NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – March 3, 2022
CHOREOMANIC (PESTILENCE Bassist Joost van der Graafâs Experimental Prog/Funk Project) Posts Rehearsal Video “Walk With Urgency”
Self-Titled Debut Out Now!
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CHOREOMANIC, the experimental prog / funk project created by PESTILENCE bassist Joost van der Graaf, has posted a rehearsal room video performing “Walk With Urgency” with drummer Koen Herfst (VandenBerg, I CHAOS, Dew-Scented). The track is off his latest debut self-titled album released on February 18th.
“The cool thing about this song is that the main groove and bassline are inspired by the intro of another recording by my first serious band Creepmime! That song was called âKing Of Misruleâ, from the album âChiaroscuroâ 1995⦠Instrumental. The title refers to the way a junky walks with urgency on the way to scoring.” adds Graaf.
Watch “Walk With Urgency” at https://youtu.be/zlY3FNyuRS0
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CHOREOMANIC is the experimental prog / funk project created by bassist Joost van der Graaf (Pestilence, Dew-Scented, I CHAOS) when the world came to a halt in spring 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. With canceled tours and no local gigs, Graaf started writing music in which different influences from his past came together. The final product was an album that features twelve bass-orientated tracks experimenting in realms of prog, funk, and everything else on the planet that has musically inspired Graaf over his thirty-plus year career. The full lengthâs lyrical concept explores Choreomania, an uncontrollable urge to dance, especially in a frenzied, convulsive manner also known as the Medieval Dancing plagues. Graaf explains in further detail:
âIn 2019, I became pretty obsessed by the mysterious dancing plagues of the middle-ages. I started reading different studies, learning about the different theories about the cause. Itâs still one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in history! One of the theories that made the most sense to me is that people had been suppressed by the ruling class (church, inquisition) for generations. There was collective fear of God and letâs not forget about the black plague! So there was this anxiety relief at a certain point that became infectious and caused convulsions and psychotic dancing, resulting in exhaustion, dehydration, and even death. It spread across Europe and there were large gatherings in towns and villages with frantically dancing people, accompanied by traveling musicians and all kinds of interested parties. These things sometimes became true festivals with people selling food, etc. With todayâs reality, the phenomenon seems to have become relevant once again! This project is not only a musical statement, but also a call to action against (cultural) oppression. May everyone move and create in freedom!â
For the record’s guest musicians, Graaf recruited drummer Koen Herfst (VandenBerg, I CHAOS, Dew-Scented), keyboardist Thijs Ronteltap (Disuse, Epistulum), saxophonist Tommie Freke (Gallow Street), trombonist Jeroen Verberne (Sjefâs Special) along with trumpeter and bugler Gidon Nunes Vaz. Once the full-length was mixed and mastered at Nutsville Noiselab, The Hague, the self-titled debut âCHOREOMANICâ was a fact and ready to take on the world.
Recommended for fans of Mr. Bungle, Zappa, John Zorn, Infectious Grooves, and Brian Setzer Orchestra, CHOREOMANIC is available for digital download and stream at https://emubands.ffm.to/choreomanic and limited edition CD order at https://choreomanic.bandcamp.com.
Bass Playthrough Videos:â
Time To Let It Out –Â https://youtu.be/VZpFI2A9yoUâ
Off With The Figurehead –Â https://youtu.be/MG1LIATHOkEâ
Track Listing:â
1. This Is Not A Drill (3:50)
2. Spun Sugar (2:45)
3. What You Get (3:26)
4. Red Flags (2:26)
5. Choreomanic (2:17)
6. Walk With Urgency (2:33)
7. Off With The Figurehead (2:18)
8. Time To Let It Out (2:08)
9. Calling God (4:28)
10. Take The Money Give It To Me Now (2:31)
11. Story About The Moon (2:46)
12. Away From The Sun (5:52)
Album Length: 37:25
Album Recording Credits:â
⢠All songs performed by: CHOREOMANIC
⢠All songs written by: Joost van der Graaf
⢠Produced by: Michiel Eilbracht & Joost van der Graaf
⢠Mixed by: Michiel Eilbracht
⢠Mastered by: Michiel Eilbracht
⢠Album Artwork by: Yvo Sprey
Album Recording Band Line Up:â
Thijs Ronteltap â Keys
Jeroen Verberne â Trombone
Tommie Freke â Saxophone
Gidon Nunes Vaz â Trumpet & Bugle
Koen Herfst â Drums
Joost van der Graaf â Bass, Sampling, Voice & Percussion
For more info:
âChoreomanic.comâ
âFacebook.com/choreomanicâ
âInstagram.com/choreomanicâ
About:â
Dutch bassist Joost van der Graaf (1973) has been active in music since he was fourteen years old. In the early 90âs he toured Europe for the first time, as a bass player/ vocalist in Creepmime (Mascot Records), to promote the album âChiaroscuroâ. After Creepmime he studied music in Amsterdam and became a working musician, performing and teaching.
In the new millennium, Joost co-formed I CHAOS (RITF records, Suburban distr.) The band released two albums: âThe Human Repellentâ and âMasterbleederâ. In this period he was also a stand-in bassist for Sinister, touring Russia.
In 2012, he became a permanent member of GermanThrashers Dew-Scented (Metalblade), releasing three full-lengths with them up to 2018: âIcarusâ, âInsurgentâ & âInterminationâ. The band toured extensively through Europe but also in Japan, together with renowned bands from the international metal scene (Testament, Exodus, Death Angel, and others).
Joost teaches âBass Skillsâ and âBand Developmentâ at The Metal Factory in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Since 2019 he proudly plays with Dutch iconic act Pestilence (Agonia Records) appearing on the album âExitivmâ.
In 2020, he started working on his own project CHOREOMANIC, in which different musical influences from his past come together. Obviously one of these influences is metal, but also other styles like funk & prog.
His self-titled debut album CHOREOMANIC will be out on February 18, 2022.
Joost van der Graafâs Discography:
2022 â Choreomanic â Self-Titled (Self-Release)
2021 â Pestilence â Exitivm (Agonia Records)
2015 â Dew-Scented â Intermination (Metal Blade Records)
2015 â Dew-Scented â Immersed â 7#split EP (Metal Blade Records)
2015 â I Chaos â Masterbleeder (RITF Records/Suburban Distribution)
2013 â Dew-Scented â Insurgent (Metal Blade Records)
2012 â Dew-Scented â Icarus (Metal Blade Records)
2011 â I Chaos â The Human Repellent (RITF Records/Suburban Distribution)
2009 â I Chaos â Self-Titled â EP (Self-Release)
2008 â Cypher â MMVIII â EP (Self-Release)
1995 â Creepmime â Chiaroscuro (Mascot Records)
Endorsed by:
Ibanez , Peavey, Tech 21, DR Strings, Rock n Soul
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