musicXport.nl - Buma Cultuur

musicXport.nl The rough guide to Dutch music EuroSonic Noorderslag 2010
musicXport.nl
The rough guide to Dutch music

index
musicXport.nl
08. What Is Musicxport
12. News
16. Locator
18. The Mixtape
20. Label profile Dox
22. Special: in a cabin with
28. Laura Jansen
30. Destine
32. C-Mon & Kypski
34. De Staat
36. Promo
38. Wende Snijders
40. Moke
42. Mdungu
44. Eric Vloeimans
46. Applescal
48. Essential Album
50. Reviews
54. In the studio with Anton Pieete
56. Program EuroSonic Noorderslag
82. City map Groningen

preface
musicXport.nl
4
Promoting the Dutch
During the last decade the EuroSonic Noorderslag weekend gradually became
the ever more important and influential platform for discovering new and
upcoming European talent. A constantly growing army of international talent
seekers has Noorderslag in its agenda. Every year they reserve time for the
second weekend of January to visit the city of Groningen in the north of the
Netherlands. New talent from the UK to France, from Germany to Norway
and from Moldavia to Finland is playing there on a growing number of stages.
Festivals scout and book the new stars, labels are looking for new signings,
artist managers are also on the prowl.
Among those hundreds of new talents from all over Europe are also the very best
the Dutch have to offer themselves. A lot of them are on the bill for the Saturday
night, for the actual Noorderslag Festival in the Oosterpoort venue, that contains
eight different stages throughout the building. This gives them the opportunity to
show what’s happening in the booming Dutch hiphop scene, the flourishing metal-
and guitar rock scenes and in the world famous Dutch dance scene. And for those
who prefer soul, jazz or singer/songwriters there’s also plenty to discover.
An increasing number of Dutch top talent is also ‘crossing the bridge’ from (Dutch
talent only) Noorderslag to the EuroSonic Festival, as this European festival suits
its international careers even better. They prefer this despite the fact this can cost
them a live appearance on national Dutch television, which is broadcasting the
Noorderslag Festival live!
This magazine is about all those Dutch acts mentioned above, acts who will be
playing somewhere on one of all of those stages of EuroSonic Noorderslag, is
presented to you by musicXport.nl as a guideline and help for you in discovering
the best the Dutch have to offer you this year.
We wish you a very fruitful weekend and a lot of great (Dutch and/or European)
gigs!
Sincerely,
on behalf of the musicXport.nl-team,
Arjen Davidse

colophon
musicXport.nl
Publisher
Victor Bakhuis (victor@blueprintmedia.nl)
Executive editor
Eric van den Bogaard (eric@blueprintmedia.nl)
Editorial team
Alfred Bos (alfred@djbroadcast.nl)
Michael Oudman (michael@djbroadcast.nl)
Aron Friedman (aronfriedman@gmail.com)
Tijn Benedek (tijn@djbroadcast.nl)
Nick van der Pijl (nick@djbroadcast.nl)
Swie Tio (background)
Rieks Bakker (rieks@mcn.nl)
Design
Maslow (hellow@maslow.nl)
Photography
Anton Corbijn (cover)
Wendy Oakes (Studio)
Hans van den Bogaard (Index, What is musicXport?)
Printer
PRinterface
MusicXport.nl
Post address
Rokin 111
1012 KN Amsterdam
T +31 (0)20-344 60 00
F +31 (0)20-673 35 88
Ruud Berends
T +31 (0)35 - 672 74 00
M +31(0)6 284 031 83
ruud.berends@bumacultuur.nl
Robbert Tilli
T +31 (0)20 344 60 54
M +31(0)6 462 320 55
robbert@mcn.nl
Rieks Bakker
T +31 (0)20 344 60 56
M +31(0)6 131 391 40
rieks@mcn.nl

musicXport.nl
8
What is musicXport?
By Robbert Tilli
MusicXport.nl is an initiative of Buma Cultuur and Music Center
the Netherlands (MCN) aiming to enhance the profile of Dutch
artists abroad and therefore extend their prospects. The initiative
works by establishing contact with and providing information
to agents, promoters, festivals, record companies, and media
and promotion agencies overseas. MusicXport.nl also supports
shows at international showcase events with relevant forms of
additional collective promotion, advice and analysis of plans with
regard to the appropriate foreign market.
As of 2010 musicXport is completely renewed: on the one hand it
is aimed at the international development of artist managers. On
the other hand it is meant to promote and market their bands/
artists more professionally. Besides organizing master classes by
international top managers, in-house workshops relating to taxes,
copyrights and new revenue streams, the musicXport program also
supports the participating managers in developing an international
network by sending them out to international showcases and
conventions.
www.musicxport.nl | www.facebook.com/musicxport

musicXport.nl
10
MusicXport and EuroSonic Noorderslag 2010
MusicXport.nl is omnipresent at the EuroSonic Noorderslag 2010 weekend.
Various dinners will be held under the musicXport signature, while the platform
also presents six prominent music managers, who are selected to fulfil their
business plans in 2010.
On the conference’s opening day, Thursday January 14th, there will be the
traditional ETEP (European Talent Exchange Program) dinner for a wide range
of professionals active in the live music field such as bookers, agents and festival
directors. Not exactly a musicXport activity as such, but it’s the first big meeting
before the EuroSonic part of the event really takes off. And the musicXport team
is heavily involved.
The next night, on Friday January 15th, there will be the annual musicXport Export
dinner at the Schouwburg, presenting three artists/bands on stage while the
invitees socialize, have a bite and a drink. This year they will be entertained by rock
band De Staat, pop singer Laura Jansen and jazz crooner Wouter Hamel. Singer/
songwriter Lucky Fonz III will serve as MC who will sing a song or two in the breaks.
While the bands play, their mangers will be available for a chat and the exchange
of business cards and promos. Imagine you are on a cruise in the harbour. There’s
plenty of great music and good food. What’s more: you won’t get seasick.
The last dinner the export platform will host is the annual musicXport trade dinner
on Saturday January 16th , traditionally staged in restaurant De Pauw in the center
of Groningen. It’s the night of the Dutch bands-only Noorderslag Festival. While
wining and dining, international agents, talent buyers at festivals and clubs get
customized info about the Dutch bands on the bill that night. After dinner they
will walk together back to the convention center for the festival. Mind you, you’ll
never walk alone. In the Oosterpoort there’s a backstage bar for those who want
to retreat between shows. Guides will pick you up when needed. Every year this
approach leads to numerous international bookings of Dutch bands.
During the daytime conference in the Oosterpoort convention center, musicXport
will also present which business plans are selected for execution in 2010. Six
managers will be installed as official contenders in musicXport’s campaign for
2010. Four more will be added at a later stage. The sextet of frontrunners of a
grant for 2010 include: Arjo Klingens (De Staat), Karin Koopmans (Moke), Daniel
Regan (Textures), Elselinda Schouten (Wende), Nancy Poleon (C-mon & Kypski)
and Robert Swarts (Laura Jansen).
Buma Cultuur
Buma Cultuur is the foundation dedicated to the promotion
and support of Dutch music copyright. Founded by the Dutch
collecting society Buma/Stemra, Buma Cultuur initiates,
contributes to and sponsors a number of projects in the
Netherlands and abroad.
Buma Cultuur also promotes and supports Dutch music
copyright abroad at conferences such as Midem and Popkomm
and hands out a number of awards for special contributions to
Dutch music. Several music initiatives are supported by Buma
Cultuur in order to stimulate Dutch music, while the foundation
is also involved with a number of educational projects.
Several projects of Buma Cultuur
MusicXport.nl – EuroSonic Noorderslag - Amsterdam Dance
Event (ADE) – ADE Next - Dutchsound.nl - Dutch Jazz Day -
Toonzetters
www.bumacultuur.nl
Music Center the Netherlands
Music Center the Netherlands (MCN) is the resource and
promotion center for the professional music world. Its mission
is to propagate and enhance the position of Dutch musical life,
both nationally and internationally.
MCN plays a coordinating and stimulating role within the national
and international music arena by supporting, communicating,
and most importantly, by initiating activities. Home to many
different partners active in the music sector, MCN forms a
unifying factor in the chain of demand and supply.
Several projects of MCN
MusicXport.nl – Pop Media Prize - Dutch Chamber Music Meeting
- Dutch Jazz Meeting - International Gaudeamus Music Week –
Plastic Dreams - FRET Magazine and Jazz Bulletin
www.mcn.nl

news
musicXport.nl
12
Aux Raus starts franchise
Amsterdam-based gabba punks Aux Raus (Bastiaan
Bosma and Luuk Bouwman) have started a franchise.
Every country can have its own Aux Raus, endorsed by
Bosma and Bouwman. “It’s a new take on bands. It’s not
about the people, it’s about the music”, Bosma states.
Applicants must comply to various conditions, including:
duos only; one Aux Raus per country; mandatory blog
on auxrausfranchise.com; and a 20 % commission of
performance fees. “The ultimate goal is finding a better
Aux Raus.” Local renditions of Aux Raus will add the
country of origin to the bandname. For their foreign
tours, the Amsterdam duo will be billed as The Original
Aux Raus. More info on the Aux Raus franchise website.
www.auxrausfranchise.com
Popview Outdoor Expo
For four weeks up till Sunday January 17, the cityscape of
downtown Groningen will be decorated with huge blow-ups of
photo portraits of musicians. Popview Outdoor exhibits the work
of various music photographers from Europe, including Emma
Svenson (Sweden), Angels & Ghosts (Belgium), Danny North
(England), Annie Hoogendoorn and Tom Verburggen (both The
Netherlands). Popview Outdoor is organised by Popview, an
annual exhibition of music photography from Europe. Included
in this year’s selection are Titia Hahne en Nick Helderman, who
are nominated for the Lex van Rossen Award 2010, which will be
awarded on Friday January 15 at EuroSonic Noorderslag. The Lex
van Rossen Award, named after the Dutch photographer who
died in 2007, is the only European music photography award.
www.popview.eu

news
musicXport.nl
14
Dutch dance showcases
in Istanbul and Budapest
Plastic Dreams is a project of Music Center the Nederlands and
promotes upcoming Dutch dance talent with showcases and
clubnights at various cities all over Europe. Last year, Plastic
Dreams hosted clubnights in London, Paris and Berlin. For 2010,
it will focus on Istanbul (Turkey) and Budapest (Hungary). Plastic
Dreams cooperates with reputed party organisations from The
Netherlands, who work in tandem with a local partner. The
Budapest night (January 16 at A38) will be produced by Major
League, known for their drum ‘n bass and dubstep parties at,
among others, Amsterdam’s Milky Way. The bill includes Dutch
dance talents Icicle, Lenzman (photo) and Pamb & Harsh. The
Istanbul night (in March) will be hosted by Labyrint, which produces
parties at Amsterdam clubs Paradiso and Sugar Factory.
www.plasticdreams.nl
Holland rocks SXSW
A slew of bands from The Netherlands will perform at the
upcoming South By Southwest (SXSW), the annual music
industry fair in Austin, Texas. The Dutch contingent includes The
Black Atlantic, Elle Bandita (photo), Drive Like Maria, Sabrina
Starke, Lucky Fonz III, Nobody Beats The Drum, La Melodia and
C-mon & Kypski. Moreover, the city of The Hague will present
Music City The Hague at SXSW. John Dear Mowing Club, NiCad,
The Deaf, So What and ReBelle will represent the royal residence.
SXSW 2010 will run from March 12 till March 15.
www.sxsw.com

locator
musicXport.nl
16
Simplon:
northern
pop temple
Even Dutch people who have never gone wild in Groningen know about the
liberal opening hours of the bars and clubs of the city. Forget about Amsterdam;
if you like your nights long and vibrant. Groningen is the place to be. You will
most definitely get a taste of what the city is all about during this edition of
EuroSonic Noorderslag. And be sure to pay Simplon a visit while you’re at it!
Simplon, right in the centre of town, has been making a name for itself in the Dutch
music scene for a good 30 years now. The building was first used as a rain jacket
factory (which should make up for a healthy business in this country), before it was
turned into a youth centre. After a major rebuilding, Simplon got the official status
of ‘Poppodium’ (Dutch for a subsidized stage for popular music), and that’s where
it really took off.
Simplon is there for everyone, that’s the essence of the stage. Whether you are
young or old, into pop, rock, techno, metal, hip-hop, urban, punk or house; Simplon
has a night for you. The building holds two rooms and the Simplon Café, and is
famous for its sound quality. The main room has place for 400 music lovers, while
the second room can hold 200. On Thursdays Simplon is all about talented local
musicians under the name of Perron Simplon. The best bands sometimes move on
to the Friday nights that feature established bands, both local and international, to
take care of the warm-up.
Saturdays evolve around progressive electronic music. Every technohead in the
country knows about the Technootjes nights, although dubstep is definitely gaining
popularity through the wonky Dub&Dwars parties. During EuroSonic Noorderslag,
Simplon is booming as always, and you haven’t seen Groningen nightlife if you
haven’t been to Simplon. Period.
Check out the program in the back to see what’s going on at Simplon during
EuroSonic Noorderslag.

mixtape
musicXport.nl
18
Jasper van den
Dobbelsteen
Jasper van den Dobbelsteen used to work for the Dutch Rock
& Pop Institute, nowadays known as the Rock department of
Music Center the Netherlands. At the moment he’s busy as a
concertpromotor for Dutch venue Groene Engel in Oss (cap.
600) and managing director at the LAKEI venue in Helmond
(cap. 850). He’s also part of the organisation of the highly
respected Dutch festival Into The Great Wide Open. We asked
Jasper to put together a mix tape for this special musicXport
guide, because of his seemingly unlimited knowledge of new
talent and music.
Kyteman - Une Seule Fois
“Kyteman (Colin Benders) is a young dude with
a very different approach to hip-hop: optimistic,
soulful and pushing the boundaries of jazzy,
lyrical hip-hop. He worked on his spectacular
debut for years and what a debut that was: sold
out club tour, major spots on all Dutch summer
festivals and on top of that he sold out the
Heineken Music Hall at the end. This track is a
great example of the new style Colin invented:
kytehop extraordinaire.”
Bettie Serveert - Deny All
“Their new album Pharmacy Of Love reminds
me of the goosebumps I got when listening to
their Palomine record. Bettie found back their
raw en pure sound!”
The Devils Blood - The Heavens Cry Out
“Did these guys sell their souls to the devil?
The show does look like that and their success
is instant. The Devils Blood made some original
fresh sounding songs out of the rich sixties
and seventies underground psychedelic rock
scene. And maybe a nice detail, they call their
shows rituals, and they truly feel like that. The
song I picked is ‘The Heavens Cry Out’. Listen
how all pieces fit together.”
Sabrina Starke - Do For Love
“Last June Blue Note released Sabrina Starke’s
debut Yellow Brick Road. When I worked with
Sabrina at the Dutch Rock & Pop Institute on
the new talent project Unsigned, it became
clear that this is an extraordinarily talented
woman. The ease in her singing, forces you to
listen to Sabrina and to like her. Just like that.”
De Staat - Wait For Evolution
“They listen to the strange name De Staat. But
as their singer/guitarist/producer Torre Florim
says: ‘Even if they call us “the motherfuckers”,
I don’t mind.’ When De Staat started they
were often subscribed as a stonerband. The
repetitive grooves do indeed sound like that,
but I do hear a lot of other references. As their
biography describes it: ‘Elvis, Tom Waits, and
Masters of Reality on a holiday together.’”
Destine - Stars
“Be prepared for Destine, a new group in
the often copied Fall Out Boy tradition. But
still: good songs, tight sound and marvellous
melodies. If Holland should have its own Fall
Out Boy, Destine definitely claims this spot.
This track already sounds like a hit-record!”
Moss - I Apologize (Dear Simon)
“When their new album was released it was
like a new Moss had been born. The good
songwritership stayed, but their songs had
grown above the line of just good songs. Like
a grown up kid who didn’t lose the ability of
being everything he’d like to be in his fantasy.
Even if he wanted to be Fleet Foxes, in his own
way... like in ‘I Apologize’.”
Aux Raus - Rasthof Deutschland
“Would you believe me if I said the boys from
Aux Raus are real gentlemen after listening to
them? Probably not. Aux Raus is pure energy,
hardcore electro punk to the limit or something
like that. During their shows they tear every
venue and it’s visitors apart. Luckily people like
being torn apart by Aux Raus!”
Lucky Fonz III - Draw Me A River
“I’m a huge fan of this guy. Once you’ve seen
his show you will be too. His stage presence
is enormous. And the girls? They all think he’s
such a sweetie. And they are right! In ‘Draw
Me A River’ you can hear why.”
Anne Soldaat - Teenage View
“You might know him as one of the members
of Daryll-Ann. But let’s forget I said that. Anne
released his second album in 2009 and won
several awards. His somewhat eccentric voice
makes you want to uncover the secrets of the
album. This song has a nice Neil Young hook.”
Kim Janssen - The Wages Of An Easy Life
“A very talented singer/songwriter. Sorry;
very, very talented! He plays acoustic folk with
a nice indie twist. I really like the easy sound
of his voice. In ‘The Wages Of An Easy Life’ he
keeps it as simple as a Teitur-song. Beautiful.”

