Here you can find information regarding UZ's history, discography, photo gallery
with never published photos, a download session where you can see some
small extracts of shows, a mailing list you can subscribe to receive news
We hope you enjoy.
Created and maintained by Michael Bohn & Renato de Moraes
March 1. 2016
•01.03.16 - These pages was substituted
by the official Univers Zero website with this: www.univers-zero.com in
january 2016.
This situation has changed again, look further down the page - 03.06.2019
- Univers Zero doesn't have an official website for the time being.
We got some requests to upload the old site again, so here you are, it
will be maintained as needed.
• 09.10.24
Crawling Wind will be re-released as EP october 2024. It will keep the
original format, with the three tracks only and a new cover designed by
Thierry Moreau.
• 03.08.24 Review of LUEUR by Aymeric Leroy
UNIVERS ZERO
« Lueur » (2023)
Bel – Sub Rosa – 47:48
Sans nouvelles, discographiquement et scéniquement parlant, d’Univers
Zéro depuis 2015, nous n’avions pas été surpris
d’apprendre, il y a quelques mois, que Daniel Denis préparait
un troisième album solo, actant ainsi la probable disparition de
la formation. Mais à la toute dernière minute, ce nouvel
opus s’est finalement vu accoler l’étiquette UZ, pour
des raisons que l’on imagine en partie pragmatiques mais qui n’ont
en vérité rien de scandaleux.
D’une part, si Denis assure seul une bonne partie de l’instrumentation,
il est assisté çà et là de deux membres de
la dernière formation d’UZ, ainsi que de son propre fils
Nicolas, que l’on avait connu batteur sur un morceau de Clivages
(2010) puis un de Phosphorescent Dreams (2014), mais que l’on découvre
ici bassiste et, plus surprenant, chanteur.
D’autre part, avant les deux albums mentionnés à l’instant,
réalisés durant la décennie de réactivation
d’UZ en tant que groupe de scène, il y en avait eu plusieurs
qui, malgré la présence plus constante d’autres musiciens,
au premier rang desquels Michel Berckmans, étaient l’émanation
d’un collectif à géométrie variable, avec une
instrumentation élargie, pratique dont Rhythmix (2002) avait marqué
l’apogée, au point que l’on aurait pu estimer a posteriori
que Sirius And The Ghosts (1991) et Les Eaux Troubles (1993) auraient
pu, à ce compte-là, sortir eux aussi sous le nom d’Univers
Zéro et non celui de Denis.
Sans doute en raison de sa vocation initiale à demeurer un projet
solo, Lueur ne s’efforce pas particulièrement de maintenir
une continuité de forme ou de style avec Phosphorescent Dreams,
et la présence d’autres musiciens est parfois homéopathique,
et leurs prestations relativement timorées, si l’on excepte
le trop court « Coda » final, avec un Nicolas Dechêne
en roue libre à la guitare, mais coupé net dans son élan.
Kurt Budé, seul rescapé de la reformation de 2004, est fidèle
à son poste de clarinettiste, mais on peut escompter qu’il
sera davantage mis en avant dans l’album testament de Présent,
This Is Not The End, dont la sortie maintes fois reportée est programmée
pour la fin mars. Le renfort de Nicolas Denis est finalement le plus décisif,
et certainement le plus porteur de nouveauté avec ces deux courtes
interventions chantées au parfum pour le moins inédit dans
un groupe réputé totalement instrumental (hormis quelques
chœurs lugubres et sans paroles). Assortie d’effets, sa voix
est surtout un élément texturel qui participe de l’atmosphère
irréelle de ce « Sfumato (Part 1) », par ailleurs pièce
de résistance de l’album avec ses quatre parties totalisant
près de dix minutes.
