Artist: Bogie Bogie Title: Bogie Bogie Keywords: art rock, experimental, ambient , psychedelic Label: ingrown records
This Bogie Bogie certainly seems to have a whole variety of moods captured here on their first collection of well played Bogie Bogie entertainment. It offers a very nice balance of high voltage energetic music and moments of utterly relaxed pleasant listening music. Ideal when you go full on nuts while dancing like a lunatic & need an equally stunning listening moment after, ready to recharge your inner battery in order to give it your all in the next energy bomb!
For some odd reason the Trudge Asshole tune is my personal favourite on this collection of goodies. It sure sits nicely balanced in between these extremities of styles. It’s nasty like a fart spray, raw like a ripped behind after eating out and it makes me feel like an unshaven neanderthal… Something I always wanted to experience once! So thanks Bogie Bogie! But let’s be clear, the entirety of Bogie Bogie is far from caveman basics, it’s all utterly classy without snobbery. Clearly made by humans who know their instruments well and are all up for surprising surprises.
Think of an excellent show of craft and skill that suits people that are easily bored (and music lovers!) as it’s hard to get bored here. Every time a new tune arrives into your ears it’s a welcomed alternative gift in mood and style. From slap bass, cowbell, ripping riffs that will make you feel like a cowboy stumbling over a bypassing organ to a cute funny affair of country music late at night with the ladies from the local book club.
The diversity is key here and none of it sounds forced, all is touched and made with that 100 percent of dedication and love for music. Something that sounds precious in a world snowballed in by farticial intelligence but gives a lot of hope for humanity and that real musicianship will never cease to amaze. If you want to throw a dance party, wiggle a baby in your hands, need a soundtrack to go wild and one to hold hands while staring calmly at a sunset Bogie Bogie will be there for you! https://ingrown.bandcamp.com/album/bogie-bogie KN
Artist: Folina E. Vili Title: Never Enough Keywords: experimental Label: dubbed tapes
I was tip-toeing around with joy while discovering ‘Never Enough’ by Folina E. Vili. Somehow it had been slipping through the cracks and when it arrived it was just utter joy! Like stumbling upon a treasure without having to dig around in a mine like a goblin with a fever. Yes, luxury! Never Enough is the follow up on Uneasy Listening and this one is one that really feels like a gift that keeps on giving. I get very enthusiastic about it and I’m pretty sure you will be ecstatic if you haven’t heard of it yet. Just plug yourself in and let Folina E. Vili do the rest!
How does it sound? Absolutely humane! Outmost sincere! Personal and direct, in your face, heartwarming, soul burning and like something that feels so authentic and precious that it just feels utterly special. You might compare it to finding a personal diary of someone whose world is opening up in front of your eyes and ears and you will love every word and sound of it.
With the tonal warmth of a campfire burning comfortably deep within your brain tissue. Folina E Vili brings in all the realness and warmest sounds of homebrew punk performed on the loveliest sounds of nostalgia. The sweet sounds of crappy keyboards combined with a voice that is equally an instrument that reaches levels that go through my head like a pleasant piercing, nestling itself to live there forever rent free.
It’s just mind blowing and so warming. Folina really carries the heart outward as lullabies are delivered in such a style that it feels like being comfortable in the campfire that is kindly burning in the artist’s personal soul. It has the sentiment, the soothing style of being an alien that found the sign that it isn’t all that alone in the crazily cold world.
Every tune, every sound, every note, every noisy artefact, every tone hits hard in sincerity and honesty. I don’t think there is much like it & I’m pretty sure I will never get enough of these recordings. After one listen to these songs, sounds and melodies will live rent free in your head, which underlines how unforgettable good this is! Tune in and become absolutely amazed! https://dubbedtapes.bandcamp.com/album/never-enough KN
Artist: The Dead Heads Title: Cat Food Combat Keywords: experimental, comedy, rock
Even when the whole world is in shambles you can count on The Dead Heads. They have been dead heads for years, so it’s hard to end that. In fact they have been very alive music wise. They still know how to dance and make fun like nobody is watching (and hearing) which results in this absolute fun style of music that sounds unlike any other.
Here we have ‘cat food combat’ that comes with an equal video clip that shows that fun is where it is at. I’m not sure what it is about, but I imagine them going to the shops cleaning out the cat food cans to munch upon the contents. I picture them using some of it on a mouse trap to lure Micky mouse (so they can fry up that rat later for a feast!)
It doesn’t matter what these two are eating as I think they can survive on anything as long as they keep on taking life with a grain of salt. I can easily view them munching on their good sense of humour and fun and still have boxes full of it! Nom nom nom nom. But for now it seems they are rocking out in the cat food isle. It’s the new caviar! https://deadheadsmusic.bandcamp.com/track/cat-food-combat KN
Artists: various Title: Thinning Veil Compilation Keywords: ambient, synth, idm, electronic, experimental Label: ingrown records https://ingrown.bandcamp.com/
Ring the alarms, the gongs and the bells! A gigantic release of fresh music by a variety of artists popped up on the screen. As mysterious as a bearded lady hiding behind a thick veil, this massive compilation is not at all hiding its charms. In fact these tracks flaunt their styles like a peacock showing its feathers in mating season! Shall we dive in? It’s been a while!
The title says that there is a veil but the music on this compilation seems all clear and out in the open! A whole list of unknown and known underground projects that all seem to have come together, to support mind-melting label Ingrown Records. Support in the sense that they promise that every penny spent on it will go towards physical productions of the label. Think of those beautiful cassette tapes or perhaps a CD! Or perhaps a T-shirt, although I’m not sure what kind of player would play that… perhaps a washing machine!
All well and good, but this two-hour-long album might look gigantic, but in reality it flies by like a bee clinging onto the wing of a jet airplane. It starts with the always present in the underground: Humanfobia. Who here delivers an almost vaporware bit of music? It has that mangled videotape sound & that sentimental empty warehouse wanderings feel and vibe along with some polite kawaii bits. It provides the ideal welcome if you’d ask me.
