SIGLO XX

Group from Limburg (in fact, they were originally from Genk, the same town as your webmaster) who made gloomy and doomy wave-music all through the eighties.

Their name (which can both be pronounced as Siglo Iks Iks or as Siglo Veinte) stems from an anarchist movement during the Spanish civil war.

They were pioneers in independent music (together with bands like Struggler and De Brassers) with their release of a single without a record company "The naked and the death" in 1980.

From "Wit-lof from Belgium" : "The first single of Siglo XX set the tone of the sound the group were to repeat all through the eighties. A sound that - much to their disgust - has been described as "cold wave". Dragging, hollow, sometimes rocking music à la Joy Division.
We are marginals, these philosophers from Genk said, but to us marginality is change, change is movement, and movement is life. The established is halted, gray, dead".

The debut record "The art of war" got the group a small but very loyal following that remained faithful to the group all through the eighties.

Members :
- Antonio PALERMO
- Dirk CHAUVAUX
- Erik DRIES
- Klaas HOOGERWAARD

Buy CD's of this band at

Albums :
- The art of war (Antler, 1982)
- Siglo XX (Antler - 1983)
- Some have a laughter (Antler, 1984)
- Re-release 80-82 (Antler, 1985)
- Flowers for the rebels (Play it again Sam - 1987)
- Fear and desire (Play it again Sam - 1988)
- Under a purple Sky (Play it again Sam - 1989)
Compilations :
- Antler Tracks 1 (Antler - 1988)
- Antler Tracks 2 (Antler - 1989)

Websites :
- Siglo XX page at the site of Stephane Werquin

Forum :
- Read the messages/questions about Siglo XX
- Add your message, question, cd- or concertreview ... about Siglo XX