DAAU (short for Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung) is a music group from Antwerp, Belgium. The band was founded in 1992 and borrowed its name from the novel Der Steppenwolf (1927) by Hermann Hesse.
The current line-up consists of Simon Lenski (cello), Roel Van Camp (accordion), Han Stubbe (clarinet) and Hannes D'Hoine (upright bass). In the course of DAAU's history, other musicians have joined the quartet for a limited period: Adrian Lenski (piano), Janek Kobalski (drums), Angélique Willkie (vocals), Fré Madou (upright bass) and Geert Budts (drums). On record, the band also collaborated with An Pierlé, Ya Kid K (Technotronic) and David Bovée (Think of One).
In 1994 they debuted with their acoustic self-titled album on the label Jack&Johnny, which also released the first material by Zita Swoon (back then called A Beatband) and dEUS. For dEUS, DAAU also recorded a version of the cult-hit "Suds & Soda".
In 1996 Sony Classical signed the band, re-released the debut album, and released the follow-up We Need New Animals (1998). The album was recorded in the Spanish village Ronda and introduced vocals, electronics, drums and guitar to the sound of DAAU. The band was invited to support 16 Horsepower on tour in Europe. The record sold very few copies and Sony decided to shift the group to Columbia Records, which released their third album Life Transmission (2001) before sacking the group later that year. Even though record sales were once again below expectations, the group scored some small radio-hits and toured extensively in the Benelux and played for large crowds at Rock Werchter and Pukkelpop festivals.
Leave me let me close mi eyes
let me draw de curtain over the blinds
de eyelids dat I hide behind
keep the pictures o’ de images I want in my mind
Let them heal me I want to hold on to the vibe
nuh want the light o’ truth to shine in mi eyes
easy slow down de vibe
let me sit inna de picture dem I paintin’ inside
Don’t wake me let me slumber
I don’t want to feel the rain
when the head inside my own window
is shining sunshine on my window pane
I’ve got two worlds inside my brain
I’ve got two worlds that feel the pain
two worlds inside my brain
I live dem or dem wring me is de ting I have to see
So let them heal me I want to hold on to the vibe
nuh want to see de light o’ truth in mi eyes
easy slow down de ride
let me sit inna de picture dem I paintin’ inside
Inside mi head I see de pictures
of all de faces you ever show me
Inside mi head I smell de smells
of all de flowers you ever give me
Inside mi head I hear de waves
of all de seas we ever swim
Inside mi head de time we spen’
jus’ warm mi heart an’ mek mi smile
But I know outside de light is different
an’ a whole heap o’ clouds up in de sky
An’ outside I know dat when mornin’ come
de smile I feel goin’ gawn
Outside you don’ want leave me
in mi likkle rainbow world
But outside we jus’ cyan’ dream no more
an’ is time de page dem turn
In the twilight I cyan’ tell you dat I know
which way I want to go
But de time we spen’ jus’ pretendin’, bwoy
de work jus’ a tired me so
In the twilight we jus’ a hol’ on
each to de world ‘im want to mek
Fi you side is one weh tings dem tough
an’ is right in deh you want we res’
In my twilight I like spen’ mi time
wid a likkle smile on mi face
An’ if what I feel when I see you in de mornin’
cyan’ do it well baby it waste
So in de twilight jus’ ease me up a likkle
if is dream I want to dream
Is you a fill up de space in mi head
nuh betta if we jus’ play de game?
You know I not lookin’ for
no reason nor no worries
nor no riddles nor no rhymes
Jus’ a sweet an’ easy likkle feelin’