d(o_O)b

Nightingale & other fables

2012-01-19T18:24:00.000-08:00

By far the most beautiful thing I've seen and heard in a long time. I couldn't think of a better way to start this new year with this amazing opera.

Mommy, can I go out and kill tonight?

2011-11-25T06:01:00.000-08:00

Kangding Ray

2011-11-17T19:01:00.001-08:00

David Lettelier, or known as Kangding Ray is one of the many inspirational artists found on the German label Raster-Noton. In general, performances of Raster Noton artists happen to be quite rare in The Netherlands, so it was a wonderful experience for me to have seen him perform at the last TodaysArt Festival. This year he released his third album, Or, which by far holds the #1 position on my list of best albums of this year. Electronic music with a soul, filled with emotions. Or is definitely gold ;)

The Hague

2011-11-17T18:59:00.000-08:00

Amsterdam... again

2011-11-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

Amsterdam

2011-11-13T18:35:00.000-08:00

It's dark, but I'm not afraid

2011-11-12T21:20:00.000-08:00

We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents

2011-11-12T20:28:00.000-08:00

(or my cheap excuse to film I've effed up)

TDA11_2

2011-11-12T20:07:00.000-08:00

TodaysArt Festival 2011 part 2

Minimalistisch. Abstrakt. Gut

2011-10-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

"Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic music."

TodaysArt The Hague

2011-09-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

After years of missing it due to senseless reasons, I finally had the time to indulge myself into this amazing apotheosis of audiovisual, technological refinement. Held annually in The Hague, Todaysart is a festival which investigates and activates the social possibilities of art, sound and technology where it intersects with urban settings and public spaces.

Totemobile, by Chico Macmurtrie

"Totemobile is a robotic sculpture that initially appears as a life-sized representation of the culturally iconic Citroën DS automobile. In performance, this familiar figure is visually exploded, subverted and elaborated through various levels of abstraction until it reaches its final form: an organic 20-meter-tall totem pole. Upon reaching its full height, the work blooms with light, in the form of multiple organically-inspired inflatable sculptures suggesting the final maturation of an enormous biological organism."

The Apartment, by Maurice Bogaert

"In The Apartment, Bogaert engages cinematic architecture and explores the relationships between scale models, sets, architecture, and the moving image. The starting point of The Apartment was the question: would it be possible to do a remake of a film, let’s say Roman Polański’s Repulsion, with a set that would allow one to do so in one single shot? In The Apartment, the spectator takes on the role of the camera."

Kangding Ray

Performance of Raster-Noton artist Kanding Ray during the night programme of TodaysArt in the Paard van Troje.

Photo by Zalmaï Ahad of Afghanistan.

The Vrije Academie presents with Generation 9/11 an exhibition assessing and exploring trends in war photography and conflict image-forming ten years after 9/11

Secret Life, by Reynold Reynolds

"Six Pieces is an exhibition in which Reynolds explores various aspects of human existence, using his experimental films and installations. Serious topics such as isolation, loneliness and insecurity are portrayed in an uncommonly beautiful, surrealistic style that keep you riveted."

Escape, by Tiemen Rapati + Charlie Berendsen (NL)

Monolake

Jiri Kylian - Kaguyahime

2011-08-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

Going after strange flesh; unpredicting the predictable in Amsterdam

2011-08-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

"He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed"

"and Simon and they that were with him followed after him"

"and when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee"

"he became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon him they shaked their heads"

"for there is none other name under heaven given among men"

"beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision"

"and the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple"

"and the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy"

"then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other"

"for the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey"

"if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee"

"because I did bear the reproach of my youth."

Patterns

2011-08-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

Wiener Straßenbild

2011-07-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

Persona

2011-07-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

Wien

2011-05-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

2010 in music

2011-01-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

My personal favorites

Le Guess Who? festival

2010-12-25T18:30:00.000-08:00

Friday, November 26th and this would be my last festival/concert. Fortunately I couldn't have picked a better one to end this incredible year filled with amazing music.

Le Guess Who? festival (and in particular this same night) in Utrecht truly was a reflection my favorite artists of this year.

Junip

Caribou

Beach House

FM Belfast

Lots of photography going on

Snapshots

2010-11-30T19:21:00.000-08:00

And another camera I can remove from my wishlist: a Yashica T5.

I've found my luck again on Marktplaats.nl (Dutch 'Ebay') where a photographer was selling it.
The first film I used was el-cheapo HEMA-film (ASA 400) and I'm not really stoked about the quality. Tomorrow my second film will be developed, hopefully with better results (Kodak ColorPlus 200, not so groundbreakingly either though). And no, that's not my leg with the tattoo ;)

What will you wear tonight?

2010-11-24T19:37:00.000-08:00

Wicked track, wicked video. I felt like a hipster when I was watching this back in the days.

Ólafur Arnalds @ Bitterzoet (Amsterdam 23-11-2010)

2010-11-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

*sigh* wat een beautiful concert from Icelandic wonderboy Ólafur Arnalds! Such an incredible experience in this small venue of the Bitterzoet. The entire audience was silent (and that's really something here in the Netherlands!)

Seabear & Telekinesis @ Bitterzoet

2010-11-23T14:53:00.000-08:00

Great show of both bands! 2 artists from the Morr Music label: Telekinesis and Seabear.
I came especially to see Seabear; the last time I saw them was during Iceland Airwaves. I only managed to see the last two songs at that time, so I really had to make up for it. I arrived pretty early (infact I was even the first) and it was such a contrast to see nobody outside compared to the last time where I had to wait in line for over 30 minutes!

Telekinesis was the first act and it was awesome! Haven't heard of him before (project of Michael Benjamin Lerner and for the tour he performs with a band), but I was listening to his self titled album the same day and I really liked it. The show was even better: very intense, raw and the drum skills of mr. Lerner blew me away!

Michael Benjamin Lerner

Seabear was incredible as well. Finally I was able to watch their entire performance. It sure is a different experience compared to what I saw in Iceland; this time the venue is so much smaller (the rather obscure Bitterzoet vs. the majestic Iðnó) and unfortunately no other Icelandic artists who would join Seabear for the final song on stage ;) Frontman Sindri Már Sigfússon has such an amazing warm voice and I sure felt a bit nostalgic to hear the bandmembers talking Icelandic on stage.

Halloween

2010-11-23T14:46:00.000-08:00

A month ago...

2010-11-14T18:25:00.000-08:00

And how everything has changed after seven days...
Seven days in the land of fire and ice: Iceland!

