DIRK IVENS started in 1978 as guitarplayer and vocalist in the punkband « Slaughterhouse » but broke up the group one year later to form the more new wave minded project « The Few ». Influenced by bands like Suicide and Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft (D.A.F.) and the U.K electronic scene he appears from 1980 on under the name « Absolute Body Control » on several compilations and the first single « Is There An Exit ? » became a local underground hit. The line up changed very soon but with Eric Van Wonterghem he finds himself a partner for the next coming years regarding mixing, producing and collaborations.
« The Absolute Controlled Clinical Maniacs », a project of three Belgian bands were invited to do a Norwegian tour in 1985 and when they returned they changed their name into « The Klinik » , Dirk was a member of The Klinik until 1991. When this band decided to split up, they already built themselves a very good live reputation with their unique sound and visual gigs and became besides Front 242 and The Neon Judgement one of the biggest names in the Belgian electronic / industrial scene, even today they are still an influence for many young bands. In 1990, Dirk released his first solo album under the name DIVE.
The music - very primitive, harsh and experimental - hits like 10000 volts, and was the start of many products till now with an evolving sound. With a minimum on equipment, Dirk Ivens creates a maximum of power. His sound is copied by a lot of newcomer bands in the last couple of years and he proved on many stages that less means more.
Gigs worldwide, Touring in - Japan - Canada – Brasil - USA - Europe - Scandinavia, important festivals like EuroRock – Zillo - Wave Gothic Treffen - Dour Festival, collaborations with Controlled Bleeding, Kirlian Camera, Sigillum S, Ivan Iusco and Francoise Duvivier, his Daft Records label, a sideproject as “Blok 57 “ with Guy van Mieghem and “Sonar” together with Eric van Wonterghem, instrumental deep drones with structured danceable hypnotic beats, and touring with bands like Esplendor Geometrico, Sigillum S, Kirlian Camera, Neither Neither World, Monolith, Suicide Commando, Insekt, Numb, VNV nation, Noisex, Black lung, Converter and StereoTaxic Device combined with an impressive discography makes that Dirk Ivens is still one of the leaders of the electronic scene of today.
“Underneath” CD/LP - New studio album - Release Date March 2017 - (Out Of Line)
Belgian electronic pioneer Dirk Ivens, also known for his work with Sonar, Absolute Body Control , Blok 57, S/HE and ex-singer of The Klinik, unleashes the eagerly awaited new album of his cult project DIVE. “Underneath” is another piece of dark minimalist Electro-art with an evolving sound.
After a hiatus of more than a decade (the last output was the complete backcatalogue released as a 8 cd boxset) Dirk Ivens' project DIVE finally returns with a new sign of life. For the new album “Underneath”, he has again teamed up with Ivan Iusco (who he worked with on “Concrete Jungle”) and Rafael M. Espinosa (his collaborator on “Behind The Sun”.) The result is a maelstrom of minimalist Electronica that ranges from fascinating to unsettling and that no other act can quite accomplish in the same way: Stripped-bare rhythms, dark, machine-like sequencers, psychotic synth-sounds that are expertly intertwined with cleverly placed noise-attacks and the distinctive, feverishly manic and ghostly raw voice of Dirk Ivens towering above it all. Some tracks, like the groovy “Far Away” or the hammering “Something” have turned out surprisingly catchy, but as a whole “Underneath” is a menacing behemoth that relentlessly pulls the listener into its dark machine world. The album feels like a David-Lynchian fever dream, oscillating wildly between cutting Industrial-loops, dark Minimal-art and groovy Electronic-Body-beats that converge into a physical tour de force. In their effectively relentless reduction of their sound to the bare necessities, DIVE yet again manage to create a one-of-a-kind experience. “Underneath” is released on the German based label Out Of Line on CD and as a limited LP edition in classy dark green vinyl, containing the CD in a slip case as bonus.
