The Subs

The Subs are a Belgian electro band from Ghent, active since 2006. The group is centred on Jeroen De Pessemier, and is associated with club, electro, electronic and techno music. They release music on I Want To Dance Again.

Background and formation

The band comes from Ghent, Belgium, and is known for presenting itself as a live act as well as a studio project. Its membership includes Jeroen De Pessemier, who is also known as Papillon, together with Wiebe Loccufier, known as DJ Tonic, and Luca Di Ferdinando, known as Highbloo.

Albums and releases

The Subs release their debut album, Subculture, in 2008. A second album, Decontrol, follows later and reflects the group’s shift towards a full live-band setup. The band also releases the Vomit In Style EP, which includes remixes by Mixhell, Don Rimini and Les Petits Pilous. Another release, My Body Is Gonna Remember / Rototom, appears as a double A-side with Les Petits Pilous.

Tracks, collaborations and live work

One of the group’s best-known tracks is The Pope Of Dope, made with Party Harders. The song grows from a disco sample and a spoken vocal recorded on the spot by Party Harders chief Le Colonel. It becomes a festival favourite and reaches a wider audience than expected. Other tracks mentioned with Decontrol include Don’t Stop, The Hype, The Visible Man, Hannibal (and the battle of Oda), The Face Of The Planet and Lemonade.

Performance history

The Subs play more than 160 shows and travel to 14 countries. Their live activity includes multiple stage invasions, disputes with venue security, broken wireless microphones and smashed AX-7 keytars. They build their reputation as a touring band through a more developed live setup rather than the earlier format of “two CDJs and a microphone”.

Additional details

The band launches a blog, records videocasts, and has songs featured on many compilations. Their activity also includes a large amount of studio work and repeated revisions of artwork and track listings while preparing new material. Their work is described in relation to “electroravepunk” and to a style that moves between club music, electro, house and techno.