What follows is Joe Nally with The Body Snatcher. This one comes in banging. Like a sneaky dealer behind a curtain (or was it a thin veil?) who offers us a postal stamp with some acid along with some nice phat stomping drums. I’m immediately doing the robot dance as if it’s back in the day when that was a thing! Breaking my back in robotic backflips never had the righteous immersive backdrop music until this one dropped into existence. It’s all flashy, sparkly, and bouncy! It’s no Raygun, but it’s certainly fun!
Also Cibo does a mind-melting job with a track called Megastructure Mosey. This one is nice and scratchy. Like a nephew of Freddy Krueger who peeks out from behind the veil, ready to grab us for a fascinating stroll through back alleyways… Darkness of synths never sounded as fancy as we wobble along on these grimy yet highly interesting back streets.
And then, when all you can think of is a potential slaughter fest… a party starts: It’s Neverending Audit taking over with a fantastic energy and goofy music that easily flips the switch halfway into a variety of English-sounding underground electronic genres. It’s here when you feel like you have been doped up with a colorful bit of energy that resulted in a mad feast of various fancy raves. Cold breaths breathing in your neck, and all is good!
It’s the perfect match with JJ Wilson – Extratemporal Spaces, who throws in the exciting rattling beats along with the bleepy noises and subtle jazzy vibes, all warmly dressed in subtle pleasant ambient synthesis. It has a nice balance of dark and light, of energetic hecticness and calm. It’s some kind of audio marriage between robots and humanity. It’s hard not to find something in here that doesn’t do ‘it’ for you. And I’m not talking about that IT clown. I’m trying to get the word out that this track is a true joyous crowd pleaser!
Speaking of pleasing… Delia Ra’s Touch the Plants is absolutely remarkable in how lovely it sounds. A very happy mood that feels as if it will make the flowers grow and the plants wobble in the friendly tones of sound. This brings out the love in a super pleasant work of horn and electric twinkling. It’s as if the plants are waving around in wonder, opening up a walk in nature on a very lovely and cozy day. Oh, and it has those fuzzy crackling crackles at the end… Just to drizzle up that bonus bit of cozy nostalgia!
Up next is Donnie Cigs with Apricity. This all starts as if we just popped in a vhs tape of the glorious eighties. I imagine people blitzing around while sporting in fabulous spandex, armed with gigantic hairdos and the smell of hairspray that forms high-making clouds in the air. Music-wise, it has that vibe of the good times in which everyone was smiling on TV with bright toothpaste faces. A nice touch of the glorious synth days! Who can be sad when there is music that floats your mood so well? Yes, cheesy it might be, but it’s oh so tasty!
At this reasonable moment on the compilation, some odd chicken named Toxic Chicken appears. I think you should listen to it, as I cannot even describe it! Doctors recommend it!
Radley Sanders follows with a nice, slow-moving smasher. It’s dark and cool like a cold drink, sipped in the shadows in which large goths hang out upside down and offer you a place to hang and chill. They take you under their wings as this music does. It’s like a comfortable blanket with drowsy vibes and drowned-out energy drums. If you think that my writing is slightly nuts, you might have to try describing these tunes yourself!
autodealer’s Shoreline Lost is up next. The word that comes to my mind is beautiful. It makes me think of the sound of the sea. The slow waves that crash on land majestically. And that in music and melody form. It’s so top-notch and warm and overly well produced that even the rhythmic shakers are sucking me in. I’m pleasantly hijacked into this piece of music and find myself lovingly lost within this gorgeous beach without any bothersome thought in mind. It’s so good!
But the compilation moves on and it’s Wilfried Hanrath tempting us with The Tempest This feels like lots of sparkles are happening in all areas of the mind. I’m not sure what we hear but it’s like a wooden and pretty synths evoking sunshine in my eyes. A lovely line of growling oddness as a bassy backbone really stabilized this hypnotic world of loopy music. And when a wordless voice pops up, it’s like we are in the belly of a mother who sings to us as if we are her baby. Funny how music works! If this music is the womb, I certainly want to move back in!
More heaven we get from this artist named prottto. Here we find a cool space. A moment of relaxation. Something to hang around in with here and there a tiny bit of an eerie pleasant twist. But mostly it made me think that I woke up after a church-like revelation. It has that kind of angelic vibe that is abstract and yet almost touchable. This churchy vibe perfectly fits the Zazie Productions’d Moving in Perpetual Slumber. We are treated by a lovely bit of audio textures over here. Everything is warm and even hot here. Beautiful noise to feel all blessed and joyful about. I want to scream hallelujah when the whole thing moves up!
Matthew Mirliani’s Utopian Scholastic brings somehow the more nerdy vibes to the table. Like an intellectual troubadour sitting on a pile of books, doing research as pans rattle on their own. It’s something that could easily pop out of some kind of magical scene cut out from a Harry Potter book. If music is dinner then this would be my kind of food to go to. Speaking of food and dinner, the rhythmic elements certainly make me think of cutlery in cooking pots…
We have enkaytee popping up with a lovely dessert of music named Too Late. It is filled with pretty sparkly and glitchy vibes that feel like opening the curtains and letting the outside sunshine in. Imaginary cartoon characters walk by as you look out of that sunny landscape outside that window. Don’t they look fun with the carefree silly walks and their gigantic smiles? Its sheer happiness in music!
Kisstiki provide a moment of calmth and cuteness, both carefully holding hands together as they throw flat pebbles onto a frozen lake of wonders. I don’t know much about the 6th of May (the title of the track) but hearing this it must be a lovely day for Kisstiki. I imagine a thin layer of ice that bounces when you throw that perfect rock with every note. Fascinating in the nicest kind of way.
We also have an odd person coming over to bring us ‘even floating kingdoms crumble’. An odd title but perhaps not for an odd person. This is the one that brings the kind of pleasant synth sound that’s more of the traditional kind. It ping pongs here for a coolness no sunglass can fight against. It’s balancing its ping pong game through feelings undetermined. But oh, it sounds so good and hypnotic. I could listen to this all day (and night) (and always with sunglasses on!)
I’ve seen pjpriiincess popping up a lot on bluesky and now the artist says hi on this comp. It’s the most experimental piece so far, mingling with sound that feels as out there as it could be, wrapping and twirling like a twisted blanket that is all warped up in weird kindness. It’s art without the prize tag and no snobbery. A collage of far out weirdness and yet, oddly pleasant to be super lost in.