label profile
musicXport.nl
20
dox
records
Doxa is classic Greek for ‘idea’ or ‘opinion’ and Amsterdam-based Dox Records
puts its ideas into practice: helping a small yet closely-knit roster of songwriting
performers to develop an international career. “We help them to present their
creative products.”
By Alfred Bos
Dox is the brainchild of Bart Suèr. When his jazz outfit SFeQ failed to interest major
labels for their contemporary street sounds, the bandleader set up a boutique
label. From 1998 onwards , Dox released various albums by SFeQ and affiliated
musicians. In 2003, the label expanded its scope and signed up jazzpop act Benny
Sings, the alias of Tim van Berkenstijn. The multi-instrumentalist and producer
turned out to be the katalyst for Dox’s current mission: building a small yet closelyknit
roster of performers who write their songs and frequently co-operate on
various in-house projects.
And it works. Singer Wouter Hamel has rapidly evolved into the darling of the
capuccino-sippings crowds of Japan and South Korea, while former backing
vocalist Giovanca’s solo debut album proved to be a minor sensation in Japan.
Meanwhile, Benny Sings albums have been licensed to Berlin’s Sonar Kollektiv
and Dox signed up a major new talent, singer Charlene. The hardest working (and
recording) jazz band from The Netherlands, New Cool Collective, has stepped-up
its co-operation with the label.
“Dox focusses on self-made artists, people who write and perform their own songs”,
labelmanager Jochem Tromp (formerly of Warner Music Benelux) explains. “And in
a sense, Dox is more than a label. It covers all the aspects of a professional career in
music: songs, records, concerts. It’s important Dox artists are songwriters, publishing
is a crucial part of our revenues. Secondly, the records: Dox is involved in every
aspect of the record-making process, from recording to marketing & promotion.”
And the Dox releases are supported by artist tours. “Touring is a major aspect of
promoting a release”, Tromp says. “We have an in-house booking agency. So Dox
is built on three pillars, that’s our forte.”
Dox Family
The Dox label presents itself as the Dox Family. Singers and songwriters help out
on recordings or tours of labelmates, bolstering the ‘family feel’ of the operation.
The label also sports a house band, Dox Orchestra. It all helps to keeps the business
afloat. Says Tromp: “Frequently, the Dox artists are invited by outside parties to cowrite
or to co-produce. Benny Sings is Dox’s in-house producer; he’s in demand,
which works for the label as well.”
Dox’s biggest success so far is simply it still being up and running and, in fact,
expanding its activities. In terms of sales and media response, former big band
singer Wouter Hamel is leading the Dox pack. After releasing his first solo album,
Hamel (2007), through Dox, his career boomed, nationally and internationally.
The album has been released in Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, and last year the
singer visited the Far East three times. Recently, he signed a deal with Universal,
which will release his future albums worldwide, expect for the Benelux. For his
home market, Hamel opted to continue his relationship with Dox.
For 2010, Dox has various album releases planned. Singer and multi-instrumentalist
Roos (Jonker) has concocted a remarkable fusion of jazz and psychedelics for
her debut album, out in February. Late March will see the follow-up to Giovanca’s
successful first outing, Subway Silence. New Cool Collective is working on a big
band record. And the new Benny Sings album is slated for a late Fall release.
Tromp: “When you believe in the future of good music, Dox is an interesting label.
In the long run, a label like Dox will be healthier than the majors, whatever their
current power.”
Wouter Hamel: Friday 15 January @ Stadsschouwburg, 20:00 - 20:45
Charlene: Saturday 16 January @ De Volkskrant Zaal, 01:00 - 01:45
Benjamin Herman: Saturday 16 January @ De Volkskrant Zaal, 22:00 - 22:45
Knobsticker: Saturday 16 January @ Heineken Foyer, 21:15 - 22:00
www.doxrecords.com
www.myspace.com/doxfamily

special
musicXport.nl
22
In A Cabin
With
In A Cabin With started in 2005 as an initiative by Maarten
Besseling, who invited his good friend and producer Jesse
Beuker to join the team in 2008. In general In A Cabin With
is about international collaborations between musicians on
a very special location. Every two months In A Cabin With is
inviting one or more Dutch musicians to travel to a beautiful
spot somewhere in the world to write, produce and record
an album in collaboration with local musicians, in 10 to
14 days. This location could be a farmhouse in Sweden, a
big wooden house just outside Chiang May Thailand, an
apartment in New York or a church in Ottawa Canada.
All the recorded material is mixed and mastered in The
Green Motel studio in Utrecht or L.ParkWay Studios in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. For the album artwork they
always invite an upcoming artist or graphic designer to
create something exciting. After mastering and finishing
the album artwork the records are fully available, as a free
download, on the website inacabinwith.com. The actual
CD’s are released and distributed by one of BeNeLux
biggest distribution companies V2 music, and can also be
ordered on the website.
Make sure you pay In A Cabin With a visit during EuroSonic
Noorderslag, as the cabin will land on the Vismarkt in Groningen.
Several musicians of this year’s program will be there to do
their thing with some massively talented colleagues.

special
in a cabin with
musicXport.nl
24
Australia
October 2009… In A Cabin With set sail to Australia to start a
road trip with Bettie Serveert’s Carol van Dijk and Peter Visser
by the Australian East Coast. Along the way they received help
from Australians; Rusty Hopkinson (You Am I), Andrew Morris and
Ben Salter (The Gin Club). IACW normally produces its albums
in makeshift portable studios. For this session an exception was
made by recording parts of the album in proper recording studios
in between visits to the beautiful Australian beaches and surf
sessions. The album will be released in April 2010.

special
in a cabin with
musicXport.nl
26
Canada
Ottawa, Canada, minus 30 degrees Celsius…
Steye & The Ottawanians was recorded in
February last year. IACW travelled with Steye
and Alvin Lewis (ex-Zuco 103, Seeka) followed
by a film crew to a very cold Canada. There they
recorded the album ‘Hum & Ears’ in a former
courthouse, now a dance stage, transformed in a
recording facility. The Ottawanians are members
from People Project and Kelly Lee Evans and
other Ottawa residents who helped the album
take shape. A short documentary about their
Canadian adventure was broadcasted on Dutch
television last September. This documentary
was supported by Buma Cultuur and Music
Center the Netherlands. Album downloadable
from the inacabinwith.com website and in stores
February 2010.

feature
musicXport.nl
28
Laura Jansen
goes transatlantic
Laura Jansen (1977) divides her time between Holland and The States. Studying
music, first in Rotterdam and from 2000 onwards at Berkley College of Music in
Boston, she moved to Los Angeles and became involved in the singer-songwriter
scene centred around Hollywood’s Hotel Café. Last year September, Universal
released her debut album, Bells, which collects two privately released EPs. Jansen
carries two passports, since her father is Dutch and her mother is American.
By Alfred Bos
MXP: How much of your time do you spend in The States?
Laura Jansen: “Before signing with Universal in The Netherlands, it had been about
three years between visits. As a struggling waitress in LA during the day and a
musician at night it was nearly impossible to pay for tickets or find time. I was
working 19-20 hour days sometimes to get by and all my extra money was being
put into finding cheap studio time and paying musicians to tour with me. All of
that has changed last year and it’s been amazing. In 2009 I travelled about five
times between Los Angeles and Holland. I’m getting used to the flight and the time
difference and love the combined experience of being in both places so frequently.
It keeps me firmly rooted to my foundations and I really do take the best of both
cultures with me.”
MXP: What is your average working day like?
“It really depends where I am. When I’m in Los Angeles you’ll find me in my
wonderful Los Feliz neighbourhood. I wake up relatively early and head straight
to my laptop. I’m madly obsessed with the power of the internet and what it can
do for musicians. I’m not one of those disciplined writers that write for the sake
of writing and can treat it as a job. Los Angeles is a place where I can retreat
into my own little bubble and I come out to play music with friends. The Hotel
Cafe is my living room away from home and you can find me there a few times a
week. Its where I see new and incredible songwriters, reconnect with my friends
as they come home from touring and it’s the only place in Hollywood where I feel
completely at home. When I’m not home my workdays are so different. There’s no
such thing as a typical day for musicians.”
MXP: How does the working climate for musicians in Europe differ from that in the
States?
“There are huge differences; both have pros and cons. I left Holland nine years ago
because I found myself getting stuck in a scene and a style that would have given
me a very comfortable life financially, but was making me very unhappy musically.
The pros of music in Europe in general is that there is an inherent appreciation for
the arts that I think is lacking in the States. Holland also allows room for singer
songwriters on the commercial level, something that is nearly impossible in the
States. The beauty of living and working in Los Angeles as a musician is that I am
surrounded by absolutely the best talents in the world. My own level of writing and
arranging has gone up so much because of the level of writing around me.”
MXP: Do you listen to singer-songwriters while at home?
“Ha! Goodness, no. For inspiration I tend to listen older music, usually from the
‘70s. I’m also really inspired by bands. Taking elements from rock, hip hop, reggae,
electronica and synthi-pop and adding them to girly singer-songwriter stuff is
where I have the most fun.”
MXP: Will you perform at Noorderslag as a solo act or with a band?
“The last club tour I did in Holland was completely solo. This time around, I’m
bringing my fantastic band from Los Angeles. I’m really looking forward to playing
at Noorderslag.”
Saturday 16 January @ 3FM Zaal, 22:30 - 23:10
www.laurajansenmusic.com
www.myspace.com/laurajansenmusic

feature
musicXport.nl
30
A start-up band with just one single and no album in the shops plays the reputed
Lowlands festival and tours Europe. Yes, it can be done and Dutch rock/pop
punk five-piece Destine shows how. Play as many gigs as possible, spread the
bandname via social websites, build a fanbase. “Fans are most important, so
make yourself available for after show signature sessions.”
By Alfred Bos
Five-piece Destine are singer/guitarist Robin van Loenen, guitarist Hubrecht
Eversdijk, keyboard player Laurens Troost, bass player Tom Vorstius Kruijff and
drummer Robin Faas – all in their early to mid-twenties. Singer Robin, Hubrecht
and Laurens double as band managers, helped out by a non-band member. Three
years ago they decided to strike out as Destine. Their debut album will be released
in late January.
Destine is a mixture of punkrock and pop. Bands like Paramore, Green Day and Fall
Out Boy are their template. “We make a follow-up to the ‘90s punkrock sound”,
singer Robin says.
MXP: How did you team up?
Robin: “All of us had been playing in bands since our mid-teens. We are curious
and eager people. At the age of 15, I was booking shows for my band. And I
still do. The bands we had been playing in were slowly fading. All bands have
pacesetters and followers, and the pacesetters from our former bands got
together and started Destine. From day one our aim has been to play as many
gigs as possible. And we did.”
MXP: You all had experience in working bands. What was your aim for Destine?
“We were motivated and ambitious, and we figured it would be possible to do
better than trawling for gigs in the Dutch rockclub circuit. We wrote songs and we
gigged hard; it paid of. Last year Fall we’ve been touring Europe: six countries in 15
days. A very instructive experience. You have to be flexible, don’t make a fuss but
adapt, even if the conditions leave a lot to desire. That’s the main thing. The key is
to stay positive.”
MXP: Remarkable, a European tour for a band without an album in the shops. How
did that came about?
“I’ve mailed British bookers and got some replies. When we performed at the
Lowlands festival, I met a booker from England. We stayed in touch and out of
the blue came this offer. It goes to show how important personal contact is as
opposed to virtual contact.”
MXP: Your album has been produced by James Paul Wisner in South Florida. How
did you select him?
“We’re fans of his work for a slew of rockbands, like New Found Glory and
Paramore. We started out with a list of our favourite albums. That produced a list
of ten producers. We mailed them our demos and some
returned a favourable response. We recorded our album in
two sessions, the first one in February 2009, the second
one in September. The singles that have been released so
far, In Your Arms and Stars, are from the first session.”
MXP: Will your Noorderslag performance be a fair reflection
of your stage show?
“For us it’s a challenge to do what we are good at: playing
an aggressive, energetic show.”
Destine will launch their debutalbum at Paradiso, Amsterdam:
January 26 (sold out). It is the start of a 16-show Dutch tour.
Saturday 16 January @ Serious Talent Stage, 22:00 - 22:45
www.destinemusic.com
www.myspace.com/destinedestine

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C-Mon & Kypski
cover all corners
C-mon & Kypski have many aces up their sleeve. The four-piece
from Utrecht have performed at rock stages, jazz festivals and
hip hop events. Eclecticism is their middle name. “We fit in
everywhere. We don’t play jazz, we have the jazz attitude.”
By Alfred Bos
As a youngster in school, C-mon (Simon Akkermans) got into
trouble for playing music over his headphones in class. What are
you listening to, the teacher wanted to know. Eh, Adam’s Apple,
Wayne Shorter’s ‘60s album on Blue Note. “My teacher was quite
taken aback”, Akkermans says. “It changed our relationship.”
C-mon (Akkermans) and Kypski (Thomas Elbers) met in school
and shared a passion for skateboarding and hip-hop. They made
mixtapes and realised a sampler was the way forward. The title of
their 2002 debut album, Vinyl Voodoo, reads like a statement of
intent. “Public Enemy’s first records still are an inspiration. Lots
of layers and samples, particularly from odd sources. That way of
making music appealed to us.”
The schoolfriends evolved from two aspiring youngsters into a
versatile four-piece band, completed by Daniel Rose (bass) and
Jori Collignon (keyboards). C-mon & Kypski’s ravenous appetite
for musical collaborations – any collaboration – turned them
into a mixtape on four pairs of legs. Their third album, 2006’s
Where The Wild Things Are, is an eclecfest of odd guests and
weird pairings. It makes sense Prince, Mr. Eclectic, is one of their
heroes.
“It all comes naturally”, Akkermans explains the band’s mishmash
approach. “It’s not like we’re checking off some list of weird mashups.
It’s the result of the way we work, like a deejay. A proper dj
drops various styles in his set. That’s the way we make music.
We’re open to anything. We sample a wide array of music, from
Bulgarian choirs to obscure dance.”
Infectious
In 2007, the band toured the United States, playing thirty gigs in
two months. “Travelling the continent in a camper with just the
four of us, that worked up an appetite for an ‘in-house approach’.
The four of us, that just felt great. It did miracles for the band as
a band. It made us decide to do the follow-up to Where The Wild
Things Are as a four-piece. To balance out all the collaborations.
We are a band after all!”
Their fourth album, We Are Square, was released last year Fall, after cleaning out
their backlog of recorded tracks via two compilations: The Rock Compilation and
The Jazz Compilation. We Are Square finds the band singing, including threepart
harmonies. It’s a first for C-mon & Kypski. And it sets them free from guest
vocalists. “That’s right, it’s a dimension we hadn’t yet developed. My idea was: if we
can write lyrics and sing them, we can do anything.”
And on We Are Square, they do. It is their most rounded, compact and consistent
record to date, offering a smorgasbord of mash-ups and style clashes. Flamenco
guitars and dubstep beats – check. Chinese (pentatonic) melodies and hip hop
grooves – check. Catchy choruses and gabba kicks - check. Tasty strings and loud
guitars – check. The album is a wild ride through forty years of popular music, done
with infectious fervour.
“We want to keep growing. Success stops when you stop evolving as a band. That
search for musical adventure is a reward in itself. We have so many ideas. We have
a dozen more albums in us.”
Saturday 16 January @ Buma Cultuur Zaal, 20:30 - 21:15
www.c-monandkypski.nl
www.myspace.com/comonandkypski

