Hello,
Today's Artists were from the South of the Netherlands, Nuenen, near Philips's researchlabs and headquarters (at the time) they were interested in repetitive structures, but their music was less harsh and mechanical, more fluid and danceable. Initially in 78 they sang in dutch and were called Nasmaak (after taste) They dropped the dutch and an a and so Nasmak came about. Their first record (on Plurex) Nasmak Plus Instruments/Instruments Plus Nasmak(1980), was hailed by John Peel as the best continental record of the year. ......N'Joy
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1980 in Nuenen Brabant there's quite a lot of musical experimenting going on. In a converted barn the members of the Nasmak band, founded in 1978 as Nasmaak, make music for hours every day. The band was already present in 1979 on the collective LP Overdwars, from the Pop Music Foundation Netherlands and has already gained the necessary live experience, both at home and abroad. Two things stand out: the concerts differ greatly from each other and the band knows how to surprise with the use of a squat box, played by singer Truus de Groot. The squat box is a 'musical instrument', developed in the seventies by, among others, Michel Waisvisz from STEIM, the studio for electro-instrumental music from Amsterdam. A wooden box with metal strips with which you can influence sound with the fingers. The device is based on the concept that the human body, by its touch, becomes part of the electronics.
Nasmak is in this period: Joop van Brakel (vocals / guitar), Henk Janssen (guitar), Toon Bressers (drums), Theo van Eenbergen (bass guitar) and Truus de Groot (vocals / squat box). The band is full of creativity and the many hours in the rehearsal space lead in 1980 to the debut album Nasmak Plus Instruments / Instruments Plus Nasmak. The album appears on Plurex and the production is in the hands of Plurex boss Wally van Middendorp. The work on the first album side at times sound quite stubborn and original music. New wave, but more daring than those of most contemporaries. The voice of Truus de Groot is remarkably expressive. The A-side of the record is still quite common, although it is soon clear that a band with a broad horizon is at work here. On the B-side, the squat box pops up more prominently, which draws the music even further away from the mainstream and produces an idiosyncratic sound. It is not rock, no punk, no synthesizer wave, it is Nasmak.
The debut album from Nasmak intrigues and convinces. In OOR, Alfred Bos concludes that the record "strikes the new Siouxsie with a few lengths". Partly thanks to the 'Instruments side' on which 'the band shows its most adventurous side'. From England, there is even interest from BBC DJ John Peel who has found Nasmak Plus Instruments / Instruments Plus Nasmak the best record of the European mainland for ages.
Cross the border
With the well-known electro duo Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft (D.A.F.) a tour is being undertaken by the Netherlands and Germany at the end of 1980. For the magazine Vinyl the band keeps a diary:
"Only on the way to Berlin did I discover that Berlin was not on the border at all, half in West Germany and half in East Germany, but a few hundred kilometers in East Germany. An important difference, which means that, in order to reach West Berlin, you have to cross twice an East German border crossing. This means double checking by West German Customs and six times by the GDR Customs. During the long wait at the border you have a view of the signs where the political creeds of the GDR stand. Everything about Wohl des Volkes. "
West Berlin itself evokes rather repulsion than excitement: "A big boastful cry against the omnipresent East Germany. The largest concentration of junkies from West Germany, completely floating on foreign labor, for the eyes only focused on consumption. "
After the German tour Truus de Groot leaves for New York. Under the name Plus Instruments, she collaborates with percussionist David Linton and guitarist Lee Ranaldo, who also performs with composer Glenn Branca and later with Sonic Youth will break through. Truus de Groot in OOR: "I was so cheeky to go. If you do not do it yourself, no one else will do it for you. You just have to be brutal, otherwise you become a victim. "According to OOR, the New York - Eindhoven combination can be characterized as" DAF meets the B-52s ". In the meantime Toon Bressers and Theo van Eenbergen have developed basic material for a second Nasmak-elpee. Because it turns out that both Nasmak and Truus de Groot have taken interesting new paths, there is definitely a point behind the cooperation.
Nasmak offers a look into their own kitchen through the double cassettes Indecent Exposure 1 & 2 (Music For Brass, Woodwinds, Drums & Violins) and Indecent Exposure 3 & 4 (The Smell Remains). The tapes, which also come out on Plurex, are full of ideas, incitement, unconventional percussion and seem to be a sort of musical diary from Nasmak in the early 1980s. The band can also be heard on the ep Vaseline Des Artistes, which is released on the leading Hamburg label ZickZack.