So this was Iceland Airwaves festival. After having indulged in a week full of music in a wonderful place, concerts back in my home country aren't the same anymore. Infact: everything isn't the same anymore. Seven days of Iceland was the most breathtaking, surreal, magical, intense experience ever!

It's been a month ago and I'm still having the post-holiday blues. I'm cranky... I miss the relaxed atmosphere, the beautiful scenery, the soft mattress of my hotel bed, the endless hours of sitting in the basement of 12 Tónar listening to obscure records, having breakfast while still feeling tipsy from the night before, eating self-made waffles on a Sunday in Kaffibarinn, running to a venue not to miss the artists I'm eager to see. But most of all: I miss the friendly, relaxed, crazy, talented, creative and inspirational people!

Finally a dream coming true. Due to a couple of events back home I decided it's time to go for it. I didn't know that this trip gave me so much more than I could ever asked for. Takk Ísland!

Here are some of my shots (more of them here). I've simply snapped way too many photos, but it was definitely worth it. Hopefully it gives you a better view of this incredible music festival:

I'll start with the Faktorý, one of the venues of the festival and my favorite one. Very dark, obscure but intimate.

Havarí; culture center, record store, art gallery in one. Home of Kimi Records

Almost everything is worth snapping. The street art is very inspiring for such a 'small' city

Skúli Mennski off-venue gig in bookstore Mál og Menning

Stereo Hypnosis: great father/son collaboration with incredible ambient electronica

Streetview

12 Tónar; the best record store in the world :)

And the place where we consumed most of our beers: Kaffibarinn

Y0da Remote @ Kaffibarinn

Love them... Their music just simply stops momentum: Amiina. This year they released their second LP: Puzzle, which is pure class (and I can't stop listening to it). I wanted to see them for a very long time and now the opportunity was mine! It was amazing; I absolutely loved their show. For their song Mambó, the band members of Efterklang joined them on stage; *sigh* such a magical moment:

It wasn't always a good time unfortunately. I was dying to see Seabear for example, but I was not the only one... For their show I had to stand outside in line for 40 minutes and as a result I only saw the last two songs. Fortunately these songs were outstanding and other artists were showing up on stage, which completed the incredible atmosphere in the beautiful Iðnó venue (hands down the most beautiful venue I've ever been to). Thankfully I'll see Seabear in a couple of weeks in Amsterdam :)

During Airwaves, every nook and cranny is filled with music. Even the hair salon! So what better entertainment than live music during your haircut! Prinspóló were doing the honours ;)

Waiting to get their hair done or audience for Prinspóló? Perhaps both :P

Hval*Mart in Kaffibarinn

And another off-venue gig and this time in cinema Bío Paradís. After having watched the great lo-fi documentary Backyard, two bands who were also in the film performed in the lobby. Reykjavík! was the first one. Funny fact: their latest music video was shot in Kaffibarinn and I've witnessed the making of a part of it: the first day when I arrived in Iceland I had a meeting with two guys (who I've met in the plane) at the Kaffibarinn and when I entered the bar they were shooting the segment from the beginning where you can see the guys running. The two guys were also asked to be part of it. The entire video is shot in the Kaffibarinn:

After Reykjavk it was time for FM Belfast. Damn what a show and energy they have!

And from the cinema off to another venue. We were heading to the Nasa where Berndsen kicked us back to the 80's with his funky new wave:

After all that partying it was time to relax. On a Saturday morning I headed to the Blue Lagoon; a geothermal spa. The best cure against a hang-over is... get drunk again and having another party!

Feeling a bit more relaxed (although swimming always makes me sleepy), I was ready for another evening with music. Eerie beautiful music to be more precisely; from the young and talented Ólafur Arnalds. Dreamy soundscapes combined with deep electronic samples

Sudden Weather Change

Another band I was looking forward to: Ghostigital. It was insane and I even ended up on stage during the last song, dancing together with crazy Icelandic people. Definitely a moment I won't forget (there is a youtube video of this, but I saw myself dancing in it so I'd better not post it here ;) )

Sykur

The beautiful city of Reykjavík, taken from the top of the Hallgrímskirkja

The day after the festival... Time for exploring the city and find interesting little gems like this coffeehouse: Kaffismiðja

Funny street art

0_0

This is the famous 'Backyard' from the movie I saw before. Unbelievable that such a small place held home to an incredible event last year:

The movie reflected everything I experienced during this festival: great music, great artists, great atmosphere, great city, great people.

Ofcourse a week was way too short, so I'll return. No question about it

Persona

2010-09-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

Young Art Festival (Park Westerhout, Beverwijk 17-07-2010)

2010-09-23T03:27:00.001-07:00

Some older photos of a nice small festival from last July.

No Use For A Name (Melkweg, Amsterdam 05-08-2010)

2010-09-23T03:24:00.000-07:00

Blonde Redhead

2010-09-23T03:09:00.000-07:00

Melkweg, Amsterdam (19-09-2010)
One of the most beautiful, dreamlike concerts I've witnessed. Thank you Blonde Redhead for this magnificent trip, and for releasing the incredible album 'Penny Sparkle'.

Sziget - day 2 to party 'till the end!

2010-09-08T05:19:00.000-07:00

(At the Széchenyi bathhouse. Sex on the beach became our favorite cocktail for the entire week)

So after my first day in Budapest, I had a great time. The party mood didn't really sink in though and I felt still slightly anxious for the rest of the week. I've been to other festivals and Sziget is definitely the more 'basic' one.

I woke up the following morning and the sun was burning right on my tent. I couldn't sleep anymore, opened my tent and there was absolutely nobody. Everyone was still asleep. I looked at my watch; 6am! The frustration! I tried to go back to sleep to no avail. After an hour I decided to search for a shower. I actually found one and that would be the last time I took a shower on the festival site... (instead we enjoyed the famous Budapest bathhouses)

That day I had a meeting in the city center again with a great friend/colleague (Ágota). Today was officially day one of the festival, but decided to meet with Ágota. She is Hungarian and in Budapest for holiday (she lives in The Netherlands). The rest of the group stayed at the festival, but I wanted some time off and it would be a great opportunity to visit the beautiful city again with a personal tour guide!

Well, I definitely had a great day! We've been to the beautiful old section of Buda, ate a tasty snack called 'rétes' (some kind of strüdel), explored the public transport, walked for hours, ate a typical Hungarian dinner in an inmense department store and I've met a couple of her Hungarian friends in combination with a nice glass of Hungarian wine.