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Rock alert:
De Staat is coming
De Staat (‘The State’) is the most spectacular newcomer
Dutch rock had to offer in 2009. Their debut album, Wait For
Evolution - which started out as a solo project by singer and
songwriter Torre Florim, baffled critics and audiences alike,
and the five-piece from Nijmegen performed for sold-out
clubs all over Holland. “It’s a dream come true”, says Florim.
By Alfred Bos
Last year, The Staat rocked Noorderslag 2009 in spectacular
fashion, garnering rave reviews and generating an avalanche of
word-of-mouth support. It lauched the quintet from Nijmegen right
to the top of the Dutch rock scene; and turned Staat frontman,
singer and principle songwriter Torre Floris into a house-hold name.
So it comes as no surprise that ‘the Dutch rockband of last year’ will
play Noorderslag again for this year’s edition.
MXP: What kind of year was 2009 for De Staat?
Torre Florim: “The weirdest and one of the best years of my life; for all
five of us, I suppose. It started at Noorderslag 2009. Life hasn’t been
the same since. It has turned us into nomads and I quite like that.”
MXP: So what has changed?
“Now my life is centred around making music. Obviously with De
Staat, but in collabaration with outside people as well – producing
bands, writing songs with different partners.”
MXP: You toured the UK in the Fall of 2008, supporting dEUS. How
did that come about?
“In 2008, we played the Lowlands festival. I approached [dEUS frontman]
Tom Barman and gave him a De Staat button and later on a copy of our
album, hoping we could support dEUS at Amsterdam’s Paradiso venue.
To our surprise, they asked us to suppport them on dEUS’ UK tour.”
MXP: 2009 was a very succesful year for the band. How do you
follow-up on that?
“We aim to play more abroad. This year we will be playing the
Glastonbury festival in Engeland. And we will be working on the
second album. We recorded the first one at home. The new album
should top that triple time, I’ll produce it myself. I will not use older
and unrecorded songs, I’ll write new ones. The new album will be
different from the first one.”
MXP: The sound of The Staat stands out from most Dutch and
continental rock bands. Is that a frequently-heard comment?
“It certainly is. People call our album ‘not Dutch’. I don’t know what
that means. It’s a compliment, I suppose. It means we found a niche,
which is a good thing. ‘Not of this world’ would be even better.”
MXP: Where do you find your inspiration for that ‘not Dutch’ sound?
“People call our music stonerrock, which it isn’t. However, I have
been drawing inspiration from bands and singers that have created
their own niche, like Queens Of The Stone Age, Tom Waits, Howlin’
Wolf and Battles.”
MXP: Your expectations for 2010?
“I have no idea. I hope we will be playing festivals all over the world.
And I want to find a nice place to work on the second album. That’s
my wishlist for now.”
Saturday 16 January @ Buma Cultuur Zaal, 01:00 - 01:45
www.destaat.net
www.myspace.com/destaat

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In terms of media attention, hardcore – or ‘gabber’ in Dutch – is an underground
phenomenon. However, Dutch hardcore producer, deejay, label manager and
allround hardcore honcho Promo (Sebastian Hoff, 1977) outspins many a famous
‘name’ jock. Moreover, he doesn’t suffer from tunnelvision. His upcoming album
project Stijlloos (‘no style’) merges hardcore and hip hop.
By Alfred Bos
MXP: In 2001, you left the ID&T organization to start The Third Movement, a label for
all stripes of hardcore. How does hardcore appeal to you?
Promo: “I like all kinds of dance music. In particular the tracks that blow off the roof
and those are usually in a harder vein. I didn’t opt for hardcore, it just evolved that
way. I became involved with house in the early ‘90s and there is no music more
explosive than hardcore. It’s the music for letting free the inner beast: its energy, its
power, its fullness so to speak. It doesn’t get more extreme than hardcore.”
MXP: The name of your Third Movement label reads like a mission statement. What
is its mission?
“After the 1997/1998 hardcore overkill, the bottom fell out of the Dutch gabber
scene: compilation series were dropped and sponsors stopped supporting
hardcore raves. I had just started producing myself and my reasoning was: if there
are some 600.000 hardcore fans in The Netherlands – as surveys pointed out – it
must be possible to interest 10.000 hardcore aficionados for my music. The Third
Movement (TTM) pays artists their fair share: half of the profits. All artist have
complete artistic freedom. Plus we advice acts before they sign up; all artists are
aware of every Euro that comes in. TTM releases various kinds of hardcore music.
Each producer has his or her sound and ditto fan base. That way you create music
that’s fresh and adventurous. The first movement was the start of house in the
late ‘80s and the second movement was the hardcore implosion of 1997/1998. We
wanted to start a third movement.”
MXP: Last October, your Boombox Op Duizend EP was released by Dutch hip-hop
label TopNotch. How did that came about?
“I create all my sounds for my productions. Occasionally I lend a bit of an US rap a
capella to voice my message. It would be more fun to work with a rapper and create
stories by ourselves, not sample them. So I have been on the look-out for a Dutch
rapper. Early last year I met Willy (Willem de Bruin, rapper of The Opposites) and we
clicked. Subsequently, Kees de Koning (label boss of Top Notch) was on the phone:
he wanted to expand his label, broaden its musical horizon. To me, that’s an inviting
challenge. After doing hardcore
for 15 years, I’ve told my story
more or less. I’ve always tried
to give hardcore more depth, to
execute a bit of quality control.
It’s fun to try a different tack. My
productions for TopNotch touch
upon hardcore, but it’s more
song-orientated and appeals to
a different audience. I want to
push my limits. Can I do more
than hardcore? To me, music
should always evolve. I respect
what TopNotch is doing and have
done so for years. My work for
TopNotch has evolved out of the
music, not some marketing plan.”
MXP: In April, TopNotch will
release your next album, Stijlloos
(‘no style’). In what sense will it
differ from your previous output?
“Hardcore is frequently accused
of being ‘without style’. And the
record has no style in the literal
sense: it showcases a wide
range of styles, from pop songs
mad punk tracks to hardcore,
hip hop, drum ‘n bass, dubstep,
whatever. If I can help it, the
album will include a ballad or a
country tune. Twenty songs in
Promo style, so it will be loud.”
Saturday 16 January
@ Bizon Zaal, 00:15 - 01:00
www.djpromo.nl
www.thirdmovement.nl

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Wende Snijders
`I'm a mongrel'
When Wende Snijders (1978) dropped her debut album in 2004, she was
instantly hailed as an outstanding talent. The polymath, schooled in music,
acting and dance, is comfortable in a wide array of styles – from chansons and
cabaret to blistering rock – and has scooped up a wealth of industry awards
for virtually every move she’s made. Success hasn’t clouded her mind, though.
“Acclaim can stifle creativity.”
By Alfred Bos
Snijders’ latest album, her fourth, is an English language singer-songwriter record;
she learned to play the guitar for No. 9, released in October last year. It arrived
after an album of French chansons (Quand Tu Dors, ‘When You Sleep’, 2004), a
collection of torch songs – both Dutch and French - in contemporary arrangements
(La Fille Noyée, ‘The Girl That Drowned’, 2005) and a compilation of live recordings
of familiar and new songs (Chante!, 2008), which featured a bonus dvd of Wende
Snijders’s one-off gig with the Metropool Orchestra that had been broadcasted
live on Dutch television. It’s a stunning run of versatility and barely controlled
assertiveness. And it begs the question: will the real Wende please stand up?
“It’s all me”, she reacts. “I like to play with ‘identity’ as a concept. None of those
stage personalities is a fraud. I don’t think any of them represents ‘the real Wende’.
I don’t believe in identity. I’m not sure there is such a thing as ‘a core’; the core is a
void. People at home are a different person from the one they are at work. That’s
what I project on stage.”
The many faces of Wende Snijders are not masks. “There all different sides of me”,
she explains. “I’m not hiding behind a fabricated persona. I’m not aiming to expose
my private life on stage. I’m a medium for communicating songs. My songs relate
about fictional characters, not about myself. I’m very grateful success has created
the opportunity to explore those different sides of me.”
Amsterdam Sinfonietta
The success of Snijders’ French-language debut album was overwhelming, she
admits. Fresh out of school (Academie voor kleinkunst, ‘Cabaret Academy’,
finished in 2002) and still wet behind the ears, she was in danger of being typecast
as a modern-day chansonnière. “Intuition told me something was off. I am more
than a ‘chansonnière’. You have to actively fight being typecast. Success is great,
just don’t accept it at face-value.”
So two year after being handed an Edison (Dutch music industry award) for her
chanson album, Wende Snijders accepted an Edison Jazz Award for her followup
album. “I’m a bit of a mongrel”, Wende says. “I like many styles of music, I
appreciate The Beatles for keeping re-inventing themselves. I think it’s important
to think out of the box and push the envelope. So awards and acclaim are great,
but they can stifle creativity.”
At Noorderslag, Snijders will perform her latest album, backed by a rockband. Earlier
that very night, she’ll sing chansons and torch songs backed by the 23-piece string
ensemble Amsterdam Sinfonietta. It’s a surreal schedule, very Wende Snijders. “If
you want two opposite sides on one night, here you have it.”
Saturday 16 January @ 3FM Zaal, 23:30 - 00:10
www.wende.nu

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After their sold-out 26-date tour of The Netherlands, five-piece Moke are
gearing up to play Germany. Their second album, The Long & Dangerous Sea,
hit the # 2 spot of the Dutch album charts. It will be released in Germany by
Universal. “The band is a well-oiled machine, that gives a lot of confidence.”
By Alfred Bos
Moke
set their
eyes on
Germany
“My interest in music began when I got interested in ‘60s beat bands: Stones,
Yardbirds, The Who”, say Felix Maginn, singer, guitarist, songwriter and bandleader
of Moke. “I have been playing in bands since I was about 16 years old. Music is a big
thing in Ireland. It’s part of growing up.”
Moke is named after Maginn’s favourite uncle; not after Mokum, the local name
for Amsterdam. Maginn (Belfast, 1969) moved from Northern Ireland, by way of
London, to the Dutch capital in 1992. “When I was in London I met a girl from
Holland and she invited me to Amsterdam for Christmas. I came over not planning
on staying very long and here I am, many years later.”
After recording several albums with the Amsterdam-based rock foursome Supersub,
Maginn started Moke to record and perform his recently written songs. During the
recording of Moke’s debut album, Shorland, the band met Paul Weller, who was
recording his As Is Now album in the same Amsterdam studio. In December 2006,
Moke played two shows at The Forum in London, supporting Weller.
Big sound
Moke’s first album, Shorland, sold 30.000 copies upon its 2007 release and the band
turned out to be a great live act. Last year Fall, they did a sold-out tour of 26 club dates
in The Netherlands. “The big test for us was to go to Germany”, Maginn says. “We did
support slots with Keane and Razorlight. And we did the whole European tour with
Paul Weller, playing venues of 7000/8000 capacity. We found that our sound could
easily fill these venues. We have this really big sound. And that’s the sound we wanted
to put on our second album. We also wanted to work with an orchestra.”
The Long & Dangerous Sea, released last year September, rock(et)ed into the
Dutch album charts and settled at the # 2 position. It boasts a bigger and more
sophisticated sound than Shorland, the result of some serious touring. “What
surprised me most after weeks on the tour bus with the band and the crew: no
arguments”, Maginn relates. “On the road, you find out how good the band is. You
only have limited time to prepare as a support act. And the band got tighter and
tighter. It’s a well-oiled machine. That gives you a lot of confidence.”
The secret is the chemistry of the bandmembers: apart from Maginn, guitarist Phil
Tilli, keyboard player Eddy Steeneken, bass player Marcin Felis and drummer Rob
Klerkx. “Everyone has his little job”, Maginn explains. “We have a lot of success in
Holland and people might think it comes easy. But no, we all work very hard.”
2010 is going to be quite a busy year for Moke. They’ll perform at Noorderslag.
In February, they’ll play in Berlin at the Fashion Week (the band sports suits
sponsored by Karl Lagerfeld) and there’s a German tour lined up, following the
German release of The Long & Dangerous Sea by Universal.
“Honestly, I can’t really complain”, says Maginn. “I’m doing what I always wanted to do.
I am living my dreams. We’re very happy and I hope we can keep expanding the band.”
Friday 15 January @ Huize Maas, 22:00 - 22:45
Saturday 16 January @ Buma Cultuur Zaal, 22:00 - 22:45
www.mokemusic.com
www.myspace.com/moketheband

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The Rhine-Maas delta is not exactly known as a hotspot of exuberant Afrooriented
grooves. However, in Mdungu (‘band of brothers’) The Netherlands boast
an infectious Afro band of multi-cultural origin. “Some people find it odd to hear a
bunch of whiteys playing African grooves”, says bandleader Thijs van Milligem.
By Alfred Bos
“Mainly, our music originates from being frank about African styles”, says Van
Milligem. “In Africa, music is tied to a particular culture or region. We, the band,
lack that kind of background. We don’t play authentic music from Africa, we try
to evoke the emotions and are inspired by its beats and its harmonies. African
musicians don’t play the type of music we perform, which is a blend of various
styles from Western Africa. We add our Western European roots. Music is emotion
and that’s what we render. Rules can and may be broken.”
Saxplayer Thijs van Milligem heard music from Africa via radio in the mid-‘90s and
got hooked. In 2003, he decided to try his luck and start an Afro band with local
(Dutch and non-Dutch) musicians. The nonet (nine-piece band) numbers players
from diverging backgrounds, including a former grunge guitarist, a saxplayer
who doubles in an Amsterdam klezmer band, a percussionist from Spain and a
percussionist from Gambia, Ebou Gaye Mada. He is the only Mdungu member who
hails from the Dark Continent.
Van Tilligem: “Most of us had never played any music from Africa and we are not
influenced by African musicians. And some of us still don’t listen to African music.
If all of us would be hooked, we’d be some kind of cover band, something I try to
avoid. We’ve developed our distinct style.”
Album or quits
It took the band six years to come up with their debut album. Afro What!? was
released in May 2009 by Zimbraz, a label of Music And Words; it is available all over
Europe. “At first, we were not particularly acquainted with the style”, Van Tilligem
explains. “When you do a jazz album with jazz players, you give them sheet music
and off you go. That’s not how it worked for us; it took some time to get a feel for
the music. We had to develop our Mdungu sound.”
Afro What!? was produced by the band and mixed by Justin Adams, producer of
Tuareg band Timariwen and Robert Plant, among others. “I like the rawness of his
sound”, Van Tilligem says. “Most world music sounds very produced, even slick. We
recorded the songs in the same arrangements as we do them live; basically, it’s a
live album with a studio sound. Afro What!? reflects our sound on stage and that’s
the way we wanted it. The follow-up album could turn out to be rather different.”
The album met with mere positive reviews, Van Tilligem has yet to read a negative
one. “At first, we were surprised by the sound of the album, which turned out to
be rather good. Subsequently, the reviews were rather good! That was a bit of a
surprise. We had to make an album, to keep the band in a healthy state. It was an
album or quits. The album has helped to professionalize the band as well. We had
a great Summer of 2009 and did a lot of festivals.”
The obvious next step is playing abroad. The band has been networking at Womax
Fest, the world music business fair in Copenhagen, and has set up a foundation in
order to get tour support. Mdungu is programmed for Noorderslag 2010, their first
appearance at the festival.
Saturday 16 January @ Heineken Foyer, 01:45 - 02:30
www.mdungu.com
www.myspace.com/mdungu