We have Bit Cloudy bringing in Origin Valley to the compilation. It’s sublime and outstanding high level material in a high fidelity top notch (and then some more) sound style. Hyperbole pop without the actual pop, the anti lo-fi low bit opposite that sounds so crisp and fresh that it might be able to blow up your brain. It invades the audiophile mind like some top tier audio magician. Incredible! For a bit cloudy, it certainly feels crystal clear and in full detail! Did I already say that it’s incredibly well produced?
Thank goodness for Christian Michael Filardo’s Prognostication of the Paladin. This to me speaks to the sound of the underdog. The butler, Santa’s little unloved little helper.. or perhaps a Quasimodo lurking over the world from the chapel and scraping. It has that grimy feel of the oppressed that secretly is the lead, while playing in the background. It has the hymns, the sound of star fields passing by, of lost audio fidelity rising up like unexpected super heroes. It warms my heart!
Next is Zeynep Sophia, The Primary Phase Principle’s When the Alp Visits. It has little pretty piano bits of a childish allure and a clock that ticks away the time. Something breathing coldly in our necks. This could be the hair rising music of dreams and nightmares. There is something creepy to it all, I’m expecting a little girl voice doing some evil giggle but that never comes. It’s all in my head eventually. Alps are apparently the demons that sit on you at night to give you nightmares. Here one will pop up and overpower you at the end with a true freight. Great work if you like to be shocked in the best orchestrated way. It certainly worked over here! Who needs movies or coffee with cinematic spooky music like this?
Wasir is taking over. I love the excellent audio music madness presented here. It’s like the cutest cacophony that just makes sense, while totally standing in a world of its very own. The artist clearly loves sound and approaches all kinds of ways that will make it play with your mind. Odd playfulness that sucks you into micro stories that are interesting and intriguing and at the same time mind bogglingly pleasant. Impossible to define and ideal for short attention spans as there is no second that you aren’t surprised with Wasir’s music here. It’s delightful lunacy, a joyful ride through the loony bin of expert audio adventures.
And now we have come down to teaming in chess’s With purpose like play doh.The first dip in an utter alternative taint in which the usual guitars are replaced by distorted electrics, Keltic troubadour Play-Doh with vocals and jazz bass along plinkety plonky electric. It’s an anthem for the mentally out there. It’s highly interesting, as if multiple genres that normally won’t even share a room together are now interchanged successfully. It’s most original and if this tune doesn’t bring you any light bulb moments idea wise, you might need to see a doctor! Very good stuff!
Oh and there is Chuck W. bringing us some Dark Funk! It’s so cool. It makes me think of Dr Phibes playing organ while being in a folk punk band. It’s ridiculous and outrageous and manically bombastic and I’m all for it. Funky doom mental asylum style!
Xim Sonada’s EMUlation is… Mmm.. lovely… lovely sounds. Retro spaceship music that floats like pleasant fm oldness into my ears for a delightful audio eargasm. It’s like multiple showcases of audio cleverness. From Plinkety ploinkery that throws us into the night in which crickets rattle and frogs say hello. But also odd dentists that show off their noisy equipment. Parrots scratching vinyl and other excellent stuff that feels like the ultimate talent show done by a single artist.
This surprisingly goes smoothly well with the little bit of peace provided by Toxic chicken. You might have to hear it for yourself as I can’t do it for you.
XOR takes over with ‘started as piano (decayed mix)’. This comes across like floating in heaven. Like it’s played by a winged orchestra of minimal needs, carefully crafted in utter sophistication to dream away with. Perhaps they are seated on fluffy clouds as the music makes me feel very lightweight and blessed too. What can I say? It’s utterly lovely.
Trevlad’s Blast Level Codes is another excellent synthesizer journey. My first thought was simply: My goodness! This is a wonderful warm excursion in Trevlad’s private world. It’s the ideal warm welcome in which little bright sparkles open up a galaxy in which everyone can be held captive in a delightful bliss. It’s like traditional synthesizer music that comes from another galaxy far away, with lots of stars and things of sheer wonder. Moving and yet alien. I’m impressed, drooling and dreaming away at the same time.
Menagerie by storyinsoil snuggles out ears into a much colder corner. It makes me think of empty alleyways in Gotham city, perhaps roaming the pipes in the sewer system with here and there a curious rat running around. The sound is dramatic and yet calm. It feels as if something dark is keeping an eye on us but never really reveals itself. And that is perfectly fine by me 🙂
Ghostbird’s Parcing provided the sound of an odd but curious cute animal that loves to see us, happily parading and showing off its fur, whiskers, tail and what not. It’s the cutest thing you have ever seen and heard. It makes you happy with wonder as it lets you stroke it from close. Does it start to purr electrically? Or am I going slightly nuts? I’m basically saying that this synthesizer bit of music is like the kindest and cutest cat that you have ever met! And I stand by that opinion!
Hypnotic Transmissions is the one that brings more of a dark and raw kind of electronic body music. The kind that makes me think of a future in which futuristic killers have this blasting out of their speakers as they drive on supersonic flying motorcycles in apocalyptic streets. aztechsounds’s ataraxia is that ideal plaster on our bleeding wounds. Healing like a beautiful opening of something better. Like a breath of fresh air, kind and humble that washes way too quickly all over us.
Thank goodness that ‘Of Mountains and Seas’s Home’ comes up next. It takes time and what a fine time it is. It’s the calm relaxing moment that feels like a nostalgic memory of a beloved cherished memory. Towards the end the music wakes us up somewhere in beautiful nature on a high hill with an amazing view and lots of cute birds that are our delighted companions. Absolutely breathtaking.
More niceness comes with Blear Moon’s Iceland in March. It brings us a crunchy and smooth drone to slowly dream and float away in. Not much to say than it brings the excellent energy to just being content in the warmth of the perfect moment. Who needs a wellness centre when you can listen to music like this instead?
KalloHumina seems to be the perfect odd one to play the guitar like no one else would. It’s highly experimental but not in the arty farty snobbish way. More like we have dipped our hands in a jar of magic mushrooms and are now looking at the moving patterns on the melting wallpaper.