When I arrived back at the festival, the last acts were about to finish. My tent was close to the World Music Stage and at that time the famous Buena Vista Social Club with Omara Portuondo were performing. I walked deeper into the audience and at that time it all started; I closed my eyes and listened to the music. I opened them and looked at the people surrounding me, enjoying the music. I felt the atmosphere, I felt happy, relaxed and it all dawned on me: the festival feeling was back! At that moment I couldn't care less about anything and from that moment Sziget was a big party 'till the end. Life is like a festival.

I'll be back ;)

Satoshi Kon

2010-09-07T04:42:00.000-07:00

I recently found out that a person who was one of my biggest inspirations passed away.

His work was like experiencing a dream. He proved to the world that your only limitation is your imagination and he was clearly in a league of its own.

Each step will create a world beyond what is truly real. Instead of trying to create reality as it is around us, I felt that the surreal world would come out.
Satoshi Kon

And perhaps my favorite of them all:

I spy with my little fisheye; Óbudai!

2010-09-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here a selection of my fisheye pics from my Sziget adventure

Budapest, day one

2010-09-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I went to the beautiful city of Budapest in Hungary. We went to Sziget Festival, which is located on an island in the Danube, in the center of the city. We took the train from Amsterdam and the journey took 18hrs! We arrived pretty exhausted on a hot sunny afternoon. The weather was definitely a lot better than back home. The festival itself started 2 days later, so the next day we had plenty of time to explore this city.

To be honest, at first I didn't really have any expectations of Budapest. I even told myself that Sziget might be my last festival; the entire 'festival feeling' was a bit lost to me, the line-up didn't impress me that much, the effort you have to take for travelling to a festival with a way-too-heavy backpack and waiting before you finally can enter the festival/campsite. Little did I know I was in for a surprise as the entire week left me impressed by many things.

I left my digital camera back home and shot the entire festival with my old Pentacon Praktica LTL and Fisheye 2. Here are the results from my first film (Ilford XP2 Super 400) used in the Pentacon. I'm pretty stoked about the results, so you will definitely see me using this film in the near future.

Waiting for the Sziget Express at Amsterdam Central Station

Passing Passau (Germany)

And the day we went exploring the city:

Országház; the magnificent Hungarian Parliament Building

Our first meeting with Hungarian beer

Inside a church

Terror Háza museum

Széchenyi gyógyfürdő; the famous bathouse. 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'. Here we spend the evening and it sure was a great way to relax after the long journey from the previous day (and perhaps charging myself up for the following days).

Incredible first meeting with this stunning city and an excellent begin in what proves to be one of the most incredible festivals I've ever had...

The island where all the magic happens...

2010-09-05T04:25:00.000-07:00

Iceland is definitely on my wishlist for many years, especially after watching this incredible documentary; Gargandi Snilld (= A Screaming Masterpiece).

It's all about the rich, fascinating and incredible music scene in Iceland. Unbelievable to see how many creativity there is on that island and throughout the years I had the priviledge to see some of their artists. At Lowlands festival 2008 for example, the mythical, dreamlike music from Sigur Rós was definitely one of my highlights from that festival and still holds a special place in my heart as one of my favorite alltime concert experiences. The music was eerie beautiful and I saw a lot of people in the audience gasping for air and even crying. Nothing could top that act at that years Lowlands.

A couple of weeks ago I went to Sziget festival and watched another great act:

Hjaltalín

Where everyone was standing at the bigger stages on Sziget, I was looking forward to their show somewhere on a deserted spot of the Sziget site. When I entered the site where they were performing, it was as I was in a whole different world: a serene atmosphere, the beautiful laidback music, people enjoying their music with closed eyes and a smile on their face, this perfect hot summer evening. I got myself comfortable with a beer in my hand and a cigarette in the other (my holy trinity: beer, cigarette and music) and completely drifted away on this magical experience. This is how festivals are supposed to feel like!

So Iceland has something mysterious about itself and I hope someday to unravel it.

We love comics

2010-08-30T01:20:00.000-07:00

Paprika - Satoshi Kon

2010-08-08T05:20:00.001-07:00

I had a strange dream: first of all I spoke fluently French and helped someone. Later on my mother organised an opera of Othello in the Amsterdam ArenA, because it was the perfect night with full moon and a clear sky. Soprano Edita Gruberova was performing as well and I had to climb over lots of stairs, chairs and people to get to my seat. I was eating a Swirl icecream with cucumber slices in it (in fact I even liked it), but when I switched to a different seat I lost it. I was looking for another friend who was supposed to get the drinks and when I came back my father and mother were sitting in the audience, I sat next to them and I gave a nod of approval to my mom for how well she organised it.

Wir fahren fahren fahren auf der... Radweg

2010-06-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

I spy with my little fisheye: Paris!

2010-06-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

I'm fascinated

2010-06-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon the marvellous Uniqlock a couple of months ago, with their last campaign shot in Paris. I love it; very cool videos, with awesome music (Fantastic Plastic Machine) and quirky dancing. I've visited the store over there and it was awesome!

Raster-Noton: Archiv für Ton und Nichtton

2010-06-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

Spotify Playlist

Spotify + last.fm audioscrobbler = win

I spy with my little fisheye

2010-06-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

A little bit of nonsense

Felt Mountain

2010-06-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

Opéra Garnier

2010-05-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

The evening I definitely was looking forward to, to watch a performance of Opéra Paris in this magnificent grand building.

When visiting Paris, I highly recommend a trip to watch a performance in the Opera. This is where you can relive the old times, where people dress up in special evening gowns, the classy employees escort you to your seat and where you end up sitting in a private balcony loge.

Le Grand Foyer

The Grand Staircase

View into the main entrance

The beautiful chandellier with the painting on the roof from Marc Chagall

In 1896, one of the counterweights for the grand chandelier fell, killing one. This, as well as the underground lake, cellars, and other elements of Opéra Garnier, inspired Gaston Leroux in 1909 to write his classic Gothic novel, The Phantom of the Opera.

One of the employees of this building couldn't have said it better: "c'est le grand spectacle." Indeed it was. It was my last evening of Paris, and I wouldn't leave without snapping a few more pictures of this beautiful city.

Buste from French composer Daniel Auber

And a sight from the beautiful Champs Élysées

That was it... Next morning an early wake-up and on my way to Gare du Nord :( Back to Amsterdam

Back home >_<
All good things must come to an end. In all honesty I can definitely say that I will return to this magnificent city.

Day 3 of Paris

2010-05-31T10:41:00.000-07:00

One of my main intentions to visit Paris was to go to Musée d'Orsay. It was a rainy morning, so the perfect time to go here. Little did I know that this museum happens to be closed on Mondays :( No worries, as there were plenty of other beautiful places I could see.

