Zita Swoon
Encyclopedia
Zita Swoon is a Belgian indie rock
group. They entered the music scene of Antwerp in 1993, still under the name A Beatband with the EP "Jintro Travels The Word In A Skirt". The group is typical of the music scene in Antwerp, with members playing in numerous other groups. Best known member is singer Stef Kamil Carlens
, who founded the group and also played in dEUS. The initial group also included Tom Pintens and Aarich Jespers.
The same group released "Everyday I Wear A Greasy Black Feather On My Hat" under the name Moondog Jr. in 1995. Shortly thereafter they encountered legal trouble over the name Moondog
with Louis T. Hardin, and changed it to Zita Swoon (Zita = intense, Swoon = desire). The success of this album was awarded with invitations to the Lowlands
, Pinkpop
and Rock Werchter
festivals. The same year they also appeared live on MTV
in Most Wanted
with Michael Blair.
Their first appearance in the US was at the South by Southwest
festival in 1998. Zita Swoon has played at numerous places, from New York to the Belgian Rock Werchter
festival, the Holland Festival
, as well as in Germany
. In early 1999 their work was recognized by the Flemish government with a grant of 1.5 million Francs and the title Cultural Ambassador of Flanders (a title previously awarded to DAAU
and dEUS).
In 2009 Stef Kamil Carlens participated with Lexus Concert, a 'hybrid' concert where Stef does a crossover concert at Klara festival with a musician from a totally different style and background. The winner of Lexus concert wins a private try out concert on board a new Lexus RX 450h.
Live albums:
Soundtracks:
Compilations:
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group. They entered the music scene of Antwerp in 1993, still under the name A Beatband with the EP "Jintro Travels The Word In A Skirt". The group is typical of the music scene in Antwerp, with members playing in numerous other groups. Best known member is singer Stef Kamil Carlens
Stef Kamil Carlens
Stef Kamil Carlens is a Belgian musician and leader of Belgian rock band Zita Swoon. Carlens studied at the "Hoger Kunstonderwijs, Rijksinstituut, Antwerpen". Together with Tom Barman he co-founded Belgian Alt Rock band Deus...
, who founded the group and also played in dEUS. The initial group also included Tom Pintens and Aarich Jespers.
The same group released "Everyday I Wear A Greasy Black Feather On My Hat" under the name Moondog Jr. in 1995. Shortly thereafter they encountered legal trouble over the name Moondog
Moondog
Moondog, born Louis Thomas Hardin , was a blind American composer, musician, poet and inventor of several musical instruments. Moving to New York as a young man, Moondog made a deliberate decision to make his home on the streets there, where he spent approximately twenty of the thirty years he...
with Louis T. Hardin, and changed it to Zita Swoon (Zita = intense, Swoon = desire). The success of this album was awarded with invitations to the Lowlands
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise, also known as simply Lowlands, is a music festival, held annually in the Netherlands in August. Lowlands has about 55,000 visitors, over 200 acts and more than ten stages every year which are named according to the NATO phonetic alphabet apart from the Grolsch...
, Pinkpop
Pinkpop
Pinkpop Festival, or Pinkpop for short, is an annual festival held at Landgraaf, Netherlands. It is held annually on the Pentecost weekend...
and Rock Werchter
Rock Werchter
Rock Werchter is a Belgian annual music festival held in the village of Werchter, near Leuven, since 1974. It is one of the five biggest annual rock music festivals in Europe...
festivals. The same year they also appeared live on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in Most Wanted
Most Wanted
*Lists used by law enforcement agencies to alert the public, such as:**FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives**FBI Most Wanted Terrorists**United States Secret Service Most Wanted Fugitives**U.S...
with Michael Blair.
Their first appearance in the US was at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in 1998. Zita Swoon has played at numerous places, from New York to the Belgian Rock Werchter
Rock Werchter
Rock Werchter is a Belgian annual music festival held in the village of Werchter, near Leuven, since 1974. It is one of the five biggest annual rock music festivals in Europe...
festival, the Holland Festival
Holland Festival
The Holland Festival is The Netherlands' oldest and largest performing arts festival, and takes place every June in Amsterdam. It comprises theater, music, opera and modern dance. In recent years, multimedia, visual arts, film and architecture were added to the festival roster...
, as well as in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In early 1999 their work was recognized by the Flemish government with a grant of 1.5 million Francs and the title Cultural Ambassador of Flanders (a title previously awarded to DAAU
DAAU
DAAU is a music group from Antwerp, Belgium. The band was founded in 1992 and borrowed its name from the novel Der Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse....
and dEUS).
In 2009 Stef Kamil Carlens participated with Lexus Concert, a 'hybrid' concert where Stef does a crossover concert at Klara festival with a musician from a totally different style and background. The winner of Lexus concert wins a private try out concert on board a new Lexus RX 450h.
Original members
- Stef Kamil CarlensStef Kamil CarlensStef Kamil Carlens is a Belgian musician and leader of Belgian rock band Zita Swoon. Carlens studied at the "Hoger Kunstonderwijs, Rijksinstituut, Antwerpen". Together with Tom Barman he co-founded Belgian Alt Rock band Deus...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Aarich Jespers - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Additional members
- Amel Serra - percussion
- Joris Caluwaerts - piano, rhodes
- Bart Van LierdeBart Van LierdeBart Van Lierde is a Flemish author. He has written several novels and thrillers, and also a Dutch version of the non-fiction book Een bestseller schrijven voor Dummies...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Eva Gysel - backing vocals
- Kapinga Gysel - backing vocals
Ex-members
- Tom Pintens - guitar, backing vocals, piano, clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
(as of April 2008) - Kobe Proesmans - percussion
- Thomas de Smet - bass
- Bjorn ErikssonBjörn ErikssonBjörn Eriksson is a Swedish civil servant. A former director of the Swedish Coast Guard, the Swedish Customs Service, the Swedish Police Service, and the Interpol, he was from 1996 to August 31, 2009 governor of Östergötland County, residing at the castle in Linköping.- References :...
- guitar - Benjamin Boutreur - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Leonie Gysel - backing vocals
As Zita Swoon
Studio albums:- I Paint Pictures on a Wedding Dress (1998)
- Life = A Sexy Sanctuary (2001)
- A Song about a GirlsA Song about a GirlsA Song about a Girls is a studio album by the Belgian indie rock band Zita Swoon. It was released in the fall of 2004. The album reached #4 in the Flemish Ultratop chart.-Background:...
(2004) - Big City (2007)
- Big Blueville (2008)
Live albums:
- Live at Jet Studio Brussels (2001)
- A Band in a Box (CD and DVD) (2005)
Soundtracks:
- Music inspired by Sunrise, a film by F.W. Murnau (1997)
- Plage Tattoo/Circumstances (dance performance soundtrack) (2000)
Compilations:
- To Play, To Dream, To Drift - An Anthology (2009)