Dandyliar drifted ashore

September 12, 2009
Place: JC Kavka, Oudaan, Antwerp
What: Dandyliar
Time: Round about midnight

‘Dandyliar’ is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Farid Zahnoun. Zahnoun, the son of a Belgian mother and Moroccan father, grew up in small town Belgium. During his youth he absorbed the melodies of Bach, Mozart, The Beatles and Radiohead. While attending secondary school he spent his spare time studying the organ, the spinet and the guitar, regularly jamming with other musicians. Later on he moved to the city of Leuven to study philosophy and to explore the depths and heights of life.

Mid 2008, Zahnoun, who had recently relocated to the city of Antwerp, decided time was ripe to record the melodies that kept haunting him. He entered an Antwerp studio and poured out his soul. The result is an EP with 4 mesmerizing songs, an endless list of guest musicians and the clear ambition to conquer stages all over. On the 4 tracks we hear great melodies with a romantic yet chilly vibe. Vocal harmonies and counter melodies intertwine gently. The intelligent arrangements vary between pop and classical music. Especially the use of strings brings in a classical atmosphere. In short, on this recording we hear a terrific composer, excellent singer with a wide vocal range taken to higher grounds by a splendid band of musicians.

Mid 2009, Dandyliar brings their music for the first time to a stage at JC Kavka (What’s in a name?!) for a try out concert. Some 100 people showed up and a clear buzz was running through the venue. Everybody was if not excited at least curious to see this new band. It took Dandyliar quite a while to get the sound right on and off stage. Zahnoun is a perfectionist and their tattooed keyboard player clearly aspires a career in the adult industry. Those who were present know what I mean. Apparently some tunes like ‘The maze’ are already minor myspace hits as part of the audience started cheering after the first few notes. The band played about 10 songs and one encore. The sound on stage is slightly different than the sound heard on the EP. No strings were used and the songs are tending more towards rock dynamics. References to Coldplay, Muze and especially Radiohead are more than obvious. The band played a tight yet introvert set. At well defined moments they let the songs dramatically erupt like a rocking volcano.

Zahnoun speaks with a poetic and lyrical eloquence unheard. Desolation, loss, bitterness, heartbreak, just a tiny bit of love and hope; it is all there. What more can I say? Let us all go cut our veins and hope we get reborn in a beautified world. I surely hope these fingernails keep scratching at the backdoor of the Dandyliar mansion.

Dandyliar raises high expectations and surely more heads will turn their way in the near future. The record brings a new, fresh and original sound to the world. Now the quest for an own live identity has started. Go buy their EP and see them soon on all stages near you!

All eyes on Dandyliar and may the lies be with us!


Links:
www.myspace.com/dandyliar
http://www.kavka.be/