Vu le caractère épisodique de ces renforts, on ne sera pas
étonné de découvrir une musique se situant globalement
dans le prolongement d’Implosion (2004), avec pour principaux points
communs la prise en charge de toutes les parties de claviers par Denis
lui-même (piano, orgue, harmonium, accordéon, Mellotron sur
« La Tête à l’Envers » et même ce
qui ressemble à un basson dans « Wavering »), la présence
(sans doute influencée par ses séjours dans Art Zoyd) d’interludes
à l’atmosphère post-industrielle oppressante et parfois
vaguement déplaisante (« Axe 117 »), et le travail
de prise de son réellement exceptionnel de Didier de Roos, dont
la batterie est la première bénéficiaire. Il faut
dire que la prestation de Daniel Denis à son instrument de prédilection
est toujours aussi magistrale, originale et imaginative, et cette mise
en son idéale réussit à la magnifier, du plus petit
frémissement de cymbale aux démonstrations de puissance
impressionnantes auxquelles Denis nous a habitués (« Rolling
Eyes »), en passant par des détours par les seules percussions
(« Dartafalk »), parfois exotiques (le bien nommé «
Mister Chung » et son univers sonore asiatique).
Certaines des pièces courtes sus-citées, vestiges d’un
projet solo ouvert logiquement à toutes les expérimentations,
pourront faire douter par moments de la pertinence, sinon la légitimité,
de Lueur à sortir sous le nom d’Univers Zéro, quand
d’autres (« Cloportes ») se rapprochent à l’inverse
de l’identité sonore associée communément à
ce nom. Entre les deux, et à l’instar de la technique picturale
qui a inspiré leur titre, les deux parties de « Sfumato »
montrent que la distinction entre le travail de Daniel Denis en solo et
avec son groupe peut devenir très floue, défrichant un terrain
d’investigation riche de potentialités, avec la promesse
exaltante d’un Univers Zéro à la fois fidèle
à son identité historique et néanmoins capable d’innover.
Espérons donc qu’à défaut de revoir un jour
le groupe fouler à nouveau les scènes, ce que certaines
réalités économiques implacables rendent hautement
improbable, nous aurons droit à d’autres albums creusant
ce sillon prometteur, et prolongeant l’existence précieuse
et irremplaçable d’une institution musicale qui fête
en cette année 2024 son demi-siècle d’activité.
Aymeric Leroy
• 17.04.24 Daniel Denis and Thierry Zaboitzeff.
From TB's recent visit to Brussels.
• 23.03.24
Recent Daniel Denis interview by this website (English and french version)
here
• New CD /Lp will be released by SUB
ROSA this year.
Daniel Denis/Univers Zéro: No title of the album yet.
11 tracks. Nicolas Dechêne plays on a few tracks as well as Daniels
son Nico (vocals, bass guitar and percussion). Kurt Budé plays
on two tracks.
The recordings are almost finished. Recorded at Didier De Roos studio,
expected to be released March 2023.
• 1313 - re-release. A vinyl limited to 74 copies is now available as collector's
version, signed and numbered with a cover for the occasion. This is 1313,
a French Atem pressing from 1982.
The 74 copies of 1313 will be sold for 40 euros + the cost of sending.
• 05.11.19 - "Phosphorescent Dreams" will be
released on "Sub Rosa label" around October 24th 2019.
It comes out on CD (like the Japanese version) and on vinyl (with two
less songs).
Sub-Rosa is also planning a 3 CD set with the 3 1st records, including
the remaster version of Ceux du Dehors.
• 03.06.2019 - Attention: The former official
website http://www.univers-zero.com/ is now a spoof, and has nothing to
do with the band Univers Zero, although it claims and pretends to be.
Daniel Denis has nothing to do with its containts.
Whatever this website offers you or inform you about albums, boots, and
concert dates, etc. it is rubbish & fake.
• 11.07.2018 Re-releases in VINYL - Label: Sub-Rosa
Univers Zero - Univers Zero
SRV399
release year: 2016
2LP gatefold black vinyl Buy
here
Univers Zero - Hérésie
SRV401
release year: 2017
Limited gold/orange vinyl + insert Buy
here
Univers Zero - Relaps / Archives 1984-86
SRV392 Buy
here
release year: 2014
CAPTAGON YEARS SERIES #6
marbled clear/blue/black vinyl 2LP first edition: sold out
second edition as marbled vinyl: available
AND Ceux du Dehors
will be out in 2018 by Sub-Rosa Label as well
The tracks Dense, La Corne, Combat, Erich Zann are remixed versions.
