HARDSCORE was founded in 1989. The goal was to bridge the gap between so called “new” music and musical idioms that were often labeled as “commercial”.
From 1995 on Frank Nuyts started composing scores which were compiled into the Hard Score Books. 4 records were released on different labels such as Carbon 7. The Fifth Book “Surf, wind and desire’ was premiered in De Werf in Bruges. The Sixth Book ‘Monkey Trial’ was first heard during a Festival van Vlaanderen Antwerpen project called “Joint Venture”, which was directed by Randall Casaer and which featured among others Wim Helsen as alpha male.
In Hardscore 2.0 the band strikes up against the compelling images of visual artist Fabien DeLathauwer. Balancing on different boundaries of genre Hardscore 2.0 wants to engage its audience on a sustainable basis. Will it be able to enjoy some very dense musical writing without getting caught up in swarms of notes and complex meters? That is to say: can Hardscore 2.0 marry ‘ironical content’ with ‘Zappa-esque virtuosity’?
The last 10 years Hardscore spent in hibernation, albeit somewhat reluctantly. Yet when Muziekcentrum De Bijloke suggested to reestablish the band there was little doubt to be overcome.
New arrangements for some 13 songs were composed, a young bright singer was found, the electronical vibraphone was replaced by a live musician and some serious rehearsing was done, with no less enthusiasm than 10 years ago. On the contrary, cross-over had become a tradition in its own right. The band made a selection from the 4 records that had brought them fame in the past millennium.
In 2016, during his sabbatical, Frank composed the last project for this band inspired by the so called ‘hippie movement’ which started in San Francisco in the summer of 1967.
This project, called ‘Carbon Fixation’, researched which ideas and philosophies were still relevant 50 years later, thereby focusing on the then emerging ‘green’ aspects. One could say that it all started in the exhaust of the ‘hippie vans’ trekking to Kathmandu.
The live performance also featured a movie by Tomas Hendriks.
‘Hardscore 8’ Performers:
Emmanuelle Schotsaert: lead singer
Frank Debruyne: saxes, backing vocals
Frederik Martens: piano
Koen Van Overberghe: keyboards, backing vocals
Frank Nuyts: marimba, synthesizer, backing vocals
Jonathan Bonny: vibraphone
Stijn Deldaele: bass guitar
Ronald Dhaene: drums
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