24 November 1999
THIS WEEK'S BEST NEW BAND IS...
SOULWAX

BARMY BEATBOX ROCK

It's just... "whispers Soulwax's rather fragile David Dewaele. Even for someone whose a bit worse for ware after a wild night playing to sardine-packed Belgian club he's being a tad hesitant. Just what Dave? "I thought people in the UK would hate us" He giggles. So do I. There's a modesty, and then there's absurdity. And Soulwax are quite possibly, perfectly absurd.

Lend an ear to their debut UK release, the "Too Many DJs" EP. It's eye-wateringly huge. The high-rollin' cowboy strut of the tile track's intro collapses into an enormous, daft, rock-pop-hip-hop-trash melange, with a chorus so big it's got its own postcode. The final track "Cut some slack", brazenly purloins a Backstreet Boys hook adding curling Chris Cornell-on-holiday vocals,underhand breaks and sandpaper-dry lyrics.Misunderstandings? They've had a few.

"Strangely, I read one review that called us a cross between Radiohead,Beck and Smashing Pumpkins" sighs David. "We've had some very odd comparisons. Prefab Sprout... Roxy Music?"

Soulwax don't make it easy for the hapless scribbler, certainly. There are three of them David, his bother Stephen and Stefaan...except when they play live there could be up to 10 people on stage.They come from Belgium, are big pals with dEUS, are major players on the alternative scene in Europe and spend most of their spare moments producing, remixing,DJing and presenting a music show on television. All simple enough. But when it comes to the music? The Beastie Boys playing skipping games with Faith No More? AC/DC's tongue in INXS' cheek? Help!

Not surprisingly they're wary of reaction here. "People always warned us about London audiences, that they're really- y'know" David hints politely "But they weren't like that at all!" Not so bad trying to break the Brits then? "Its fun to do it all over again. We'd grown a bit jaded y'know?" We got to the Dublin Castle gig [part of the Camdenonium] after hell of a day, it was raining, we were all tired and hungry, then 10 minutes before we went on we had this realisation that we were just starting for zero in Britain, and we pulled it off in a really f***-you way!"

Reactions so far have indeed been gratifying mental. And no one can put a finger on why, dammit. What do we see in you? "I have no idea" Inexplicable, unmissable? That'll be the joy of Wax,then

SARAH BEE

WHO'S WHO?
(According to David)

Stephen Dewaele
Vocals
"He's a very talented genius. If it weren't for him, none of this would be happening"

Stefaan Van Leuven
Bass
"Very talented, doesn't know it, arrogant, really good-looking"

David Dewaele
Guitar
"Me? Poor, tired, hungry, miserable and untalented"