SWALLOW THE RAT (Indie/Postpunk, NZ) + Guests: THE MAZE CAB | Berlin Show @ Kulturhaus Insel

In the organizer's words:

Live:

SWALLOW THE RAT (Auckland, NZ)
-- Indie/Postpunk --

+ Special Guests:
THE MAZE CAB (Berlin)
-- Postpunk/Wave --

SWALLOW THE RAT are a post-punk band from Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland, in Aotearoa/New Zealand, by way of Austin, TX. The trio is composed of an alternating dual vocal and angular rhythm section courtesy of drummer/vocalist Hayden Fritchley and bassist/vocalist Stephen Horsley. Guitarist Brian Purington is the band's secret weapon, coating the music in an effect laden style that is entirely his own.

Since forming in late 2017 Swallow the Rat have gained momentum with a whirlwind of acti-vity. Three tours of the USA (performing at SXSW 2019 & 2024 and New Colossus Festival NYC in 2020), a tour of Australia in 2023 and countless shows up and down Aotearoa have earned the band a favorable underground following and coveted support slots with the likes of Arab Strap, June of 44, No Age, Sebadoh, Quicksand and Gang of Four. In 2020 they signed to Austin/London based label Shifting Sounds records for the release of their debut album "Leaving Room".

A split LP with NYC group Clone followed in 2021. Late 2022 the band released a limited run lathe cut 7" "Other Rooms", featuring guest vocals from Yuko Miyoshi (Memory Foam) and mixed by Oliver Ackermann (A Place to Bury Strangers). This served as a precursor if you will, for the September 2023 release of their second album "South Locust". Reuniting with acclaimed engineer Nick Abbott (Foals, Die! Die! Die!), the album was recorded at NorthWestern in Auckland, and mixed remotely in Los Angeles by Sonny Di-perri (Protomartyr, Diiv).

South Locust was mastered and cut in Chicago by Carl Saff (Sonic Youth). South Locust debuted at #7 in the New Zealand charts, and numerous singles off the album have topped New Zealand college and alternative radio.

www.facebook.com/swallowtherat

THE MAZE CAB is a four-piece post-punk band from Berlin and Potsdam. Even during the loud nineties, the four constantly crossed paths. Sometimes as musicians, sometimes as fans. Sometimes one was on stage, sometimes the other. They knew each other from the Berlin and Potsdam underground.

Gernot Pohle : Voc., Git
Katharina Lange/Reiber : Voc., key, trombone
Ralf Liebchen : bass , programming
Tilman Berg : dr., perc.

During the first lockdown, Pohle and Liebchen met in Liebchen's recording studio ' Lovelyrecords ' for their first productions. Already in May 2020 the " EpsilonEP " , the single " Splinter " , and the video " Seeing Red " were released. This was followed by several other music and video releases.
Initially only intended as a studio project, the band now plays live.
Some concerts and a small tour are planned.

The band-mates have a lot of live experience. Bassist Liebchen and drummer Berg still play with the avant-garde legend SANDOW. Guitarist and singer Pohle was the bassist of the Berlin post-punk legend THE WARS. Liebchen was the sound-mixer on most of the many THE WARS concerts. Even then, Pohle and Liebchen had the idea for their own project.

Beauty and violence, energy and decay, love and revolt ... and the well-known human abysses ... modern life, the surreal ... autobiographical... these are all themes of the mostly metaphorically written lyrics by THE MAZE CAB .

in a sense a reflection of their music; the boundaries of the usual genres are blurred.

THE MAZE CAB continue to create a world of their own. It's exciting .

A very energetic live experience.