Street next to Musée d'Orsay

The six statues at the back represent the six continents. From left to right: Alexandre Schœnewerk's l'Europe, Alexandre Falguière's l'Asie, Eugène Delaplanche's l'Afrique, Ernest Eugène Hiolle's l'Amérique du Nord, Aimé Millet's Amérique du Sud, and Mathurin Moreau's l'Océanie.

Space Invaders conquering the world

The evening before I visited Canal Saint-Martin. Famous for one of the set locations of the movie Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain. In the movie, Amélie enjoys skipping stones in the water of this canal.

The previous evening it was way too dark to see anything, so I decided to come back today. The area around this canal is great as there weren't a lot of tourists. I found an incredible little film shop; Potemkine (Rue Beaurepaire). Here I finally found the dvd which was on my wishlist for ages (Tampopo). Canal Saint-Martin doesn't look as romantic as in the movie, but it sure is a beautiful place.

Quai de Valmy

Another Space Invader

The famous hotel from the same titled movie
Website

I still had plenty of time left, so decided to visit the famous Cimetière du Père-Lachaise (cemetary, where lots of famous French people are buried).

Grave of Édith Piaf

First lady of the French cinema: Simone Signoret, where she was the first French person to win an academy award

They only come out at night

2010-05-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

Grande Mosquée de Paris

2010-05-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

In Quartier Latin, this beautiful mosque is definitely worth a visit. Quite surreal to walk into this mosque; when you enter the gate you're in a whole different continent. Very serene atmosphere.

Les Halles et Quartier Latin

2010-05-24T06:41:00.001-07:00

After my brief visit to La Défense, I went to Les Halles.

Église Saint-Eustache

Nice park in Jardin du Forum des Halles

It was a warm day

The stunning building of Centre Georges Pompidou

Nice area, but too crowded, so off I went to Quartier Latin

Unbelievable quiet place in the beautiful Quartier Latin: Arènes de Lutèce.

Walking into Arènes de Lutèce. Incredible spot of tranquility

Rue Monge

Looking into Rue Rollin

Rue du Cardinal Lemoine

Great little shop stuffed with sci-fi and thriller novels, at 11 Rue du Cardinal Lemoine
website

La Défense

2010-05-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of my Paris trip. In the morning I visited the business district of Paris: La Défense. Very modern and contemporary architecture with lots of geometrical lines which I really like. It's very serene compared to the more touristic heart of Paris. There are no cars and walking through this area reminds me of a science fiction movie.

Pièce de résistance of this district is for sure the immense building La Grande Arche. It's the modern version of Arc du Triomphe and you feel so tiny standing in front of it.

La Grande Arche de la Défense

Reenact the 90's videoclip of Sash - Stay :P La Défense is the location where that music video was filmed and this is the passage way where singer La Trec (Francine McCoy) was singing.

Quite funny, because I stumbled upon an old upload here on Flickr: Grande Arche, which I took when I was still at high school (and when I had my last trip to Paris). Well I guess my dream came true ;)

Esplanade du Generale de Gaulle

Esplanade de la Défense

The famous Axe Historique, with Arc du Triomphe in the background

Paris: Day one (night)

2010-05-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

Quite a lot of action going on in the evening!

Statue on the Notre Dame

I agree; Paris is definitely a romantic city ;)

Nice atmosphere at the banks of the Seine

C'est la cité d'amour

I heard some music coming from a building and it was the Museum Monnaie de Paris. Nice surprise, because that night it happened to be the night of the museum (= Nuit des Musées). I was a bit tired though, so didn't stay for a long time

It was my third time in Paris, but I've never visited the Louvre. I'm real hesitant, because the Louvre is gigantic! I rather prefer the much smaller Musée d'Orsay and it was one of my goals to visit that museum again

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

La Tour Eiffel

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. This is situated on the Axe Historique, a 9km. long line with historic and famous landmarks, like the Arc de Triomphe and Obélisque de Louxor at Place de la Concorde

I'm tired and it was quite a long day, so after a long stroll I'm off to my hotel

Paris: Day one (day)

2010-05-20T03:47:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to Paris and it is such a beautiful city! I visited a lot of places, had a great hotel, enjoyed tasty food, weather was excellent: I couldn't have asked for more!

Arriving at Gare du Nord

View from my hotel room, Rue Pierre Sémard

Another view from my hotel room

Looking into Rue Pierre Sémard. My hotel is on the right

Rue La Fayette

Metro station Cadet, which I always took

Visit to the most beautiful department store I've ever seen: Galeries Lafayette

Opera Garnier
Streetview

Wheelie (and a bit blurry)

Place Vendôme

Place Vendôme

Rue de Rivoli

Statue of Renommée, in Jardin des Tuileries, with the Obélisque de Louxor at the background

The famous icon of Paris

Les Champs Élysées

Arc du Triomphe. Through the arc, you see La Grande Arche de la Défense in the background; truly amazing! Combining classical with contemporary architecture in a landscape

Grand Palais

Église de la Madeleine

Rue Royale

Change of the guard

Deerhunter @ Trouw

2010-05-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

Great show from Deerhunter again. This time in a new venue for me, the Trouw building outside the center of Amsterdam. Great industrial venue, suits their music perfectly.

The quality of the photos are a bit... raw, but I like the results.

Growing up

2010-05-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

Mothers Day

2010-05-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

Visiting my grandma

Bevrijdingsdag May 5th

2010-05-07T19:31:00.001-07:00

a.k.a. Liberation Day, and our first festival of the year; Bevrijdingspop in Haarlem! It wasn't as awesome as last year, but I had great fun.

Hitam

2010-04-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

Part of the oldschool generation

2010-04-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

Ready to go

2010-04-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Some simple snapshots taken at my birthday when everyone was leaving. I had a nice dinner at my grandma, with friend C-i-c-a and my cousin with his girlfriend. Not a big party, but I had a nice evening. Sometimes the smaller things in life are the best ;)

Awakenings

2010-04-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

Friend R: "So you're wearing earplugs? Why?!"
Guy: "Because I'm a smart and sensible boy and don't want to have ruined ears when I'm older."
(That's funny; I could have sworn you are the same guy I saw earlier on dancing next to us with your friends and drinking something out of the cap from your 'contact lens solution')

It was even getting better: he excused himself and we witnessed a magical disappearing act of some white powder through his nose.

So this was my first visit to a big rave event after 7 years. Nice to see the audience didn't change much and they never cease to amaze me :)

Urbanears Plattan Salad

2010-04-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

My new headphones are a huge letdown :( I should have saved more money for better ones.