But before completely spacing out we have Della Sol Quintet brings some excellent Red Hot Chilli. It’s super duper dopey, nice mega chill lounge lizards for the kindest laid-back easy listening jazz you could ever imagine. What a surprise and sooooo chilled out. I’m in utter bliss dreaming of Jessica Rabbit as this music smoothly shows its outer world vibes that are simply excellent. What a blessing!
15 to totality – 4.4.24, 11.25PM… one of the few weird artist names and even more odder titles on the compilation… But music wise it stands its ground fiercely with prominent nice flows that are brilliantly sparkling. It’s a new age to the max. I imagine hippies wishing us well as we float down in an abyss of pure zen. They happily and slowly throw some glitter in our eyes and ears… What’s not to love? It’s all about love! Peace and love! Oh yes! Can someone pass on the blunt?
It’s time to get mega high as Rapides in Dub / Dirty Bongo gets its turn to reveal itself. It’s exactly as you would expect it to be. I’m getting stoned just from listening to this music. Highly dubby, utter stoney and taking its time as why rush? Peace to me! If you don’t want to come down yet, Kinderapple continues the rubber dub style. But this one is more electronic and has a fancy energy that is ideal to skank on. A little dance to grow your dreadlocks and a good reason to wobble your feet! Who got the spliff?
Please Close Your Eyes is one of those artists that has the perfect name for its music. The track brought onto the compilation is stunning. Like prairie sunsets of the kindest kind. Guitar being played in the most spacious and non intrusive way possible. Proving a lovely warm home that feels familiar and safe and yet fairly unknown at the same time. Do I hear a singing saw or a theremin? Or is it just an angel calling?
We certainly have reached the after party chill out zone with Sweet Freeze. It feels like we are waking up after the rush of a feast, slowly heading back to our normal senses. Piano, melodica, lovely backdrop moments and a warm wordless vocal shakes us back to reality, but all done in a kind and sensible way.
Lost Harbours fits this mood perfectly, bringing us a wonderful and relaxed music peace of humanity. A little bit of noise to resemble the upcoming hangover. And Rische famtorus mingles in all the left overs of the party for a sound collage that feels to me like the ideal soundtrack to stumble around in the messy room. The perfect end is near as we brush off our clothes and try to find our way out in an ideal drunken style and a kindly dazed mind.
And then we find the exit. An interesting orgasm of bright light, of cheerful pleasantries that shines like the warmest sunshine on our bare face. No more veils to hide! The music provided by Wheel is outrageously perfect to end this amazing compilation. It’s truly stunning, wonderful and pleasant. We had a great time, now we go home and sleep & do it all over tomorrow again! It’s that kind of vibe. Perfection!
Gifgrond #94 really made it feel as if the venue threw together a party specially for its visiting visitors. It always is, of course, but this edition really went that extra mile to make everyone feel special. As if everyone was celebrating their own or their best friend’s birthday bash. Not just the audience got this vibe, but also the performers of this specific night. They were treated with the warmest of welcomes and lots of food that was so good for their tongues and stomachs. Their meals consisted of courgette and pumpkin soup with bread, cheesy cheeses, and grapes! All wonderfully prepared by Marcelle, who was clearly able to put in the best kind of ingredient: lots of love. How do I know this? I was there when everyone was not paying attention and licked out the pans, sniffed out the bowls, and ate whatever the artists had left behind. I now understood the good energy that these people would bring to this event. It was one big massive love bomb with lots of happy people and bloody good music!
Pickls Xp (photo by: Frank Janssens)
Oh, and yes, there was a very legendary tombola! As if being inside the hottest venue in Tillywood wasn’t enough luck! The Tombola, cleverly organized by the Belgian-based Pickls Xp crew, really knew how to pick(le) one up and put them in the pleasurable spotlight. Winners got a personal goody bag with plenty of pickls made fun! The Pickls Xp crew seemed to shine when giving out the prizes, from records, stickers, noses, bags, and self-made pickls to iron on your clothes. It came as no surprise that the winners of the tombola equally glowed from happy excitement.
Pickls Experience Pickls by Pickls Xp
Bar people Paul and Gerrie had their hands full as they had the crucial task of hydrating everyone at the perfect level. Luckily they had popularized Gifgrond’s very own Gifmix drink again, which was delivering the uniquely suitable flavor to match all the fun. At Gifgrond nobody is left thirsty or silent. The Pickls Xp tombola was nicely held between the bands setting up, but one of the Pickls Xp members named Suzie Cue also got behind the deejay desk to provide a great atmospheric set to set the scene. What a feast and treat! Wonderful!
Suzie Cue (photo by: Frank Janssens)
The first live act was Staxl. It was like being in a movie in which the entire crowd turned into a hacking head office all around Staxl, who was hacking into the mainframe of what could be the White House. That would be odd, but not too out there, as with Staxl’s quick and witty live coding skills, everything could be possible. Luckily, Staxl main purpose of the night’s performance was to hack into the sound system and deliver an electronic energy of rhythms and sounds with each and every line of code. Staxl’s fingers were quicker than any secretary in the world, mesmerizing the people with the right rattling of beats. Bonus points came because we, as cheering onlookers, didn’t have to wreck our necks by peeking secretly over this mathematical musician’s shoulders, as Staxl broadcast the entire process on a mega screen! Super intriguing!
Staxl (photo by: Frank Janssens)
Montagne Rouge came back to Gifgrond from an earlier delicious presentation of mayhem. This time the band brought even triple the amount of hard waves. You could see each band member totally reacting positively to their fellow band members playing, creating a together sound that kept spiraling up with lots of fanatic fun. This was not only fantastic to watch but, above all, very great to feel and hear!
Montagne Rouge (photo by: Frank Janssens)
The trio of Montagne Rouge frantically (but also somehow lightly) played the strings like they were actually playing the hairs deeply in your inner ears, & the enthusiastic drummer kept them all together in a solid mental state in which you just want to hop up and down like a freshly born bunny that was born ready to rock! An absolutely great, ground-shaking, phenomenal band!
