Lovingly compiled with fellow digger Rudi de Groot, the collection digs deep into the rich history of electronic music in The Netherlands while bringing these special tracks to a brand-new audience. An exciting retrospective from an imprint full of promise.
Digging deep into the rich history of electronic music in The Netherlands
How useful are genres? The names used to describe what we listen to are generally given by those writing about music rather than t(hose writing the music. In the 90s, a handful of journalists were focused on electronics. Acid. Electro. House. Techno. These were fluid terms where artists crossed the lines and wires of audio boundaries.
There were also physical frontiers. Berlin. Britain. Detroit. The Netherlands. These were the fertile grounds where electronics took root and bloomed. It is to their homeland of Holland that Anacalypto Records have turned to explore these first shoots of machine music, reviving eight lost and forgotten pieces with The Hidden Beauty Of Dutch House ’94-’98.
A true veteran of Holland’s techno scene, Max 404 opens with the drifting elegance of “Infinite Legs.” A stalwart of labels like Eevo Lute and New Electronica, the track blends brassy tones, spatial strings and earthen acid lines with understated percussion. Another heavy hitter follows, donned in a pseudonym few will recognise. Galaxy appeared on Slam Dunk in 1998 with an EP, Loop. A label and moniker of Orlando Voorn. “Axis” has been chosen by Anacalypto, a piece of astral forms and refracted bleep that is densely ruffled with pads and softened kicks. The flip sees kicks harden, a steady thump giving way to sailing keys for Spirito’s “Illusion” where playful notes and rich drum patterns coalesce. That playful touch comes to the fore in “Le Rève” by Omega. Originally released in 1995 on Utrecht’s 4th Groove, this is a bombastic energy packed trance inspired work of dancefloor joy.
The second LP opens with the low-slung, late night introspection of “Probus Quadrat.” Written by two unsung heroes of Dutch electronics, Andre Maas & Benno Van Der Leest, the track is an example of measured production and control. Building from percussion foundations, the pair construct a work of immersive electronics that is deceptively subtle and sublimely executed. The listener is transported to a warehouse party with Misty Movement’s “Timeless.” A charming and fun-filled romp of liquid chords and throaty samples imbibes the 1994 offering with an innocence that mask its age. Beats take center stage as Off Line deliver “Boggle This.” Amen inspired, the 1996 piece pushes drum programming as beats are stacked atop beats while washes of reverb melt. Jaimy & Con-Am close with “Emotions.” Vocals and piano keys anchor this curtain fall in the canons of house and trance, two styles that had barely taken root in Europe when this track was made in 1994.
Speaking with the Anacalypto’s founder, a capable DJ who spins under the same name, he noted that “the purpose of the label is to make rare and undiscovered music from the past accessible, while spotlighting the artists whose talent went unnoticed at that time.” The Hidden Beauty Of Dutch House ’94-’98 certainly does this. Lovingly compiled with fellow digger Rudi de Groot, the collection digs deep into the rich history of electronic music in The Netherlands while bringing these special tracks to a brand-new audience. An exciting retrospective from an imprint full of promise.
The Hidden Beauty Of Dutch House ’94-’98 is available on Anacalypto. [Bandcamp]
