Music
Press
“I’d planned to review at least three cds today. This one will however be the only one I’ll finish. The reason for that is plain simple. The entire day I’ve been listening to the same album, My World Electric by Branko. This album sounds astonishing. Its hard to believe that this is in fact a debut album of this Dutch band. The overall sound of the album is in one word perfect. The mixing was done by none less than Brad Gilderman (Outkast, Tom Petty and Brain Wilson) who did an excellent job. Every song has a distinctive vibe, is catchy as hell and truly a piece of art.
Jacko Kreukniet is the bands driving force. He’s the one that wrote down most of the melodies and lyrics. The poppy sound is the work of Ben Fransma, whose main interest lies in beats, synths and samples. Don’t expect repeating samples that start to annoy after a few spins though. Fransma obviously doesn’t lack inspiration, adding just the right sounds and samples to intensify every melody. The combination of the two guarantees compositions which balance between heavy and popular rock.
With the proper promoting there’s no way back for Branko. My World Electric is one of the best Dutch releases of the last couple of years!“
Rating: 10/10
- Rock-E-Zine, May 2006
May 2006 be the year of Branko! My World Electric happens to be one of the most promising Dutch debut album of the last couple of years. With the help of drummer/producer Michel Schoots (Urban Dance Squad), guitarist/producer Gordon Groothedde (Intwine) and bass player Ben Franswa (Spitball), the band around the talent singer/guitarist Jacko Kreukniet gave birth to a superb CD. The power of the album lies in the perfect mixture of alternative rock and eighties new wave. The band proves to be capable of dealing with these styles in a remarkable fresh and original way. Kreukniets ear for dynamics, intensity and beautiful arrangements, leads -via songs as My Friend, Letitgo and Not Like You- ultimately to the magnificent price song: Love = a Fading Star. Mark my words: Branko is ‘the next big thing’!” - FRET, May 2006
Discography
- single 'Loose' (2006)
- album 'My World Electric' (2006)
- single'+ video 'Love = a fading star' (2007)
Photos
Bio
Welcome to the electric world of BRANKO: a new band with a fresh sound and a clear focus on the good old craftsmanship of writing pop songs with a twist. However new…..? The pop-rockers of Branko have all individually left their tracks in rock ‘n roll land, and now they have joined forces……
Branko was conceived by lead singer and producer Jacko Kreukniet. Together with soul mate Ben Franswa, also a former band member in the promising group Spitball, he worked on Branko’s debut album for two long years. Already in an early stage Branko was adopted by producer, mentor and former Urban Dance Squad drummer Michel Schoots, who clearly recognised and sponsored the potential of their music and even ended up drumming on the album. During the recording process old friends Marcel Singor (guitars) and Ivar Pijper (keys) added their essential flavours to the album and later on joined the band. Bas Hebing(drums) was the last member to join and very eagerly took the offered drum seat.
Supported by some very important ‘behind the scenes’ members of the rapid growing Branko-family, the band managed to produce an album with a true LP-vibe. Twelve strong songs under the title ‘My World Electric’, each with their own particular character but yet forming an unmistakable coherence. At the end of the album making process, Jacko travelled to Los Angeles to team up with a one of the newest members to join the Branko-family: mixing engineer Brad Gilderman. This celebrated technician, who already worked with US artists like Outkast, Brian Wilson en Tom Petty, mixed the album in his Little Big Room Studio and did a great job….. Besides being a huge fan of the band and a terrific person to work with, Brad definitely contributed to the genuine album feel and added a competitive and professional sound.
The album ‘My World Electric’ was released in The Netherlands in January 2006 as a special feature Hybrid-CD. This means that besides the normal CD-layer, the album contains a SA-CD-layer and an 8-channel surround mix (also by Brad Gilderman)!
Branko: Influences? “We all have our roots in the 80’s and grew up musically in the 90’s. Our mutual musical influences therefore vary from Prince and 80’s New Wave (like The Cure) to the alternative rock of Incubus and Queens of the Stone Age.“ “When they would unleash this band, our album would probably wind up being a mishmash of heavy rock songs with weird electro pop and everything in between! Fortunately we hooked up with Michel Schoots who guided us and organised our work.”
Branko: Happy or sad? “Because the making of the album stretched across a pretty long period of our lives, a variety of emotions can be heard in the songs. However, even in the happier sounding tracks there is always this cynical undertone. The reason….. happiness is boring and only interesting when it doesn’t last too long…..”
Jacko: “Besides the inevitable themes like love and pain, a lot of the lyrics deal with doubt. I guess I’m a doubter and a sceptic and that’s OK!”.
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