounding, Muscles and K.I.M from indie disco duo The Presets.
'Light Sound Dance' connects the dots between fidget house (Jesse Rose, Sinden), nu-rave (Klaxons), baile funk (Bonde Do Role), slash 'n burn disco (Radioclit), electro (Boys Noize) and more with no fewer than sixty-five tracks melded together. If you like the labels Modular, Ed Banger, Kitsune, Dubsided, Institubes or Relish and have a short attention span, then this mix is for you. Want to try before you buy? Download a ten-minute clip of the mix here .
CD 2 Black Disc
1. Intro
2. DJ Medhi - Signatune (Thomas Bangalter Edit)
3. The Arch - Ribdancer
4. Bobmo - To The Bobmobile
5. Radioclit - Mature Macho Machine (Solid Groove & Sinden Remix)
6. Riot In Belgium - La Musique (Adam Sky Remix)
7. Tepr - Minuit Jacuzzi (Data Remix)
8. The Death Set - Distressed (Bonde Do Role Remix)
9. Fredrico Franchi - Cream
10. Bag Raiders - Fun Punch
11. Boys Noize - Erole Attack
12. MSTRKRFT - Easy Love
13. Yuksek - Composer
14. Duke Dumont - Lean & Bounce
15. The Futureheads - Worry About It Later (Switch Remix)
16. In Flagranti - It's All Rubbish
17. Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow (Soulwax Mix)
18. Bonde De Role - Gasolina (Radioclit Remix)
19. Jesse Rose & Trevor Loveys Present Izit? - Heavy What (Honky Version)
20. Teki Latex - Les Matins De Paris (Surkin Mix)
21. Deejays Punk Roc - My Beatbox (Les Rythmes Digitales Remix)
22. The Rapture - Whoo! Alright - Yeah...Uh Huh (Claude Von Stroke Vocal Pantydropper Mix)
23. Headman - On & On (Riot In Belgium Remix)
24. Teenage Bad Girl - Cocotte (Boys Noize Remix)
25. Busy P - Chop Suey
26. Whitey - Awful Truth
27. Claude Von Stroke - The Whistler (DJ Assault Remix)
28. Surkin - Radio Fireworks (Surkin 909 Edit)
29. Passions - Emergency
30. Cajuan - Raven (Moog Rave Remix)
31. Editors - Camera (Sebastian Remix)
32. Kim - Party Michini (Joakim Mix)
33. Kris Menace - Jupiter
34. Les Rhythmes Digitales – Sometimes
'Light Sound Dance' mixed by The Bang Gang Deejays is out now in Australia and September 3, 2007 in the UK.
Official Website: Bang Gang