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7/29/2016

Basnie – Les Pays-Bas (2008)




  • Sampledelic 
  • Modern classical 
  • Avant-garde 
  • Tango 
  • Drone pop 
  • Film noir
  • Experimentalism 
  • Electronic music
  • Musique concrète 
  • Art music 
  • Spoken word 
  • Sound collage 
  • Post-classical 
  • Organcore 
  • Mood music 
  • Easy listening


Comment: first of all, it is very sweet to see such an irresistibly created retrodelic cover quite intentionally depicting those futuristic ideas related to electronic music and krautrock and progressive rock. The aesthetic of Kraftwerk, for instance. On the other side, by watching this marvellous one it predicts something special for the listener. This bunch of 17 compositions starts off with Tango Para No Balair, which is a cinematic, even ghastly insight while representing different music styles in an one piece as well (nu jazz, plunderphonics, tango noir, easy listening). Given that cinematic aspect with the mechanic sound of a film camera in the background it is not surprising at all because behind the project is the Dutchman Bas Niemans, who is being expert at doing videos. Because of that, it is not wondrous at all how he succeeded in establishing an album of having so many colours, edges, penumbras and full shadows. But I am wondering how he is being musically so talented to create something like this. This sonic scope of him is truly wide ranging from ghastly tango and plangent harmonium-led drone pop/organcore vignettes and Parisian street music to overwhelming electronic progressions and spoken word-infused situations somewhere in the midst of carnival or on noisy street or in crowd. In spite of offering up the undulating fold of images with poignant knots the issue is seamlessly wholesome. By kindred souls there can be drawn parallels upon the likes of Oskar Hallbert, Yann Tiersen, Bark Cat Bark, Penguin Café Orchestra. In a word, it is a mind-boggling juggernaut from the past. The outing is a part of the discogrpahy of an Utrecht, the Netherlands-based imprint 2419 Record Label.