DETLEF - BAND BIO
Date Added : 18th September, 2010 @ 20:49
Detlef is an indie/garage rock band based in Hamilton that has just released their first EP online. The four track EP is a teaser to their debut album due for release December 2010. The four members seem to be interchangeable on their instruments, but for the most part, Ryan Sadumiano plays the drums, Karl Turingan bass, Dustin Santos electric guitar and Daniel Perry vocals.
"The Common Denominators"
Karl and Daniel met in 2002 after Karl and his wife Jenny boarded for Dan's in-laws for a brief time. Karl and Dan soon became firm friends as both were fans of similar sports/music/movies and their sarcasm knew no bounds. They also frequently discussed a possible creation of an "originals" band, but as they were both drummers by trade, they found themselves having to compromise on their instrument of choice in order to fit into a band with other musicians.
In 2005 Karl played the drums and Daniel vocals for "Miko's band", which was a Filipino "covers" band featuring Miko Carlos on rythm guitar, Herbert Payumo on lead guitar and Giannina Fabular on bass (who was later replaced by Romin De Jesus). The gimik of the band was that they could perform both English and Tagalog covers, with a “puti” (“white guy”) singer, as vocalist Dan could sing in both languages (even though he did not understand a word he was singing in Tagalog). After a number of gigs with varying success, it became apparent that Dan and Karl had outstayed their welcome. Miko became lead vocalist, and a new drummer was brought on board. This allowed Dan and Karl to explore other musical alternatives.
"Pimp my Jeepney"
After the exit from "Miko's band" and various attempts at forming other bands, in 2007 the duo formed the super-group "Pimp my Jipney", with long time friends Vincent Erece (rythm guitar), Ryan Sadumiano (Drums) and Erwin Araneta (vocals). Karl and Dan contributed on Bass and Vocals respectively. PMJ performed at a number of functions, parties and ethnic festivals. In early 2009 Dan separated from his Filipina wife of six years. This gave Dan time to reflect on his musical ambitions and he realised that the gimik of being the "puti" (white guy), singing in Tagalog had worn thin. Dan performed his last gig with PMJ at the WFA Filipino independence day 2009, where he sang "Three stars and a sun" by Francis M. At this gig PMJ were joined by new comer Dustin Santos, (previously of the hardcore band Arsonsmith) on lead guitar.
Now in self imposed exile, (living in the basement of his brother’s partner’s house), and an out-cast of the society he'd tried so hard to fit in to, Dan longed to perform original music with his “pare” Karl. By this stage, Karl had a new born baby, and only wanted to invest time in music he wanted to play (rather than middle of the road music for ethnic festivals). Plus with only bass/drums/vocals between the two of them, it was always apparent that the "common denominators" needed help to complete their vision. They were unaware at the time, but a bitter twist of fate was soon to deliver the band member they'd been waiting for.
"Need a flatmate?"
Dustin had fast become a popular member of the Hamilton pinoy basketball community, and the underground Hamilton hardcore scene, but as the new friendships with peers strengthened, his relationship with his family was nearing breaking point. It all came to a head late in Dec 09 in what would later be known as the "Mt Maunganui incident”. Alcohol, a smashed hotel window, police and a black eye were the ingredients to Dustin’s falling out with his father and friends. The only two not involved (Karl and Dan), were soon to be, as Karl was approached by Dustin, who was in need of a place to stay. Karl suggested Dan’s place (the basement of Dan's brother's son's mother's house) and eventually Dustin found his way onto Dan's couch.
“Tuhikaramea Sessions”
What started as a temporary escape from the "chismis" (gossip) of the local community, soon ended up as a long term living arrangement. A small office, adjacent to the basement lounge, was converted into a “band room” and The "Tuhikaramea Sessions" (Tuhikaramea is the street name of where they lived) as they were to be known, were to become some of the most proficient in music writing for Detlef. 12 songs were written in a matter of weeks and after a couple of tracks had been fully composed, they recruited Karl to play bass, creating the first incarnation of what would eventually become Detlef.
Karl later described the sound of the band when they first started as "80s uber-sub-genre-shoelace-post-punk-alt-rock" in ode to Dustin's affinity with labelling genres of music. Within a few months, Dan relinquished the drums to allow Robert "Sendong" Malapad to temporarily take reign of the skins and allow Dan to step to the front on vocals. While Sendong only jammed with Karl, Dustin and Dan once, it convinced the crew that they needed a permanent drummer. Once the stigma surrounding Dan's break up had subsided and Dustin's black eye had healed, the Tuhikaramea basement became the hang out of choice for musicians and music aficionados. On one such occasion (popularised by the Detlef Music video "Who's Playing"), Ryan Sadumiano heard some of the Detlef demos and was inspired to jump on the drums again. Ryan then became the unofficial drummer for Detlef. Karl was not at the party that night, and so a week later the group officially came together for the first time. Dustin suggested that they try playing "Husky", a slow, meandering rock track that culminates in an epic ending with multiple vocal tracks. "As soon as I heard Ryan Sadumiano play," recalled Dustin, "I knew this was going to be great... We locked together as a team immediately. Just like the Super Sonics did back in the day when it was Detlef Schrempf, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and that other white guy".
"Dead left?"
During its initial months, the band went through a series of names, including "The Common Denominators", and "Get in the Chopper". The band finally settled on Detlef Schrempf in early 2010, which was chosen to pay homage to the cult NBA hero who played for the Seattle Super Sonics in the early nineties. The name was later shortened to simply "Detlef" because the name was hard enough to pronounce as it was. Contrary to popular belief, Detlef did not name their band after the "Band of Horses" track, though they do admit the coincidence is comical (one radio DJ in Hamilton got Detlef confused with Band of Horses and played the track "Detlef Schrempf" multiple times thinking he was supporting local artists). Mispronunciations of their name have plagued the band; "Dead Left", "Deaf Lep", "Def Lef", “Def Leopard” etc.
“The EP"
After months of recording tracks using a Sony dvd handi-cam and Audacity free music editing software, major recording artist Regan, offered his services to record Detlef. The four track EP was recorded on a Sunday afternoon at Ryan Sadumiano’s parents’ house. Regan was under the impression that he would be recording Detlef’s debut “single” not “EP” and was effectively held hostage until all the tracks were recorded. Ryan’s parents were so unimpressed that Ryan played drums all day and didn’t help his sister once with the dishes, that he was forced to move out and now lives on the other side of town in a broken-down 1994 Toyota Celica. Dan contracted tonsillitis before the recording day and so the vocals had to be recorded by Karl. The following week Dustin and Dan re-recorded the vocals at Regan's studio in Papamoa (to this day, Karl thinks he is the lead vocalist on all of the EP’s tracks). Regan was impressed with one of Karl’s bass-lines on one track. Karl misinterpreted the feedback and spread the rumour that Regan thinks Karl is the greatest bassist who ever lived. Upset by this, Regan effectively removed all bass from the four tracks before uploading them to detlef.bandcamp.com (if you listen really closely you can just make out Karl’s bass-lines).
The EP consists of the following four tracks:
The sheet that don't fit – “It’s like the frustration you feel when you’re trying to fit a fitted sheet, made for a single bed, onto a double bed, and like every time you get one corner down, BOOM, the other one pops up! ... Still makes me angry just thinking about it”, Karl Turingan
Husky – “I yell at you, you punch me, now it’s all your fault and I smile through my swollen lip. End of story”, Dustin Santos
isnopetrol – “A song so cheesy that Dustin still denies he had anything to do with it”, Daniel Perry
Who's playing – “Like you have a girl and she wants to see other guys... It’s hurt”, Ryan Sadumiano
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