The final Sunday of the Donaukanaltreiben 2014 saw us capture the action at both dasWerk and the Adria Wien Stage in the shape of Propella, Gin Ga and Francis International Airport that each performed in strong fashion bringing the festival to a poignant close.
Three girls from Vienna set out to create their own definition of Punk. Propella turn cheeky lyrics, sharp riffs and clever beats into a combination that is „In your face“ and danceable at the same time without ever losing sight of their roots. It is an intense form of Rock’n’Roll boiled down to an art form by the three ladies Babl Raketa (guitar, vox), Nadine Abado (bass) and Heike Mangold (drums) and it all comes very naturally with the right mix of attitude and music making. It is the middle finger to the man and is subtly crafted and displayed. We saw them at dasWerk, which is set to become one Vienna’s hottest underground locations.
„Swim on the top of the wave before it breaks“ – a snippet of their lyrics that is both revealing and instructional. Shifting song structures that come and go like the tide itself stand as an epitome for the creativity and cunning that goes into the making of this music. Check out their current album „Turn it on“ and find out yourself.
While they may be classified simply as a „Pop“ Band, Vienna’s Gin Ga are more of a genre melding design project that blends together mixed media superbly with the music being the foundation that holds it all together. It’s a project that reached border defying levels of scope and quality and does this in a way that comes off as neither pretentious nor silly, an achievement in itself. Terrific stage presence and good musical craftsmanship to their part. The music is often upbeat, optimistic and has the very simple of getting you to dance and sing along while getting you to think about the deeper parts of life. Strong emphasis on production values is apparent here.
The make up of the band may appear simple, the manner in which the elements are put together turns Gin Ga into something more than the sum of its parts and becomes genre bending in the process. A definite recommendation. Check out their current album „Yes/No“ and especially the song „Remember Whatever“.
Take me down to Liberty City and catch a plane at ye olde Francis International Airport. They rounded off a wicked festival with a strong performances that was often reminiscent of Joy Division and Depeche Mode in their younger days while at the same time sounding fresh and contemporary. The Vienna based band carries an impressive air of confidence to the stage that would suggest a level of experience well beyond their years, yet the indie rock influenced sounds rung out powerfully through the dying embers of this years Donaukanaltreiben and were a testament to the skill at play by these young upstarts.
Having found a home on Vienna’s Siluh Records for their current album „Cache“, the five piece based around the brothers Markus and David Zahradnicek are sure to remain on our radar for a long time to come. Check them out here:
Francis International Airport Official
Francis International Airport on Facebook