Vive La Pop (photo by: Frank Janssens)
Vive La Pop certainly earned the pop by blowing up a bass box, but holy moly, it was necessary and needed! The second coming of (to Gifgrond) Vive La Pop got the entire place moving like we were in some underground hot boiling boiler room. Everyone was dancing to the hottest kicks and the face-melting bass that Vive La Pop created in the middle of it. It was impossible to resist, and I was glad to see that everyone was being swept away by these reliant groove makers. You could feel the speakers create rippling sound waves in the air, directly punching you in the right direction, so even if you came to Gifgrond without any dancing skills, the massive rhythmic sounds would direct you more persistently than a dance teacher!
DJoker (photo by: Frank Janssens)
At the final end (after more festive Pickls Xp tombola), DJoker took over and smacked on an energetic set to finish this excellent party off in style. It was a busy edition, enough for me to hide in plain sight among the people, but my goodness, it really outdid itself! If you don’t feel energized, happy, or jolly when leaving Gifgrond then you might have to see a doctor. It was truly one of those parties that seemed to be made to be a positive blast for all involved! Everyone was a bit the birthday girl/boy, and Gifgrond was everybody’s gift! Thanks all for making it happen!
Micro Doser workshop by Yuri Landman / Error Instruments
And now if you think that this is possible, the final blast of Gifgrond (as who could top this night?) You are pretty wrong, as Gifgrond will return in the new year! It starts off with a very unique and interesting opportunity! Yuri Landman will come in the daylight to give an Error Instruments ‘Micro Doser’ workshop. Micro Doser is a fantastic exploring happy accident sound device that lets you explore micro-glitches, crackling sounds, and ASMR soundscapes! At this workshop you will be guided to make one of these fun machines yourself! It will be on the 17th of January from 12:00 to 16:00… If you want to take part contact [email protected]
After a long session of collectively worshiping the sun in an endless summer hiatus, our party home away from home, the wonderful Gifgrond, opened the doors for its energetic 93th edition! You could physically hear the signs of relief from the flock of people that found this magical place buzzing once again. Times might have changed, but thanks to new and familiar faces, it became a celebration worthy of the good old Gifgrond times! From the outside, I could smell the familiar delicious food that must have clearly been cooked up for the artists by Brigitte from ‘op het landje’ fame. It smelled so good that it would make my toes curl!
At the entrance, there were Bob and Donné doing an excellent job being the welcoming hosts for the night. Inside I noticed the familiar face of Jostijn Ligtvoet who did his absolute best again to capture the artists in their best moments with his camera. As you can see in this article, he has again succeeded in this goal. On the floor, I noticed the sound engineer and light man Erwin. He was joined that night by Rowena, who were working together to elevate the sound quality of the band’s sound to probably sound the best that they had ever heard themselves before. That was of course good for the music makers and the audience alike, but I wanted to check out the friendly helpers at the bar. There I saw bar-veteran Gerrie and a very joyous new bar-face named Vicky who were doing an excellent job making the thirsty people happily hydrated. With such a crew for this edition, things could simply not go down the drain, but only go up! And up we went! Through the roof!
DJ Krampspier (photo by Jostijn Ligtvoet fotografie)
This seemed to be high on the to-do list of the deejay of the night: DJ Krampspier! Also known as DJ MC (Muscle Cramps). A brand-new name on the flyer, one that instantly made an impact, but with the face and body of nobody less than the familiar ‘Ibrahim Kazoo’, who had been giving life to the Gifgrond party on many occasions before! Success guaranteed! And indeed, DJ Krampspier took us on a nice journey in front & between the live music, without holding back & with a seemingly unlimited amount of energetic joy that made the visitors dance on a whole arrangement of fun weirdness. And when the live acts stopped, he still went full throttle to deliver the grand finale in which he would make the lucky ones at Gifgrond dance like they had never danced before! In fact, DJ Krampspier’s delighted cheerfulness that came with each tune that he provided was so infectious, that it was like a happy virus going around infecting everyone and no vaccin could be used to stop it. Everyone is happy when DJ Krampspier is the deejay!
If Gifgrond was an oven, everyone would already be well baked by now. But nope, Gifgrond’s 93th edition was just getting started! Another hit among familiar and new, took the center of attention… Returning Gifgrond visitors might know the first live performer as Cesar Palace, but now he has taken over as his true identity, BÖ.SENBERG. He had always been good, but under this name the artist got on a whole new level of playing! I keep his name in bold letters, as that is the kind of respect BÖ.SENBERG gets after his full-on-earth-shattering session of a concert! This phenomenal performer seemed to be the wisest and strongest mathematical entertainer out there! With drums and a whole variety of interesting rhythms, BÖ.SENBERG truly showed that ideas, structure, discipline and physical endurance + that trusted weapon of strong arms & a drum kit are all that is needed to elevate the place to even higher buzzing heights. Afterwards, you could only speak about BÖ.SENBERG while shouting its name in bold letters. Such a combo of energy and strict play style that it easily becomes food for thought. He forcibly served all the bangers without the mash! Terrifically good!
The heat level of the act leveled up to the extent that everyone was happy that the drinks were served so nicely cold by Vicky and Gerrie. I must give extra credit to the mastermind behind Gifgrond (hi T!) for having fridges around. I secretly witnessed Gerrie sticking her head in it for comfort. I guess that’s the kind of benefit you have as a bar person!
Edi Pou (photo by: Jostijn Ligtvoet fotografie)
Before I get lost in details, I need to talk about the feast, which was the next live act named Edi Pou. For someone known as the Iberian benchmark for alternative and improvised music, Edi Pou certainly did not provide a bench for people to lazily shimmer away in. No, Edi Pou seemed to be tuned into the wild energy that was going around everyone’s veins by being the deliverer of minimal needs for maximum deeds! To put him up as second live act of the evening was a terrific choice. The enthusiasm and tight playfulness was contagious, as it was jolly. Edi Pou’s tools for maximum minimalism included drums, mic and a sampler & a lot of personality. This artist had enough swag to create a forcefield of power & plenty of range to keep everyone included. Think of polyrhythms, fun melodic bits, eccentric mind-boggling vocal happenings, tricky sticky tricks and lots of very loud and determined drumming. No hearing aids are needed when Edi Pou is doing its workout. Lots of fun craft skills brought to our ears and eyes right in front of us. His flamboyant mustache shined proudly on Edi Pou’s face. It was clearly (and rightly so!) very proud to be there!
