EZ Basic explained

EZ Basic
Origin: Budapest, Hungary
Years Active:2004-
Genre:Indie pop, Psychedelic pop
Label:Twelvetones, Hungary
EMI Records, United Kingdom
Website:Official Facebook webpage
Current Members:Árpád Szarvas

EZ Basic is a guitar-pop, indie-rock project based in Budapest, Hungary formed in 2004.[1] It started out as an experimental bedroom project in the early 00s and is noted for being one of the most eclectic bands of the Budapest indie music scene.

History

Formation

EZ Basic were formed by Árpád Szarvas and Dénes Pesztalics. Their primary aim was to mix electronic and instrumental music but it was indie pop, post-punk and American girlie pop melodies from the 1960s that left their marks on EZ Basic's sound. On one hand, the name EZ Basic refers to early 1980s computers/electronics, on the other hand, to DIY punk ethics: “easy basic” as “learn three chords and form a band”.

Their early home demos recorded between 1999-2003 reflected an experimental approach to music making, bringing Primal Scream, Suicide, Broadcast, Sonic Youth, The Jesus & Mary Chain, New Order, early shoegaze bands and electronic beats from the mid-1990s to mind. In the same year they began a series of gigs in Budapest, but the 2-piece had soon found themselves playing packed gigs outside Budapest as well.

It was not until 2005 when András Tóth (former drummer of the Hungarian indie band Supersonic) joined EZ Basic on drums that their sound has moved into a more pop-orientated sound: previously backed by a drum machine and weird noises, the trio had become a powerful live band sometimes riding the waves of wall of sound and delivering delicate but cynical pop melodies. In the same year EZ Basic was on the bill at Sziget Festival (one of Europe’s biggest festivals), at Alan McGee's Death Disco and also played in Germany, Poland and Slovakia.

Hocus Focus

EZ Basic's debut album entitled Hocus Focus was recorded in only six days between 23–25 July and 3–5 September in 2007 in Budapest.[2] [3] They released it in November 2007 as un unsigned band. The album contains the song Nice1 which could be found in their debut EP EZ To Say. EZ Basic shot their first music video for the song Nice1. This song brought success for the band and could lay the foundations for being one of the leading members of the Hungarian indie music scene.

Hello Heavy

See main article: Hello Heavy. During the summer of 2009, EZ Basic started working with English producer George Shilling who previously worked with bands such as Primal Scream, Blur, Bernard Butler (ex-Suede), Soup Dragons, Coldcut, My Bloody Valentine, and The Fall. In April 2010 the Hungarian Twelvetones Records released EZ Basic's second full-length studio album, Hello Heavy.[4] [5] After the album's release the band supported Placebo in Budapest Sports Arena,[6] [7] and later represented Hungary at the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, Netherlands in 2011.[8] [9] [10] [11]

Memories of Spring

EZ Basic released a new EP entitled Memories of Spring in April 2012.[12] [13] EZ Basic shot the video for the song Sometimes I Can't to promote their new EP. The video was directed by Dezső Gyarmati while the cinematographer was Ákos Nyoszoli.

Dead End Darling

In 2014 EZ Basic started recording their 3rd album called Dead End Darling, which was released on November 10, 2015.The album features previously released singles Unnatural and Whatcha Gonna Do With Your Life?, and contains 12 songs in total.

Sissyfuzz

The band released their 4th album Sissyfuzz on November 21, 2017. The neopsychedelic rock influenced album contains nine songs.

Resonance

EZ Basic's 5th album arrived in October, 2021. Inspired by German writer/sociologist, Hartmut Rosa’s concept of “resonance” (and our strained relationship with accelerated modern society), Resonance marks the return to working with British producer, George Shilling, who produced and mastered the album.