• Read UZ keyboardist Antoine Guenets excellent blog:
My experience as a 27 year old fresh member of 40 year old cultband Univers Zero (Part 1 : Joining for Mexico): http://coupleofweirdos.wordpress.com
• 16.01.2014 - Univers Zero composed original music for a series of experimental short films made during the 1920s and 1930s.
The avant-premiere of this project happened at the Cinetica Nacional, in Mexico City on April 20, 2013.
Here is an edited video with highlights excerpts of the movies and music performed during this occasion.
The whole work will be ready soon and Univers Zero will be available to perform this live. Photo: Susan Clynes - Click for a larger photo
• 06.01.2014 - Samples/Excerpts has been added to the Phosphorescent Dreams page.Here
• 02.12.13 Details regarding the coming album Phosphorescent Dreams can be readhere
• 13.11.13 - New album Phosphorescent Dreams coming up. Release date will be on February 19th 2014 on the label Arcangelo (Japan) and will be distributed by Diskunion.
• 7 July 2013.
Univers Zero is now in the studio recording a new album with the personel below. No title yet, planned to be relased in December 2013.
• New UZ lineup photo (from top to bottom, left to right):
Antoine Guenet - keyboards
Daniel Denis - drums
Nicolas Dechêne - guitar
Dimitry Evers - bass
Kurt Budé - clarinet, sax
Read more about this new lineup here
Concerts: The next concertsare in April in Mexico.
19 April - Univers Zero concert at Teatro de la Ciudad (Mexico City)
20 April - Univers Zero cine-concert at Cineteca Nacional (Mexico City)
21 April - Univers Zero concert at Festival Puebla TBC
The 20 april at the Cineteca Nacional we play with short experimental films of the year 1920/1930
•RIO festival: Rock in Oppositionthe 21th of September 2013 Cap Découverte /Le Garric -France
"The groups the record companies don’t want you to hear". This was the tag in the poster of the first RIO festival in 1978, symbolizing the anti-commercial stance of these bands and the ‘uncompromising’ character of their music. RIO bands embrace musical styles such as progressive rock, Zeuhl, improvisation, noise, avant rock, jazz, classical, folk and often extreme experimentation.
Bands in the documentary: Aranis - Chamber Rock (Belgium)
Guapo - Zeuhl/Post-Rock (England)
Hamster Theater - Avant Folk (USA)
Magma - Zeuhl (France)
Miriodor - Avant Rock (Canada)
Present - Heavy Chamber Rock (Belgium)
Ruins Alone - Avant Zeuhl (Japan)
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Avant Metal (USA)
Thinking Plague - Avant Rock (USA),
Univers Zero - Chamber Rock (Belgium)
Yugen - Avant Rock (Italy)
Interviewed musicians that were active in the 70s include Chris Cutler (Henry Cow/Art Bears), Gerard Hourbette (Art Zoyd), Marc Hollander (Aksak Maboul), Christian and Stella Vander (Magma), Giorgio Gomelsky, Roger Trigaux (Present), Franco Fabbri (Stormy Six), Lars Krantz (Samla Mammas Manna), Paul Sears (The Muffins), Ferdinand Richard (Etron Fou Leloublan), Bruno Meillier (Etron Fou Leloublan), Michel Berckmans (Univers Zero), Andy Kirk (Univers Zero), Guy Segers (Univers Zero), and Daniel Denis (Univers Zero).
• On Sunday, June 3, BBC 6 will air Univers Zero's "Influences"
on Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone show
which starts at @ 20hr
(UZ will be in the middle of the show) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01jk7bq
The show will be made accessible on the BBC website for 7 days afterwards
• June 1,
Les Tritonales,
Le Triton, Paris, France
(Les Tritonales Festival)
CANCELLED!