Hassan K. (Photo by Jostijn Ligtvoet fotografie)
At the right time, a familiar face on Gifgrond was jumping in with Edi Pou! Yes, this was Hassan K. who plugged into this wild mayhem as stylish as a prince of the far lands full of exotic spirits. Someone really should make a dashboard bumpy head toy resembling Hassan K as this man has the best headbanger moves that simply deserves something epic like that. Together, Edi Pou and Hassan K succeeded in powering the steamy warmth to the level of utter fun mayhem. But Hassan K also kept that level of energy up when he went full throttle on his very own. With his very fanatic playing style, Hassan K proved once again to the Gifgrond environment that a one-man band could possibly do more damage than a group! No arguments, no conflicting egos: just pure focus on excellent playfulness! Hassan K became the one that took us to adventurous heights in which fantastic fantasies of melodic mayhem and raw wildness go hand in hand together. It was like being tossed into the lion’s den and being at a secret belly dance meeting at the same time. He was riding his stringed instrument like a fakir, and its flute, while the audience was the hypnotic snake that could not resist any of those tunes. We flew on flying carpets, worshiped the rock god as he somehow played so star-like that I was imagining a bright spotlight that lighted him up like a Christmas tree. He rose above the flames! Such an amazing entertainer! The nonstop whiplash-inducing neck moves! Who needs Prince when you have Hassan K plunging around with his talent and skill!? Some people just squeezed their own cheeks, to check if they were still on earth and not trapped in a feverish dream!
KUNTARI (photo by: Jostijn Ligtvoet fotografie)
Things would still get even a lot hotter and steamier when the final live act started to play. It was the beast of beasts! I’m talking about KUNTARI! This duo should not be called a band, but something more of a collection of primal music wizards that, (through various sounds and rhythms) brought the sound and energy of ancient animals back to life! The sound of a trumpet sounded like I had never heard before. Along with interesting rhythms and Indonesian percussive themes, KUNTARI seems to be able to open up a portal to another dimension, bring out all the magical creatures and let them dance around, seemingly in the possession of the now ecstatic public. I envisioned mammoths making their mating calls, while KUNTARI also brought in the meteors that would end them all. There was something so otherworldly about the live music of KUNTARI. It was like witnessing the birth of earth while being at the very front row of it all. At times hard annihilation by excellent hard riffs and Indo chimes … It’s hard to describe as you should just have been there to know what I mean! Ear shattering rawness, superb dedication, magical power trips that would create earthquakes and give birth to primal screams at the same time! My mind and eardrums were blown away! What a set, what a show, what an experience!
KUNTARI (photo by: Jostijn Ligtvoet fotografie)
Gifgrond #93 was a huge feast, something that made me want to thank everyone involved that made this night happen, including the very engaged audience. As without all of them, I would have been standing alone in an empty place. Which could have been true, but luckily, with the photos of Jostijn there is proof that this epic evening did actually happen! So should you go and check out a future Gifgrond episode? Most definitely! It will instantly fuel up your inner battery and make you feel very much alive!
Ursula’s Cartridges deserve a raise, an elevated stage of recognition, one that pushes oldy fat boy slimmers to the depths of forgetfulness. Why? Cause, this cleanslate! Stalemate! Template album is such a banger, a killer of modernism that should not go down unnoted. It merges all kinds of worlds together, but instead of a mess, it’s a banging (but friendly) killer that will satisfy every age. In the rhythmic fun music sense of the word, eh? If you like modern funk, fun, electronics, this is the new prodigy of excellentness.
This is the new “out of space” but instead of anger, Ursula’s Cartridges keeps it in an upbeat, joyful style that is an instant happiness boost for all that goes into this dancable and very groovable journey. The entire album is top-notch, all bang for the buck with plenty of creativity and lots of surprises, but all have that great rhythmic party vibe that would set a happy, vibrant mood and make it all sound super easy and without constraints. (While that is, my friends – not an easy thing to do!)
They should play every track of this album in the clubs, on the beach, in everyone’s houses, everywhere! And don’t be afraid that it becomes a bore, as this album has so many tunes that are all excellent enjoyment on all levels, that it will be very hard to get sick of it. Plus there is so much of it all! Cleanslate! Stalemate! It is your template for a happier day and perhaps an ingredient for a much more joyful and fulfilling world to dance around in! Highly recommended stuff!
Artist: Pettaluck Title: Pan Keywords: experimental, indie pop, folk, instrumental
Pettaluck brings a wild tribute to her favourite flute-loving friend with the hoves and horns: Pan. Within it, her wish for Pan to have it all at once comes very true. A swinging sensation that comes across as a chaotic togetherness of true organised cacophony which startled my ears and mind from the start of its title track. There is so much going on that it’s clearly made to last many repeated listening sessions just to be able to spot all the many details that lay mysteriously packed within. But while doing that, the main “tu du tu du” sing- &-whistle along flute vibe rules the highest, making each play into one that is as wildly energetic as it is playful.
From all the magical creatures you could meet, Pettaluck’s Pan is certainly one that sounds like one worthy of a lot of fun. Even if you aren’t into flutes or goaties, there are lots of miraculous adventures to throw yourself in over here. As well as true beauty! It’s hard to describe this album as it’s so dense and diverse, like a rolleroaster dark ride through a magical forest full of spectacles for the ears and imagination.
Pettaluck brings a wild tribute to her favourite flute-loving friend with the hoves and horns: Pan. Within it, her wish for Pan to have it all at once comes very true. A swinging sensation that comes across as a chaotic togetherness of true organised cacophony which startled my ears and mind from the start of its title track. There is so much going on that it’s clearly made to last many repeated listening sessions just to be able to spot all the many details that lay mysteriously packed within. But while doing that, the main “tu du tu du” sing- &-whistle along flute vibe rules the highest, making each play into one that is as wildly energetic as it is playful.