In the meantime, the band is also considering a possible agreement with the English Mute label from Daniel Miller. Miller is looking for D.A.F. after the departure of his showpiece. to Virgin a new continental band for his label. Mute was founded in 1978 with the aim to offer a platform for innovative, electronic music. Daniel Miller himself debuted as The Normal in October 1978 on Mute. Not without merit, because the cold electro of Warm Leatherette / T.V.O.D. turns out to be particularly influential later on. After the call from Miller, Nasmak sends a cassette to England. Show Bressers about this in Vinyl: "The strap contained only new material. The repertoire for performances also consists exclusively of new material. "The search for a personal, fixed style is not something that Nasmak is interested in. The band wants to keep changing. Bressers studied political science for five years. "I am glad that politics is not in our texts. It is too limited and just like in music, we want to exclude limitation. "Ultimately, the collaboration with Mute does not get off the ground because Miller decides to put his energy into a new English synthesizer group. A group that debuts on Mute in 1981 with the single Dreaming Of Me: Depeche Mode.
4our Clicks
Nasmak-4ourClicksAt the end of the year Nasmak starts with the recordings for a new album. Joop van Brakel is responsible for most of the vocals. The music develops in a different direction. The band uses a synthesizer and emphasizes angular rhythm. The new album, 4our Clicks, is released on Plurex in 1982 and is full of quirky and original music. The contrarian rhythms, the creative vocal lines and the right synthesizer injections create a new kind of dance music. Opener Pilot In Charge pops firmly with a driving bass line and cries that keep popping up the entire track. The well-kept vocal line, in the style of David Sylvian and Brian Ferry, ensures a perfect balance. The hypnotic I Hope I 'm Gonna Rain Today shows controlled guitar noises and on Take A Look it is not only the strong drum tempo but especially the combination bass / vocals that carries the song.
Although somewhat transverse, monotonous and less accessible than the debut album, Nasmak delivers a great business card with 4our Clicks. Despite the strong look of Nasmak on the stage, much attention has been paid to the design of the plate. "Separate ideas could be realized by doing a lot yourself," Wally van Middendorp would later explain in the publication Hollandse Hoezen, from Poparchief Nederland. Rob van Middendorp, graphic design student at the Rietveld Academy, designed the cover of 4our Clicks. 'It was a very laborious cover, with punching and blind printing. Normally this is very expensive, but we had discovered that our record press CBS hardly charged any additional costs for such matters. "
As far as the music on 4our Clicks is concerned, the band itself is not entirely positive, as is evident from the interview with Alfred Bos of OOR in 1982. Guitarist / singer Joop van Brakel lacks the hypnotic effect of live performances. Nasmak is - and all band members agree - a live band. The band does not want to repeat the album again and again because according to Joop van Brakel that is "sleep-inducing". Then there is no longer any question of "a process". It is therefore about the process and not about the product. 4our Clicks is actually only a snapshot. A snapshot that, however, builds up a cult status over the years and is increasingly seen as a Dutch post-punk classic.
Nasmak is very active at the release front in 1982 because next to 4our Clicks the band releases the third cassette album: Only This Day & 77 Others. "Music, you are in love with that," Toon Bressers said in OOR. "Nasmak has that infatuation, which you also encounter at Wire of Birthday Party." Other groups that Nasmak associates with are This Heat and T.C. Matic, the latter mainly because of the open image to the public. Later in 1982, Nasmak released the 12 inch Heartache Blowup with on the A-side the straight lines for Nasmak-concepts, a number that matches the new sound on the alternative dance floors of 1982. With this number Nasmak is definitely pioneering in the Netherlands .
After a period of reflection, which, to the dissatisfaction of the band members, does not give any ideas but friction, the work drive returns in January 1983. In the end, Nasmak quickly arrived with the successor of 4our Clicks: Duel. Without Joop van Brakel, incidentally - who still worked on the record - and with newcomer Milco Bogard.
When the test press of the new Nasmak album is finished, Vinyl moves at home with the band. According to Toon Bressers this time the melody has been discussed more. Furthermore, Henk Janssen indicates to be influenced by the Japanese spheres that in recent pop music have been crawled by bands such as Japan. The Roland synthesizer that the band has recently acquired plays a useful role in all of this.
