Kante

by Jason AnkenyGerman post-rock unit Kante was founded in Berlin in 1995 by guitarist Peter Thiessen (also known for his concurrent stint playing bass in Blumfeld) and drummer Sebastian Vogel. Guitarist Felix Müller, bassist Andreas Krane, and keyboardist Michael Mühlhaus eventually completed the lineup, which signed to the Kitty-Yo label to issue its 1997 debut single, "Heiligengeistfeld." The all-instrumental full-length Zwischen den Orten soon followed, and in 1998 the Stewardess label issued Redirections, a collection of Kante remixes by artists including To Rococo Rot's Robert Lippok and FSK's Thomas Meinecke. With the follow-up Zweilicht, Kante expanded its approach with the addition of a 14-member symphony orchestra, exploring influences ranging from the blues to transcendental jazz. For the first time, Thiessen emphasized vocals as well, exposing the group's music to a far wider audience. With 2004's Zombi, Kante joined the ranks of major label EMI, entering the German Top 40. The record also introduced new keyboardist Thomas Leboeg, who signed on when Mühlhaus joined Blumfeld full time. Die Tiere Sind Unruhig followed in 2006.