| About broncko | Kris Ratiau was born in Ghent. At age five, he started playing the drums, an instrument given by his uncle. At nine, he began playing an old organ while studying classical guitar. In the meantime he was acting in small musicals. He grew up being a huge Bowie/Depeche fan. At age 19, he successfully auditioned for a band called the Source. Two years later he signed with EMI and released two singles and one EP. He played in the rock band Gasoline and then gigged with local bands. He met musician R. Haenen, a friend from Oliver Adams (Praga Khan). They started working together and Kris created Broncko. It started off as a small project but became popular in 2001 with the singles “Futuremusic” and “Beauty”. It even sold in Japan, Canada & Germany. Kris remained responsible for the musical management of Broncko (however, in concerts he was supported by a backing band). Unlike the vast majority of electro artists, Ratiau wrote melodic tracks. The songs were structured in a traditional way, with lyrics as a main focus. His pop instincts not only made the harsh electronic beats of industrial & rock music easier to digest, but also gave them a softer edge. R. Haenen left Broncko in 2003. Kris followed an acoustic path for 7 years. He enjoyed the response and interaction of an interactive audience. In 2011 he met sound engineer Dirk Miers also responsible for the Bronckomixes. After this intermezzo, Kris wanted a fresh start for Broncko and gave it a warm pop rock & electric sound. He spent years studying music and computers at Broncko College. New wave, hard rock and assorted underground music were his main interests. And, most of all, early electro, since it offers an edgy, aggressive way of using electronic instruments. This style of music was a success, regarding his cooperation with Erik V Spauwen & Christophe Chantzis (Ian Von Dahl), two producers responsible for selling thousands of records all over the world. For the new Broncko- album, he worked with some talented young musicians Stef Potiau, Dave Elli, Filip v Laer, Jill Delien and Steven Hellemans. Ziggy Venneman also made his first appearance in Broncko as a vocalist. His deep voice is a perfect match. So listen on I-tunes and discover how these two male voices blend in a unique way. Enjoy the new song Don’t & check out the video on www.broncko.be |
Return to profile |