"Performance has an immediate result," says Toon Bressers, "together you stand at the same time to create a work of art without being able to manipulate. And if you realize that you play for people who want a night out, then you try to do a performance as well as possible. "Duel's test-press is still on the table during the interview. Toon picks him up and says: "Actually, this is a bit of mustard after the meal, eh."
Duel sounds somewhat more atmospheric and opener than 4our Clicks but does not strike surprising new roads. The familiar angular and repetitive rhythm also dominates on Duel. Because of the detail in the drum parts, the subtle noise and the small sounds that are present everywhere, Duel sounds a bit more exotic, more 'out of the stranger'.
Nasmak-SilhouetteIllustration of Nasmak's regained working desire is that in 1983 another new album appears: Silhouette. Again put in a nice cover, like 4our Clicks and Duel, but with a different sound. Nasmak works less with repetition and more with song structures. In addition, a synthesizer has been added to the instrument arsenal and background vocalists have also been used. This, with a few exceptions, like the title track, is not always convincing. However, the record can count on more interest from the companies. However, this has never been the goal of Nasmak and the band members do not accept the new interest. In fact, it is decided that it has been nice. Toon Bressers later on KindaMuzik: "The argument internally was always:" we want to continuously create something new ". Duel did not add much to the oeuvre of the band in 1983, despite some good songs. The changes in course on Silhouette did not provide sufficient leads either. Nasmak undertakes a final, fifth, club tour in 1984 and in May of that year the curtain is final.
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Debut LP from a New Wave formation from Nuenen with "two interspersed plate sides." On the first, the classical guitar bass drums concept serves as a starting point, while the back mainly plays experiments with sound, with a striking role for the squat box. The LP, which sounds like a crazy variation on The B-52s, is welcomed by a large number of insiders, and the authoritative English disc jockey John Peel even calls it the best album from the continent in years and is so enthusiastic that Nasmak is the first Dutch band doing a John Peel session in London. "
Nasmak - Nasmak Plus Iinstruments (flac 337mb)
01 (Song To A) Dummy 3:57
02 Notions 2:29
03 Food For Thought 2:22
04 Stratego 3:10
05 Neckermann 2:59
06 Pig Problems 3:13
07 Eyes 4:42
08 So 2:26
09 Big Man (The Soundtrack) 3:16
10 Spy 1:01
11 Special Agreement 3:46
12 Heartbeat 2:48
13 Eleven 2:46
Bonus split EP
14 Bo Dance 5L27
15 Vaseline Des Artistes (Oh, Up My Asstronomical Bankaccount) 3:21
16 Special (by –+ Instruments) 5:25
17 Things (by –+ Instruments) 3:16
Nasmak - Nasmak Plus Iinstruments (ogg 136mb)
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Nasmak was a rhythmic bomb that did what nobody had done until then in the Netherlands. A bit like TC Matic hit in Belgium or Gang of Four in Brittain, so knew 'Olland Nasmak. Pilot in Charge is incredibly strong and should return to every Wave Compilation! And the song Nosedive should be shown next to the best of Remain in Light.
Very typical of the high-energy eclectism of NYC at this time. Truus de Groot is the leader Plus Instruments,and at the occasion of a trip to NYC, she was looking fro some people to work with. Two buddies came by, and it was Lee Ranaldo and David Linton. Here, in this context, we would find a Lee Ranaldo playing the guitar in a much more minimal punk way than the crazy carillon-like way he would develeopp with Sonic Youth, and also something that would become very rare with Sonic Youth, we can here him sing & shout on some of the best tracks of this short LP. In a really excellent way i assume ! All this music is fantastic minimal no-wave-electro-punk-shit with metronomic synth patterns, nasty guitars and motoric rythms. This David Linton is amazingly great here, just as a human beatbox with this crazy groove he had
Nasmak - 4our Clicks + Plus Iinstruments (flac 379mb)
01 Pilot In Charge 2:49
02 Waiting Room 4:30
03 I Hope I Am Gonna Rain Today 4:03
04 Nothing But The Lyrics 3:29
05 Sade M De 3:21
06 Origins And Whereabouts 2:06
07 No Touch And Go 4:35
08 Take A Look 2:47
09 Not Your Living Doll 3:12
10 Nosedive 4:08
11 4our Clicks 0:17
Bonus Plus Instruments
12 Big Man 6:02
13 Things 3:19
14 Freundschaft 3:19
15 Rush Hour 3:28
16 Cannot 3:40
17 Vom Ertrunkenen Mädchen 3:34
18 Between The Wars 5:13
19 Manhattan 4:19
Nasmak - 4our Clicks + Plus Iinstruments (ogg 149mb)
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By 1983, the new-wave era was practically over, yet some bands persisted with the ideal, like the Netherlands' Nasmak. Duel contained industrial cold-funk with lite oriental touches ("Plaster", "Me Rex") that recalled the Talking Heads, as well as the neo-ethnic of Japan. The most striking moment from the first-side was "Matter", based on an evolving electronic loop, minimal drums/ bass accompaniment and anthemic vocals. The result was once again reminiscent of the Talking Heads (echoes of "Once In A Lifetime").
