Cunning Dorx

The “Cunning Dorx” are an Eastern Austrian alternative band entertaining their audience with “post-post modern electrical Rock” (as they define the line of music themselves). Indeed, the members originally came from different parts of the musical spectrum – Alternative Rock[?], Hardcore, Blues, Jazz and even Celtic Folk[?] – this means that there is an abundance of influences on their style, from Reggae to Alternative Rock, from Rap to Jazz; a fact which actually helped them to maintain a broad musical perspective and finally provided the basis for creating their own characteristic style.

The youth band was called into being by the schoolmates Christof Ulreich, Beno Unger and Patrick Peklar in Unterschützen / Burgenland in April 1994. Alfons Bauernfeind joined a few weeks later. In May the four of them came to an agreement about the band name “Cunning Dorx”. Furthermore, the first rehearsals took place soon. The initial repertoire contained covers of “Nirvana” and “R.E.M.” as well as “Soundgarden”, but additionally also own songs composed and written by Beno Unger himself.

By the time of their first album release Beno Unger was officially not part of the band anymore, although he continued to record and perform with them later on. Thus, the well-tried and lasting lineup included Christof Ulreich (vocals), Alfons Bauernfeind (guitar), Patrick Peklar (drums) and Albert Bock (bass). Hitherto, some friends have complemented the band now and then to liven up their auditions.

The style of the “Cunning Dorx” always has been out of the ordinary so that the musicians were forced to make up neologisms like “eclectic iconoclasm” or “post-modern alternative” themselves to give the musically minded at least a vision of their technique of mixing up every thinkable genre; as exemplified in the song Yuka-Hey , where Rap melts into 70s Rock and Reggae. Most of their lyrics appear to be in English but they don't really mean anything.

Alfons, their most productive songwriter, has always seen the human voice as just another instrument. This would make them an instrumental band. According to this view, it does not matter what they are singing as long as the melody fits. That is why, in most of their songs, there are no lyrics to speak of.

The career of the band members started with a contest and several performances within their circle of friends, where their first devoted fans came from, too. Furthermore, their first public concert was organised in the country disco “Train”; the band left crowned with success. This experience gave the “Cunning Dorx” motivation to write and present their own created musical pieces, instead of playing cover versions of well-known songs. Responsible and leading in this connection were once again Beno Unger and Alfons Bauernfeind. With increasing demand, a visit of the studios followed; the result of this undertaking was the sound carrier That's for pedestrians. Some gigs on a larger scale, a charity concert among them, enlarged their fan club considerably.

At the end of June in 1995 a demo tape was created, including four songs which were also sung at concerts with more famous bands like “Rank”, “Kurort[?]”, “Back to the Saltmine[?]”, “Racial Abuse[?]” and “Distorted Picture[?]”. The then emerging worrying lack of motivation held back any progress of the young and aspiring band and consequently shortened down the number of delighted audience. Moreover, there have been rumours that the band is going to break off soon, until their first long player CD Flauschangriff was published in 2001. Nevertheless, the stubborn Cunning Dorx started a new beginning and their revival really turned out well, mainly through the engagement of several new artists and of them all being involved in new projects, doing a great deal for the realisation of their musical aims. The band has obviously improved since periodical firm and persistent rehearsals are part of their genius, on the other hand an organised management, Kamikatze records, has made a more or less professional youth band out of the former not serious school band experiment.

For further information see: http://www.cunningdorx.com