From all the magical creatures you could meet, Pettaluck’s Pan is certainly one that sounds like one worthy of a lot of fun. Even if you aren’t into flutes or goaties, there are lots of miraculous adventures to throw yourself in over here. As well as true beauty! It’s hard to describe this album as it’s so dense and diverse, like a rolleroaster dark ride through a magical forest full of spectacles for the ears and imagination. Like Pettaluck’s “Hot Coffee”, which sounds as graceful and delightful as it could be. It makes me think of a beautiful exotic coffee theme in which Psychedelic creatures in magical culture dance majestically around, seducing you with their entrancing movements. I imagine the room being filled with soft and comfy colourful pillows as the smell of fresh coffee fills the air. Never waste a good coffee on a cold, cold heart is advice that goes very smoothly together with music. There is no coldness whatsoever here. Just an enormous immmersiveness that makes you feel like you are in some kind of magical wonderland with surprises wherever you decide to focus on.
Another example is “Baby Blues” in which things are tossed aside, slammed into a manic episode of wild punky unique energy. The hisses of snakes are in the air as well as hot ballistic death whistles that unforgivingly bang on in a hot bed of non-forgiving electrodes. Here the flames flame up high, rising up the levels of originality to the point of your mind being punched away on a nonforgiving hotness that slaps you into extreme sublimity. This album is simply no background music, but one that dares to engage your head with its adventurous streak.
This bewildering energy stays fresh and up as Pettaluck slips in the Snakes Oil in both your ears. Miracles might happen, but the artist isn’t afraid to induce lots of happy honking. Some parts are catchy, but if they are, they are in a weird way. It’s the kind that makes me see puppet shows in my head while being extremely sober. Imagine hearing Pan in another state. What an outer body experience that might be!
Certainly Pettaluck’s Pan is its own drug, with all its frantic melodies that quickly put you under an exciting spell of playfulness. Pettaluck plays, Goes outbound on wonderful singing, as the artist’s humanity keeps whistling to you. It’s wild! Especially with such an easy change of scenery. At one point, the full-on prettiness of a harp simply drew me into the woods, where colourful leaves are playing the piano and willows do ballet shows in a fairytale style. This is the album that gets me rambling about things like: A wastelend of beauty, with pretty flowers, birds and mystery. It’s gorgeous storytelling through sounds and music, and I’m all for it!
The heavy clock bells at the end of it all will create a calm and safe landing. This is not just an album, it’s a true journey, a movie for the mind from start to finish. But other than a movie, this one seems to be different every time you “watch” it. Probably interacting with your mood of the moment, your focus and feeling might interact with each experience. It’s not one to watch once and be done with it. Pettaluck’s Pan has so many stories, chapters and mood adventures with an incredible eye for detail and full music experimentation that you can keep listening to this album and keep finding something else of your worth during each session. Sorry for me rambling incoherently while trying to write a review, but I blame Pan by Pettaluck as this is no “normal” music to begin with. Join the forces of Pan and get your head over and over again into this music story that keeps on giving!
I’m still flying high on the loaded energy gained from Gifgrond episode 92! What a feast and what a vibe it was! With DJ Annebel, VVESSEL, Black Ends and Pizza Noise Mafia, along with happy volunteers at the door and at the bar, plus its dedicated crowd of eagerly active attendees! It was all very fresh again and yet it had that very familiar Gifgrond allure! An ideal combo to keep this party’s reputation higher than high!
Yes, poisonous as Gifgrond might be, it keeps flourishing!
For the performing artists, it must be a very pleasant experience too. Not only does Gifgrond have the best respectable audience to perform for, it also provides them backstage with a friendly atmosphere and (not unimportant) a very healthy & deliciously fresh meal. This time it was cooked up by Briggite from the very tasty Vega(n) yumminess www.ophetlandje.nl fame. I did not taste it myself, but I could smell it out of the pores from the artists. A sweet smell of good food with lots of power! That last thing proved crucial!
DJ Annebel (photo by: Jostijn Ligtvoet Fotografie)
For this episode, it was DJ Annebel who was shining away as the sole provider of various tasty records. Her broad musical taste clearly shined, as well as the pleasure she brought by playing them. The atmosphere was full of anticipation and that was a perfect way to enter the first live act of tonight.
VVESSEL (photo by: Frank Janssens)
This honor was for VVESSEL, an electronic artist that I had expected to turn up alone, but who brought two excellent additions to VVESSEL’s sound in the shape of a wild drummer and a bright guitarist. What a match and power move! The electronic bleeps and blobs now entered a new rockier dimension, something psychedelic and loud. They appeared to be a perfect trio, delivering a wicked improvisation that seemed to have been cooked up especially for this night and special venue.
VVESSEL (photo by: Jostijn Ligtvoet fotografie)
The three of them had enough energy to wipe up an entire storm in the eager ears and hearts of the lucky Gifgrond attendees. And like that, I found myself twirling happily with every bang, slap and plong. They covered the entire space with their presence and played as if they had been one all along. I salute their success as this kind of on-the-spot improvisation takes guts and is simply magic when they work out so well as they did over here.
VVESSEL (photo by: Jostijn Ligtvoet fotografie)
Of course DJ Annebel was happy to play the tunes in between band changes. Even playing seemingly the very favorite song of Black Ends, which was also the very next band to take over.
Black Ends (photo by: Jostijn Ligtvoet fotografie)
Black Ends brought a kind of alternative pop that sounded pretty in all its grungy, dirty roughness. The audience seemed to be digging it so much that they cheered excitedly, energizing the band to the point that they gave it all.
Black Ends (photo by: Jostijn Ligtvoet fotografie)
Think of a raw and fuzzy warmth of wickedly freakish guitar riffs, lots of fanatic drum bashing, odd time stops and singing in a way that cuts through the mix like a pleasantly twisted knife. There was no escape from Black Ends as they successfully thrilled the hearts of many with their very own sound.
Black Ends (photo by: Frank Janssens)
The last live act of the night was this Belgian duo named Pizza Noise Mafia. With a very minimal setup of a synthesizer and a drumcomputer, they clearly dedicated their time (and literally their heads) to truly knowing their instruments through and through, resulting in a wildly spirited case of lunacy with hyperactive funny rhythmic noises that were hard to ignore.
Elastic movements of joyous hyper-repetition and silliness were thrown in at a delirious fast pace, making it the ideal audio extravaganza for a dancing frenzy. It was impossible to stand still to the sound of these loons, and it was fantastic fun!
