Dez Mona
Dez Mona starts as a duo between double bass player Nicolas Rombouts and vocalist Gregory Frateur. They find themselves in their mutual roots of jazz, drama, experimental music, gospel and spirituals. The surprising unique experience of their very first concert at Recyclart in 2003 convinces them to continue working together. Shortly after Gregory and Nicolas start writing their own songs. Dez Mona is born. Acclaimed by critics and fans, Dez Mona records its first album ‘Pursued Sinners’ live in one week in a church in Antwerp. It is a live duo album with the occasional collaboration of trumpetplayer Sam Vloemans and accordionplayer Roel Van Camp (DAAU). Both musicians will regularly be on stage with concerts as well but the core of the music remains the voice and double bass. Nicolas and Gregory continue performing and writing new material where they choose for larger arrangements and more percussive power. When recording in 2007 their second album ‘Moments of Dejection or Despondency’ Dez Mona transforms itself from a duo into a quintet. From the jazz barricades Steven Cassiers and Bram Weijters join the band on drums and piano. First partner in crime Roel Van Camp simply can’t be missed and fulfills the new Dez Mona. As a phoenix the quintet will once again set a new personal standard in live performing. Nevertheless Gregory and Nicolas keep on doing smaller, but not less intensive duo performances. Their believe in the live moment where dejection and despondency are changed in hope will never vanish. The second album is released on the Radical Duke label, set up by DAAU. The press reacts with raving reviews in Belgium (Focus Knack , De Standaard, Stage, Libelle, Le Soir, Zone magazines, Vice Magazine, De Morgen, Humo, Rif Raf, Telemoustique,...) as abroad (OOR, LiveXs, NRC Handelsblad,Vrij Nederland in Holland, Zoo Magazine in Germany …). Dez Mona keeps looking for new creative challenges: they work with the Go_Tell Choir (a choir with young girls), with turntablist Dj Grazzhoppa and with Oscar Van den Boogaard and Steven Van Watermeulen for a theatre piece called ‘Zwarte Romantiek’ (‘Black Romance’). Special concerts came up with ‘Vadermoord’ in ‘t Stuk (a tribute to Nina Simone), in Muziekodroom Hasselt (a tribute to Nick Cave), Musik-o-Metro (music in subway stations in Brussels) and a live soundtrack with ‘Funny Games’ on the Unheard Festival (Amsterdam, NL). For their third album Dez Mona sign with 62Tv records/Bang!Music. The album is called 'Hilfe Kommt' and will be released in the fall of 2009. The first single ‘Carry On’ got into the playlist of Radio 1 in Flanders in high rotation! The band recorded in the famous ICP Studios in Brussels (see Urban Dance Squad, Indochine, The Cure, Echo And The Bunnymen, White Lies, dEUS, Renaud) with the help of former Talk Talk bassist & producer Paul Webb, aka Rustin Man (who cowrote and produced the soloalbum by Beth Gibbons' of Portishead). As a producer Paul Webb shares the same passion for the “right sound” as Gregory and Nicolas. The use of the right microphones, analogue tapes and vintage material results in a very rich, deep and emotional sounding album, with attention for every detail their music needs. Mixing is done by Phil Delire, who produced or mixed Bashung, Indochine, Lavilliers, Aubert, Nougaro ... Gregory Frateur proves more than ever his position as a unique singer. Together with Nicolas Rombouts he forms a rare songwriter duo that develops their talents ever more fluently. The result is a beautiful album that will appeal to fans of Anthony & Johnsons, Nina Simone, Jacques Brel, and Gavin Friday
