THE NEON JUDGEMENT

Since the early eighties, The Neon Judgement are a household name in the alternative scene in Belgium and abroad. Operating from Leuven and inspired by the likes of Suicide, Wire & Cabaret Voltaire, they start in the early eighties.

Their initial music is aggressive, danceable and dominated by synthesizers and drum-machines. A bit later on in their career the guitar also gets a prominent place in their music.

"Mafu Cage" was the first full-blooded album, a strong piece of work surrounded by an atmosphere of mystery and voodoo-horror. Going from strength they released a string of haunting albums that displayed an adventurous variety of songs, where downright industrial drones stood side by side with twisted love songs and campfire ditties from hell.

Together with that other Belgian band Front 242 they are considered as pioneers for the genre which became known as Electronic Body Music, or Electrowave. This genre was also indirectly responsible for the New Beat-dance music in 1988.

The Neon Judgement were constantly on the move, ranging their music from new-wave to gothic to industrial to techno. Mostly well ahead of their time and always flatly refusing to go for cheap commercial success.

In 1992 they took a few years off, but came back in 1995 with the album "At devil's fork". From the bio : "Today, Dirk and Frank reemerge with a piece of work that was entirely recorded in wooded surroundings. Together with percussionist Ben Forceville they created their own sanctuary ... "At Devil's Fork", a place where distortion and reverse sounds replace the meaningless babble of the outside world. We're not dealing with a couple of estranged eccentrics, though: the lyrics still suggest a heartfelt disgust at the political baseness in today's society while the music, although still unmistakable The Neon Judgement, has clearly picked up some of today's more exciting and vibrant grooves."
Another reviewer of the same album was somewhat less euphoric : "These guys from Leuven don't know when to stop. They should though. Their new CD still relishes in the typical dark atmosphere of 10 years ago, but now sounds quite old-fashioned and hollow. On this record are - with the exception of a new version of 'Tv Treated'  - just not enough songs, which quickly leads to boredom."

After that, again a few years of silence followed. In 1998 however, Dirk DaDavo & TB Frank came together once again. They released the single "Jazz-box", a prelude to a full album entitled "Daszoo". The song sounds fresh and funky ... up-tempo electro-rhythms are combined with acoustic guitars and singing.  The new record is produced by no-one less than Jean-Marie Aerts.

Although "Daszoo" received quite a favorable press, the sales figures were on the low side. Troubles with the record firm (KK-records) meant the end of the band.
At the time of the split, TB Frank announced he would continue with a project called Bonjour Micro.
Dirk Da Davo announced he would be starting with something completely new : Neon Electronics (a dance-project with Remo Perotti) and a dance-label DanceDelic-D.

Band members :
- Dirk DaDavo (echte naam Dirk Timmermans)(vocals, keyboards)
- TB Frank (echte naam Frank Vloeberghs)(keyboards, vocals,  guitar)

Buy CD's of this band at

Albums :
- 1981-1984 (Scarface - 1985)
- Mbih! (Anything but records - 1985)
- Mafu Cage (Play it again Sam - 1986)
- Horny as hell (Play it again Sam - 1987)
- Blood and thunder (Play it again Sam - 1989)
- The insult (Play it again Sam - 1990)
- Are you real (Play it again Sam - 1991)
- At Devil's fork (KK Records - 1995)
- Daszoo (KK Records, 1998)
Compilations :
- First Judgements (Play it again Sam - 1987)
- General Pain and Major Disease (Play it again Sam - 1989)

Websites :
- The Official Neon Judgement Site is located at http://neon.grmbl.com. has more on the most recent album.
- Dirk Da Davo's Dancedelic-D-label
- Interview in 1998 with Last Sigh

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