With a joyful carnival-like spirit, ELZEF blows a nourished surprising music of multiple influences: java, afro-beat, hip-hop, Mediterranean musics, french song, all picked up through the globe and times.
ELZEF associates iconoclastes acoustic sonorities (brass band, accordéon, banjo, derbouka) a modern and shifted register: quasi-electronic effects and fright, instrumental sound effects, rap, sketches, "bidouillages". In the form of vocal songs or riffs, the texts are humorous, subversive, surrealist and illustrate our times's mechanisms.
The developed kind is fresh and innovating, "festif" and unclassable. Their new album "Mais d'où vient le vent? " was released in april 2004. Varied with multiple colors, this record reflects perfectly the band energy, musical quality and the humour. Songs like "L'empire des clés ", "Mon étudiante" or "Ce truc-là ?" reveal an astonishing musical originality and finely engraved texts. Musical world of ELZEF gains with being seen and being listened in concert.
Biography
April 2000, Paris 20th district, Fabien ARNAU gathered musicians for playing good music everywhere and all the time. This involved the group must be acoustic, with sound, cross-country but however as quick to set up as to pack away! The result lead to a pocket-sized brass band of five instruments (banjo, drums, saxophone tenor, soubassophone and trumpet). Breath blown acoustic ensemble which took the name of ELZEF. Consequently, the formation diffuses unceasingly its "java tribale" in the streets, the bars, the festivals of district of Paris and in Ile de France.
Summer 2000, first round in Brittany, the name starts to be known by the public of brass bands of current musics and appears in all the articles (Libération, le Nouvel Observateur, La Scène...) on the néo-brass band movement to which belong groups like Tarace Boulba, Ceux-qui-marchent-debout or les Fils de Teuhpu.
November 2000,after the "Brass bands Festival" in the New Morning, a compilation illustrating this scene will be published at 2Good. ELZEF is then pointed out with "Pas de panique! ", its tube hip-hop brass band.
April 2001, own-produced ELZEF released its first record "En direct du Moulin de Lalande" distributed in all France by 2Good Productions. Recorded in direct and stereophonic catch in a country house, the record will surprise and seduce by its rough of dismantling "and energetic side" but also by the originality of the compositions, mainly instrumental.
For the promotion, the musicians start a round in and in front of the music stores in an official and unofficial ways. Therefor, ELZEF is programmed more and more in festivals, the concert halls and city festivals. The band is selected by La Fnac for its young talents 2002 selection. Its musical eclecticism as well allows it to be programmed in rock'n'roll, jazz or outdoor shows ('spectacle de rue') contexts.
From the beginning of 2001 to the end of 2002, ELZEF played approximately 200 concerts in two years. With these tourings, ELZEF developed astonishly :
- The singing and lyrics take a more significant place
- The band passes to six musicians by naturally integrating the accordéon into its music.
- the amplified stage becomes the place where the group opens up more.
- the repertory overflows of new compositions.
ELZEF finishes the studio recordings of « Mais d?où vient le vent ? » which was released in 2005.
eLZef