The Band now

The Trottel Saga

Interesting Music For Curious People

STATE OF THINGS 2008
The band was formed in 1985 but until the system changed we only played in our hometown and some concerts in Hungary. Then the border opened and started making records and touring madly in 1989. Since then we played hundreds of gigs in Hungary and abroad. Even a kilometre long paper would be too short to write a proper biography so let's forget about it. Trottel as a band and project is in constant movement and lots of things happened are happening and will happen. 
LINE-UP
During the years we went through different formations. It is difficult for me to count all the people who joined us and who left sooner or later. Two guitars, bass, drums and female voice was the original line-up, then one guitar left and the first three albums were made by this formation. 
The first Lp was released in France the 2nd and 3rd in Germany. 

After our double LP in 1991, the singer left and we stayed an instrumental guitar,bass,drums trio because that was what we wanted and because we didn' t want to replace our first singer by somebody else. We enjoyed this period very much, the absence of singing opened a new dimension for the music and it gave a new way of communicating through playing. After this we took a second guitarist and made the Stolen Garden album. In 95 we set up a new project without drums, just four guitars making the rhythm together by completing each other. We called this thing TROXX because we didn' t want the people who know us to feel that it is the same band just the drum is missing but to make the point between TROTTEL and TROXX as two separated projects even if the musicians are the same. 

Then the 5 piece became 6 , completed with trumpet and singing, keyboard and the band is since a totally mobile project being sometimes 3, 4, 5 or 6 on stage.
DISCOGRAPHY
Trottel never did two similar albums. We like to play various stuff, using our imagination and creating different ambiences. Each new musician brings new influences and new sounds in. We are changing and hopefuly progressing and so does our music. Since we make records the media and the public described us in many ways, here are some of the adjectives:
EXPERIMENTAL JAZZ FOLK PUNK PSYCHEDELIC UNDERGROUND ETNO HARDCORE, TRANCE.. I like the following comment which i think is always valid for each period of the band:

' labyrinthian, complex but at the same time understandable, human example of music 'Interesting Music For Curious People'

In 1999 with Kaktusz jumping on a mono casio keyboard and later, all sorts of analog and digital noise makers, we became Monodream, we can hardly call it else than an electronic band. We released Fluid in 2000 and 2001 saw us becoming The Trottel Stereodream Experience which name expresses for me all what Trottel is in a musical sense and also the way we approach life. Trottel is a road movie.

 

Trottel Records - Trottel Books - and The Music Farm

But for me it isnt only a musical project. I like the complexity of the whole thing what means making a band, music, logistics etc.

In 1993, as the next  logical step of our existence we created our own recordlabel called Trottel Records with the aim to release our records and help other bands which share  similar musical and moral ideas with us. Since then Trottel Records is working on the wide spectrum of not commercial music trying to promote alternative culture. We released about 75 albums, introduced many new hungarian bands to the public.Trottel became a book publisher too in 2004 and in 2007 THE MUSIC FARM was born where we make free festivals and music camp for children  
 Several years passed, TROTTEL is constantly changing and developing. Only our motivation hasn't changed or our love for music, communication by playing and meeting people nor has our belief that we can work independently in an alternative way by creating our own space and possibilities.