V.A. ‘Het Vreemd - Dutch Underground..'
(dutch new wave ~ 1982-1987)
pantata ‘sounds from a small apartment..'
(relaxed tzechia electronics)
Palmbomen II ‘Dancing & Crying’
(new wave proto trance ep series)
Sasha Renkas ‘Safe Place’
(ambient pop album)
~earlier releases~
Compilation of lost Dutch synthesizer and wave music from 1982 to 1987. All collected and compiled by Rutger Nijkamp, who inherited many tapes from his musician-mother Veronique (Verque on the compilation). This led to the collection of more cassettes, found in second hand shops and through connections from his mother. Comes with a beautifully risograph-printed zine featuring the stories and photographs of the acts and bands included on the compilation.
‘Het Vreemd - Dutch Underground Synth & Wave (1982-1987)’ is distributed worldwide by Clone and digitally through Bandcamp.
“This compilation project started in the summer of 2022, when my mom handed me a small metal box. Inside were quirky band photos and DIY cassettes from the 1980s, which she had just received from a friend from her first band. On top lay a photo of three young guys in white outfits leaning against a pasture fence, a Roland JX-3P synthesizer resting in the grass. In the middle stood my mom!
While doing research, I learned that the 1980s were an interesting time in (Dutch) music history. For the first time, musicians could cheaply record and release their own music on cassette, creating a flourishing DIY scene. Bands splintered into duos and solo projects, experimenting with synthesizers, drumcomputers and home recording. Although many artists chose to sing in English, I became increasingly drawn to the songs with Dutch lyrics. They sounded direct, slightly boxy, sometimes awkward, but also honest and vivid. What I think is interesting is that the sociopolitical themes in the songs on the compilation album still resonate strangely with the present. From housing shortages and environmental crises to the threat of nuclear war and technological optimism, many of the hopes and anxieties captured in Dutch underground music of the 1980s feel surprisingly current. That connection between past and present is something that fascinates me and runs through this project”.
Photos of Rutger and his mother Veronique (on the compilation as Verque)
