Pawlowski, Trouve & Ward
Ii
Ten years after Mauro Pawlowski, Rudy Trouve and Craig Ward released an album of solo works on UK label Jezus Factory Records (also celebrating its 10th Anniversary) the second volume is now here. The bind that inspired the initial release was that Mauro, Rudy and Craig all played guitar and vocals in arguably Belgiums most famous musical export dEUS albeit at different time. Its a post that Mauro still holds. Perhaps even more significantly is the fact that all 3 have played together at the same time in ensembles such as The Love Substitutes, iH8 Camera and Kiss My Jazz. So many exciting and new projects have happened in the last ten years as partially detailed below. Mauro Pawlowski first rose to fame as singer of the legendary Evil Superstars. After splitting the band at the peak of their powers (Guitarist Tim Vanhammel and Dave Schroyen went on to form Millionaire and Tim also played with Eagles of Death Metal) Mauro released the Dave Sardy produced solo album Songs From A Bad Hat. In the last decade alone Mauros projects include Maurits Pauwels (a Dutch language folk album), Hitsville Drunks (Classic AOR Pop), Gruppo Di Pawlowski (noisy Jesus Lizard style rock recorded by Steve Albini), a collaboration with Flat Earth Society with interpretations of Frank Zappa songs and of course the day job with dEUS and a very successful partial Evil Superstars reunion. Mauros contribution to Pawlowski, Trouve & Ward is a failed and lost 80s blockbuster movie soundtrack with commercials in between. Rudy Trouve was a founding member of dEUS adding his distinctive songwriting, voice and guitar playing to their classic Island Records debut album Worst Case Scenario and also the ground breaking follow up My Sister=My Clock. Quickly tiring of major label life and an extremely heavy touring schedule he left dEUS and formed Heavenhotel Presents records; a label formed to release his own and friends bands and last year celebrated its 20th Anniversary with the double LP God Owes Us A Swimming Pool. In the last decade Rudy has released 3 full length albums with Tape Cuts Tape, performed alongside Mauro in newly formed band The Mechanics performing an interpretation of Ornette Colemans Dancing In Your Head masterpiece; led the all-star improvisation iH8 Camera through numerous performances and embarked on several successful solo tours and of course frequent art exhibitions and video installations. . Rudy again provides the wonderful artwork for this record as well as the promo video for Thin Can from his contribution. Craig Ward is Scottish and found himself in Antwerp after an invite from Stef Kamil Carlens (dEUS, Zita Swoon) to holiday there. It was a long holiday. Craig joined Kiss My Jazz and found himself in the hub of a fervent music scene so much that Rudy Trouve suggested him as his replacement in dEUS (to which Craig lent his guitar and vocal talents to the In A Bar Under The Sea and The Ideal Crash albums) after his exit from dEUS during the recording of Pocket Revolution Craig formed acclaimed band The Love Substitutes with Mauro and Rudy. Since achieving domestic bliss and running a guest house in Ford, Scotland in the last decade Craig has been recording almost exclusively for Jezus Factory. Alongside Butsenzeller he formed jazz noise rock band A Clean Kitchen Is A Happy Kitchen releasing two full length albums and a split 10" with Silent Front, released two highly acclaimed albums alongside Chantal Acda in True Bypass. A collaboration with Radboud Mens called The Drive To Taxonomy was released on cassette only after his debut solo full length New Third Lanark. This year Craig gained a Scottish Arts Council grant to complete the recording of his most accomplished and ambitious solo work Leave Everything Move Out which was recorded in France with the Grammy award winning David Odlum. His solo contribution here continues on this theme.