• After the very successful concert of the three united bands Aranis + Present + Univers Zéro - "Once Upon a Time" , at the RIO Festival, if you missed, this is going to happen again in 2012: Once Upon a Time at: Les Abattoirs, Bourgoin-Jallieu, France
February 3, 2012
•28. July 2010 •Heresie - Univers Zero's second album remixed and remastered by Didier De Roos.
It will be available at Cuneiform Records /www.waysidemusic.com from sometime in september 2010, at UZ concerts, and It will also be available from Daniel Denis at the RIO Festival (he isn't performing, but he'll have a vending table.)
.
Real street date: sept. 28. See the cover and hear some samples here.
The Sinfonietta Riga ensemble will at the New Music Festival Arena in Riga on the 15th october play
:
Carabosse
La Corne du Bois des Pendus
Chinavox
Rapt d'Abadallah
Variations on Mellotronic's Theme
La Mort de Sophocle
L'Ogre et ses Appâts
Kermesse Atomique
More info: www.arenafest.lv/2010/calendar.htm
20. February
• The interview with Daniel Denis in the magazine Modern drummer (february issue 2010) is available as pdf-file here (Link opens in a new window).
12. january 2010 • Daniel Denis is interviewed by the american magazine "Modern Drummer" this month (February issue). The interview is not yet online. • Daniel Denis is interviewed on France Musique /Broadcasting "Tapages Nocturnes" this 28th of January (exact broadcasting time to be confirmed)
6. january 2010 • Clivages is now available. Released by Cuneiform Records. Read and listen • Re-mixing of the second CD «HERESIE» takes place during the first quarter of 2010. To be released in September 2010 .
• Daniel Denis works on the re-orchestration of 8 of his pieces composed for UNIVERS ZERO (period 1977 to 2004) for the Lethonia classical orchestra «SINFONIETTA RIGA». Two concerts will take place during Oktober 2010 in Riga (New musical Festival) and this was requested by their artistic Director: Normunds SNE.
8. october 2009 Photos of Univers Zero from the Rock In Opposition France Event, 20th of september 2009 Photos of Univers Zero + Present from the Rock In Opposition France Event, 20th of september 2009
• An Italian booking agency has agreed to work for some dates around
the in the beginning of the next year. If you are in Italy and want
to have Univers Zero at your venue, please contact:
Syncretic Srl.
Viale dei Quattro Venti, 166 - 00152 Roma (Italia)
(Loredana Miarelli)
tél: 347/9018466 lorimia@hotmail.it
• Univers Zero has a new bass player, Dimitri Evers.
• The archive CD Relaps is ready. Mixing and mastering are finished. The sound is very
good and we are working on biography notes, artwork and photos. It will
be out on Cuneiform records next January (2009).
• Recently we have taken the hard decision to continue without
Andy Kirk. Besides his good humanity side and his great musicianship,
he was quite unavailable for demand that band needs now, due to his
duties with his new job. Also, the directions, envisaged by Andy for
UZ´s future, were not shared by the others members of the band. We
wish him the best of luck in his new endeavor. We will try to have
Andy enhancing Univers Zero at Le Triton, next October, for DVD
recording. He will seat in to play Warrior and Funeral Plain.
We are very excited to announce that the keyboard seat will
be filled by Pierre Chevalier, which was invited to play with Univers
Zero in 1999, in a line up that never really existed. Pierre is
keyboard player of Present and he will be the right guy to play our
music.
Daniel Denis
Univers Zéro will also be playing at RIO Festival 2009
More about this soon!