Pizza Noise Mafia (photo: Frank Janssens)
At the end, we returned to the music expertise of DJ Annebel, who played plenty of uplifting vibes to make also this Gifgrond edition one to go out with lots of people in extactic states of movement.
DJ Annebel (photo by: Frank Janssens)
Everyone left happy, excited and recharged. And when the energy levels are fading, there might be a future Gifgrond to spice it all up again! So keep an eye on www.gifgrond.nl to be sure not to miss it! But, if you cannot wait, you might have to go to see and hear what VVESSEL will improvise next at the upcoming H.U.T. , along with synth punk wavers “De Kraters” and DJ Carpoolparty.
All in all, Gifgrond #92 was another fantastic night. One that will be cherished, remembered and leveling up the spirit for the next one!
Artists: Greg Nieuwsma & Antonello Perfetto Title: Bird Brain Keywords: psychedelic, post-rock, experimental, field recordings Label: Cruel Nature Records
It is that time of the year when the bird brains are thinking of meeting up, making love, finding a nest, laying eggs, and eventually patiently breeding out some new birds with micro brains that grow into well-proportioned bird brains as they grow up while being fed beak to beak by their beloved bird parents. It’s fascinatingly the most amazing time of the year for admirers of these talented feathered individuals as you can hear them sing all through the day, starting from around 5 in the morning to nightfall. I admire them, they are so curious, smart and clever. Their brains might be tiny compared to the ones of humans, but somehow, they seem to be more evolved in all the good things.
Of course,,,, my personal respect and admiration for anythibird-relatedddd makes me the ideal candidate to spoon in the release of music created by Greg Nieuwsma & Antonello Perfeto. Im familiar with Greg’s music, but that doesn’t say much as this artist always delivers something new and exciting. Unlike some bird friends, he doesnt fall into repetition and that makes it always an adventure for any human sized mind too. Antonello’s music I had never heard before, but with a surename as Perfetto it must sublimely suggest that this person’s music must be “perfecto”!
So basically from the start, based on the title and the artists involved I was sold inmediatly already. I love bird spotting and recording them too, but now it felt a bit like I could do that activity from my home, without the recording bit as that would probably be copyright infringement. I mean, it wouldnt make sense to externally record the record that Greg Nieuwsma & Antonello Perfetto had already recorded. But what a joy to hear and to spot this album on the overly crowded bandcamp site!
It starts notably with the sound of an amazing black bird doing its song. It’s a serenade, a strong ballad that would make any potential bird love partner interested in partnering up! It sings so nicely and loudly that every bird brain in the area knows that this bird is here and not going anywhere. It’s a great recording, and I’m all for it. With this as a starter, Greg Nieuwsma & Antonello Perfetto really made it hard for themselves to follow up. But luckily, as smart as they are, they do not attempt to flute and sing their own bird song, but instead throw in a very different approach that birds (as clever as they are) are not dabbling in.
I hear guitar and drums being played and it’s all warm, pleasant and exciting. It makes me think of the black bird in its nest doing all the exciting moves with its wings, flapping up and down while at the same time being sound of mind. It really has a soul to it, it breathes as if it emulated all the fascinating facts of being a bird in life is all about. So clever, so caring, so jubilent, majestic and, above all, a pleasure to hear. So lovely, it makes me feel like these two humanoids understand nature, as their flow seems to be instinctive and in sync. It gives me hope to hear and I imagine birds spotting Greg Nieuwsma & Antonello Perfetto just to hear what they are doing musically.
I was already satisfied, but Greg Nieuwsma & Antonello Perfetto are professionals in gift giving, meaning that there is even more to enjoy. They give us “Territory is a place to sing” which is not just a bird fact, but music-wise, it’s a wonderful trip of wonders. Highly dabbling in the psychedelic side of melody and drum, making my big brain trip out on an imaginative pretty flight of beautiful landscapes from a high-bird perspective. Everything looks so pretty from such height as the music floats in the blue skies in which it floats in the kindest of breeze. I kinda lost my respect for human brains with all these bizzy bird brains around, but Greg Nieuwsma & Antonello Perfetto’s minds are so tuned in that I’m all in for it. Their music trip morphs naturally into one of great excitement and, as a listener, I actually feel like I’m a happy carefree bird flapping my wings as I float in the wind.
If you have perhaps a fear of heights, it might be of interest that there is also a landing moment in “mode of attention part 2”. It starts and ends calm, but in the middle we hear that celebrative joy of adrenaline of having ground back under our feet. Perhaps we are in our very own bird’s nest for a wild dance. After all this excitement, Greg Nieuwsma & Antonello Perfetto give the big human brains something to freak out about. Its calm work, perhaps in the drone realm, but to me, it comes across like the sight of a large bird of prey circling our comfortable homely nest for a potential snack. It adds that thriller moment that keeps me alert and on high alert.
It’s all good as Greg Nieuwsma & Antonello Perfetto give a happy moment of pleasantries. A very nice friendly get-together of jolliness. It’s what they call “multiplication of worlds” and it’s absolutely joyful and happy. It grows and becomes like a welcoming party that proves to me how these two big brains of music-making palls are clearly excellent friends as they are so interlocked with each other. There is no steady rhythm, it keeps moving in all kinds of ways and yet Greg Nieuwsma & Antonello Perfetto make it seem so easy. Their pleasant sound and music style are so very one and hearing them simply makes me as happy as hearing the birds outside my window. They, too, seem to have gathered to hear what these two artists have cooked up, and I’m not ashamed to open my window a bit wider and put the volume up a little higher.
It’s so good! A journey for the mind for not just me, but also a gift for the many bird brains gathered outside. There is more as this release of music seems to keep delivering that fine goodness of close-knit musician friendship and all the goodness that comes along with it. It makes me very happy, excited and jubilent. A thing that I would normally almost always get from the songs performed by birds and their fascinating brains, but now has extended that realm into the human world. Thank you, Greg Nieuwsma & Antonello Perfetto for making this incredible music that makes me happy and very alive! And also thanks to the enormous gathering of birds outside. They will keep singing their own songs, but I secretly do hope that their exposure to “Bird Brain” adds a little twist to their already brilliant bird repertoire. https://cruelnaturerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/bird-brain KN
Yeah I Know It Sucks 
