Vita Noctis

Vita Noctis were a trio from Vilvoorde, Belgium in the Flemish Region. Inspired by the post-punk movement twin brothers Kris and Jos Kips convinced Kris’ girlfriend Martine Genijn to start a band in 1981. They recorded their earliest songs onto a 2-track tape deck in their bedroom studio using second-hand equipment they could afford: Roland TR-808 drum machine, Casiotone MT-31, Ibanez bass guitar and a Korg MS-20 keyboard. Their first album 'In The Face Of… Death' was self-released on cassette only followed in 1984 by the 'Much Money Good Boy, No Money Good-Bye' cassette in 1985. In February 1986 the band recorded five songs at Studio Care in Gent, Belgium later released as the self-titled 12″ Mini-LP on Mad Tapes & Records. Their final recording session was November 1986 returning to the band’s bedroom studio, resulting in the song “She Likes Me” which appeared on the 'Climax Productions Presents' LP compilation. 

More “arthouse” than “goth”, Vita Noctis blend the sneering attitude of punk with the spartan structures of minimal electronics. The band had more in common with the early electronic Sheffield scene of Cabaret Voltaire, Vice Versa or early Human League than their Belgian contemporaries. Urgent vocals go from a whisper to a scream in seconds and sound restless, bored and irritated all at once. Fuzzy guitar, simple baselines and crude electronics take turns accompanying the dynamic vocal stylings. While lyrics tackle weighty topics like death and religion, the landscape they paint is as playfully bratty as it is grim. Vita Noctis are the soundtrack to Armageddon, very fitting in the contemporary climate of dissatisfaction and social upheaval. [SOURCE: DARK ENTRIES RECORDS]