The second side started unassumingly with the robotic-funk of "Duel With Unequal Arms", but soon things got more ambitious with the tormented minimal electro-ethnic "Sunk In Sight Of The Harbour" and the minor coldwave classic "Pride Of Soul". Again, the most striking comes at the end with "Mutal Repulsion", that arranges the instruments in such a way so that it juxtaposes them to present a riddle of an alien environment.
Nasmak - Duel (flac 201mb)
01 Plaster 3:45
02 Me Rex 4:32
03 Matter 4:56
04 This Spot 5:21
05 Duel With Unequal Arms 3:24
06 Sunk In Sight Of The Harbour 5:09
07 Pride Of Soul 3:26
08 Mutual Repulsion 3:38
Nasmak - Duel (ogg 76mb)
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Things finally came to ahead for Nasmak’s fourth, “proper” album. Cutting loose of the members who wanted to still go down the overtly experimental end of the musical spectrum, the remaining trio tried to explore concise Pop music. For a crew that always prided itself on sounding entirely different on each album, this new and (what would in turn be) final change was unique. On Silhouette, very overt influences heard in the tonality of Japanese synth instruments and in the scales of Eastern music had started to infiltrate their creative space. Deliberately more airy and open, less dense and claustrophobic, all of the songs created by this smaller crew appeared to actually tread a wonderful new kind of minimal wave.
At times when you hear songs like “Crystal Clear” one can’t not but try to make fanciful connections. What would Japan had sounded if they tried to introduce some of that wayward Italian minimalism? Even they wouldn’t have sought to take attention away from David Sylvian’s voice with female backup vocals — but should they have tried it? That song makes its statement that there were other, alternate angles yet to be explored. The opener “Visions” somehow meets New Order at their own game, in the same year of our Lord, to comprehend the higher fun quotient in upping the “dance” of dance-punk. “Air” likewise inches gorgeous Eastern ambient pop into a harder edge that only a wayward group like Nasmak could introduce. “Believe In Woman” treads a glorious Balearic line, in a wonderfully cutting way. Imagine “Electric Avenue” laced with Interior’s heady New Age Pop, intercut with some ingenious lyricism. They had come a long way in just 6 years and after the promotour in 84 it was all over for Nasmak.
Nasmak - Silhouette (flac 216mb)
01 Visions 3:36
02 Walk Away 3:41
03 Air 4:38
04 Disturbance 3:53
05 Silhouette 3:59
06 Crystal Clear 3:46
07 Don't Be Anxious 4:08
08 Below 3:44
09 Believe In Woman 4:16
10 Womb 3:45
Nasmak - Silhouette (ogg 86mb)
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"This CD offers a remixed version of their second [...] album, '4our Clicks', originally released on Dutch independent Plurex in February 1982. Dissatisfied with the original mix (in which half of the recorded multi-tracks were lost), this updated version reveals '4our Clicks' as it was intended." Re-mixed by Henk Jansssen at The Tango Studio, 1988, The Netherlands
In 1988 the CD was released from this album on Eksakt Records, with 14 songs on it: First dishhunt, Roger bill iceberg and The smell remains no.1 have been added. The songs sound quite different, in the CD-booklet it is explained that, in 1982, "half of the recording tracks were lost", and that they are now added again. It now sounds like "as it was intended". Just before the album was released, the Exakt label ceased to exist. The first edition of the cd was pressed, but didn't reach the stores, nobody knows where the first print run came in. No coordinated release then it dripped into the stores in years to come. A pity, 4 our clicks remixed deserved much better.