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Track Listing CD / LP : 1. Underneath 2. Far Away 3. Sacred Skin 4. Let Me In 5. From Behind |
6. Something 7. Howling Ground 8. A Man Came 9. Melt 10. I Want You |
With a minimum on equipment, armed with a minidisc, megaphone and two stroboscopes, Dirk Ivens creates a maximum of power and he proved worldwide on many stages that less means more.
DIVE "UNDERNEATH" Tour 2017 Part One
21.04 @ De Nieuwe Nor / Heerlen - Netherlands (+ Whispering Sons)
22.04 @ JH 2470 / Retie – Belgium (+ Stin Scatzor + Akalotz + KnK)
29.04 @ Rockcafe / Prague - Czech Republic (+ The Invincible Spirit + Psyche + The Saint Paul)
30.04 @ Gozsdu Mano Klub / Budapest – Hungary (+ The Juggernauts + True Zebra)
06.05 @ Madame / Sao Paulo – Brasil (+ The Force Dimension + The Juggernauts)
12.05 @ Stellwerk / Hamburg – Germany ( + The Juggernauts + TC75 )
13.05 @ Das Bett / Frankfurt – Germany (+ 2nd Face + Full Contact69)
26.05 @ Lygten Station / Copenhagen – Denmark
27.05 @ Slimelight / London – U.K (+ Gertrud Stein)
09.06 @ Synth After Work / Stockholm – Sweden (+ The Juggernauts)
10.06 @ Musikens Hus / Gothenborg – Sweden (+ The Juggernauts)
Photos
Marquis(pi)X
DIVE LP BODY RECORDS 1990 BELGIUM
FINAL REPORT MCD / MLP MINUS HABENS 1991 ITALY
FIRST ALBUM CD MINUS HABENS 1992 ITALY
BROKEN MEAT CDS MINUS HABENS 1992 ITALY
LIVE ACTION MCD DAFT RECORDS 1992 BELGIUM
IMAGES MCD + BOOK MINUS HABENS 1993 ITALY
INSIDE OUT LP HARD RECORDS 1993 DENMARK
CONCRETE JUNGLE CD MINUS HABENS 1993 ITALY
NO PAIN NO GAME CD DISCORDIA 1994 GERMANY
EXTENDED PLAY MCD DISCORDIA 1994 GERMANY
BOX DCD DISCORDIA 1995 GERMANY
GRINDING WALLS CD DAFT RECORDS 1995 BELGIUM
OBSESSION SPLITMCD DISCORDIA 1995 GERMANY
SCRAPING TOKYO ’95 LIVE CD GIFT 1995 JAPAN
NIGHT SHADOWS SPLITCD FAST FORWARD 1996 PORTUGAL
REPORTED PICTUREDISC ANT ZEN 1996 GERMANY
REPORTED MCD DAFT RECORDS / FIFTH COLUMN 1996 BELGIUM / USA
SNAKEDRESSED CD DAFT RECORDS / COP INT 1997 BELGIUM / USA
NO PAIN NO GAME/REPORTED DCD TRITON 1997 GERMANY
TWO FACED MAN CDS DAFT RECORDS 1999 BELGIUM
TWO FACED MAN SINGLE TRITON 1999 GERMANY
TRUE LIES CD DAFT RECORDS / COP INT 1999 BELGIUM / USA
SOES MIX 12 INCH MINUS HABENS 1999 ITALY
LIES IN YOUR EYES MCD DAFT RECORDS 2002 BELGIUM
LIES IN YOUR EYES 12 INCH PFLICHTKAUF 2002 GERMANY
BEHIND THE SUN CD DAFT RECORDS 2004 BELGIUM
« Behind the Sun» is the latest headcrushing studio album from DIVE aka Dirk Ivens. With this product in collaboration with Rafael M. Espinosa of GEISTFORM this electro/industrial legend returns back to his roots of experimental electro.
TROUGH THE DARK 2005 RUSSIA CODE RECORDS
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