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Eric Vloeimans
likes adventure
in music
Trumpet player Eric Vloeimans (1963) is a musician of many faces. Leading two
vastly different groups and collaborating with numerous players in a staggering
array of styles - from symphonic orchestras and flamenco guitarists to avantgarde
pioneers - he approaches music from the gut. “I believe in intuition.”
By Alfred Bos
Photo: Peter Elenbaas
Eric Vloeimans performs with two regular bands, Fugimundi and Gatecrash.
The acoustic trio Fugimundi (trumpet, piano, guitar) plays soft-spoken, intimate
music. “It’s some kind of chamber music,” Vloeimans says. Gatecrash is his electric
outfit, a trumpet-keyboards-bass-drums quartet oriented on beats and grooves.
“Gatecrash could play a rockfestival, Fugimundi couldn’t.“
Vloeimans picked up the trumpet in his early teens; he had a thing for brass
instruments. “Why the trumpet? I just had to choose between trumpet and
trombone. The most important decisions of my life were made in a totally nonrational
fashion. I don’t believe in rationality. That’s why I find it hard to discuss
music. I hardly reflect on it, I don’t analyze it. I know many musicians who live inside
their head and it shows in their music.”
His discography certainly reflects that attitude. Recording well over a dozen albums
since his 1992 debut No Realistics, Vloeimans has built a multi-faceted catalogue.
Live recordings with one-off bands, studio albums with rotating sidemen in a
variety of styles – it’s hard to pinpoint the ‘real’ Eric Vloeimans. However, over the
last couple of years he has (more or less) settled on two working bands, Fugimundi
(with guitarist Anton Goudsmit and pianist Hermen Fraanje) and Gatecrash
(drummer Jasper van Hulten, keyboardist Jeroen van Vliet and bass player Gulli
Gudmundsson from Iceland). “The two bands can play the same song and it would
sound totally different. That’s exactly how I want it.”
Voltage
In the late 1980’s, Vloeimans travelled to New York City to study music at the New
School for Jazz & Contemporary Music; Brad Mehldau was one of his classmates.
“I learned what I did not want. At that time, New York was into the jazz tradition.
That’s not my thing. I like adventure and an original approach.”
Recently, he returned to the States for a Fugimundi tour. Why not Gatecrash? “For
reasons of logistics. Fugimundi is just three people. Moreover, American voltage is
different, so an acoustic band would circumvent that particular issue. My music is not
the kind of jazz people in the States would
think of when they think of jazz. I was a
bit apprehensive at first, but it turned
out okay. The American audiences were
very nice to us. The audiences in Europe
can be a lot less welcoming. By the way,
I don’t see myself as a jazz musician. The
borders between styles and genres are
blurring.”
He doesn’t favour one style over the
other. “Whether I improvise with the
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
or play for a small club audience with
Fugimundi, I enjoy it both. The musicians
I choose to work with are not dummies.
They are people, individuals with an
individual sound and an individual
approach. Their musicality is not in
their instrument of choice, but in their
personality. If Anton Goudsmit [guitarist
of Fugimundi] played the piccolo, I would
probably still work with him.”
Being a professional player for close to
two decades, Eric Vloeimans has learned
the value of the well-placed note. “The
older you get, the more stories you have
to tell. Yet, you tell those stories in a more
succinct fashion. You no longer have to
prove yourself. You peel the onion and
get closer to the core. That’s what I’m
aiming for.”
Saturday 16 January @ Hilversum
Mediastad Paviljoen, 00:15 - 01:00
www.ericvloeimans.com
www.myspace.com/ericvloeimans

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Applescal
is on a roll
From hometaping radioshows to performing overseas in just a few years:
the career of Amsterdam-based producer Applescal has been evolving like
a textbook case of How To Become A Successful Producer. “You’ve got to
find your personal sound.”
By Alfred Bos
Applescal is the nom de plume of 22 year-old Pascal Terstappen. Last year’s
Summer, he released his debut album, A Slave’s Commitment, via Cologne’s
Traum label. For Terstappen, it was a dream come true. As a youngster, music
was his overriding passion. However, he never learned to read music or play
an instrument. Instead, his downtime from school was filled with taping Top
40 radioshows and splicing them into primitive edits. At the age of 14, he
borrowed music software from a friend and practised till his ears bled. “I’m an
autodidact”, Applescal confesses. “After four years, I felt confident enough to
send out demos of my productions.”
Applescal’s very first demo received a favourable reaction by Paul Hazendonk,
who runs the Manual Music label from his Rotterdam apartment. The Untitled
Addict EP, a digital release on Manual, was Terstappen’s first release as
Applescal; he had just turned twenty. In March 2009, he had his second platter
out via Traum: Paul For President. That label released Applescal’s debut album
in early August to rave reviews. It was hailed as an invigorating breeze in the
somewhat stagnant minimal techno scene. “When I went through my files, I
noticed I had enough material for an album”, Terstappen explains. “I added
two new productions and offered it to Traum. They said yes right away. Their
reasoning: an album shows better what I’m capable of than an EP does.”
Performing live
That reasoning proved to be sound. German magazine Debug called Applescal
“one of the brightest hopes for 2010”. Moreover, since the release of A
Slave’s Commitment, the Amsterdam-based producer has been performing
extensively, and in the upcoming months gigs are slated for Germany, Scotland
and Japan; he’s a popular fixture at outdoor festivals as well. Mind you, not
deejaying; playing live is Applescal’s forte.
Applescal live means Terstappen and his laptop, doing remixes of his tracks
on the fly in front of an audience. “I use Ableton, I run some 12 tracks: the kick,
three layers of hi-hats, the bassline in four different parts, melodies and leads,
all MIDI-connected to the original synthesizer sounds. The fun part is you can
fiddle with the arrangement; expand the break or delay the climax. You create
arcs of tension and release, that’s fun. It’s more fun than deejaying, you’re ‘in
the moment’. I seriously doubt I will ever deejay.”
Now the pressure’s on, Applescal doesn’t flinch. He regards all the praise for
his album an endorsement to continue his chosen path. Currently, he’s on a roll:
the follow-up album will be out on Traum this Spring, just eight months after his
debut. “This time around, it will be a proper album, not a collection of tracks.”
He has put his media and information management studies on hold to concentrate
on producing and performing. “Frankly speaking, I’m only interested in making
music. My mood detoriates rapidly when I don’t. So I do music. Performing live,
doing soundtrack music, producing other acts, I don’t care. As long as I can hear
music.”
Saturday 16 January @ Kelder, 00:45 - 01:30
www.applescal.net
www.myspace.com/applescal

essential album
musicXport.nl
48
Rock &
soul rebel
Wicked Ways, the title of Waylon’s debut album, is just that, an album title.
However, it is an apt description of the twisting and at times depressing path
that led the singer and songwriter to his current position as Holland’s most
promising ‘new talent’. He is the first Dutch artist to be signed to the iconic
Motown label and that’s no hype.
The proof is in eating the pudding and just a quickscan of Wicked Ways suffices to
recognise a fluent songwriter blessed with a gritty voice to balance a vulnerable
soul. His energy betrays a debutant, yet the weathered qualities of his voice hint
at an eventful personal history. Waylon manages to sound youthful and worn at
the same time.
Waylon (Willem Bijkerk) has named himself after country music outlaw Waylon
Jennings, who invited the young and aspiring singer to Nashville after hearing
his namesake’s (unsuccessful) EMI debut single. Waylon the outlaw recognised
a kindred spirit in Waylon the youngster from the Lowlands and set him up as
support act for Jennings’ upcoming tour. It wasn’t meant to be, for the Nashville
legend died in February 2002.
Back in The Netherlands, young Waylon battled a severe depression and for
seven years performed the vocal duties in a Top 40 cover band. His personal life
in disarray after a messy divorce, Waylon signed on to Holland’s Got Talent, a TV
talent contest. To the singer’s relief, he didn’t win. The second spot left him all the
artistic freedom he craved while raising his profile.
Wicked Ways was written and recorded in London over a four month stretch in
early 2009. Produced by Martin Terefe and Sacha Skarbek, the team behind James
Morrison and Duffy, the album reveals a singer and songwriter who’s comfort zone
includes both rock and soul. Waylon is part Otis Redding part Rod Stewart. And
part Waylon: he not just sings his songs, he’s lived them. And his cover of Michael
Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel holds up, no mean feat.
Blending rock’s punch with soul’s passion is Waylon’s forte. If his debut album
falls short of greatness, it is simply because it plays it safe. Some songs on 13
track collection sound like soul-by-numbers. The majority, however , is a match to
Waylon’s unmistakable power as a performer. With a little more daring, Waylon is
capable of greatness. Just give the rebel in him his due and he will shine brightly.
Rare talent, great kick-off record. 4/5 (Enrico Riva)
www.waylon.nl
www.myspace.com/waylonmusic
Waylon
Wicked Ways
(Motown/Universal)

eviews
by Enrico Riva
musicXport.nl
50
Daily Bread
Well, You're Not Invited
(Excelsior)
Trio Daily Bread, from northern Dutch town Leeuwarden,
blend ‘60s garage rock to ‘80s electro and spice it up with
some Dada tactics. Their stripped-down sound – drums,
fuzz bass and a vintage ‘60s Philicorda organ – has a ferocious
attack, helped by the distortion of their homemade
effect pedals and voicebox. It results in a genuinly
odd mash of retro and futuro elements, transcending the
band’s instant novelty appeal. *****
Moke
The Long & Dangerous Sea
(PIAS)
Amsterdam-based five-piece Moke never have been
slouches and their second longplayer – the follow-up to
2007’s Shorland – finds them in full-tilt mode. The band
works from the Britpop template (part indie, part wave)
and channels its energy via arrangements that are a tad
more intricate than on Shorland and its take-no-prisoners
approach. This time around, Moke’s big-hearted musings
on big city life are wrapped in a big sound, beefed up by
orchestral flourishes. *****
Knobsticker
Forest Fruit
(Dox)
Synthi-pop duos usually are comprised of a singer and a
knobtwister stuck behind an ironing board. Knobsticker
(Falco Torenstra and Wim van Dam) has cooked up a
variation on the synthi-pop theme: a drums and synths
duo, with occasional vocals by Benny Sings. Forest Fruit
is a ragbag collection of weird tunes and even weirder
arrangements, more Jean Jacques Perry than Pet Shop
Boys. It scores high on novelty and will please deejays
looking for some off-beat relief. *****
Kindred Spirits Ensemble
Love Is Supreme
(Kindred Spirits/Rush Hour)
Kindred Spirits Ensemble is a 20+ congregation of
seasoned players, dedicated to celebrate the music of
jazz icon John Coltrane and his spiritual take on jazz and
music in general. This album contains a selection of live
performances, recorded at Amsterdam’s Paradiso (on
the night of Coltrane 80th birthday, virtually of course),
North Sea Jazz and Pure JazzFest. This is heady stuff,
orchestrated (not big band) jazz meets jazz&poetry.
Some tracks come across as overly precious, however,
Love Is Surpreme exudes good taste. *****
MilkMoneyMaffia
Milkshake
(Basserk)
Last year, the Amsterdam-based Basserk label released the
Musik digital mini-album by MilkMoneyMaffia, Greenland’s
hardest electrorocking producer – or so they want us to
believe. Three tracks of Musik – the best from the album,
by the way - have been remixed by various producers for
Milkshake, another digital mini-album release. The ‘Mr.
Oizo meets Uffie’ original tracks have been kicked around
by the likes of Kid Goesting, 3-1, Boemklatsch and DJ
Donna Summer. The reworkings retain the sense of satire
and goofiness of MilkMoneyMaffia’s razor-like electropunk
and dress it in weird party attire. *****
Moss
Never Be Scared/Don't Be A Hero
(Excelsior)
Holland’s Excelsior label is a bedrock of guitar-oriented
music and five-piece Moss fit that bill perfectly. What
makes their debut platter – which rated high in the critics
polls for 2009 – stand out from the crowd is a certain
naivety. Never Be Scared is not a kaleidoscope of the best
bits from their aggregated record collections, but a dip
in uncharted waters. It fuses elements from fifty years of
rock and moulds them into compact and catchy songs,
elevated by joyous harmonies. Fleet Foxes with added
punch, anyone?
*****

eviews
musicXport.nl
52
Flinke Namen
Superstuntwerk
(TopNotch)
Flinke Namen (‘sturdy names’) are rappers Sef, Fit, Murth
and DJ The Flexican. Teaming up in 2004, the posse honed
their skills for years before signing to TopNotch. Their
debut album, Superstuntwerk, made a splash, helped by
the seriously catchy single Als Zij Langs Loopt (‘When
She Walks By’). It proved to be a huge radio hit, made the
charts and was elected as Song of the Year. The rest of the
album flows by in the same relaxed vein, blending smart
raps to latin-, exotica- en jazz-derived beats. The bonus cd
Kunst en Vliegwerk is a mixtape of self-produced tracks
with guest vocalist and rappers. *****
The Mad Trist
Pay The Piper
(PIAS)
After two EP’s, The Mad Trist drop their debut album
to great expectations. Pay The Piper is produced by De
Staat’s Torre Florim and the four-piece from Maastricht
cover similar musical terrain: stoner riffs, laced with catchy
hooks and choruses. The twin lead guitars build a wall of
scalpel-precision blocks of noise, or follow the melody of
the vocals – occasionally at the same time. It makes for a
solid collection of stylized in-your-face mayhem, proofing
there’s still mileage in the classic two guitars plus rhythm
section rock line-up. *****
Awkward I
I Really Should Whisper
(Excelsior)
Playing their first ever live gigs at Eurosonic/Noorderslag
2009, Awkward I already had built a considerable live
reputation when its debut album hit the shops recently.
The fluid band – members vary from gig to gig - is the
vehicle for songwriter and bass player Djurre de Haan,
who divides his time between Awkward I and Excelsior
stable mates Alamo Race Track. I Really Should Whisper
started as a home recording of De Haan’s songs (helped
out by Diederik Nomden). De Haan frequently switches
his guitar for the mandolin, exemplifying the down-home,
folksy vein of this warm and intimate album. *****
Juju & Jordash
Juju & Jordash
(Dekmantel) vinyl only
Israel-born Gal Aner and Jordan Czamanski (a.k.a. Juju
& Jordash) dropped this 8 track vinyl double album (out
via the Dekmantel label) after well over half a dozen club
releases. The Amsterdam-based Dekmantel organisation
promotes techno-related club music, which matches fine
with J&J’s studio concoctions. The album offers techno
of various stripes, from space disco to more subdued
downtempo. Dance stallwarts Laurent Garnier, Osunlade
and Ellen Allien have been raving about it, understandably.
*****
Mdungu
Afro What!?
(Zimbraz/Music & Words)
Afro What!?, the debut album by nine-piece Mdungu,
will appeal to open-minded worldmusic aficionados.
Although Mdungu sounds distinctly exotic, its music is
a virtual genre: a blend of various West-African styles
played by a collective of eight Western-Europeans plus
one Gambian. Mdungu’s sound is defined by its three-sax
horn section and total lack of cheesy synths. And since
the band includes not just one but two percussionists, the
grooves are served red hot. *****
Eric Vloeimans/Gatecrash
Heaven's Above
(Challenge Jazz)
Heaven’s Above is the first studio album of Eric Vloeimans
‘electric’ quartet Gatecrash, following the live recordings
Gatecrashin’ and Live At Yoshi’s. Vloeimans represents the
current crop of West-European jazz musicans who draw
inspiration from both the jazz tradition and electronic
experiments, expanding Weather Reports ‘70s fusion
into 21st century post-jazz. His trumpet sound is crystal
clear, the band fluid and driving. Imagine Heaven’s Above
as a release by the reputed ECM label, it’s that good.
*****