• Finally an archive CD is coming with live recordings from 1984,
1985 and 1986. UNIVERS ZERO- ARCHIVES 1984/85/86 (NO NAME YET)
It is coming out on Cuneiform Records and will be
available (probably) early 2009
The set list is:
from March 31st, 1984 at « The Pavillon » in Hannover, Germany
L'ETRANGE MIXTURE DU DOCTEUR SCHWARTZ (Daniel Denis)
PRESAGE (Daniel Denis)
PARADE (Daniel Denis)
from October 9th, 1985 at the «Centre culturel de Seraing », Belgium
THE FUNERAL PLAIN (Andy Kirk)
HEATWAVE (Andy Kirk)
L'ETRANGE MIXTURE DU DOCTEUR SCHWARTZ (Free version) (Daniel Denis)*
from February 7th, 1986 at the « Frankfurt Jazz Festival », Germany
EMANATIONS (Daniel Denis)
and a never recorded piece .....from February 25th, 1984 in
Dottignies, Belgium
LIGNE CLAIRE (Daniel Denis)
Booklet with new photos and liner notes by Aymeric Leroy an
•Re-release: The new edition of Univers Zéro 1st Lp (aka 1313) is out May 13, 2008.
1. July 2007
• 1313 will be remastered and reissued with bonus
tracks.
• New album will be recorded at the end of year
2007. Possible title: Clivages.
9. April 2007
• Photos and comments by Frédéric
Loridant on show of March 25 at the "SPIRIT OF 66": http://www.photorock.com
• The band Metropolis with Daniel Denis's
son Nicolas, will be support act at the venue 'SPIRIT OF 66' on March
the 25th 2007. It will be their first appearance on stage. Nicolas DENIS
(Drums) Julien FULCO (guitare) Jérôme ROOSA (basse)
• The Contemporary Ensemble "Ensemble
Polychronies" from Toulon (France) requested Daniel Denis to write
a musical piece for them to play. The premiere is scheduled for April
7, 2007, in Toulon, France.
The tune is called "L'Ogre et ses Appâts" and it will
happen at "Musée d'Art". It is a piece for two keyboards
players/two percusionists players/ violin and acoustic guitar
• Univers Zéro is going in the studio in
the summer 2007 for recording sessions of the new CD.
It will possibly be released on january 2008 on Cuneiform Records. The
new CD will bring compositions by Andy Kirk, Michel Berckmans, Eric Plantain,
Kurt Bude, and Daniel Denis (of course).
• Three mp3-excerpts from the coming live albumhereand more coming concertdates
listed at the Coming Concerts page (look also in
the navigation menu to the left).
• Interview with Daniel Denis from 2000,
but published now in the Interview section
12. July 2005
• Univers Zero recorded both shows in June, at
Les Tritonales and at Les Halles de Schaerbeek. A live CD will come out
from these two performances. Mixing sessions start in August and the new
CD should be probably out in January or May, on Cuneiform Records.
• Univers Zero needs a booking agent. If you are
in Europe and think you can help, contact Daniel Denis at universzerocontact@yahoo.com
11. may 2005
• Peter VANDENBERGHE has a huge amount of commitments for
late this year and won't be able to fulfill his place on keyboards on
UZ and he is being replaced for the next 2005 season (after September),
but he will be welcome back whenever possible for him.
• Andy KIRK will be the new keyboard player; UZ
will possibly perform Warrior (Andy Kirk´s lost composition for
UZ – an amazing follow up of Combat).
• Daniel is also planning to have a parallel acoustic
version of UZ, only acoustic instruments (but bass), with Peter instead
of Andy on piano, no drum kit, just percussion.
• Cover of a limited 2005 edition of Heresie (13 copies
made), signed by Daniel Denis and Philippe Seynaeve.
The Heresie page.
• New Video for download: Philippe Seynaeve have
created a video for the tune 'Partch's X-Ray' (from Implosion 2004).
Go to the download page.
• This page got a small movie created by Philippe
Seynaeve. It's based on a UZ-concertposter from 1982, which you in a while
can find via the gallerypage.
• In September, 2005
ART ZOYD and Musiques Nouvelles are releasing the "EXPERIENCE DE
VOL Nr. 4/ 5 and 6" (triple CD) including Daniel Denis's composition
"Shanghaï Revisited Talks".