Tony Sly, Joey Cape, Jon Snodgrass (Bitterzoet, Amsterdam 03-03-2010)

2010-03-06T15:03:00.000-08:00

What a marvellous show from these guys! First concert of the year (yeah I know I'm a bit late) and it was spectacular: incredible atmosphere (the audience was great), good music and the guys were in a terrific mood (lots of jokes and booze).

The Bitterzoet was jam-packed and it's an amazing venue (reminds me of Waterfront and Winston). Funny to see these guys performing an acoustic show; last year I've seen Tony Sly at a No Use For A Name gig and that was quite a different experience compared to this one ;)

Kawaii!

2010-02-24T16:42:00.001-08:00

Good things come in small packages! My ultra wicked laptop sleeve ordered at Burgerplex, where you can buy all kinds of wonderfull stuff with the designs of artist/illustrator Jon Burgerman. I received a free screen pad and some stickers ^_^

Mac addicts

2010-02-18T18:06:00.000-08:00

I spy with my little fisheye!

2010-02-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

So my first film with my fisheye 2 camera has been developed (I scanned the negatives with my crappy CanoScan 4400F). I really like the results, although the use of the external flash casts an annoying shade from the lens at the lower right corner on the photos. I've got an old Yashica flash which I will use from now on and see what those results will be.

A day at the beach

2010-01-16T06:29:00.000-08:00

January 1st 2010 (it sounds like it's already a long time ago)! A new year, a new beginning (how cliché sounds that) and it's winter time!

A year has passed

2010-01-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

Hobbes (of Calvin and ...):

I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each others dreams, we can be together all the time.

It was just a year ago and 2009 went away so quick after January 13th.

02-01-1924 - 13-01-2009

The Needle Drop

2010-01-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

Wicked music blog with all the latest news, hypes, releases and reviews of everything that isn't POPular ;) incredible source for discovering new music and they have some pretty rad videos on youtube!
Definitely check out this video, host Anthony Fantano gives his top-15 albums of 2009. Nr. 1 isn't a surprise to me!

Truly my last concert of 2009

2010-01-04T07:05:00.000-08:00

Concert buddy c-i-c-a asked me to join her for a concert in the Winston, where a couple of American alt-country bands would perform. My previous concert was in the Paradiso with Sleepy Sun, which was the intention to be my last concert of the year. But unfortunately that concert wasn't anything amazing to celebrate the end of '2009 in music/concerts', so I decided that this would be the last effort to end the year with a bang!

Secretly, I know this evening was up to something good! Although I just finished working that day, it was freezing cold outside and had to hurry for arriving right on time, it all was really worthwile!

When I arrived, the Winston was quite packed (and that's a first!). Dutch locals All On Black were already performing. Nothing major here, it sounded alright (although sometimes they sounded a bit Britpopesque) and a nice way to relax and have a beer.

When they finished, it was finally time for the two headliners, where Chris Wollard & The Ship Thieves had the honour to do the kickoff. Really a terrific show of them:

After this show, it was time for Drag The River, the band from Jon Snodgrass and Chad Price. A more acoustic, intimate performance compared to the previous two shows this evening:

It was truly wonderful! Great atmosphere in the Winston together with some amazing music. At the end people in the audience could say what song they'd like to hear which they performed. Both band members had great fun and gave an excellent show, so afterwards I went home with a big smile on my face!

I'm really glad this would be my last concert of 2009, because this evening truly reflected the music I listened to this year: lots of alt-country, folk, americana, singer-songwriter stuff! At the first part of 2009 I wasn't convinced this year would offer me the same or even more than 2008 (or 2007!), the last part made it up big time!
Let's hope 2010 will be another great year in music with more interesting concerts, artists, releases and mindblowing experiences!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-27T06:04:00.000-08:00

And to celebrate, I'll give you this wonderful video of The Tallest Man On Earth with his beautiful song Into The Stream.

Sleepy Sun (Paradiso, Amsterdam 15-12-2009)

2009-12-19T17:06:00.000-08:00

Hello Sleepy Sun, wakey wakey! I know your concert is programmed quite late in the evening, but that's no excuse to be so... erhm, sleepy? Even if your music is quite psychedelic and the venue (Paradiso small room) is jam-packed, a tad more enthusiasm wouldn't hurt ;) Ok, no bad word about the music (it was great/amazing/psychedelic/wicked as always) but I really missed the spirit that I've witnessed at the previous shows (Bevrijdingspop and in the Paradiso together with Pink Mountaintops).

Secretly I expected a bit more, although I should't complain because I won a ticket for this show (thank you so much 3VOOR12 by the way!). It's just that, well... this would probably be my last concert of this year and I wanted something more of a bang ;)

All Tomorrow's Parties festival Tee!

Fruit Bats & Vetiver (Patronaat, Haarlem 09-12-2009)

2009-12-16T15:46:00.001-08:00

In some post earlier I mentioned that I went to the Roots of Heaven festival in Patronaat, Haarlem. Unfortunately that festival didn't turn out to be what I hoped for that evening, but to make things better that same concert ticket gave you free admittance for another concert a couple of weeks later: a show from Vetiver and Fruit Bats! Infact I was already planning to buy a ticket, so it was a nice freebie :)

Unbelievable that I would see Vetiver for the second time this year. When I first heard of them I was instantly hooked and I immediately placed them on my concert must-see wishlist. Little did I know it turned out to be that easy! That evening I was feeling a bit tired and lazy and was asking myself if I should go... Silly me, because it would be an awesome evening!

Fruit Bats where the first to perform:

Wonderful show, and wow; singer Eric Johnson has such a great voice! I was really enjoying myself with their music. Infact, I heard their music for the first time the week before this concert. Their latest album 'The Ruminant Band' was released this year and received some nice ratings. After their show I went to the merchandise and found out they brought along all of their albums. Nice! When I was standing in front of the booth, the lady from the merchandise noticed my camera case. She asked me if I was taking pictures and we had a nice conversation. She happens to be a photographer too and shot a couple of shots of the show with a vintage analog camera. Place two photographers (although I wouldn't consider myself a photographer as I still have a long way to go) in one room and all hell break loose ;) Really a nice chat and I went back to the venue for the show of Vetiver. The last time I saw them was just a couple of months ago in the Paradiso, but I was still pretty excited!

The show from Vetiver was amazing! It's too bad there weren't a lot of people in the audience (I wonder why because the Patronaat has a truly impressive program), but Vetiver gave a wonderful performance and their music sounds so pure and beautiful.