studio
musicXport.nl
54
Forget thousands of dollars worth of hardware.
Hits these days are made with just a laptop and
some midi-interfaces. Blasphemy to many a
conventional dance producer; blessing to the
aspiring artist, who finds even the biggest chart
topper produced with the most affordable
software. Anton Pieëte is a perfect example of
this digital new school. Solid techno tracks like
Players, Siberian and Dub Crystal have not only
put him on the global map; they also earned
him a lot of respect among fellow studiogeeks.
Time to see where the magic happens.
By Aron Friedman
Photo: Wendy Oakes
“Are you sure you want to visit my studio?” On
the phone, Anton sounds almost apologetic.
“There’s really not that much to see. The
instruments lying around are not even mine.”
Coming from a long line of sound engineers –
both his father and grandfather were in the
trade – Anton has surely seen more impressive
audio set-ups. But in fact the most remarkable
part of the story is, he’s made a No. 1 Beatport
hit (Players on Intacto, 2008) on nothing but a
Mac Book Pro, an RME Fireface soundcard and
two Genelec 1030a speakers. How’s that for
cost efficiency?
“I started producing on an Atari and two Yamaha
synthesizers,” Anton recalls. “These days, I
use Logic Pro and Ableton Live as my main
sequencing programs, plus some additional
plug-ins.” For sound processing, Anton is
extremely happy with his Waves bundle. “It’s
probably the best purchase I’ve done in recent
years. Waves has some of the finest plug-ins in
my book.” Anton takes most of his sounds from
soft synths and sample cd’s. “I rarely use any
hardware these days. In fact, I just gave a bunch
of synthesizers to a friend. All I have left now is
this old Kurzweiler – catching dust.”
It’s not that Anton doesn’t care for the beauty of
analogue sounds. He’s just concerned more with
dancefloor sufficiency. “I can imagine intelligent
techno producers longing for a hardware feel,
because they believe it sounds more authentic.
But my music isn’t meant for home listening.
What matters most, is that it sounds good in
clubs.” He achieves this by simple measures. “I’m
not one to use many complicated processors.
All I need is a proper equalizer like the Q 10 by
Waves, a good reverb and a solid compressor.”
Anton tends to spend the most effort on separate
sounds, and even more on mixing them. “Making
music is a lot like cooking. When you make a
perfectly delicious soup and you throw in a rotten
carrot, you’re going to spoil the whole dish. With
producing it’s much the same: throw in a lousy
bassline, and a great track can go to shit. Every
element has to be fine-tuned just perfectly.
A good result can only be achieved by giving
everything its right place in the stereo spectrum.
That’s why a good mixdown is essential.”
From the looks of it, 2010 will be a prosperous
year for Anton Pieëte. Next to confirmed
bookings across Europe and North-America,
he’s ready to storm the Dutch stages these
coming months, starting with Noorderslag. As
for producing: “I’ve rejected a couple of remix
requests for the beginning of this year, because
I want to focus on my album, which should be
out next winter.” He doesn’t have plans to buy
any new gear for that task. “When I’m older, I’d
love to get back to the old knob-twitching. But
for now I’m perfectly happy with the software on
my computer.”
Saturday 16 January @ Kelder, 02:15 - 03:00

thursday 14 january EuroSonic
musicXport.nl 20:00
56
20:45 21:30 22:15 23:00 23:45 00:30 01:15 02:00 02:45
Grand Theatre
main
Grand Theatre
up
Vindicat
Muziekschool
Vera
Schouwburg
Huize Maas
main
Huize Maas
front
De Beurs
De Spieghel
De Spieghel
up
Shadrak
main
Shadrak
up
De Opera
Ebbingekwartier
Simplon
main
Simplon
up
Paleis
main
Paleis
up
Platformtheater
Plaza Danza
Machinefabriek
Pakhuis
Koster
De Kar
Buckshot
De Toeter
19:45-20:00 Mari Boine(NO)
20:00-20:45 Wardruna (NO)
19:45-20:00
Mari Boine(NO)
De Läb (LUX) Stevans (CH)
The Xx (UK)
Jon Allen (UK)
royal republic (SE)
Jaw Lesson (SE)
19:00 - 19:40 Daily Bread (NL)
20:00-20:45 Bettie Serveert (NL)
Soulburn (NL)
Marina & The Diamonds (UK)
Steve Cradock (UK)
Turzi (FrA)
I Was A King (NO)
The Leisure Society (UK)
Lucy Love (DK)
Pony The Pirate (NO)
The Chapman Family (UK)
Monolitic (NO)
Mazgani (POr) Sometree (DE)
Odilo Girod / Chop
Wood (NL)
Oceana Company (NL)
Agua De Annique (NL)
65daysofstatic (UK)
Kartasan (BE)
19.00 - 22.00 Met Michiel (3fm) Nieuwjaarsreceptie
Eefje (NL)
LPG / Despeech (NL)
Colligan (NL)
Three Trapped Tigers
(UK)
Lee Everton &
The Scrucialists (CH)
Manna (FIN)
Kilians (DE)
Imelda May (IrE)
Nicolai Dunger (SE)
Kleazer (NL)
Adiam
Dymott (SE)
La Pegatina (ES)
Chapel
Club (UK)
Isbells (BE) Callmekat (DK)
Nuclear Driven Animals (NL)
Admiral Freebee (BE)
radio Barkas (NL)
Mintzkov (BE)
Klein (NL)
Dudettes (NL)
Kaizers
Orchestra (NO)
Thus:owls (SE)
Keep Of Kalessin (NO) Shining (NO)
Long Way Down (NL) Cosmic Spring (NL)
roos (NL) Spotrockers (NL)
Sexton Creeps (NL) Makebelieve (NL)
Vuk (FIN)
Harrys Gym (NO)
Name The Pet Kreisky (AU)
We Were Promised
Jetpacks (UK)
We Can’t Sleep
At Night (SLO)
Jamaica (FrA)
Gösta Berlings Saga (SE)
Love Amongst ruin (UK)
Seabear (ICE)
Cords (NL)
Wickeda (BG)
Sliimy (Fr)
Goldhawks (UK)
Long Distance Calling (DE)
Piano Club (BE)
Heike Has The Giggles (ITA)
The Megaphonic Thrift (NO)
Joensuu 1685 (FI)
Customs (BE)
Team Monster (DE)
Foreign Beggars (UK) Yeti Lane (Fr) Meneo (ES) Jesse (FIN)
Stan Diego (NL)
Tommigun (BE) Blue Flamingo (NL)
Pintandwefall (FIN)
Paul Spymania (UK) Slugabed (UK) Loops Haunt (UK) 2562 (NL) Appleblim (UK) Scuba (UK)
The Cosmic Carnival
(NL)
Dret &
Krulle (NL)
Pitto (NL)
Le roi Mort
Et Les Lentilles rouges (NL)
Dans Le rock
Maskinen (SE) Diskjokke (NO) Dj Set Hermanos Inglesos (BE)

index background
musicXport.nl
58
Oceana Company
They have nobody to compare with, they
find themselves. Where have we heard that
before? But in the case of Oceana Company
that might well be true. In any case in the
Netherlands, where their woven carpet of
prog rock, psychedelia, indie/post rock and
stoner metal hasn’t been displayed before,
and certainly not in the original and organic
way they proceed.
Kleazer
This year they did cry victory at the Grote
Prijs van Twente, while one festival or club
audience after the other were left behind with
mouths hanging open. Anyway, EuroSonic will
be in for devilish, almost surreal stoner rock,
but moulded into songs with heads and tails.
Who would have thought otherwise from a
band who has a Jeroen Bosch in its ranks.
Cords
Cords
If the name Cords rings a (deci)bel(l): that’s
right. In the nineties the illustrious Deventer
noise rock band already swept through the
Netherlands, toured Europe, the USA and
Australia and garnered some due success,
until the band split up late in 1999. But the holy
noise fire is glowing again! Cords has risen
again and the explosive musical chemistry
of the band centered around singer Simone
Holsbeek doesn’t appear to have handed in
an ounce of urgency. Better even: there is a
new album coming up, ‘Collage’, and live the
band is good again for a swirling trip along
haunting psychedelia, brooding silences and
seething guitar storms - in short: Cords fever
guaranteed.
Bettie Serveert
Bettie Serveert
Life can run the strangest course. Tennis star
Betty Stöve is long served out, but Bettie
Serveert far from it. Okay, the Amsterdam
indie rock band led by singer Carol van Dyk
did take it easy in recent years, but is now
gearing up for a new blitzkrieg, which will
ruthlessly run 2010 through with their guitars:
a new cd, the ninth and apparently toughest
in the nearly 20-year history of the group,
followed by a full-blown club tour of three
months, starting at Noorderslag. Yes, that’s
the way we like to hear it. Carol’s seductive
voice, the loud guitars, that bittersweet
sound, please come on in!
Daily Bread
If Daily Bread was our daily bread, you would
not hear us complaining. No wonder, with these
young Frisian Flevo dogs, who bark and bite,
with their guerrilla punky-electro sound and
singer Kimberly’s voice, changing colour from
Siouxsie Sioux to PJ Harvey. Spearheading is
Kimberly’s authentic Philicorda-organ, with
help from noisebox and other accessories, and
who only gives away its toy tone at unguarded
moments. Combined with banging drums and
fuzz bass, arises the sexy garage dance sound
with which Daily Bread explicitly claims the
Dutch organ rock crown.
2562
Agua de Annique
There are still people who associate Anneke
van Giersbergen with The Gathering, the
progressive rock/metal which she led for
thirteen years. And a great thirteen years they
were, but they are over. Since two years the
Brabant singer is the proud front woman of
her own Agua De Annique, a band in which
the rock heart still beats somewhat but
where everything revolves around passionate
pop melodies and Van Giersbergen’s voice,
which has become only more beautiful over
the years. Indiepop with an edge. Meanwhile
Agua De Annique has also been touring the
world and received an international warm
welcome for the three so far released albums,
of which ‘In Your Room’ is still warm. Time for
Groningen applause!
Klein
Sometimes jazzy, sometimes folky, largely
acoustic, and also on the enthusiastically
received debut album ‘A Devil’s Bargain’,
despite the solid guest line-up there, always
small and intimate. May they become very big.
Blue Flamingo
Blue flamingos don’t exist, but Ziya Ertekin
does. And in Ziya you have to want to believe
too: a Dutch collector of 78 rpm records who
as a dj lets you make a miraculous journey
through time: back to the thirties, forties and
fifties. The years of oriental jazz-exotica, palm
music of the Caribbean and Latin American
dance styles like mambo and rumba, which
mixed with rhythm & blues. From Sidney
Bechet and Duke Ellington through Jelly
Roll Morton and Alphonso et son Orchestre
Typique Antillais to Charles Brown, Otis
Blackwell and Big Maybelle. Many a festival
audience already literally knuckled under,
EuroSonic will surely follow suit.
Odilo Girod
2562
If you want to know where dubstep producer
Dave Huismans lives, just look at his stage
name, which not coincidentally resembles a
postcode from The Hague. A little joke that
has nothing to do with his music, or it should
be its skippiness, a feature that can’t be traced
back to the garage roots of dubstep. Rather
2562 seems influenced by broken beats and
even the imperturbable four-to-the-floor of
techno. The latter is not surprising, given the
deep house and techno parties of Huismans’
other alter ego A Made Up Sound. So, with
2562 Huismans is also out for the dance floor.
Odilo Girod
Imagine Nick Drake being still alive and inviting
Jamie Lidell, Beck and Eels over for dinner.
That’s more or less the sound of Chop Wood, a
solo project of Amsterdam-based songwriter
Odilo Girod, known as frontman of the widely
acclaimed indie rock band Coparck.

ackground
musicXport.nl
60
Eefje
Light-hearted, but melancholy too. Whimsical,
dreamy and always personal. That’s what the
Dutch-language songs of Eefje de Visser,
from Gouda, are. Songs about being outside
or staying inside. About the seasons and
being in love. About difficulty and easiness.
And then she sings them, with a clear voice,
accompanied by her acoustic guitar and if the
gloves are off also a bassist and a drummer.
People who hear them, fall for them like bees
for honey. That happened in the Grote Prijs
van Nederland, the winning of it was a long
cherished dream. And now? Play a lot, she
hopes, and make a lot of great albums. We
think she will succeed.
LPG / DeSpeech
Wayward, glorious melodious pop songs with
vocal harmonies and unexpected turns, that’s
what indie band LPG from Groningen lives
on. In 2010 they’ll start DeSpeech, a project
realized by handicraft. DeSpeech-subscribers
will receive by mail three authentic handmade
editions.
Stan Diego
Stan Diego
Singer and songwriter Stan Diego is one
amongst many fallen angels in the music
business who, leaving a black period of selfloathing
and depression behind, moved into
the small Mexican village of Tonatico to record
a brand new album. Our anti-hero is back, and
he is not alone.
The Cosmic Carnival
They’re fresh-looking boys (and often a girl,
unofficial singer Marlies Kroon) from the here
and now. Only classically trained keyboardist
Gerben van Etten seems to be beamed up
from the era wherein the music of The Cosmic
Carnival is firmly rooted: the sixties. From
beautiful Beatle-esque tunes sung in close
harmony to long drawn-out acid jams in the
tradition of The Grateful Dead, the musical
time machine from Rotterdam thinks little
of it. Adding to that, it also grooves like the
proverbial motherfucker, and a melancholy
flourish of trumpet regularly brings another
twist to the whole concept. So, that’s how you
win the Grote Prijs van Nederland.
Dret & Krulle
That was some sick final, that of the Grote
Prijs van Nederland, hip hop category, on
last December 12. All potential winners, one
by one. Tastic, Dope D.O.D., Kraantje fuckin’
Pappie, and two more. Until lastly Dret &
Krulle stormed the stage and everyone knew:
this is it. Hard, dark beats, raps like a machine
gun round, a staggering presentation, this
was hip hop Bijlmer style and they were sure
to win. Gangsta rap from The Netherlands’
most famous black ghetto. All bangers, one
by one. But no retro. “No oldskool niggers,”
as they themselves rap, “no, this is music for
tomorrow.” (from ‘Verder’). Duly noted.
Pitto
Patience is a virtue, even in the fast world of
dance. Just ask brand new Grote Prijs winner
Pitto. The import Utrechter is under the spell
of house since 1995, dj since 1998 and party
organizer since 2000. Three years later he
began producing his own music. In 2008 he
had his first international club hit, ‘Sexy Vibe’,
last year his second, ‘Feelin’’. And next spring
his debut album ‘Green’ will be released. No
wonder he is known for his superior mastery of
climax-building. All that experience has brought
him a unique style, in which house, techno,
electro and minimal are fighting for a bone,
and his distinctive funky, sexy sound is running
away with it. Hey, winning is an art form.
Soulburn
Nuclear Driven Animals
Soulburn
Stadium power rock, that’s what Soulburn
plays, in their own words. What they mean is:
music in the footsteps of their heroes, bands
like Alter Bridge, Nickelback and Black Stone
Cherry. Tough, muscular but melodic hard
rock, that you really can fill stadiums with.
Nuclear Driven Animals
A rock band, louder, more energetic and
melancholy than previous bands added
together. Inspired by heroes like Foo Fighters,
Deftones and Kyuss. Based on discontent,
frustration and hedonism in everyday life.
Been there, done that? Yes, but it never
sounded this good.
Le Roi Mort...
You would not tell when you hear their
authentic bouillabaisse of cheerful French
(language) polka punk and melodramatic
chansons, but Le Roi Mort et les Lentilles
Rouges are simply coming from the Drenthe
countryside. In fact, this crazy bunch is
comprised of punk rock veterans and their
offspring.