Nasmak - 4our Clicks Remix (flac 286mb)
01 Pilot In Charge 3:51
02 Waiting Room 5:15
03 First Dishhunt 3:26
04 I Hope I'm Gonna Rain Today 4:15
05 Nothing But The Lyrics 3:19
06 Sade, M De 3:27
07 Origins And Whereabouts 2:06
08 Roger, Bill Iceberg 6:15
09 No Touch And Go 4:28
10 Take A Look 2:56
11 Not Your Living Doll 3:22
12 Nodedive 3:37
13 The Smell Remains No. 1 1:57
Nasmak - 4our Clicks Remix (ogg 111mb)
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Today's Artists were from the South of the Netherlands, Nuenen, near Philips's researchlabs and headquarters (at the time) they were interested in repetitive structures, but their music was less harsh and mechanical, more fluid and danceable. Initially in 78 they sang in dutch and were called Nasmaak (after taste) They dropped the dutch and an a and so Nasmak came about. Their first record (on Plurex) Nasmak Plus Instruments/Instruments Plus Nasmak(1980), was hailed by John Peel as the best continental record of the year. ......N'Joy
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1980 in Nuenen Brabant there's quite a lot of musical experimenting going on. In a converted barn the members of the Nasmak band, founded in 1978 as Nasmaak, make music for hours every day. The band was already present in 1979 on the collective LP Overdwars, from the Pop Music Foundation Netherlands and has already gained the necessary live experience, both at home and abroad. Two things stand out: the concerts differ greatly from each other and the band knows how to surprise with the use of a squat box, played by singer Truus de Groot. The squat box is a 'musical instrument', developed in the seventies by, among others, Michel Waisvisz from STEIM, the studio for electro-instrumental music from Amsterdam. A wooden box with metal strips with which you can influence sound with the fingers. The device is based on the concept that the human body, by its touch, becomes part of the electronics.
Nasmak is in this period: Joop van Brakel (vocals / guitar), Henk Janssen (guitar), Toon Bressers (drums), Theo van Eenbergen (bass guitar) and Truus de Groot (vocals / squat box). The band is full of creativity and the many hours in the rehearsal space lead in 1980 to the debut album Nasmak Plus Instruments / Instruments Plus Nasmak. The album appears on Plurex and the production is in the hands of Plurex boss Wally van Middendorp. The work on the first album side at times sound quite stubborn and original music. New wave, but more daring than those of most contemporaries. The voice of Truus de Groot is remarkably expressive. The A-side of the record is still quite common, although it is soon clear that a band with a broad horizon is at work here. On the B-side, the squat box pops up more prominently, which draws the music even further away from the mainstream and produces an idiosyncratic sound. It is not rock, no punk, no synthesizer wave, it is Nasmak.
The debut album from Nasmak intrigues and convinces. In OOR, Alfred Bos concludes that the record "strikes the new Siouxsie with a few lengths". Partly thanks to the 'Instruments side' on which 'the band shows its most adventurous side'. From England, there is even interest from BBC DJ John Peel who has found Nasmak Plus Instruments / Instruments Plus Nasmak the best record of the European mainland for ages.
Cross the border
With the well-known electro duo Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft (D.A.F.) a tour is being undertaken by the Netherlands and Germany at the end of 1980. For the magazine Vinyl the band keeps a diary:
"Only on the way to Berlin did I discover that Berlin was not on the border at all, half in West Germany and half in East Germany, but a few hundred kilometers in East Germany. An important difference, which means that, in order to reach West Berlin, you have to cross twice an East German border crossing. This means double checking by West German Customs and six times by the GDR Customs. During the long wait at the border you have a view of the signs where the political creeds of the GDR stand. Everything about Wohl des Volkes. "
West Berlin itself evokes rather repulsion than excitement: "A big boastful cry against the omnipresent East Germany. The largest concentration of junkies from West Germany, completely floating on foreign labor, for the eyes only focused on consumption. "
After the German tour Truus de Groot leaves for New York. Under the name Plus Instruments, she collaborates with percussionist David Linton and guitarist Lee Ranaldo, who also performs with composer Glenn Branca and later with Sonic Youth will break through. Truus de Groot in OOR: "I was so cheeky to go. If you do not do it yourself, no one else will do it for you. You just have to be brutal, otherwise you become a victim. "According to OOR, the New York - Eindhoven combination can be characterized as" DAF meets the B-52s ". In the meantime Toon Bressers and Theo van Eenbergen have developed basic material for a second Nasmak-elpee. Because it turns out that both Nasmak and Truus de Groot have taken interesting new paths, there is definitely a point behind the cooperation.
