Music video from 2001, clip by Daniel Klein, special effects director Patrick Beraud, wolf outfit by Scoli Acosta from "When the wolves are silent and the moon howls", produced by Jérémy Rochigneux
One of the most influential continental bands (NME)
Phillip Boa & the Voodooclub were formed in the western part of germany in 1985 by Phillip Boa and vocalist/keyboardist Pia Lund, later joined by percussionist/voodoo-drummer The Voodoo (all 3 had just entered university where they met) and drummer/programmer Der Rabe.
They released their first album Philister in the same year on their own Constrictor-label and received excellent reviews in their home-country, where it soon topped the indie-charts. In 1986 Rough Trade (Germany) director Heino Drecker helped to sign the band to english indie label Red Flame, who re-released the album across europe. Several singles of that album gained single of the week status in NME, Sounds and Melody Maker and so did the whole album itself. The british press described their style as a form of pop avantgarde: strange music, often beautiful and pop/rock, but noisy and angst ridden with ironical/cynical lyrics full of great, different metaphors and twistssome early critic called it a collision between B 52's/Talking Heads, the german feel of Can with the wisdom and cynical approach of The Fall. Phillip's main influences were also Joy Division, Velvet Underground, XTC, Magazine, Wire etc. etc. (nowadays one could compare the sound of the band like a cross between Arcade Fire and the Maximo Park ???).
In 1987, encouraged by the reaction, the band decided to rehearse and play their first concerts in Germany, England, the Netherlands, Scandinavia etc. Later that year they met german producer legend Conny Plank (Kraftwerk, Can, DAF...) who's been a fan since the band's first album. Sadly Conny could not fullfill his commitment because of health reasons (he passed away 2 years later), however he had recommended a replacement in a former student of his, Eroc. Slightly mad ex-Krautrock-figure Eroc recorded the second album Aristocracie, released also on Red Flame, receiving brilliant reviews, single/album of the week in NME etc. Phillip Boa & the Voodooclub remain still the german band with the most albums/singles-of-the-weeks in the british music press ever. The band toured indie clubs across europe and got signed by a major-label, Polydor in Hamburg. This move triggered a backlash for Phillip as he was called a traitor for doing this (Phillip was a symbolic figure of the ever-sell-out-indie-ideology).
Anyway up until today, Phillip still keeps his never sell-out indie ideology alive and well refusing to appear on tv, rejecting advertising /sponsoring even in 2006, were this practice is wide spread amongst a lot of bands. Phillip however was aware of the negative impact the signing to a major would have on his international career he released 2 albums on Polydor in the later 80's, Copperfield and Hair receiving some great reviews in the british press for both, the album Hair and the single Kill Your Ideals, another single of the week. The album also included a track called Container Love which was a minor hit in germany and britain, which still is the band's most popular song. Phillip decided to stop his international career, well aware of the fact that he would never receive that credibility and praise of the leading, influential journalists for longer than 3 albums he stopped touring outside of germany from 1991 on and did his best to make sure he did not get any releases of his albums outside of his home country.
Between 1991 and 2005 Phillip Boa & the Voodooclub reduced their output mainly to the german market, where he could comfortably exist. In recent years Phillip has divided his time between germany and the island of malta, he would lock himself in a studio in malta, where he usually writes and records, releasing an album of pop/rock with the usual Boa-edge every 18 months or so. One could argue that he produces far too much material however his ever-loyal hardcore-fans inside and outside of germany guarantee him concerts and releases that are always somehow doing well enough; Boa nowadays is still very well-respected, almost lost non of his credibility and, yes, he never ever sold out!!!
Since the beginning of his career international producers (John Leckie, Bowie-producer Tony Visconti-currently working with the great Morrissey and loads of others) liked to work with Phillip Boa & the Voodooclub. In the recent years he worked, for example with Gareth Jones (Interpol) and with Strokes-producer Gordon Raphael on an album called Decadence & Isolation (yes, Phillip knows that the album-title is uncool but he doesn't care).
Well, it is 2006 and Phillip is currently represented by another German indie-icon, owner of record-label lado/l'age d'or', Carol von Rautenkranz. And, surprisingly, will be playing a concert in London again...
Phillip BOA and the Voodooclub making noise since 1985 & the silence is always loud!
Tags: Phillip Boa Voodooclub Pia Lund Lunda Console Mix Der Himmel Remix Music Video Clip Daniel Klein Dortmund Indie Acosta