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62
Colligan
What do you do as a band when the members’
music tastes range from Jeff Buckley to
Switchfoot and from Luka Bloom to Arctic
Monkeys? Then you create your own sound.
Neat and tidy does it and you instantly make
a fresh impression. For that’s what this
Groningen band does, also thanks to lightvoiced
and playful singer Ayla Boonstoppel.
Dudettes
Dudettes
The four strings in this female band are assigned
to the only dude in the group. However, the
attention catchers in this Groningen quartet
are singer Zjoly Onrust, equipped with the
voice of the devil, and star guitarplayer Cynthia
Weiss, who both propel the energetic and a
little cheeky Dudettes rock to a higher level.
Long Way Down
Raging guitar riffs, relentless jumping around,
the energy of a particle accelerator gone wild,
pop hooks from the national gold reserves,
close-harmony singing as sweet as a kiss, pop
punk slash punk rock band Long Way Down
is doing everything by the book, but just that
little bit more. Or less, such as daring to step
off the gas in the quite brilliant ‘Wake Up’.
Since three years the Groningen five infest
town and country with it, following in the
skate tracks of examples such as Lagwagon,
Pulley and No Use For A Name.
Colligan
Cosmic Spring
These Groningen space dudes weave
hallucinatory trance carpets full of bleeps
and beeps and dreamy melodies to swing to,
weightless. On the basis of vintage analog
synthesizers, obscure sound fx, subliminal
bass lines, unflappable beats and hypnotic
guitar repetitions, the fivesome takes you
with them on a musical journey, discovering
unknown places in your inner universe.
Roos
If during Euro- and GrunnSonic it would be
freezing cold in the streets of Groningen,
just flee inside to witness ROOS. gets your
temperature back up again in no time. Not only
physically, but also between the ears, where it
then feels nicely sultry, thanks to their languid
springtime songs which sometimes provide
an endearingly light look on life. Songs with
a strong jazzy feel, here and there a lick of
Latin, a dash of soul or a funky groove and
the equally relaxed as perfectly timed vocals
of Roos Plaatsman, a Dutch Billie Holiday in
the making.
Spotrockers
A band calling themselves ‘the new Dutchlanguage
super band’ without batting an
eyelid is either arrogant or really the new
Dutch-language super band. Spotrockers
get every benefit of the doubt, ’cause the
dead funky hip hop of this almost three year
old band from Leeuwarden and Groningen
grooves like a mother and blows all the
skeptics upside down.
Sexton Creeps
Combine Sixteen Horsepower with Sonic Youth
and Nick Cave and what you get is something
like Sexton Creeps. This collective from
Groningen wallows in folk and psychedelia in
a dark and theatrical way. Its cast varies from
three to eleven members and is characterized
by divergent collaborations, which accordingly
lets a lost piano, scratching violin, swampy
organ, wailing harmonica, raging guitar storm,
black romantic accordion or possessed front
man J.C. dominate the sound palette.
MakeBelieve
A golden mix of emo, rock and powerpop with
which the stages of the Low Countries are
being stormed week after week. That work
ethic already helped the fivesome to secure
support slots for major bands like 30 Seconds
To Mars and Paramore, and also to numerous
band contests and radio stations, and of
course in the studio, from which already a
number of EPs saw the light of day.
MakeBelieve

friday 15 january EuroSonic
Grand Theatre
main
Grand Theatre
up
Vindicat
Muziekschool
News Café
Vera
Schouwburg
Huize Maas
main
Huize Maas
front
De Beurs
USVA
De Spieghel
De Spieghel
up
Shadrak
main
Shadrak
up
De Opera
Ebbingekwartier
Simplon
main
Simplon
up
Paleis
main
Paleis
up
Platformtheater
Plaza Danza
Machinefabriek
Pakhuis
Koster
De Kar
Buckshot
De Toeter
20:00 20:45 21:30 22:15 23:00 23:45 00:30 01:15 02:00 02:45
Orka (FO)
Negrita (IT) Kill The Dandies! (Cz)
Wouter Hamel (NL)
Pony Pony run run (F)
The Golden Glows (BE)
rockettothesky (NO)
Grant Campbell (UK)
Clara Clara (FrA)
Lucy Love (DK)
Ellie Goulding (UK)
Jenny Lane (NL)
Dj Lowpro (NL), Fotosynthese (NL),
Cartes & Kleine Jay (NL), Amo-Lab (NL), Hef (NL)
Joe Worricker (UK)
Sophie Hunger (CH)
Deolinda (PT) Bernhoft (NO)
Creature With The Atom
Brain (BE)
robin Tom rink (DE)
Agent Fresco (IC)
Donkeyboy (NO)
Stornoway (UK)
Svjata Vatra (EE)
Choir Of Young Believers
(DK)
Post War Years (UK)
Christiaan Hof
(NL)
Broken records (UK)
Pegasus (CH)
Noora Noor (NO)
Delorentos (IrE)
Jaakko & Jay (FIN)
radio Barkas (NL)
Flux (NL) The Black Atlantic (NL)
Gravediggers (NL)
Villagers (IrE)
Two Of A Kind (NL)
Glamour Of The Kill (UK)
Major Parkinson (NO)
The Hickey Underworld (BE)
Moke (NL)
Nive Nielsen & The Deer
Children (Gr)
Cosmo Jarvis (UK) Soma (Fr)
Greyline (NL)
Krause (NL)
Los Campesinos
(UK)
The Bony King Of Nowhere
(BE)
Kelin (NL)
rosy Lee (NL)
Ilanois (NL)
rox (UK)
Ou Est Le Swimming
Pool (UK)
Marit Larsen (NO) Dennis (NL) Di-rect (NL)
Noir (NL)
Corijn (NL)
Everything
Everything (UK)
All Missing
Pieces (NL)
Dj Lowpro (NL), Danskie, Nzovoort, Kas-M & Wenki, Dope D.O.D.
(NL), Dj Irie (NL), Kingzmen (NL), Us (NL), Vice Verzen (NL)
We Swim
You Jump (NL)
Serena
Maneesh (NO)
Audiotransparent
(NL)
Growlin’ Love & Pain
(NL)
Kirtana rasa (EE)
Audrey Horne (NO)
Diskjokke (NO) Mvsc (BE)
Jasper Erkens (BE)
Catpeople (ES)
Calibro 35 (ITA)
Beth Jeans
Houghton (UK)
The
Popopopops (Fr)
Crystal
Fighters (ESP)
C-Mon & Kypski (NL) Boemklatsch (NL)
Fagget Fairys (DK)
Jenny Wilson (SE)
Daniel Norgren (SWE)
And So I Watch You From
Afar (Ir)
Stereo (NL)
Charlie Winston (UK)
The Bookhouse Boys (UK)
De Basis (NL)
Sivert Höyem (NO)
Ben Howard (UK) De Anale Fase (BE)
Izia (Fr)
Óriás (HU)
La Caravane Passe (FrA)
Maria Timm (DK)
Fm Belfast (ICE)
Young Guns (UK)
Hokie Joint (UK)
The Low Frequency In
Stereo (NO)
De Staat (NL)
Ungdomskulen (NO)
Adam Tensta (SE) Schlachthofbronx (DE)
Frittenbude (DE) Wareika (DE)
Dj St. Paul (NL)
Mum Dj’s (ICE)

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66
Moke
Last september, when Moke was handed a
gold record for its debut album ‘Shorland’,
it suddenly started to dawn: the Amsterdam
britrock band had slowly but surely climbed
up to the highest echelons of Dutch pop music.
No mean feat for a band that is only been
doing it for a good three years. They deserve
it, and certainly frontman Felix Maginn, the
Irish expat whose previous band Supersub,
playing almost the same kind of music, never
got out of the margin. On their new album
‘The Long & Dangerous Sea’ Moke once again
shows that their patron Paul Weller’s trust is
more than just: big gestures, but a small heart.
And nothing but top material.
De Staat
You know the phenomenon? That some words
change meaning over time? Like here by De
Staat (= The State) we no longer mean the
State of the Netherlands, but the rock band
from Nijmegen who, as a T.C. Matic of the
Stone Age, in one year’s time has shoved the
country in its back pocket. Raw, fiery and
passionate. Statesman Torre Florim (vocals/
guitar) and his merry men were the discovery
of the previous Noorderslag edition and since
then didn’t need to look back anymore. In
the meantime they have played all over The
Netherlands and their debut album ‘Wait For
Evolution’ is the cool calling card of Holland
indie rock land. In short: De Staat is always
ready. And a must-see for all Saturday Night
Live fans who demand more cowbell!
Greyline
There is a grey line between brutal metal and
melodic rock, and it’s called Greyline. Four
sturdy blokes from up North - Groningen to
be exact - who in recent years have won over a
lot of souls. At home and abroad, at Wâldrock
and EuroSonic, and at the same stages as
metal gods like Slayer and Dillinger Escape
Plan. After two albums, of which one selfreleased,
the new ‘Behind The Masquerade’ is
already hanging out to dry.
De Basis
Ilanois
Being ambitious as a band is tricky, especially
in the calvinist Netherlands. But Frisian
band Ilanois has to be, their music calls for it.
Accessible indie rock of panoramic dimensions,
where emotions always brim over, following
the example of artists like Coldplay, Chris Isaak
and Jeff Buckley. They already secured national
fame, through the Top 20 hit ‘Pouring Rain’, the
accompanying album ‘Do You Hear Me’ and
their publicity stunt ‘24 gigs in 24 hours’.
De Basis
You know, everything ultimately goes back
to the basis. Without basis, life is nothing.
Therefore this Frisian hiphop fivesome
couldn’t think of a better name for their
band. Having started out less than a year
ago supporting Rico & Sticks, there now has
grown something beautiful at De Basis. A solid
sound, built from a variety of styles, from soul
and funk through rock to even prog, played
by a tight band using organic instruments
together with synths, samplers and other
electronics. And then on top flow the smooth
raps of frontman Ico Balt. Compressed into
an awesome live show, which already won the
quintet the Kleine Prijs van Fryslân (the Small
Prize of Friesland). Logical really, because you
know it’s the basis!
Krause
Ilanois
Boemklatsch
Krause
Wilder than La Roux, poppier than Elle
Bandita, that’s Krause, the alter ego of Susanne
Clermonts, who fuses catchy synthpop and
hysterical electro punk together for a sound
that sends your trouser legs flying. She does
so on her brand new debut album, produced by
her Groningen drum ‘n’ bass fellow townsmen
Noisia.
C-mon & Kypski
Time flies when you’re having fun. Holland’s
genre-bending pride C-Mon & Kypski, grown
from electronics and hiphop led turntablism
duo sent to makers of eclectic pop music with
a capital E, is ten years old in 2010. Reason
for a party. Expect a true rollercoaster ride
through all corners of pop music, brimming
with dazzling samples and at full speed
through the style barrier.
Boemklatsch
Boem, klatsch. Kick, snare. It can be that
simple. In fact, it was that simple when
Boemklatsch was founded in U-town, in 2001.
A boat party, twenty euros, free booze and
spinning hip hop records. Eight years later,
the group of partying friends has become a
colourful and energetic dance collective that
won’t hesitate to give a house-coming-down
guarantee.

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Jenny Lane
A white girl from Purmerend, Noord-Holland,
who gets the legendary black Apollo Theater
in New York on its knees, it should not get any
crazier. Yet that’s what happened to Jenny
Lane in 2007, when she participated in the
Apollo’s weekly amateur night and sent all her
competitors homeward. A tentative climax
in the career of the singer, who by the way
already lives in Amsterdam for a long time
and has permanently traded her days as a
background vocalist for a.o. Postman ánd
Anouk for life as a soloist. Rightly so, as shown
by her unique amalgam of pop and soul that
has already yielded a spectacular debut
album and hits like ‘Say Say Say’ and ‘You
Start A Fire’. Now see her live and imagine
you’re at the Apollo.
Christiaan Hof
Christiaan Hof - not a name that makes you
sit up. Until his songs do, and they do. Dutchlanguage
songs in the tradition of Bløf and
Marco Borsato, songs that hit you right in
the heart, with a phrase that stays with you.
“Security is a thing that is not so sure” for
example, from ‘Alleen Is Maar Alleen’ (Alone Is
Just Alone), his first single. His first own single,
to be exact. Because Christiaan is not new in
the business. He composed for Kinderen Voor
Kinderen, sang in the band of Alain Clark and
produced albums by Boris and Jim. But the
desire to own a place in the spotlight himself
was uncontrollable. And see: Christiaan Hof is
now himself a star in the making. Maybe it’s
time to start remembering that name.
Dennis
Not everything is what it seems. The fans
of Dennis know that. That Dennis is no real
Dennis for example, but a Denise, daughter of
famous Dutch producer Rob van Donselaar.
Those who didn’t know Dennis yet, now
know as well, which comes in handy. A good
opportunity to also tell them that Dennis
debuted three years ago with an album full
of dance, rock, soul and pop, but that on
the follow-up, set for a January release, the
singer will sound a lot more mature and the
Flux
emphasis will be clearly on soul, with the
help of a.o. Kraak & Smaak and soul producer
Commissioner Gordon (Lauryn Hill, Aretha
Franklin). That’s gonna be a fantastic gig in
Groningen, with or without guests.
Di-rect
Who is Di-rect? A rhetorical question, for last
autumn that was the title of the successful
television program in which the rock band
from The Hague went searching for a new
singer before the eyes of the nation. They
found him: Marcel Veenendaal, with whom Direct
after ten years, five albums, thirteen hits,
each and every stage in the Netherlands and a
mantelpiece full of prizes will step on the gas
once again for a new series of successes, but
now in a higher gear. Therefore co-composer
and keyboardist Vince van Reeken was also
offered a permanent contract and with their
new single ‘Times Are Changing’ the band directly
slammed into the national charts. New
targets: to conquer Europe ánd the alternative
music snob, starting in Groningen.
All Missing Pieces
In the fall of 2007 they surprised the whole
of the Netherlands as a rough version of the
Hanson brothers from the nineties. With an
average age of 12 years, The Hague-based All
Missing Pieces were really just too sweet to be
able to assess their music on their own merits,
however great that music was. Real, raw
garage rock with which they totally burned
down many a festival (only in the holidays),
including Noorderslag 2008. Two years later
they are back with new songs and a richer
sound, thanks to the purchase of an authentic
Philicorda-organ. Forget those old songs, the
new ones are better. All Missing Pieces are at
it again!
Stereo
For a band with two guitarists (of course,
stereo), Stereo sometimes sound a bit cautious.
At least on their debut album ‘Monogamy’,
released last summer. Live the house just
comes down with this sextet, which late in
2008 arose from the television programme
Rock Nation, a kind of Pop Idol for rockers.
This reads like a motley crew, but Stereo
sounds remarkably solid, something the Rock
Nation-required living together undoubtedly
helped with. Just as the past of the band
members, in rock, hardcore and hip hop
groups, and in studios, on rock academies
and music schools. With the slightly husky
power singer Astrid Kunst as figurehead,
these twenty-somethings just go for gold!
Flux
Is pop music art? Listen to Flux and you
suppose it is. Nothing elitist, mind you, but
yet something more than just a collection of
songs. Flux, the alter ego of the Groningen
singer/keyboardist Irene Wiersma, crafts
miraculous Dutch-language pop music with
surreal lyrics. Songs like dreams, of light
disrupting signature, that lead you to an
often grim, mostly personal world full of
controversy.
We Swim You Up
The Black Atlantic
The acoustic chamber pop of this quartet
from Groningen is often justly compared
to acts like Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and Sigur
Rós. The calm beauty of their soft waving
chants, rustic piano playing and soft-focus
guitars and percussion is mesmerizing and
seduced already 50,000 fans to download
their critically acclaimed debut album before
it was even in the shops. After American and
European tours The Black Atlantic is now
back where it started three years ago: at
EuroSonic.
We Swim You Jump
There’s a lot to hear in the indie pop of the
Groningen quintet based around singer/
guitarist Richard Oosterbaan and singer/
keyboardist Niek Verwey. Influences of the late
singer/songwriter Elliott Smith for example,
and of catchy (power) pop bands like The
Posies and Nada Surf. But also intriguing
arrangements, which lift the band above
sheer epigonism.
The Black Atlantic

