DELILAH – ich bin mein zentrum
(CD – self released)
From all of the post-hardcore
bands still active in the hardcore underground in some ways, Delilah is one of
the few that still remain inside of my radar’s scope (and this is mainly
thanks to the neverending work and effort of Richie from Interstellar
records). They are still settled somewhere neatly in the Linz scene of
post-hardcore bands ranging from Valina to Tumido, who are all remarkable for doing their
own things, very diverse yet all fascinating styles. I have no idea if such
a scene, in the strong meaning of the word, really exists, but even if it is
just a bunch of people who know each other and help each other out, then it
is already something great.
“Ich bin mein zentrum” is another selfmade EP by the trio
Delilah, with four songs in 23 minutes, that blasts and bounces, sways and
rides, and does all other kinds of energizing things. It still has that cool
kind of varying approach to music that has on the one side heavy attacks of
noise-core and on the other side relentless and uncompromising
experimentalism that finds its roots in electroacoustic experimentation as
well as postrock – but both with a bunch of heavy energy. The songs are
long and have little lyrics, so it is mostly like instrumental noise rock,
but it never drags on too long. Unlike other instrumental noise rock bands,
especially those guitar-drum-duos that seem all the rage now, Delilah
don’t start to bore after ten minutes of their music. They are exhausting,
yes, at times even strenuous, but then they rev it up again and take a kick
start into another part of their songs that really rips. Most of all Delilah
still have enough noiserock of the really old school inside their kicking
and trashing to give me kicks of old time nostalgia energy, that I really
enjoy. Sometimes they are a little too interested in being complicated, but
as I said above, never above the level were it starts to bug me.
Now to the lyrics. In all the
years and of all the political, anti-globalist and
anti-capitalist/consumerist hardcore I have witnessed, rarely ever were the
illusions of modern marketing and markets put into so compact and easy words
as on the opening number on here “manufaktur der erlösung” (manufacture
of the salvation). In translation from German language this goes
something like this: “make me want with your endless seduction / produce
my longing and also the salvation.” That’s it in a nutshell. Of the
other four songs two are a little more personal and cryptic and the fourth
is very straightforward. It is called “Kyrill” like the thunderstorm
that devastated parts of the country and the lyrics are “1, 2, 3” and
nothing else. Make your own rhyme and reason out of all this hoarse
screaming.
Summing up, if all or at least
a major part of all the punkrock and hardcore bands I have known would have
been as seriously intent on their music / art and as musically interesting
as Delilah, I probably would still be visiting punkrockshows in squats or
basements somewhere. Well, probably not, because everybody gets older and
turns his interests and life lines to other shores, but at least it would
still be more interesting to listen to. So, now, thinking back, I think that
the punkscene always has been a zoological experiment of a multitude of
opinions and lifestyles, most of which were uninteresting, silly, based on a
misconception or plain dumb, and the same goes for the music. But never a
waste of time, to be noted. I am glad, after all, that bands like Delilah
still exist. And do things well the old fashioned way in a new way.
