Bulbul

Bulbul is an experimental rock and noise rock group from Wien, Austria. It forms in 1996 and remains active, with Manfred Engelmayr, Dieter Kern and Roland Rathmair in the line-up.

Origins and early releases

The project starts as a one-man band in Wels, Upper Austria, under the name Raumschiff Engelmayr. At that stage it uses guitar, drum computer and vacuum cleaner, and it releases a CD on TROST in 1998 with a 600g handmade steel cover. The act also begins performing in disguise, first as a space-indian.

It then develops into a rock formation with derhunt on bass and two jazz reeds. After the album blue on TROST in 1999, Raumschiff Engelmayr and derhunt look for a new drummer.

Line-up and trio period

They eventually find ddkern, who plays drums from then on. As a trio, Bulbul records another longplayer for TROST in 2002 and tours Europe dressed as chickens, ladies or sunflowers.

Collaborations and labels

Bulbul works with a range of artists from the jazz and noise scenes, including Leonid Soybelman, kknull, dieb13 and Franz Hautzinger. These live collaborations bring attention from the electronic experimental label Mego, which releases the 12-inch drabule in 2004.

The group also issues material on tape, CDR and double 5-inch vinyl through labels including Rock is Hell, imvated, Rasputin Records, Hurenschädl and Nawoatna.

Later activity

The group later finishes masters for a further release produced by Patrick Pulsinger, while planning another European tour.