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Noir
On November 9 this year Groningen band
Noir and 170 guitarists and bassists travelled
to Berlin to commemorate the fall of the Wall.
That initiative alone already shows what a
special band Noir is, and then we yet have
to start about their own music. We can be
short about it: it is fantastic, in more than
one sense. Inspired by progressive rock and
metal bands like Tool, Deftones and Isis, Noir
paints a universe of hypnotic, highly original
songs, freakish as a mountain landscape,
impenetrable like a primeval forest and
dangerous as rattlesnakes in the desert.
Klein
See page 59.
Audiotransparent
Audiotransparent is a lot less transparent
than before. Rather, the formerly quiet,
melancholy sound image of the Groningen
indie band is now full of scratches, cracks
and buts. Ominous clouds of electronics
and glitches serve as backdrop for songs
that creak and squeak, and certainly could
be called dark and swampy. As if the band
deliberately positioned itself in times of crisis
and depression, as we currently experience.
But the songs remain unchangeably beautiful
(and certainly melancholy and sometimes
even Beatle-esque) and it’s not only to the
wounded voice of singer Bart Looman that
you will stick as to a fly strip.
Rosy Lee
From sixties celebrities like The Beatles and
The Kinks through modfather Paul Weller
and Madchester stars The Stone Roses to
Britpop kings Oasis and The Kooks from here
and now, from each of them there must be
a song embedded in the drinking-water of
the Groningen neighbourhood where Rosy
Lee is resident. However, the band can pride
themselves on a sound of their own: well-kept
and nimble, with bright, catchy songs that’ll
do the heart good.
Rosy Lee
Audiotransparent
Corijn
Growlin' Love & Pain
An Italian band that trades Rome for Groningen,
purely for the music. Can it get any crazier? Yet
this way they hoped to find a healthier breeding
ground for their English-language band
Growlin’ Love & Pain. Take note: EuroSonic
factor alert! Indeed, their sturdy stew of funky
soul and (blues) rock is widely appreciated.
Also the debut album ‘Slightly Tasteful’,
recorded in Rome, goes down well. So, high
time for the European stage of GrunnSonic
with special guest Tollak Ollestadt (Jewel,
Seal, Andrea Bocelli).
Growlin’ Love & Pain
Two of a Kind
Two sisters, two guitars (although they only
play one live), voices that colour together like
the sun and the summer, Sofie (19) and Robin
(18) IJzerman are indeed Two Of A Kind. It’s
those voices that count, in the collection elflike
indie folk pop songs with which the duo
from Groningen makes a name for themselves,
plus a choice of covers (Graham Nash, The
Weepers) that reveals a mind of their own.
Corijn
He is young and he wants something: to
combine the popularity of a modern singer/
songwriter like John Mayer with the artistry
of his musical examples, such as Nick Drake
and Bob Dylan. Well then, Corijn van Mazijk is
well under way. Thus the Groninger, decked
out with an impressive afro and an attractive,
semi-husky voice, won this year’s singer/
songwriter contest Nootuitgang, performs all
over the country and already released a single
and an EP, which didn’t do bad at all.

saturday 16 january Noorderslag
3FM zaal
De Volkskrant
zaal
Heineken Foyer
Buma Cultuur
zaal
Kelder
Serious Talent
Stage
Bizon zaal
Nl 3 zaal
Hilversum Mediastad
Paviljoen
3voor12 zaal
Moss
20:00 20:45 21:30 22:15 23:00 23:45 00:30 01:15 02:00 02:45
19:45 The Madd
rigby
0ne Trick
Pony
Moss
Elske Dewall
C-Mon & Kypski Vs Metropole
Orkest
Skinto
Valerius
Not to be confused with umpteen other namesakes,
but if their quality curve keeps moving
up as fast as it does now, the Amsterdam guys
from Moss soon won’t have to worry about
that any longer. The indiepop band of singer/
guitarist Marien Dorleijn debuted a few years
back with some old-fashioned, solid songwritership,
and real songs still are the bottom
under Moss. But now adventure is growing
on top; the Moss of today are more intense,
rhythmic, playful and at the same time in the
grip of a vague melancholia, also thanks to the
wonderful vocals, solo and close-harmony. A
band of wild desire, as vulnerable as elusive.
Pick them.
Waylon
Waylon? Ain’t that the country dude, Waylon
Jennings? That’s right, that’s who Willem
Bijkerk named himself after, being his big
idol. Yet for some time he’s known as one of
Holland’s very biggest soul singers. Strange
but true, as already proven by his second
place in the tv show ‘Holland’s Got Talent’
Bettie Serveert
Moss
Knobsticker
Kraantje Pappie
The Mad Trist
Diggy
Dex
Tim Knol
Waylon
Benjamin Herman
Moke
zwart Licht
Destine
Lola Kite
Laura Jansen Wende Dio Flinke Namen
Drive Like Maria
Awkward I
Daily Bread
Di-rect
(that’s right), the debut album ‘Wicked
Ways’ and his phenomenal appearance at
the Michael Jackson Tribute in Paradiso. And
that’s just being picky. Sporting Chris Isaak’s
monster quiff, the looks of El Vez, a killer voice
that’s midway between those of Terence
Trent D’Arby and Otis Redding, and being the
first Dutch signing on the legendary Motownlabel,
his future seems set. Wicked!
Diggy Dex Charlene Caro Emerald
rigby
Dewolff Mdungu
Popprijs De Staat
Knalpot Juju & Jordash / Darko Applescal Makam Anton Pieëte
Promo (Live) & Guests
The
Madd
Eric Vloeimans Gatecrash
Noah’s Ark Anne Soldaat
Laura Jansen
An artist’s life can run the strangest course.
Laura Jansen studied at the Rotterdam
school of music, went through it again in
Boston, discovered in Nashville that she had
no country blood and ended up in singer/
songwriter circles in L.A., after which she
was temporarily imported back to Holland
by Marco Borsato’s composer John Ewbank,
to have her breakthrough here via daily talk
show De Wereld Draait Door and a successful
debut album. And rightly so. Her characteristic
piano songs from the womb of Tori Amos and
Regina Spektor sparkle like fireflies on a hot
summer night. Something we can put to good
use at Noorderslag!
Wende
Wende, that’s our national chansonnier, isn’t
she? Yes and no. She was, absolutely, but that
was before the ‘Wende’, the Turning Point.
The revolution that led to her new identity as
a full-blooded singer/songwriter of emotionally
profound songs about loneliness and longing, in
the spirit of an icon like Janis Ian. In English, and
Typhoon Ft
New Cool Collective
Go Back To The zoo Want Want
Aux raus Deluxe
Shaking
Godspeed
wondrously beautiful. Who would have thought
so of the Amsterdammer, whose Frenchlanguage
songs career certainly seemed nailed.
Especially for her singer/songwriter album ‘No.
9’ Wende also learned to play guitar, with which
she now tours the pop venues, much to the
delight of both her old and her new audience.
Of course Noorderslag can’t stay behind then.
Dio
If there’s one Dutch rapper who has made his
mark last year, it’s Dio, the comical Amsterdammer
whose career gained momentum
after winning the audience prize in the finals
of the Grote Prijs van Nederland in 2007. Hit
singles as guest of The Opposites and The
Party Squad, followed by an album of his own
and hits of his own, also invariably in collaboration
with others, like Voicst, Sef and last but
not least, The Madd. Everybody knows them,
instant nederhop classics like ‘Het Is Je Boy’,
‘Tijdmachine’’, ‘Aye’ and ‘Baby’, super-catchy
songs in a variety of styles, and of course the
always swinging, often joyous, sometimes serious
raps from Dio himself . Not stupid, rude
or famous, but only Rock & Roll!

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Flinke Namen
The hip hop world knows super groups too,
though usually retroactively. Think NWA
or Wu-Tang Clan. The masterfully swinging
Flinke Namen also existed before rapper Sef
and dj The Flexican got individually known,
but it took until this year before the quartet,
also comprising of MC Fit and Murth, dropped
its first real album, a smash hit. Live they’re
already much longer successful: Flinke
Namen didn’t reach the finals of the Grote
Prijs music contest of 2005 for nothing. Now
they finally appear at Noorderslag too, where
all and sundry will see and hear that the age
gap between veteran Murth (also known as
comedian and presenter) and the others
doesn’t cause a generation gap but rather
super stunt work!
Typhoon feat. New Cool Collective
Rappers and bands together, that’s old hat.
From Run-D.M.C. & Aerosmith to Dio & The
Madd, it ain’t no surprise anymore. But a rapper
and a jazz formation, that was unprecedented.
That is, up until 2007, when Dutch-speaking
wordsmith extraordinaire Typhoon and jazz
combo ultra moderne New Cool Collective
got joined up at the Amsterdam Uitmarkt.
Later there was a legendary gig in Paradiso,
an appearance in the tv program Raymann
Is Laat and now there is a real EP from this
special combination, ‘Chocolate’. That should
be celebrated, of course. After the official
presentation in the Milky Way, the next logical
festive location is Noorderslag. Let the party
begin!
Elske DeWall
Right, how do these things come about? You
let your child have piano lessons, hoping to
provide her with a bit of culture. The child likes
it, after piano saxophone and guitar follow, and
eventually she ends up at the Academy for Pop
Culture in Leeuwarden, studying singing. One
teacher sees something special in her, records
a demo with her and sends it to a major label,
that’s already offering her a contract the next
day. And so Elske de Walle became star in
the making Elske DeWall, singer/songwriter of
splendidly soulful pop songs, with influences
from roots, gospel, folk and modern country.
Her debut album, recorded in America, is dying
to be released; her band – which includes her
sister – is likewise dying to conquer Noorderslag
with her.
Benjamin Herman
Ask an average Dutch pop music lover to
name a well-known Dutch jazz musician, and
the chances are big that it will be Benjamin
Herman. No wonder, the Hilversum alto
saxophonist of British descent is and plays
everywhere. Be it as band leader of New Cool
Collective (jazz/soul/latin), as a guest musician
with all from Candy Dulfer to C-Mon & Kypski,
or with his own 4tet, as now at Noorderslag.
Then the music is tighter, funkier and more
progressive, without losing an ounce of jazz.
Moreover, the sharply dressed Herman, of all
the Noorderslag artists probably the one with
the most records under his belt and the most
prizes in the closet, always tightly bears the
dance floor in mind.
Charlene
Caro Emerald
It’s the same with Idols (Dutch version of Pop
Idol) as with the Grote Prijs van Nederland
(biggest Dutch band contest): you don’t have
to win to make a profit of it. And so the star
of 21 year-old Charlene Meulenberg, who last
year had to leave the Idols stage as second
before last, is ever rising. So far her self
composed cocktail mix of pop, soul and R&B,
in which also a pinch of rock AND her past as a
gospel singer resound, has been recorded on
two singles (‘Take Me Away’ and ‘Too Bright’)
and a self-titled debut album, together with
her equally tight and smooth band and
produced by the triumvirate of Dean Tippett,
Bart Suèr and Benny Sings. Sounds like it’s in
the bag, and that’s it live too.
Caro Emerald
New year’s eve is coming, or has just been,
depending on when you read this. A moment
of looking back to the old, with the promise of
the new. A good time to also reflect on Caro
Emerald, a new Dutch star with an irresistibly
seductive but powerful voice, who does
exactly the same with her music. Music that
takes its hat off for the ballroom jazz, tangos
and mambos from the Hollywood of the
forties and fifties, but wrapped in smoky beats
and groovy songs of today. Unlikely catchy
singles like ‘Back It Up’ and ‘A Night Like This’
make you very curious about Emerald’s debut
album, to be released by the end of January,
and her appearance at Noorderslag – we
know we can’t wait!
The Madd
Being retro and yet not outdated, that is
an art. And the Rotterdam beat group The
Madd lives that art to perfection. Not only by
reviving the glorious sound of the sixties, but
also by enhancing it with a dose of streamlined
power pop and the energy and urgency of
the here and now. Main Maddman Dave von
Raven and his buddies have earlier been
turning Noorderslag upside down with it; now
that we’re a fist full of radio hits, a successful
album and hundreds of performances (both
also in close collaboration with rapper Dio)
further, and The Madd are more popular than
ever, we can no longer take responsibility for
the consequences.
Knobsticker
It’s a great story: on one of their journeys through
the former Eastern Bloc, two music lovers
from Utrecht come across two music making
lumberjacks in the woods of Rekçitsbonk.
They then drag them home, where the strange
duo (drums and synthesizers) is offered a
record deal. Pity that origin can’t be heard
in the music, but that contract is justified:
Knobsticker creates fresh, funky disco soul
with a futuristic twist, which at first fills the
dance floor, to rub against easy tune later,
aided by local string players and songbirds,
including Benny Sings. Can we keep them?
Daily Bread
If Daily Bread was our daily bread, you would
not hear us complaining. No wonder, with these
young Frisian Flevo dogs, who bark and bite,
with their guerrilla punky-electro sound and
The Madd
singer Kimberly’s voice, changing colour from
Siouxsie Sioux to PJ Harvey. Spearheading
is Kimberly’s authentic Philicorda-organ,
upgraded to a roaring, grunting and sputtering
monster with help from noisebox and other
accessories, and who only gives away its toy
tone at unguarded moments. Combined with
banging drums and fuzz bass, arises the sexy
garage dance sound with which Daily Bread
explicitly claims the Dutch organ rock crown.
DeWolff
Dutch rock & roll godfather Peter Koelewijn
once already sang: “Here comes the wolf / I am
the wolf / you better surrender to me.” With
a telepathic glance into the future, he must
have spoken of DeWolff, three teenagers from
Geleen who relive the hard blues-rock sound
of the late sixties in a fantastic way. Complete
with Hammond tsunami, long jams, lyrical
guitar work and soulful vocals. Deep Purple
meets Taste meets Vanilla Fudge, if you know
who they are. Otherwise: google those bands,
and then play their MP3s all together. Then it
immediately strikes you that DeWolff plays a
lot tighter. Welcome in the tens. Just surrender.

