De Press Concert, Ostrołęka, October 1, 2010; photo by Tomek Lendo/REPORTER
Combining punk rock attitude and post-industrial experimentalism with Polish folk music, De Press is one of the most original bands of European alternative rock.
Bassist, singer, composer and lyricist Andrzej Dziubek was born in the village of Jabłonka on June 14, 1954. As a child he performed in acclaimed folk ensemble Małe Podhale. Later he played guitar in several amateur pop/rock bands. In December 1970 he escaped then-communist Poland, illegally crossing the borders first to Czechoslovakia and then Austria. Working as a carpenter in an Austrian refugee camp, he lost three fingers on his left hand. With help from one of the charity organisations, he finally settled in Norway. Eventually he started studying at the Art Academy in Oslo. And after receiving citizenship, he officially changed his name to Andrzej Nebb.
In 1980, inspired by the punk rock explosion, Dziubek-Nebb founded De Press with Jørn Christensen and Ola Snortheim. The group merged punk rock dynamics with Polish highland folk music and straightforward political, anti-Communist commentary. De Press' debut album Block To Block (1981) was voted the best rock album recorded in Norway in the 20th century, gaining both popularity and respect. The 1982 album Product steered more towards "cold wave", inspired by Britain's Joy Division. In 1983 the band released The Other Side, a compilation of unreleased studio and live material. A few months later De Press was put on hold and Dziubek-Nebb concentrated on his new project - the industrial/avant-garde band Holy Toy.
De Press was revived with its original lineup in 1989. And in 1990 the band recorded Bolshov Trio, a year later the album was reissued officially in Poland as 3 Potocki. Its Polish release was met with great acclaim and became one of the most popular records of the year - songs Bo jo cie kochom" / "Because I love you and Cy bocycie Świynty Ojce became massive radio hits. De Press regularly put out several albums, exploring more or less the same formula - catchy folk tunes fused with hard, post-punk sound. The only exception was Vodka Party (1993) containing traditional Russian party songs.
2007 saw changes in the band's lineup, young Polish musicians rooted in both punk and hard rock - Dariusz Budkiewicz, Łukasz Gocal and Tomasz Fudala. Also, Dziubek-Nebb started to apply his fascination with industrialism into De Press live shows - cutting oil drums with axe grinder became regular staple at his concerts. De Press became popular again in 2008, after releasing Żre nas konsumpcja" / "Hunger Consumes Us and performing at major festivals and TV shows.
Myśmy Rebelianci" / "We rebels appeared in Autumn 2009 - further proof of Dziubek's unchanged political attitude, with new versions of songs sung by Poland's anti-Communist guerilla after 1945. Harsh political commentary is also present in Katyń/Smoleńsk single released in Summer 2010.
De Press' new album released in November 2010 - titled Gromy i pyłki" / "Thunder and pollen, combines rock and poetry into 19 tracks of new music written to the original texts of the great Polish Romantic poet, Cyprian Kamil Norwid.
Discography (albums):
- Block To Block; (Siberia Music/Sonet Grammofon, 1981)
- Product; (Siberia Music/Sonet Grammofon, 1982)
- On The Other Side; (Uniton, 1983)
- The Ballshov Trio; (Sonet Grammofon, 1990)
- 3 Potocki; (DNA, 1991)
- Vodka Party; (1993)
- Groj skrzypko Groj; (Music Corner, 1994)
- Potargano Chałpa; (Music Corner, 1996)
- Dwie tęsknoty; (Music Corner, 1998)
- Śleboda; (Music Corner, 2000)
- Russian Party; (Music Corner, 2001)
- Cy bocycie Swinty Ojce; ( Music Corner, 2002)
- Rekyl; (S2 Records, 2005)
- Żre nas konsumpcja; (MTJ Artistic Agency, 2008)
- Kolędy; (MTJ, 2008)
- Myśmy Rebelianci; (Warsaw Uprising Museum, 2009)
- Gromy i pyłki; (MTJ, 2010)
Author: Maciej Sienkiewicz, December 2010.