EFFTER were formed by Frank F and JQR.
Both from Milan (Italy) they met in Berlin (Germany) in the summer of 2009.
Their music is a mixture of Frank F and JQR's musical backgrounds combined with the current electronic wave to create a brand new sound.
In addition to electronic atmospheres and an enormous range of music (from metal and noise to electro, breakcore, etc.), EFFTER are inspired by criminology, psychology, poetry, literature and cinema.
From 2009 until now they have released 3 Full-Length albums (two of which with “Danse Macabre Records“) and 11 Eps.
They also worked in movie sonorization, documentaries, video installations and modern theatre.
In 2018 EFFTER created BLOCKHAUS, a project which is now being presented in art galleries and schools.
In addition to be a musician, Frank F is a vocal coach. He also paints, studies criminology and writes poems.
JQR is a professional sound engineer and sound designer. He released several sample packs for the renowned label “Industrial Strength Records“.
Frank F : Lyrics, guitars, piano, bass, vocals
JQR : Drum and synths programming, noise, sampling, cello
BLOCKHAUS (German for "casemate") is a video installation about the Atlantic Wall first conceptualized in 2018 by Frank F and JQR, namely EFFTER. This work was realized on the west coast of Denmark and on the north coast of France; music was recorded directly inside this ruined, abandoned fortifications.
It is such an extreme disgrace, that even earth itself withdraws before the Horror. Indeed, those facilities were built on the brink of a very large coastline embracing various nations. Due to sea's and wind's natural erosion, those coasts have moved back several metres in less than 80 years. The casemates' foundation has crumbled, and it has been divoured year after year by sand: laid upside-down, like a mighty beast's corpse, now in death.
EFFTER decided to defy that malaise: darkness, that fresh smell of cruelty and senselessness. They gave birth to their art. In there, they made MUSIC.
The sounds of the ocean, wind and the burden of memory have accompanied them. For almost a century, that Horror made of concrete remained silent and stoic. They gave it a voice, to not forget.
BLOCKHAUS relied on Frank F and JQR catching on camera a series of videos and adding background music recorded inside the casemates. Francesco Sgaramella (a videomaker) provided with his video editing and color correction skills thereafter.
First thing EFFTER did was pre-producing and recording guitar and piano parts between Turin and Berlin, so they could play those tracks inside the casemates and re-record them with a portable device: this to capture the reverb response of the room combined with the direct audio source.
They then played live music inside the casemates, producing additional Drone/Noise sounds using DIY synthesizers, vocals, a Tibetan singing bowl and a harmonica.
Finally, they mixed everything. During the whole process, they didn't apply any effect nor use any equalizer: the audio is therefore faithful to the original source.
