GORKY / GORKI

Poetic yet powerful Dutch-singing group of the nineties.

As so many Belgian groups, Gorky rose to the attention of the crowds during the Rock Rally (in the edition of 1990). They ended up in third place, enough for a foot in the door at a big record company. Together with producer Wouter Van Belle, they recorded the single "Anja (de laatste dans die moet je mij nog schenken)" (Anja, the last dance you gotta give to me). The song is a reference to (not a cover version of) the singer Anja, who had a hit single in 1969 with "De Laatste Dans" (The last dance).

The debut album "Gorky" of 1991 is an incredibly strong debut. Intimistic and powerful at the same time. Singer Luc Devos manages to write very personal yet recognizable lyrics filled with imaginative imagery. Not less than 5 singles are taken from the album : "Lieve kleine Piranha" (dear sweet piranha), "Soms vraagt een mens zich af" (Sometimes a man wonders), "Wacht niet te lang" (Don't wait too long), "Mia" and "Boze Wolven" (Angry wolves) all do reasonably well.

In 1992 they record a semi-acoustic album "Boterhammen" (Sandwiches) in a park in Brussels (a series of gigs is held there every Friday during summer, an initiative by the Ancienne Belgique called 'Boterhammen in het park" (sandwiches in the park)). On this album they are accompanied by Rick De Leeuw, singer of the outstanding Dutch group Tröckener Kecks, and guitarist Patrick Riguelle (see Riguelle & Hautekiet, Kadril). This album also becomes a last act of the group Gorky.

However, Luc Devos soon afterwards reforms a band and instead of calling it "Luc Devos and friends", the record company insists it would be called Gorki (with an "i" this time). Together with old-timer Sylvain Van Holme (a.o. Two Man Sound) the new band moves to Dakar in Senegal to go record the album "Hij leeft" (He lives) in the Xippi studios of Youssou N'Dour. The album is a much more subtle album than the products of Gorky "which makes the melodies and the superior lyrics of Devos sound even better" (Oor).

The album sells very well (gold status) and the singles "Berejager" (bear hunter), "Hij is alleen" (He is alone) and "You'll never walk alone" are released.

1994 and 1995 are a lot more quiet for the group. Luc Devos goes on the literary path and becomes a columnist for leading Flemish newspaper "De Standaard" and radio station "Studio Brussel".

In 1995 the group bivouac in the ICP-studios in Brussels together with Jo Bogaert (the man behind Technotronic) to record their fourth album entitled "Monstertje" (Little monster). Record company Virgin initially refused the mix Bogaert had made in his home studio, so the album is remixed for a second time. Singles from the album are "Lang zullen ze leven" (Long will they live - For they are jolly good fellows), "Monstertje" (Little monster) and "Kom me toch halen" (Why don't you come and get me).

As Humo explains the charm of Gorki's music : "I'm an incredible sucker when it comes to Gorki. Willing as a lamb that's promised a fresh sack of food, I let myself be guided into Luc Devos' universe - that cozy twilight zone between Wipplegem and the moon - where usually a glowing refrain filled with tragedy for boys awaits me. It's a world where everybody does everything for each other, where the "Year of the village" is celebrated with cool Duvel and where boys with the name Johnny who listened once too much to Freddy Quinn's "Junge komm bald wieder" carry a banner saying "Gone with the winter! Long live spring!". On "Monstertje" we get another extensive guided tour through Mondo Gorki."

In 1998 komt "Ik Ben Aanwezig" eraan, in een productie van Attie Bauw, die een vrij mislukte poging onderneemt om Gorki van een veelgelaagd naar Radiohead refererend geluid te voorzien. De nieuwe platenmaatschappij Sony brengt van de plaat "Punk is dood", "Mijn dierbare vijand" en het in duet met Tom Barman van dEUS gezongen "Ik ben aanwezig" uit als single, terwijl ook "Wie zal er voor de kinderen zorgen" het op de radio goed deed.

In 1999 wordt er een compilatie-album van het oude Gorky-werk uitgebracht door Virgin, en verliest Gorki zijn drummer aan de hoge ogen gooiende groep Arid. Een vervanger wordt gevonden in Eric Bosteels (eerder o.m. in de live-bezetting van Hooverphonic).

In 2000 luidt het bericht uit Wippelgem dan weer "Eindelijk Vakantie", een geheel nieuw album met een hoes geschilderd door Bent van Looy (Das Pop). De productie was in handen van de net uit Hooverphonic ontslagen Frank Duchêne, en de "verrassende samenwerking" kwam er op deze plaat in het nummer "In mijn betere wereld" via de strijkers van Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung. Als (promo)singles worden "We zijn zo jong", "Geld en Olie" en "XTC" naar voor geschoven, en deze verdienden de groep na al die jaren eindelijk een plaats op het Werchter festival.
Vreemd genoeg is het dit keer vooral in Nederland dat deze plaat aanslaat: ze eindigt ze zelfs bijna in de top 10 van het jaar die door Oor wordt opgemaakt. De VPRO zend bovendien een gesmaakte documentaire uit over Luc & Co in de reeks Lolapalooza. In verkoopscijfers lijkt deze media-aandacht zich daar echter niet dadelijk te vertalen.

A quote from an interview with Luc De Vos of Gorki in 2001 : "I'm going to start recording albums in English now. Because I really want to leave behind 20 CD's or so, and with the current pace of Gorki, I will not get there". That plans have now gotten real, and Automatic Buffalo is the name the project has got (found in a songlyric of The Sheila Divine). In it, Luc De Vos is backed by the three member of Ashbury Faith (Axel Peleman - his co Frenh Quiz'er - Matthias van der Hallen & Reinert d'Haene - both active in Yum now).
Automatic Buffalo didn't get the luxury of starting off with an album though : the record co first wants to test the water with an EP, which got the title "All Men Are Equal". Nice news is certainly that the band has already set up a website (automaticbuffalo.be, of course) and is spreading an MP3 version of the first single (right here ).
Automatic Buffalo will already be performing, but as the repertoire is rather limited for the moment, the new project of Axl Peleman named Camden will be co-performing with them on stage. Some of the occasions to hear them are Kapstock (Kapellen, July 7), Gentse Feesten (July 16), Lokerse Feesten (August 8).

Band members (Gorky):
- Luc Devos : vocals, guitar
- Geert Bonne : drums
- Wout De Schutter : bass

Band members (Gorki):
- Luc Devos : vocals, guitar
- Erik Van Biesen : bass
- Luc Heyvaerts : keyboards
- Wim Rogge : guitar
- Steven Van Havere / Eric Bosteels : drums

Buy CD's of this band at

Albums :
- Gorky (Virgin - 1992)
- Boterhammen (Virgin - 1992)
- Hij Leeft (Virgin - 1993)
- Monstertje (Virgin - 1996)
- Ik ben aanwezig (Sony - 1998)
- Eindelijk Vakantie (Sony - 2000)
Compilations :
- Het beste van Gorki '92-'96 (Virgin - 1998)

Websites :
- Lipstick Notes, the management of Arid & Gorki
- Official gorki-pagina by Sony
- lucdevos.com, "the gorki/luc de vos homepage"
- Gorki homepage
- Gorki fan page
- Interview with Luc De Vos.
- And another one.
- CD-review of "Eindelijk Vakantie"
- Interview at Cucamonga.
- Tabs of Gorki-songs at guitarfiles.be
- Lyrics at Waltertje's Lyrics Site