Dementi:

DEMENTI was formed 1997 in Erfurt/Germany. Since then they play in the enduring line up consisting of the brothers Nico [vocals, samples, add. guitars] and Silvio Amarell [guitars], Jens Meyer on bass and drummer Jan Smalun. Nico Amarell is the musical and lyrical head of DEMENTI but the four friends as different characters with different backgrounds in combination create DEMENTIs overall sound. Their straight development gained much interest in Germany also because of their impressing and powerful live shows.

DEMENTI was playing live as much as possible and reached highest ranks in various newcomer contest like F6 Music Award ´99, John Lennon talent award ´99 and later on in 2002 as winners of Sonic Seducers Battle of the Bands-Contest. Their first price back in 1998 was some studio time with GRÖNEMEYER guitarist Stephan Zobeley as engineer and with him they finished their first single `Jenseits der Angst (Behind the Fear)´. After its release and some positive feedback from the alternative media they recorded a first self-produced album `Schweigen (Silence)´. They continued playing live, plugged, unplugged, for radio stations - anywhere. In the year 2000 they were offered to support the fetish goth band UMBRA ET IMAGO for one of their `Goth-o-Mania´ gigs, one year later they played with DAS ICH and the full tour support for UMBRA ET IMAGO´s tour `Dunkle Energie´. In January 2003 DEMENTI started cooperation with the record label RE:POP and recorded the album `Zweigefuehl in Tobias Hahn´s Nachtschicht Studio [JANUS, PERSEPHONE, SOPOR AETERNUS a.o.]. `Zweigefuehl´ was released in April 2003 [distribution GAS: SMIS/Sony Music] and immediately impressed the audience. DEMENTI was soon compared to such brilliant acts like PARADISE LOST, OOMPH! and ZERAPHINE. Apart from the music the album artwork got highly commended and band photgraphs were shown in the Cologne exhibiton "Menschen" by photgraph artist Silke Jochum. To tell it in one sentence: DEMENTI made an excellent entrance. A journalist wrote that Zweigefühl is`an album that might be the foundation stone of a big career.´ We do hope so - and work on it.

DEMENTI's first officially released full-length is an intense piece of music that always seems to shift between excess and longing, both musically and lyrically. The Erfurt/Germany based quartet has created 11 songs that show powerful chords, great melodies and heart-felt emotions. One significant thing about DEMENTI is their clear approach to modernity, exciting arrangements over straight guitar riffing with some fine electronic additives. DEMENTI means dark, varied and catchy songs. A second trace leading through all of their songs is their lyrics: They are provoking and full of imagery, words are reflected reality and measure to construct a new one at the same time. The lyrics are sometimes erotic and explicitly suggestive, sometimes brutal and direct, always intense. But it is not necessary to understand every word to imagine what the band wants to say - the music speaks for itself.

The driving opening track Meine Welt [My World] shows tortured self reflection leading to a great chorus. Zeitlos [Timeless] with its romantic cello part definitely is one of the very gothic ballads of our time that finds a more darker and powerful continuation in the excellent Kind der Nacht [Nightchild]. It is not easy to categorize DEMENTI by picking out just one aspect but one thing is for sure: `Zweigefuehl´ has a special atmosphere transporting states of emotion. The band has created a soulful and exciting album. Nico Amarell -DEMENTI vocalist and songwriter- says: `Our songs are direct and passionate stories about our thoughts, feelings and on life itself. We want to give back listeners emotions which often seem to be buried somewhere while working 9 to 5 and trapped in everyday life. We see our songs as images of reality and of what could be - including fears and dreams, it´s better to look them straight into the eye. While playing our songs we really feel that life has bright sides as well as the darkest ones. We hope that fans see their lifes a bit more optimistic too after listening. We share the same problems and dreams with them. Yes, we have emotional lyrics but we don´t want to spread a message, it´s just dragging people to think and find a positive solution for themselves. Music is on emotions. That is what we want listeners to explore and experience´ -Mikki 2/06

More at:

• Official
• Dementi on MySpace
• DML review for "Für Heute Reichts"
• Review of "Wer bettelt wird nicht gefüttert"