The wait is almost over!  Die Heuwels Fantasties' electronic self-titled album will be released on 19 Maart 2009 by Musica and from 9 April it will be available from all other music stores.

Die Heuwels Fantasties is Hunter Kennedy, Pierre Greeff en Johnny de Ridder.  Contributors include Francois Van Coke (Fokofpolisiekar and Van Coke Kartel), Laudo Liebenberg (aKING), Adriaan Brand (Springbok Nude Girls) and Neil Basson (Foto Na Dans).

“It represents more than a band name… it’s almost like a mythical place.”

Hunter Kennedy (Fokofpolisiekar & aKING) and Pierre Greeff (Lukraaketaar) wrote their first song together next to Pierre’s pool in Welgemoed when they were 15 and 16 years old respectively.  At that stage Hunter was in the band “New World Inside” with Francois Van Coke (Fokofpolisiekar & Van Coke Kartel) and Pierre was in the group “Time Spent” with Wynand Myburgh (Fokofpolisiekar & Van Coke Kartel) and Laudo Liebenberg (aKING).

Hunter was in Fokofpolisiekar and Pierre in Lukraaketaar.  When both their bands took a break last year and they started hanging out together again in Bellville, this grouping was inevitable.

So here they are: Die Heuwels Fantasties (Hills Fantastic).  And they’re doing it electronically… with a touch of guitar.  “We wanted to move away from the type of music we made respectively until now, which was mainly guitar-driven.” 

Johnny de Ridder (Fokofpolisiekar) is in charge of the production.  Francois Van Coke, Laudo Liebenberg, Adriaan Brand (Springbok Nude Girls), and Neil Basson (Foto Na Dans) will contribute to the album.

Add captivating lyrics like “jou heilige woorde, soos standaard akoorde, my broers my sinode, my verkose narkose” (your holy words, like standardised chords, my brothers, my synod, my chosen anaesthetic) to the mix, with epic designs by Arno Krüger; this band expands the borders of Afrikaans music even further.

Die Heuwels Fantasties started off releasing two singles as free downloads.  These tracks reached number one on various campus radio stations and the first music video, Vinger Alleen, spent 3 weeks at number one on MK.  This track also earned them a nomination for Best Video at the MK Awards in March this year.


These successes, together with mass media hype, earned them thousands of fans and huge demand for a full length album.  By the end of 2008, the album was not ready for the release, so the only cure was for the band to release a limited edition dose of Pille vir Kersfees (Pills for Christmas).  This came in the form of a flash drive, disguised that looks like a pill.  This offering includes 4 tracks and 3 music videos.


“This is pure jet fuel, taking you high above the suburbs to a place where things seem… fantasties.”
Speakerbox
“Die EP is niks anders as briljant nie en die enigste tekortkoming is dat dit so kort is.”  (The EP is nothing else but brilliant and the only shortcoming is that it is too short.)
Volksblad Jip
 
“Die musiek is hipnotiserend, dralend, met die een of ander bymengsel wat maak dat jy dit oor en oor en oor (en oor en oor) wil luister.  (The music is hipnotising, mesmerising, with some or other added mix, that makes you want to listen to it over and over and over (and over and over).
Leon-Ben Lampreght - Litnet


Links:

www.myspace.com/dieheuwelsfantasties
www.myspace.com/suprafamilias
www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Die-Heuwels-Fantasties/14155030297

---

WhatsOnSA Social Bookmarks - Click on the icon to add it as a Bookmark