Nocturner

After the critically acclaimed Resonance, EZ Basic returned with a new album in April 2024 entitled Nocturner. Just like its predecessors, the album was recorded by Árpád Szarvas in its entirety, and it features guest musicians, such as Dániel Sajó (Fran Palermo) on trumpet, Imre Poniklo (Amber Smith (band)) on backing vocals, and Jehan Paumero (Psycho Mutants) on accordion.

Band members

Current line-up
Former members

Timeline

ImageSize = width:920 height:auto barincrement:20PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:10Alignbars = justifyDateFormat = dd/mm/yyyyPeriod = from:01/01/2004 till:01/01/2019TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyyLegend = orientation:horizontal position:bottomScaleMajor = increment:1 start:2004

Colors = id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals/Guitar id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Keyboards value:orange legend:Keyboards id:Drums value:purple legend:Drums id:Lines value:black legend:Studio_Albums

LineData =

at:01/01/2007 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2010 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2012 color:black layer:back at:10/11/2015 color:black layer:back at:21/11/2017 color:black layer:back

BarData = bar:Szarvas text:"Árpád Szarvas" bar:Pesztalics text:"Dénes Pesztalics" bar:Tóth text:"András Tóth" bar:Nagybaczoni text:"Áron Nagybaczoni"

PlotData= width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Szarvas from:start till:end color:Vocals bar:Pesztalics from:start till:end color:Bass bar:Nagybaczoni from:01/01/2010 till:01/01/2016 color:Keyboards bar:Tóth from:start till:01/09/2013 color:Drums

Discography

Artist:EZ Basic
Studio:3
Music Videos:4
Ep:2
Albums
Singles

Music videos

YearTitleDirector
2010Nice1Péter Farkas
2010MayDávid Vígh
2011Motorik ErikRóbert Borbás & Judit Kurth
2012Sometimes I Can'tDezső Gyarmati & Ákos Nyoszoli
2015Whatcha Gonna Do With Your Life?László Szarvas
2016GoAlexandra Molnár Rusek
2018BroncoAlexandra Molnár Rusek
2019MinxxDávid Klág, Éva Szombat
2022Stay InDániel Gaál

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: EZ Basic - Bio. 21 January 2013. EZ Basic's Official Website. 19 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204424/http://www.ezbasic.hu/site/bio.php?lang=eng. 29 October 2013. dead.
  2. Web site: EZ Basic - Discography. 21 January 2013. EZ Basic's Official Website. 19 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204425/http://www.ezbasic.hu/site/lemezek.php?lang=eng. 29 October 2013. dead.
  3. Web site: EZ Basic - Hocus Focus . 15 November 2007 . Est . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029212903/http://www.est.hu/cikk/51359/ez_basic_hocus_focus . 2013-10-29 .
  4. http://www.twelvetones.hu/index.php?l=EN&page=17&prod=84 EZ Basic
  5. Web site: EZ Basic - Hello Heavy. 29 March 2010. Discogs.
  6. Web site: Placebo + EZ Basic. 13 September 2010. Recorder.
  7. Web site: Placebo at Papp László Budapest Sportaréna. 10 September 2010. Recorder.
  8. Web site: EZ Basic at the Eurosonic Noorderslag Festivals 2011. 11 February 2011. Eurosonic Noorderslag Festivals.
  9. Web site: Eurosonic Noorderslag First Acts. 13 October 2010. Clashmusic.
  10. Web site: Featured Festival: Eurosonic Noorderslag. https://archive.today/20130408004001/http://culturecollide.com/index.php/news/entry/featured_festival_eurosonic_noorderslag. dead. 8 April 2013. 27 October 2010. Culture Collide.
  11. Web site: Das Eurosonic Noorderslag Festival. 30 October 2010. Festival Feiber. 19 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130218205202/http://www.festivalfieber.de/meta-festival/582/Eurosonic-Noorderslag-Festival. 18 February 2013. dead.
  12. Web site: Memories Of Spring - EZ Basic-lemezpremier. 29 March 2012. Lángoló Gitárok.
  13. Web site: EZ Basic: Memories Of Spring. 16 April 2012. Quart.