Often counted among the most important and innovative European bands of the 1990s, dEUS lands July 23 at Rome Summer Fest 2023 for a date to present their latest record "How To Replace It," released last February. The dEUS never had a true philosophy of life. They never wanted one. Yet they remained true to certain principles. "You don't want to repeat yourself, but you have your own style," says Tom Barman, frontman and brilliant leader of the Antwerp cult band. "You want to try new things and react to what seems current at the time." This is what happens in "How To Replace It," the eighth studio album for the lineup that comes 11 years after the release of the previous "Following Sea."

Says Barman on this long hiatus: "Life took over, but we never stopped working and playing live": the "Selected Songs 1994-2014" compilation, the Soft Electric Tour, numerous festival appearances and an anniversary to celebrate-the 20th birthday of their masterpiece "The Ideal Crash." "Things always take longer than you expect, but this is not a 10-year project." In fact, it didn't even take four years, and although everything had been planned as early as 2018 other commitments came up later: rehearsals and the tour dedicated to "The Ideal Crash," Barman's photography exhibitions, and of course the pandemic. The way the band works has also changed. For the previous two albums, the jam sessions were long and structured-five days a week, from noon to 6 p.m.-and the pieces were shaped and developed over time.

For the "How To Replace It" sessions, on the other hand, Barman kicked things up a notch: "We had short, explosive jams that were very focused, and when I heard something good I would pull back with our sound engineers and do the heavy lifting. That's how the album was born." Some bands age gracefully, slipping into something more comfortable than their beginnings. Others fade into irrelevance, with nothing more to say. Twenty-eight years after their debut album, dEUS have no desire to do either: they remain staunch supporters of indie, ready to push themselves ever forward, endlessly curious and creatively restless. "After so many years we want to participate in many more festivals and play many more places. We can't wait to see the live performance of these pieces."