I went back to the merchandise to bought some cd's (well, I bought all of the Fruit Bat's albums and one album from Vetiver I was missing in my collection). I found out that the lady from the marchandise is no less than Alissa Anderson! she's responsible for the picture used on the cover from Vetiver's album 'Thing of the past', which is one of my favorite pictures:

Not only did she shot this picture, but she's also the photographer of Joanna Newsom on her album 'The Milk-Eyed Mender' (and Joanna Newsom is a goddess). So have a look at her site with lots of amazing photos! What an inspirational person and I honestly feel privileged to have talked to her :) So in the end this regular Wednesday afternoon was something quite extraordinary!

Fever Ray (Paradiso, Amsterdam 03-12-2009)

2009-12-04T22:06:00.000-08:00

The evening where I was looking forward to; to see the amazing, wonderful and mysterious Fever Ray. This is the alter ego of Karin Dreijer Andersson (of the The Knife) and in my humble opinion released one of the greatest albums of this year.

This show was out of this world and I've never seen- no: experienced, anything like this! The incredible music, light/laser show, band members with theatrical costumes/make-up, the stage presence: it all builds up in creating a grim fairytale, occult pagan atmosphere where Fever Ray succeeded without a doubt (thanks to her impeccable attention to detail). I'm truly thankful that I had the opportunity to witness her live show, as there is a big chance she won't continue with this project.

But first the ethereal Icelandic Hildur Guðnadóttir, who was the support act of Fever Ray.

A breathtaking performance with her cello, which left the audience in a complete silence. The last note was spun out into the opening track of Fever Ray ("If I had a heart")

Happy birthday dad!

2009-12-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

This year it's very special to me to celebrate my father's birthday, because a couple of months ago he suffered a small heart attack which made quite a huge impact on our lives. My parents booked a small bungalow on the island of Texel for a midweek and brought along my Grandma. I've visited them at the day of my father's birthday; we went to a restaurant and the next day we payed a visit at the informative Ecomare

From Texel to Amsterdam

2009-12-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

On my way to the beautiful island of Texel

Roots of Heaven festival (Patronaat, Haarlem 28-11-2009)

2009-11-29T18:23:00.000-08:00

I'll be honest, the only reason for visiting this festival was Lightning Dust. I really was looking forward to them, as they have released one of the greatest albums of this year with 'Infinite Light'.

As usual I left home way too late, stressing out that I might miss Lightning Dust. Another stress factor: I didn't bought a ticket in advance! Fingers crossed that it wouldn't be another debacle as a couple of weeks earlier, as I was driving 100km. to a concert which eventually was sold out. Luckily not this time!

It was very quiet at Patronaat. Almost too quiet! There were plenty of tickets available and I ran to the venue where Gurf Morlix was performing. There weren't many people in the audience.

I really liked it; he has a great voice and it was a very intimate, breathtaking performance.

After that, it was time for Anne Soldaat. I didn't have any clue who that would be and I only knew that he/she is Dutch. Unfortunately I have a certain 'thing' against Dutch singers and somehow I can't get over it (has to do something with Dutch people talking or singing English with a horrible accent). My first guess was some kind of female singer-songwriter with just a guitar. Well, almost right haha; Anne Soldaat is a male singer-songwriter and an ex-member of the defunct Daryll-Ann. He brought an entire band with him, which was great! It was very nice, I wasn't expecting much and definitely underestimated him and his music. Unfortunately I wasn't in a mood to thoroughly enjoy the music as I was freaking myself out with the fact that in less than 2 hours I would finally see Lightning Dust. There were a lot more people in the room this time and somehow I had the feeling they were solely here to see him (read: family and friends of the band).

Yes that's him

I only drank one beer and even that was pretty lethal to me. Almost every 5 minutes I had to go to the toilet. It could've been the stress as well, because (ah yes I say it again) I really wanted to see Lightning Dust. And finally! After my patience was tested to the max and standing in this dark concrete atomic bunker called the Patronaat became excruciating, the curtains were opened and there she was standing on stage: Amber Webber! The beautiful charismatic (in a cold, mysterious sense of way) lady with the magnificent tremolo voice. She and Joshua Wells are both members of Black Mountain and formed their own project with Lightning Dust. During this tour Amber's sister (indeed they look alike) Ashley accompanied them and there was also Ryan Peters on drums.

I have to say, I was a bit disappointed :( The sound in the small room of the Patronaat was horrible and the show was way too short! The show ended at a strange way: during their last track you heard a dj-mix playing through it and when they finished, the curtains were immediately closed in a blink of an eye! I guess this all wasn't their fault, but I really wanted to see and hear more... They will have another show next week, but that's at the other side of Holland and I won't be able to make it. I definitely want to see them again because this show wasn't really what I expected to be.

There were more acts performing after Lightning Dust (and in the adjacent café there were performances too), but I was a bit in a bad mood due to the previous show and decided to call it a night. The only thing I'm happy about it, are the pictures! Like I've stated in some post earlier: I wasn't feeling well with the way how things were going at the Deer Tick concert. This time I was much more concentrated and that definitely helped a lot!

Fever Ray - Keep the streets empty for me

2009-11-28T00:20:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite songs of Fever Ray where she sings together with Cecilia Nordlund. Although it's very beautiful, it has an eerie feel to it (and I'm a sucker for everything that sounds/looks eerie and disturbing). I'm not quite convinced about the video to be honest; It's not really in line with her previous videos where they reflect more mystery and occult/pagan rituals.

Deer Tick (Paradiso, Amsterdam 26-11-2009)

2009-11-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

Deer Tick

Great concert with a raw edge, due to the rather unique voice of frontman and singer-songwriter John McCauley. Deer Tick began as his own solo project, but later on band members Christopher Dale Ryan (bassist), Dennis Ryan (drums) and Andrew Tobiassen (guitarist) joined him. Now I've finally seen them live and it was really worthwile.
The pictures turned out quite alright, because I thought they would be crap; I wasn't really in a good mood for shooting and the light was terrible. Personally, I think I'll definitely have to step up my game as I'm not really experiencing any progress and this evening there definitely wasn't a 'click' (apart from the sound of the shutter).

My next show will be with Lightning Dust and I'm very excited, so hopefully I will have some better results.

My best music albums of 2009

2009-11-19T17:17:00.001-08:00

The XX – s/t
Castanets – Texas Rose, The Thaw & The Beast
William Elliott Whitmore – Animals In The Dark
Architects – Hollow Crown
Chuck Ragan - Gold Country
Fever Ray - s/t
Atlas Sound - Logos
Gliss - Devotion Implosion
Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts
Lightning Dust - Infinite Light
Moderat - s/t
Pink Mountaintops - Outside Love
Au Revoir Simone - Still Night, Still Light
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Vitalic - Flashmob
Way Out West - We Love Machines

Tourist in your town

2009-11-18T09:18:00.000-08:00

Skunk Anansie (08-11-2009)

2009-11-16T06:15:00.000-08:00

"I awake
from blood thick dreams
Washing blame
Down my knees"
(from Charlie Big Potato)
Aah such a good song with an ominous atmosphere in combination with the excellent voice from frontwoman Skin! This was the first track of the album 'Post Orgasmic Chill' from Skunk Anansie and was infact the first album I've bought of them! It's probably one of my favorite albums of them and made me fall in love with this great British band.