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Mdungu
What you get from far is tasty, reads a good
Dutch proverb. The VOC knew all about it. But
why would you get from afar, what’s playing
right under your nose as if the World Cup
has to be won? For the Amsterdam-based
Mdungu thinks nothing of creating a highly
infectious mash-up of West African pop music
such as the Senegalese mbalax, the Nigerian
afrobeat and the legacy of Malinese griots,
mixed with western styles like jazz, funk and
rock, with spectacular results. Not bad for a
bunch of white boys from the Netherlands,
Luxembourg and Spain, complemented by
a Gambian percussionist. Hypnotic rhythms,
howling guitar solos, three saxophonists and
every venue upside down!
C-mon & Kypski vs Metropole Orkest
Genre-benders C-Mon & Kypski, accompanied
by the Metropole Orchestra conducted by
Jules Buckley, while there will also be a family
pack full of guests at the table: Jiggy Djé,
Benjamin Herman & Jules Deelder, Giovanca,
Florim Torre (De Staat), Dio, Janne Schra
(Room Eleven) and Anneke van Giersbergen
(Agua de Annique).
Moke
See page 66.
Zwart Licht
De Staat
You know the phenomenon? That some words
change meaning over time? Like here by De
Staat (= The State) we no longer mean the
State of the Netherlands, but the rock band
from Nijmegen who, as a T.C. Matic of the
Stone Age, in one year’s time has shoved the
country in its back pocket. Raw, fiery and
passionate. Statesman Torre Florim (vocals/
guitar) and his merry men were the discovery
of the previous Noorderslag edition and since
then didn’t need to look back anymore. In
the meantime they have played all over The
Netherlands and their debut album ‘Wait For
Evolution’ is the cool calling card of Holland
indie rock land. In short: De Staat is always
ready. And a must-see for all Saturday Night
Live fans who demand more cowbell!
Skinto
‘Now I am nothing, but soon I am the shit!’,
reads the MySpace of rapper Skinto. We
gladly believe that. In fact, we’re as sure
about that as the talking machine gun from
Amsterdam-Zuidoost himself. Because Skinto
is gruesomely good and doesn’t resemble any
other Dutch hip hopper. Over boiling grime
and dubstep beats he bangs his way to the
top with aggressive street raps in which Dutch
and English fight for supremacy.
Kraantje Pappie
Kraantje Pappie: if that isn’t a West Indian.
Wrong! Kraantje Pappie is white as cream
(OK, with a dash of Moluccan blood) and the
main representative of the city of Groningen
in the Dutch-speaking hip hop scene. A nice
entrance as the new kid on the block, but of
course it’s the music that counts. Humor and
energy are Pappie’s strengths, and backed by
two backup mc’s and one imaginative beat
master, he gladly puts them into action on the
stages of the Low Countries. And of course
on his new debut EP ‘Boulimia’, released on
Noah’s Ark, the label of colleague and hero
Jiggy Djé. So Noorderslag will be a home
game, but first there’s the finals of the Grote
Prijs, in December. Will you keep your fingers
crossed with us?
Zwart Licht
Black light. You know, that funny club light that
lights up your teeth. But Zwart Licht (Dutch for
‘black light’), that’s a different story. They set
your whole body aglow. Leave that to beat
baker Hayzee and rappers Akwasi and young
buddy Leeroy, who with Zwart Licht finally
give Dutch hip hop in Amsterdam some street
credibility. Their debut album ‘Bliksemschicht’,
of course released on the Top Notch label, is
full of grime beats and grim lyrics, although in
some tracks there is also room for some nice
old school braggin’ & boastin’. Whichever way
you look at it, with Zwart Licht you definitely
see sharper.
Knalpot
Let’s not hope that your own knalpot (=
exhaust) sounds like it, but in musical terms
this Amsterdam experimental duo is a real
treat. Consisting of a drummer, a guitarist
who simultaneously plays casio, plus a pile
of effect-boxes, Knalpot stumbles like a
sputtering tractor in a messed-up music
shop. Juggling with time signatures, song
structures and music styles, with stuttering
grooves, distorted riffs and bleeps and beeps
everywhere, but always 100% live. And despite
references to jazz, dub, improvisation and the
sound of the English Warp label, also made
with 100% rock attitude. Eat that, rock gods.
Juju & Jordash
Juju & Jordash
Jazz, post-rock, avant-garde, world music,
behold the wondrous roots of the Amsterdam
dance producers duo Juju & Jordash. Roots
that still shine through in their multilayered
sound paintings, where the beat usually is
elastic, and not very prominent, rating by
dance floor standards. But there is so much
going on in this richly decorated deep house,
including shifts to Detroit techno, that as a
listener you better abandon any standard. The
music of Juju & Jordash, recently recorded
on a debut album on the label of the hip
Dekmantel collective, you have to undergo
with a blank mind. Those legs will move of
themselves.
Knalpot
Applescal
A dance producer who’s working with such
concentration that he almost plunges into
his laptop. There won’t be much more to see
abou the live set of Applescal, in 2008 the
winner of the Grote Prijs (the biggest Dutch
live music contest) in the category Dance/
Producers. Why, that’s not necessary at all.
Just close your eyes, and the most amazing
dreams appear to the intelligent dance music
of the 21-year old from Amsterdam. Techno
ain’t a four-to-the-floor format to him, but
pure modelling clay. He moulds the most
colourful creations from it, while grazing the
entire dance spectrum: from minimal to acid,
from clicks ‘n’ cuts to ambient, everything
finds its place in Applescal’s techno works of
art. And yes, it is excellent music to dance to.

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Makam
Makam is putting his own unique take on house
music, which can be infectiously pumping &
raw, carefully mixed that sweet touch of old
school, but also truly soulful, slow moving &
sexy. Guy Blanken started producing in 2002.
In 2006 Guy started his Makam project and
this is where he currently stands. Releasing
music on Soweso and Sushitech and an album
planned for late 2009, Makam is ready to
show his distinct perception of house music.
A makam, more than simply a selection of
notes and intervals, is essentially a guide to
compositional structure: any composition in
a given makam will move through the notes of
that makam in a more or less ordered way (in
this, it resembles a tone row à la Schoenberg
or Weber).
Valerius
Adriaen Valerius was a famous poet and
composer at the time of the Eighty Years War,
which he also wrote Sea Beggars songs for.
So, a hero, after whom the Valeriusplein in
Amsterdam was named, the square where the
boys of Valerius got their band name from.
Thus, also heroes a little bit, and no wonder
that the young foursome around the Nambiar
brothers were lucky prize collectors ever
since the start of their musical career: literally
as recipients of awards like TMF Superclip and
3FM Serious Talent, figuratively as support act
of the Jonas Brothers and Van Velzen. Makes
sense, with such perfectly crafted radio pop,
and even funky too!
Valerius
Rigby
Destine
Dutch emo bands are a rare breed. Not so
strange, because emo’s a dirty word in the
Netherlands. Not in America, where they very
well know where emo comes from. And even
if emo-pop bands like Fall Out Boy, Paramore
and All-American Rejects sound far from
emo’s origins, they are treated with respect.
So all will turn out well for our own Destine,
who didn’t replace Fall Out Boy for no reason,
last summer at the Lowlands festival, and
who already went to Florida to record their
forthcoming debut album. Meanwhile, their
cheerful, catchy pop-punk has spread across
Western Europe like the plague, because the
boys like touring a lot, and long, without caring
for borders. High time for Noorderslag.
Rigby
He probably doesn’t want to remember, but
without his earlier experiences in showbizz
(a finalist in Idols and member of successful
Dutch-British hit makers XYP), singer/pianist/
songwriter Christon Kloosterboer wouldn’t
have been so determined as he now is with his
own band Rigby. Only the best is good enough
for the erstwhile conservatory student, and
that has brought grist to Rigby’s mill. Not yet
two years old, the group already’s got a pack
of hits and a good selling debut album in its
pocket, with its solid, super catchy pop rock.
Plus, this season they’re the house band of
popular tv-program ‘De Wereld Draait Door’.
Last year they already played EuroSonic, now
they’re promoted to Noorderslag!
Go Back To The Zoo
Go Back To The Zoo
When, as a young band, you let yourself be
influenced by both The Beatles and the Stones,
you already did good before you actually
started. That’s not to say this Amsterdam
quartet, centred around the hiply bearded,
curly wurly brothers Cas (vocals) and Teun
(guitar) Hieltjes, is a retro band. In fact they’re
a modern rocking indie combo, above all
guided by the music of more contemporary
heroes such as The Strokes and Kings Of
Leon, while aforementioned classic influences
primarily translate into a catchy britpop edge.
Their single ‘Beam Me Up’ already figured in
an international Nike commercial, so the zoo
can forget about it!
Want Want
One would almost believe that these days only
hip hop is being made in Zwolle, but nothing is
further from the truth. The former Hanseatic
city is in fact also the base for Want Want, a
young quartet that takes its inspiration from
nineties power pop in the tradition of bands
such as Weezer and Fountains Of Wayne.
Granted, with Dutch lyrics, a feature that
makes Want Want stand out from the crowd
in advance, although the quality of the songs
gives them every reason to. Live the band also
plays hard, tight and fast, like a power pop
band should. But not so fast that you can’t
sing along at the top of your lungs.
The Mad Trist
Yes, it is mad and sad that bands from
Maastricht never before enjoyed a nationwide
breakthrough. High time for The Mad Trist,
young rockers who have everything in them
to show the world a trick or two. They are
well under way, amongst others through their
participation in the Popronde and by achieving
second place in the international Emergenza
Drive Like Maria
band competition. And of course their music
with catchy melodies and mesmerizing vocals
into addictively good songs with the correct
reference points (Cream, Masters Of Reality)
and an exciting dose of rock & roll madness.
With their debut album on the shelves the week
after, Noorderslag will be the moment of truth
for The Mad Trist. Make sure you’re there.
Drive Like Maria
To drive drunk isn’t allowed, but Drive Like
Maria is. Fortunately, otherwise Noorderslag
had to make do without the most exciting rock
trio that underlined the relationship between
the Netherlands and Belgium this year. Young
musicians, including a singing drummer and a
lioness of a guitarist, who create rudimentary,
blues-based hard rock, following in the
footsteps of peers like Wolfmother and The
Answer. In doing so they call big boys like Led
Zeppelin and Queens Of The Stone Age in
mind, but thanks to a velvet coating and its
supple flow, Drive Like Maria mostly reminds
of cult legends Masters Of Reality. You can’t
praise them any higher.
Promo (live) & Guests
Sometimes it’s time for something else. After
17 years of only gabba, celebrated hardcore
dj Promo gave in to his old love, hip hop.
He signed with biggest Dutch hip hop label
TopNotch and went live at Lowlands 2009,
with TopNotch guests, including, in addition
to rappers like The Opposites and Zwart
Licht, gabba punk act Aux Raus, who is also
incorporated by the label. An EP, ‘Boombox
Op Duizend’, was released, and in April 2010
a full-length will follow, ‘Stijlloos’: freedom for
all, no boundaries. We can expect the same
now. Promo live is a musical cross-fertilization
of unexpected proportions, taking the man’s
trademark kick drum to get reinforcement
from ... that’s a surprise. One thing is certain:
this is gonna be hard!

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Aux Raus Deluxe
Swine flu, so what? The Aux Raus virus, now
that is deadly contagious. The recipe of
this Amsterdam duo is well-known, also for
Noorderslag punters from two years back:
fucking loud, ruthless, pent-up gabber punk
spewed from decrepit drum machines and a
heavily distorted guitar, but packaged in genuine
pop songs: songs with a beginning and an end
and a catchy chorus in-between. Additional
fun-enhancing elements: vocals with a thick
Dutch accent and scenes so overheated that
the pants are coming off regularly. Last summer
at Lowlands they were one of Promo’s guests,
this time Aux Raus throw a party themselves.
Exactly who will come along remains secret for
now, but one thing is certain: it will be clearing
up the mess deluxe!
Tim Knol
Predictions are always dangerous in the
wondrous world of pop music, but it seems
plain as day that just 20-year old singer/
songwriter Tim Knol is heading towards a
golden future. A talent the complete Dutch
roots community has been waiting for. When
it’s time for the remarkably battered-voiced
Tim to appear at Noorderslag, his debut
album on the ever so alert Excelsior-label will
be out, and we’re telling you: that’s gonna be
a record we’ll still be talking about in years to
come. Those who won’t believe that his songs
are at least as good as those of examples such
as Steve Earle, Gram Parsons, Rod Picott and
Ron Sexsmith, are invited to check him out this
autumn as the support act on Johan’s farewell
tour. Killing three birds with one stone!
Tim Knol
Awkward I
Awkward I
Rest assured: there is nothing awkward to
Awkward I, the brainchild of Groningen singer/
songwriter Djurre de Haan. On the contrary,
Awkward I’s indie folk, soft as a whisper
and recently registered on the appropriately
titled debut album ‘I Really Should Whisper’,
immediately sets you at ease. With the
emphasis on immediately, the reason why De
Haan & co. got themselves a slot at famous
showcase festivals such as SXSW (Austin),
CMJ (New York) and our own EuroSonic, at
a time when they didn’t have a record out
yet. So, moving on to Noorderslag this year
isn’t more than logical. Prepare yourself for
intimate songs about life, love and conscience,
and surrender to the power of I.
Eric Vloeimans Gatecrash
In love with a trumpet. That’s what you’re
automatically in for when witnessing jazz
maestro Eric Vloeimans and his quartet
Gatecrash (pianist Jeroen van Vliet, bassist
Gulli Gudmunsson and drummer Jasper van
Hulten). The man from Rotterdam isn’t seen as
the best jazz trumpeter of the Netherlands and
its surroundings for nothing, and internationally
put on the same pedestal as a Chet Baker or
Wynton Marsalis. The most important thing
from a Noorderslag point of view however, is
that his lyrical, velvety sound makes also nonjazz
fans melt like snow in the sun. It is sultry,
sensual music. Exciting too, and swinging, but
especially stunningly beautiful.
Bettie Serveert
See page 58.
Lola Kite
Lola Kite sounds like Cola Light. We don’t
make that up ourselves, you can read it
on their MySpace. So that we understand
where their name comes from, because the
music of this Amsterdam trio sounds more
like Hawkwind light: psychedelic space rock
with an eighties pop streak. Or the other way
round of course: like a psychedelic Orchestral
Manoeuvres In The Dark. Also contemporary
electronic bands such as Air, Phoenix and The
Knife echo in the ever catchy and danceable
songs of Lola Kite, who moreover loves to
jazz up something or other with a dive into
the dress-up box. Sonic richness, uninhibited
ecstasy, bear suits, Lola Kite is a treat for eyes
and ears.
Noah's Ark
Do you remember, the Ark of Noah? The
biblical vessel built to survive the Flood? Of
each species on earth two copies signed on.
Not so with Amersfoort hip hop king Jiggy
Djé’s red hot record label of the same name.
Here everybody is unique. How unique,
is demonstrated by two of Noah’s Ark’s
thoroughbreds: Turk and Kraantje Pappie, who
each do a short gig under the watchful eye of
hosts SpaceKees and Jiggy Djé himself. Be on
the lookout for Turk, who will undoubtedly
provide a taste of his forthcoming debut
album, while Kraantje gets an extra boost
next to his own Noorderslag-appearance. We
say: cast off and go!
Anne Soldaat
Once upon a time Anne Soldaat (Dutch for
‘soldier’) served in the Ermelo-based guitar
elite corps Daryll-Ann. After the break he
formed his own army Do-The-Undo, and now
Anne fights his own battle, as a musical Rambo.
In name at least, for the widely acclaimed
solo album ‘In Another Life’ on the Excelsior
label was created together with his American
soul mate Jason Falkner, and on stage he is
surrounded by a four-piece band of friends.
Anyway, Soldaat’s love for Californian pop
music from the sixties and seventies results
in magnificent, colourful songs, from acoustic
singer/songwriter ballads to sunny powerpop
and all the beauty in between. Forward!
Shaking Godspeed
Shaking Godspeed
The Achterhoek (a rural region in the far east
of The Netherlands) was always synonymous
with Normaal (Achterhoek’s most famous
band, and a national treasure). Until a few
years back, The Bloody Honkies wiped
themselves dry behind the ears with an oil
cloth and boxed the whole nation’s ears with
their swampy garage blues, drawn straight
from the Achterhoek clay. Unfortunately, The
Bloody Honkies exhausted themselves, but
never mind: from their ashes rose Shaking
Godspeed, the only true heir to the Honkies.
And, as befits an heir: Shaking Godspeed
picks up where The Bloody Honkies left. The
idiom is the same, but the music is hungrier
and more angular. Live is the influence of
blues really felt, a real increased bluesband.
The play at quarter past two at Noorderslag!
Anne Soldaat

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