Genre: Dark Electro, Cyberpunk
Origin: Geneva, Switzerland
Active since: 2001
Connections: Fade, Cosmosonic
Current members:
DDDMix – Vocals
Judge Drek – Guitars
Fraggle – Lights and visuals
Links:
Bak XIII Facebook
Bak XIII WebSite
BAK XIII is very different from all the previous bands that I was describing here before. You won’t hear finger breaking guitar solos or growling vocals here, but BAK XIII’s music keeps being pretty authentic and sharp even with the saturated synthetic sound. It’s quite far from metal, but I am sure that even metalheads can enjoy their raw and piercing bits.
It all started in 2001 when DDDMix and Baron Von Smock decided to start a project that would express their ideas through creative experimentation with the sound. It was long time ago and even though the lineup was slightly changing through the years, the main spirit of the project remained immutable and we can enjoy it even today. Over the years, BAK XIII was constantly releasing new albums and performing live, which brought a lot or recognition and appreciation from the audience. This band is well known not only in Switzerland but also in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Up to date, BAK XIII has released 7 full-length albums, that’s a huge chunk of music!
Speaking about the music, compositions of BAK XIII will definitely give you the feeling of nostalgia. Their sound is strongly influenced by industrial and new-wave from the 80s, so you can hear the sounds that will bring you back in time to the good old Kraftwerk or Die Krupps. The sound is so synthetic that sometimes it reaches the artificial sensation of the old Pegasus games. All this is neatly intertwined with indus metal guitar sounds that gives a nice edge and spice up BAK XIII music with aggressiveness and power. A sweet sour dish of many flavours that can be enjoyed both at the party and alone sipping your drink and dancing in front of your computer screen. Tested both. It’s a good piece of dark electro with catchy beats and melodies.
The ultimate lazer tag cheat code: \lazerbomb
I guess it’s the lyrical concept that makes BAK XIII truly outstanding and reminiscent. Most of the time they tackle difficult issues of current times – terrorism, ecological, economical problems and politics. Their songs are call to the discussion about the surrounding world and our responsibility to not mess it up even more. You may not necessarily agree with their views, but for sure their lyrics will make you ponder and that is the point. For example, “Open the Borders” is a song with a strong political meaning tacking the recent immigration crisis and “Wake up” is about the crisis in Greece. What is worth mentioning, this entire song is sung in Greek. Impressive. They often deal with the important issues with sarcasm and cynicism, that gives an additional twist to the whole composition. You can definitely taste it in the “Swiss Ideal”, the song from their newest album “Aut Caesar Aut Nihil” from 2016:
Apart from the serious side of their lyrics, there is a clear wink towards the old computer games fans and geeks. Songs like “The Vanguard” or “I love my C-64” will take you back to the sweet times of the old school pixel arcade games…
BAK XIII puts a lot of effort into their live performances where one can not only enjoy the music but also the whole refined visual layer. Lights, flashes, synchronised visualisations and penetrating bits makes their performances very intense and engaging. BAK XIII is a headliner of CrabCore fest, so you will have the chance to see them bring the house down! If you feel like seeing them earlier, they will also perform on the Octopode Festival and Luna Noire in August. I am pretty sure that’s a show that must be seen!
Rocktato 