(, stylized as MEUTE, German for "pack", "rout" or "crowd") is an eleven-piece self-described
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
marching band
A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ofte ...
from Germany.
The band arranges techno,
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
and
deep house
Deep house is a subgenre of house music that originated in the 1980s, initially fusing elements of Chicago house with the lush chords of 1980s jazz-funk and touches of soul music. Its origins are attributed to the early recordings of Larry Heard ( ...
works by well-known DJs, augmenting them with electronic beats created by marching band instruments. In doing so, they seek to "
reate
Rieti (; lat, Reate, Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina re ...
a new genre by combining hypnotic driving techno and expressive brass band music", thereby "detaching electronic music from the DJ desk." Meute have toured Europe, the United States, and southern Africa, and have performed in a variety of venues, including city streets, music festivals, and classical concert halls.
Band history
Meute was founded by trumpeter Thomas Burhorn in
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
in 2015. The band had their breakthrough in early 2016 when their video for the song "Rej" by Berlin DJ duo
Ă‚me
Ă‚me is a German house/techno duo consisting of Kristian Beyer and . The duo started making tracks in 2001. Beyer and Wiedemann first met in 2000 in Beyer's record shop in their hometown of Karlsruhe. As they both liked Chicago house and Detroi ...
became a viral hit on
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
. Within a week, their interpretation of the
deep house
Deep house is a subgenre of house music that originated in the 1980s, initially fusing elements of Chicago house with the lush chords of 1980s jazz-funk and touches of soul music. Its origins are attributed to the early recordings of Larry Heard ( ...
song received more than 400,000 views on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
.
After the release of their debut album, ''Tumult'', in mid-2017, Meute toured music clubs in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Luxembourg. In total, the band gave more than 150 concerts in their first two years of existence. In 2018, Meute participated in the showcase festivals ESNS and
SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...
, ending the year as one of the most booked festival bands in Europe.
In addition to formal gigs, Meute has given unannounced concerts in several cities. In June 2018, one such performance in Berlin gained widespread attention when a video of the band performing its song "You & Me ( Flume Remix)" went viral. , the video has had over 55 million views on YouTube, making it the band's most widely viewed to date. Meute's unannounced October 2018 appearance in Rome drew attention to their single "Hey Hey (
Dennis Ferrer
Dennis Ferrer (born December 26 1970) is a New York-based DJ, producer and remixer. He currently resides in Union City, New Jersey. A veteran of soulful house music production, he has worked with the likes of Masters at Work (MAW), Little Louie ...
Remix)" in a similar fashion.
Meute's arrangements have earned recognition from their original artists. In 2017, Meute and Laurent Garnier, whose song "The Man with the Red Face" the band had prominently covered, made a joint stage appearance at the 2017 Festival Yeah! in France. In 2018, Meute and
Stephan Bodzin
Stephan Bodzin (born 4 August 1969 in Bremen) is a German DJ techno- and trance producer and label owner. Later that same year, the band played concerts in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
and
Eswatini
Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...
with the help of the
Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut (, GI, en, Goethe Institute) is a non-profit German cultural association operational worldwide with 159 institutes, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and ...
.
Meute undertook their first North American tour in October 2019, with 14 performances in the United States and Canada.
In October 2019, Meute released their first live album, ''Meute Live In Paris'', which they recorded in March 2019 at Le Trianon in Paris. The collection consists of 14 previously released songs as singles or on album, as well as three previously unreleased tracks.
Additionally, Meute supports projects by Musicians without Borders with the help of Musik Bewegt, a German philanthropic organisation seeking to use music to make a difference in education, integration, health, and youth.
Style
Meute's music is based on
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
,
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
and
deep house
Deep house is a subgenre of house music that originated in the 1980s, initially fusing elements of Chicago house with the lush chords of 1980s jazz-funk and touches of soul music. Its origins are attributed to the early recordings of Larry Heard ( ...
hits. They call their covers or arrangements "reworks". These works are rearranged by the Hamburg musicians and adapted to the instruments of the band. Through the combination of techno and the acoustic marching band instruments, Meute makes electronic music visible and combines these two music styles. ''
Die Zeit
''Die Zeit'' (, "The Time") is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles.
History
The ...
'' describes the band as placing a unique twist on the genres, in that " e hypnotic monotony of the electronic music is retained, but the sterile sounds from the machine are replaced by the warmer-sounding wind instruments." According to the '' Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung'', the result sounds "Symphonic. Hymnlike. Orchestral."
The band plays acoustic or amplified on major festival stages, in techno clubs, and on the street. Their cross-genre appeal has also led Meute to perform in classical settings such as the
Hamburg State Opera
The Hamburg State Opera (in German: Staatsoper Hamburg) is a German opera company based in Hamburg. Its theatre is near the square of Gänsemarkt. Since 2015, the current ''Intendant'' of the company is Georges Delnon, and the current ''General ...
Ă‚me
Ă‚me is a German house/techno duo consisting of Kristian Beyer and . The duo started making tracks in 2001. Beyer and Wiedemann first met in 2000 in Beyer's record shop in their hometown of Karlsruhe. As they both liked Chicago house and Detroi ...
Stephan Bodzin
Stephan Bodzin (born 4 August 1969 in Bremen) is a German DJ techno- and trance producer and label owner.Nick Curly /
Dennis Ferrer
Dennis Ferrer (born December 26 1970) is a New York-based DJ, producer and remixer. He currently resides in Union City, New Jersey. A veteran of soulful house music production, he has worked with the likes of Masters at Work (MAW), Little Louie ...
Trentemøller
Anders Trentemøller (; born 16 October 1972) is a Danish indie/electronic music composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
History
Trentemøller started music in the late 1990s with different indie rock projects. ...
Rival Consoles
Ryan Lee West, known by his stage name Rival Consoles, is a British electronic musician, living in London. All of his albums and EPs have been released by Erased Tapes Records.
Biography
West was born in Leicester. He learned to play guitar in ...
AWOLNATION
Awolnation (stylized in all caps) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed and fronted by Aaron Bruno, formerly of Under the Influence of Giants, Home Town Hero, and Insurgence. The band is signed to Better Noise Music, formerly being s ...