DIRK DA DAVO Dirk Da Davo, half of legendary band The Neon Judgement and the brain behind Neon Electronics, is, undoubtedly one of the key names of our scene. After the separation of the composers of“The Fashion Party”, he has continued to release material, always looking for untravelled paths and adventurous collaborations. Your first solo EP was released in 1987. Why did you have the urge to release music under your name? Did you think that the music did not fit the direction of The Neon Judgement?You releasedwith your band at the time Horny as Hell that same year. Well, actually I do not remember why. I guess there was a reason, but I do not remember; I think it was an idea of the record company… It’s funny starting an interview not being able to answer the first question clearly !! On the following year, you created a new project with Street Ducks member Glenn Frank called If It moves. In the compilation you include the track “Meat Cathedral”, that appeared in that single.What can you please tell us about this short-live collaboration? At the time, I joined up with Street Ducks as an extra guitar player.We were all friends living in the same city and sharing the same rehearsal space.So one day, I was alone with Glenn in the rehearsal room and we started to program some industrial drum sounds, just spontaneously… I took the guitar and Glenn the microphone, we jammed around a bit and “Meat Cathedral”was born! In 1992, you released a more “trance” single with the AKA DDD. Program.The last song of the newcompilation comes from that single, can you please tell us a bit more about this? I was doing some electronic instrumental music just for pleasure.At the period,in the beginning of the 90s,I was going to techno and house clubs. So, I was into club music at that time. It inspired me for this sound. I gave my recordings to the record company; they liked it and we decided to put it on a 12” vinyl record released under DDD PROGRAM (in 1992). After NJ’s Dazsoo, you started Neon Electronics. At the beginning, it was a solo project, but later, you started collaborating with other producers. You said that it was good to “flavour the music and for my own artistic and creative evolution.”After a fewalbums with NE, howdo you think that collaborating with other musicians have marked your way of composing music? I don’t know if it marked me. In the beginning Neon Electronics was intended as a strictly electronic project, later www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 8 - my love for guitar sounds got into it. Together with Glenn Keteleer (Radical G) and bass man Pieter-Jan Theunis, we developed a solid LIVE sound.We worked rather intense for 4/5 years drawing this sound. A mixture between dance / electronica / bass guitar / guitar.That was themost enriching concept experience for me within Neon Electronics.We had a good groove together and it might have markedme a little. The interaction between the 3 of us. There is a full LIVE video (2019) on You Tube. Check it out! You said Neon Judgement’s Are You Real recording was influenced by the company, PIAS.On your own, do you think that you have felt influenced by any other factor? Like the music period, selling records, etc.? I always try to followmy heart / instinct. It’s important to be in peace with yourself when you are doing music. The Are You Real experience has only made that feeling stronger. Maybe DDD PROGRAM was created during a certain period in music, but I think I have kept my own identity, even in this musical climate. One song that I miss in the compilation is “Maximum Joy”, the one you recorded with Franz and Shape. We interview Chris Shape last year. How do you remember this collaboration? He also released an album on Unknown Pleasures Records. It was long distance working. I received an e-mail from Chris requesting if I would like to participate in their project. I had a listen to the instrumental song version they had sent. I liked it and I decided to participate. So, the music was made in Italy and the vocal recorded in my home studio in Belgium at the time. I wired the vocal file to them, and they took care of the end production. It worked out excellent! From NE you have taken the track “157” from the album NE, that was released on French label Unknow Pleasures. What can you please tell us more about this album? In the interview you said that it was, together with Apolo, one of your favorites of the project. “157” is definitely a favorite collaboration with Glenn Keteleer/Radical G. The track sounds very intense and I always loved to perform it live. We recorded it in Glenn’s studio room.We were jamming and I played bass guitar.We
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