I've been a big fan of Skunk Anansie when I was a teenager, but unfortunately I wasn't going to concerts at that time. Skunk Anansie broke up in 2001 and I was too late. In all those years I wished I've seen them live...

That's when I read the news a couple of months ago that they've decided to reunite and give a tour! My first thought immediately was that I've been given a second chance, and yes I'm going to take it! When the presale started, I immediately bought my ticket and was counting the days untill November the 8th...

The show this evening was everything I ever hoped for! Skin is such a charismatic lady with a tremendous voice and an incredible stage presence! The rest of the band was great too! They performed (almost) all of their hits in the sold-out Paradiso and ended with the breathtaking 'Secretly'... This band reminded me again why I love music!

Skin even climbed from the stage onto the first balcony!

Here they performed the breathtaking new single 'Squander'

Which left the audience in a complete joy of silence

Bravo!

Castanets (Patronaat Café, Haarlem 29-10-2009)

2009-11-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

Castanets (myspace) is the act from Ray Raposa. Under the wings of the famous Asthmatic Kitty records (were more amazing artists can be found, like My Brightest Diamond and ofcourse the founder of the label Sufjan Stevens); his dark, hypnotic, intense and even chilly style is a perfect mix between folk/americana/country/psychedelica.

I've seen him before last year in the Paradiso and this time it was a much different experience. The concert in the Paradiso was very intimate; he was accompanied with only one band member (violin). This time he had an entire band with him (including Lazarus, so it was kind of an awkward moment due to his previous show which wasn't really a crowd-pleaser)!

The moment they stepped on stage I knew it would be a wicked concert: 3 guitars, 1 bass and 1 drum! I was correct, it was far beyond my expectations: truly an amazing show with lots of dark and psychedelic moments! Too bad that the live experience is much different when listening to him on cd though. At the end I've bought all of his LP's and I really like the last ones ('City of Refuge' and 'Texas Rose, The Thaw, and The Beasts'); they are excellent for deep in the night, when I'm alone or while driving long distances in the night which I really love!

Lazarus (Patronaat Café, Haarlem 29-10-2009)

2009-11-10T17:51:00.000-08:00

Lazarus was the support act (and also a band member) of Castanets here in the Patronaat Café of Haarlem. Lazarus and Castanets gave a free show and I was very happy about that, because I really love the music from Castanets.

That evening I was quite stressed out; I just finished working, had a quick dinner, went back home, took a quick shower and by that time it was already 9:15PM (show was scheduled to start at 9:30). I raced to Haarlem, but I got stuck in a traffic jam! I finally arrived at 9:40 and runned to the café. Inside there wasn't any movement on stage, so I guessed they didn't start yet. I bought myself a beer to calm down and I waited... and waited... and waited... It was already 10pm so I wondered what happened! All the stress and racing for nothing. Then finally Lazarus went on stage (I didn't really know that there would be a support act, but you won't hear me complain!).

He gave a short performance and I really liked his style; very experimental (he used a lot of his own guitar samples in a loop), dark, dreamy and psychedelic. Too bad that some members in the audience were acting like morons (whistling, talking too loud). Well if you don't like it; don't bother everyone else and keep some respect against the artists! Free your mind and the rest will follow. Be color blind, don't be so shallow >:(

Keep the streets empty for me

2009-10-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

Alien weekend

2009-10-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

With friends, dinner and in later in the evening watched the movie Alien and its sequel (Aliens). Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is one heck of a badass chick with a serious coffee addiction! She's holding a coffee cup in almost every scene.
Next morning a small Mac-party (read: exchange of software/music/movies), my friends happen to be diehard Apple fanboys and they infected me as well muhahaha!

The Night Reveller

2009-10-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

Birthday Grandma part 2

2009-10-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Back at her home, with all her relatives.

Birthday Grandma part 1

2009-10-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

First year without my grandfather :(

Pentacon Praktica LTL

2009-09-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

My new baby
I bought it online at Marktplaats (Dutch vendor site like Ebay) for €20,- (that's verrrry cheap)! Excellent condition, two lenses (50mm f1.8 and a 35mm f1.8), two flashes and a lovely oldschool camera case! It feels actually heavier than my EOS 40D, has an all metal body; I love it, true analog feeling!

Chupacabras Chupacabras!

2009-09-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

... Or having a wicked time at the (free) gig from Kepi Ghoulie in the Patronaat café, Haarlem (Friday September 25th '09)! He performed together with the badass Dino on bass and Atom at the drums. Kepi is really a funny guy and so was the music and show this evening! The music is a great mish mash of all those retro punkrock groups (Ramones), garage rock and early rock 'n roll.

Kepi Ghoulie was a member of the (unfortunately) defunct Groovie Ghoulies and now he's going solo. This evening he also performed a lot of songs from the Groovie Ghoulies, including one of my favorites: Chupacabras! They brought along some wicked merchandise (lots of cool artwork painted by Kepi and Dino). During the show he mentioned the old Waterfront (R.I.P. :( ). it's a pity I've missed a lot of amazing concerts from the early days at the Waterfront and especially his one, because that's the perfect venue for him I think.

Ik zie door de bomen het bos niet meer

2009-09-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

Vitalic - Your Disco Song

2009-09-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Seriously everyone, this track is at a repeat here; it's such a dancefloor killer. I always have a weak spot for female vocoder/computer generated voices (especially if they're German, my secret fetish), combine it with screaming synths and a vulgar bass and I can instantaneously perish from happiness.
And so it is with this new single from Vitalic, the Frenchman who brought me joy with many of his incredible tracks and remixes (La Rock 01, My Friend Dario, Bells, Anatoles, Manu le Malin - Ghost Train and many more). Your Disco Song will be released on his new LP - Flashmob, which will hit the shelves in two days.

Although it's a really great track to listen to it at home (headphones on, volume to the max), I have to hear, no: experience it in a club! Vitalic is a master in creating the perfect composition of a set towards a vicious climax! My prayers are even answered: he's touring and on November 19th he will be performing in Amsterdam, Melkweg!

Love this clip by the way, it's produced by Waf! and here are some 'making-of'-photos. I believe it is shot in Brussels.

