Kampec Dolores (1988)

Nazwa zespołu pochodzi ze starego zwrotu używanego przez Wegrów w przypadku czyjejś śmierci, oznacza dosłownie "koniec cierpień". Zespół istnieje od roku 1984. Zadebiutowali jako support przed koncertem Nico, zaś ich pierwszy zagraniczny występ miał miejsce w 1987 roku w Warszawie na festiwalu "Marchewka". W 1988 r. razem z Pere Ubu koncertowali w 12 krajach Europy, od tego czasu grali na festiwalach m.in. w Zurichu, Wilnie, Norymberdze, Berlinie, Tuluzie, Rotterdamie, Helsinkach, Belgradzie, Moskwie i Pradze.

Początkowo ich muzyka oparta była na rockowych eksperymentach, z czasem zaczęli do niej włączać elementy etniczne i jazzowe. Jednym z głównych znaków charakterystycznych ich muzykę jest śpiew Gabi Kenderesi, która nie używa tekstów, raczej wyjątkowe rozwiązania wokalne. (serpent)
 

Is this music a kind of virtual world music? Or postrock mixed with improvisations and a personal atmosphere of jazz? The press says things like this: "The music of Kampec Dolores is an imaginative, unique synthesis of original melodies, surreal lyrics, and subtly broken rhythms. One can hear the infuence of folk (Hungarian and non-Hungarian), mixed with modern jazz and sometimes contemporary improvisative elements." (from a German daily paper)

Besides founders Gabi Kenderesi (voice) and Csaba Hajnoczy (guitar, composition) the line-up features Arpad Vajdovich (bass and double-bass) and Csaba Nemeth (drums). The band's  saxophone player is Istvan Grencso, one of the most outstanding contemporary players and improvisers in the Hungarian jazz scene.

In the early days the band supported Nico in Budapest (1985), played at Eastern Europe's first major international alternative festival (Carrot Festival, Warsaw 1987), and was support act for the 12-country revival tour of legendary American band Pere Ubu in Europe (1988). Their first record was initiated by legendary Dutch anarcho-noise band The Ex, who invited Kampec Dolores to record in Amsterdam and released the LP on their Konkurrel label (1988). Kampec Dolores toured in almost all the countries of Europe from Spain to Moscow and from Sweden and Norway to Italy. (1988/2008). They made their North-American debut at the prestigious Victoriaville Festival in Canada ('99), and played in Japan (2005.)

The musical evolution of Kampec Dolores started from "new rock" experimentalism. Over the years the band came through a whole lot of ethnic, contemporary and improvisational influences. All the albums represent a different stage of the proccess. The earlier ones mostly concentrated on "songs". "Levitation" was called by local press the best Hungarian alternative record in the year 1991. (It was internationally released by ReR Megacorp, London.) In the period of "Eye of the Needle" (rel. 1993) the sound was based on the presence of two guitars.

The point of "Rapid" (1996) was to create a larger construction, and a more free and associative playing as well. Singer Gabi has developed her own way of almost wordless singing. She uses unknown languages and unusual vocal technics. "Sitting on the Buffalo", which was released in October 2000, features both songs and "pieces". The group released a live CD (KONCERT!) in 2003, this was the first one to feature Istvan Grencso. The last album titled "Earth Mother Sky Father" came out on the Japanese Poseidon label in 2006, and in Europe and the US on A38/ReR Recommended (Budapest-London).

The music of Kampec Dolores shows a balance of the sources. The diversity of the influences, adopted in the band's own style, makes the group able to play for different audiences.

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