BIOGRAPHY '98

They have every reason to feel "Proud Like A God". While hardly anybody had heard of Guano Apes before their triumphal success at Radio ffn and VIVA TV's "Local Heroes" competition in 1996, there was no escaping this power guitar quartet from Göttingen in 1997. And would you like to hear some of the reasons why their career will continue to rise rapidly during the current year? Well, for a start Stefan Ude (bass), Dennis Poschwatta (drums), Henning Rümenapp (guitar) and Sandra Nasic, the charismatic front woman with the awesome voice, have already conquered such a faithful following in the course of their sold-out club tour all over Germany that the term "Newcomer" no longer seems suitable in 1998. Guano Apes have conquered the hearts of fans and media alike in record time, and even the press are getting carried away with heartfelt enthusiasm. In the February issue of VISIONS magazine Guano Apes were voted "Newcomers of the Year" way ahead of the competition and did exceedingly well in various other categories (e.g. best song, best female vocalist). In an annual retrospective Intro readers voted them No. 1 in the same category, so there's likely to be even more potential for the coming year... But just how is it possible for a young German band to become such an amazing overnight success? Are Guano Apes part of some mega hip post-drum'n'jungle wave? Are their lyrics written in German and drip with intellectual wit? Or is this band the result of a casting for the first unisex boy/girl group? None of the above applies, even if the band members aren't too old to be teen stars (their average age being around twenty), and they certainly do not lack wit. With Guano Apes everything is English, authentic, hand-made, which does not mean to say that they are totally opposed to electronic influences. Ever since the "Open Your Eyes" fever has hit German dance floors, there is naturally also demand for even longer, even more danceable versions of this compact three minute smash hit. So at the end of last year Guano Apes at last came up with a "Special DJ Edition" CD with two expanded dance floor remixes. But let's get back to the tiresome old story about pigeon holes. Anybody trying to categorize Guano Apes' sound will find themselves faced with a problem: Awe-inspiring guitar walls, driving drums, an overexcitedly bubbling bass, and on top of all this Sandra's wild voice, which tends to change like a chameleon - the difficulty in describing this music unavoidably leads to a transboundary term like 'crossover', which appears more and more worn out the older it gets. And then along comes a band which breathes new life into an all but unpopular genre, making it all modern and exciting again. Open your ears! - Guano Apes' brand of crossover is a musical fusion away from embarrassing mosh orgies, although movement without a doubt plays a central role when it comes to their songs. Resourceful minds have recently discovered the sportive aspect of these whiz kids, with the result that their brand-new track "Lords Of the Boards" has been chosen as the official signature tune of the European Snowboard Championships in Austria this year. The song is included as a bonus track on the new edition of the "Proud Like A God" album, although it's not available in the shops as a single. The single can, however, be ordered directly via mail order, or you can simply buy it at the merchandise stalls at one of the upcoming gigs. Their current tour is of course also a compensation for all those who until now were either too ignorant or too busy to experience with their own eyes and ears the unequalled live qualities of the most important band of the last year. After this tour we will have to share the band with the general music-loving public again when they play the major festivals (e.g. on the main stage of the Bizarre!) in the course of the summer.