William Elliott Whitmore (Amstelkerk, Amsterdam 17-09-2009)

2009-09-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

Great, terrific, amazing concert from William Elliott Whitmore last Thursday in Amsterdam! His concert would be held in the Paradiso, but luckily for him (and us!) there was a venue change. This time he would perform in another old church: the Amstelkerk. The moment he started to sing immediately brought a shiver down our spine; the acoustics were extraordinary, especially in combination with his great voice! It was such a lovely small concert at an incredible place! At first I brought my new camera with me to use it for the first time at a concert, but it happened to be a concert with a seating arrangement (so no chance of me moving around and next to that the atmosphere was really intimate and I wouldn't bother everyone else).
Well, after having finished my bathroom brake I couldn't control myself and took the opportunity to let my camera do the magic work ;)

Home sweet home

2009-09-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

I'm back home, it's past midnight and there's a letter resting on top of my stereo set. It's from my mum (she's having a night shift at work). Just a few lines, short, straight to the point, typical her style; only a few names followed by phone numbers are written on it.
The letter sends chills down my spine. The names and phone numbers are the ones I have to call in case of an emergency. Although I'm wise enough to know how to react if something goes wrong, I have to admit I'm happy with it! Tonight was the first evening my father was all alone at home and that worried me.

Only seven days have past since he suffered a light heart attack and suddenly the entire week is surreal. It's unbelievable what happened, that day sure had an impact and definitely changed our lives + views towards our lives. Who would have thought that my father (57 and I consider that still young), the sportsman with a positive attitude and always eating healthy, would end up in an ambulance racing towards the hospital?!

I just heard him going to the toilet. Normally I wouldn't care less, but the sound of him flushing the toilet makes me smile :)

Arrested Development

2009-09-09T05:01:00.000-07:00

Almost peeing in my pants while watching this show! I especially like the very artistic impersonations of a chicken by the family members:

And the best of all:

This show is definitely on my dvd-wishlist, together with Pushing Daisies (R.I.P.) and Fringe

Uitpakparty: Canon EOS 40D :D

2009-09-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

My new camera! My new pride & joy! My new partner in crime! My new precious! Me love you long time!

Chuck Ragan - Rotterdam (Watt, 25-08)

2009-09-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

At first I wasn't even planning to go; I wasn't feeling well and secondly, Múm would be performing in the Melkweg that same evening (and while I consider myself a Chuck Ragan fan, I've never seen Múm before and Icelandic bands always hold a special place in my heart).

It was quite a productive day for me. Woke up early to visit Amsterdam. Later that afternoon I had a meeting with a friend and we were going to see the new Harry Potter movie (which was quite a letdown to be honest!). That friend was already planning to go to Chuck Ragan and this proved to be a deciding factor that I would join her to Rotterdam!

And I'm glad I did! It was a spectacular show! He performed many songs from his new album (Cold Country), together with his special track Rotterdam! We had such fond memories of the first time we saw him (one year ago; it was in the old and cosy Waterfront in Rotterdam, and his support acts were no less than Austin Lucas and Digger Barnes themselves!). This time Chuck Ragan brought a band with him (including Jon Gaunt and Digger Barnes). Great atmosphere and a far better audience than one of his previous shows in Amsterdam (Winston). The Watt is at a nice location close to Rotterdam Central Station, with a beautiful modern building. I truly miss the Waterfront though, the Watt is a bit more 'unpersonal and cold', but still I had a great time.

Beach House / Vetiver (Paradiso, Amsterdam 18-08-2009)

2009-08-24T05:08:00.001-07:00

What a terrific evening with such beautiful, intense, dreamy music... *sigh* It's a pity why the majority of my friends are listening to the regular crap on MTV or TMF (the Dutch equivalent of MTV but even worse). There's so much more great music to be explored and to be discovered and these two acts are a perfect example of it.

Beach House

Vetiver

Anthony Rother - Youth

2009-08-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

Dominik Eulberg @ Electronation (7 years anniversary, Amsterdam Paradiso, 25-07-09)

2009-07-29T09:23:00.001-07:00

What a great set! And finally... FINALLY; the first time I've seen him live! This guy is definitely one of my favorite electronic artists; great producer, great dj and occasionally he works as a park ranger in German National parks (love that contrast between the funky nightlife vs the peaceful wildlife).

Dominik Eulberg - website
Dominik Eulberg - Myspace

That entire night in the Paradiso was something special! First we started the evening with a nice set of Dutch dj Tron. Afterwards one of my highlists; the live set of one of my heroes, Alden Tyrell. This short set was followed by a living legend; Alexander Robotnick. We jumped to the main hall of the Paradiso, where Herr Eulberg was seriously testing the sound system. His set was indulged with some serious deep steroid basslines on a high tempo (wicked drive!). After that, it was time to finish off this great night with Electronation's resident dj Terry Toner. To be honest, it was quite a weird experience listening to dance music in a club, after having visited lots of live concerts for almost 4 years (non-stop)! I used to be a diehard clubber in the early days (around 2002/2003), 'till live concerts gave me much more satisfaction and thrills. I never disliked electronic music, but it became something destined only for my mp3-player. After this amazing night, now I remembered what I loved so much about electronic/dance music: the dj's composition of a set, the climax, the huge variety of strange electronic samples and the drive to non-stop dancing! I've seen a lot of concerts in the Paradiso and now was the time to experience this pop temple as a nightclub. Although I prefer the more laid-back attitude of the Melkweg, it's still one of the greatest music venues of The Netherlands with the most diverse music programming. Good job Electronation, you will definitely see us again at more of your parties, and congratulations with your 7 years anniversary!

Playtime in Amsterdam

2009-07-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Moderat

2009-07-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

Last week I visited 5daysoff in Amsterdam; an electronic music festival which took place in the Melkweg and Paradiso for 5 days. I only went to the shows on Wednesday (with my personal highlights of Moderat and The Field), and Saturday (more a Belgium electroclash night with Dr. Lektroluv, Goose and The Subs).
My favorite act was Moderat hands down! Moderat are Modeselektor and Apparat, with the help of vj team Pfadfinderei. The show was breathtaking; the dreamy, sophisticated, cold soundscapes of Apparat combined with the more obscure, funky beats of Modeselektor and the beautiful visuals of Pfadfinderei (shown on a large screen behind them, which filled the entire stage) made it a night to remember! This shows that Germany is still in a class of its own when it comes to electronic music.
Here's the video of Moderat with Rusty Nails (clip by Pfadfinderei)

Moderat "Rusty Nails" from Pfadfinderei on Vimeo.