Nasmak offers a look into their own kitchen through the double cassettes Indecent Exposure 1 & 2 (Music For Brass, Woodwinds, Drums & Violins) and Indecent Exposure 3 & 4 (The Smell Remains). The tapes, which also come out on Plurex, are full of ideas, incitement, unconventional percussion and seem to be a sort of musical diary from Nasmak in the early 1980s. The band can also be heard on the ep Vaseline Des Artistes, which is released on the leading Hamburg label ZickZack.
In the meantime, the band is also considering a possible agreement with the English Mute label from Daniel Miller. Miller is looking for D.A.F. after the departure of his showpiece. to Virgin a new continental band for his label. Mute was founded in 1978 with the aim to offer a platform for innovative, electronic music. Daniel Miller himself debuted as The Normal in October 1978 on Mute. Not without merit, because the cold electro of Warm Leatherette / T.V.O.D. turns out to be particularly influential later on. After the call from Miller, Nasmak sends a cassette to England. Show Bressers about this in Vinyl: "The strap contained only new material. The repertoire for performances also consists exclusively of new material. "The search for a personal, fixed style is not something that Nasmak is interested in. The band wants to keep changing. Bressers studied political science for five years. "I am glad that politics is not in our texts. It is too limited and just like in music, we want to exclude limitation. "Ultimately, the collaboration with Mute does not get off the ground because Miller decides to put his energy into a new English synthesizer group. A group that debuts on Mute in 1981 with the single Dreaming Of Me: Depeche Mode.
4our Clicks
Nasmak-4ourClicksAt the end of the year Nasmak starts with the recordings for a new album. Joop van Brakel is responsible for most of the vocals. The music develops in a different direction. The band uses a synthesizer and emphasizes angular rhythm. The new album, 4our Clicks, is released on Plurex in 1982 and is full of quirky and original music. The contrarian rhythms, the creative vocal lines and the right synthesizer injections create a new kind of dance music. Opener Pilot In Charge pops firmly with a driving bass line and cries that keep popping up the entire track. The well-kept vocal line, in the style of David Sylvian and Brian Ferry, ensures a perfect balance. The hypnotic I Hope I 'm Gonna Rain Today shows controlled guitar noises and on Take A Look it is not only the strong drum tempo but especially the combination bass / vocals that carries the song.
Although somewhat transverse, monotonous and less accessible than the debut album, Nasmak delivers a great business card with 4our Clicks. Despite the strong look of Nasmak on the stage, much attention has been paid to the design of the plate. "Separate ideas could be realized by doing a lot yourself," Wally van Middendorp would later explain in the publication Hollandse Hoezen, from Poparchief Nederland. Rob van Middendorp, graphic design student at the Rietveld Academy, designed the cover of 4our Clicks. 'It was a very laborious cover, with punching and blind printing. Normally this is very expensive, but we had discovered that our record press CBS hardly charged any additional costs for such matters. "
As far as the music on 4our Clicks is concerned, the band itself is not entirely positive, as is evident from the interview with Alfred Bos of OOR in 1982. Guitarist / singer Joop van Brakel lacks the hypnotic effect of live performances. Nasmak is - and all band members agree - a live band. The band does not want to repeat the album again and again because according to Joop van Brakel that is "sleep-inducing". Then there is no longer any question of "a process". It is therefore about the process and not about the product. 4our Clicks is actually only a snapshot. A snapshot that, however, builds up a cult status over the years and is increasingly seen as a Dutch post-punk classic.
Nasmak is very active at the release front in 1982 because next to 4our Clicks the band releases the third cassette album: Only This Day & 77 Others. "Music, you are in love with that," Toon Bressers said in OOR. "Nasmak has that infatuation, which you also encounter at Wire of Birthday Party." Other groups that Nasmak associates with are This Heat and T.C. Matic, the latter mainly because of the open image to the public. Later in 1982, Nasmak released the 12 inch Heartache Blowup with on the A-side the straight lines for Nasmak-concepts, a number that matches the new sound on the alternative dance floors of 1982. With this number Nasmak is definitely pioneering in the Netherlands .
After a period of reflection, which, to the dissatisfaction of the band members, does not give any ideas but friction, the work drive returns in January 1983. In the end, Nasmak quickly arrived with the successor of 4our Clicks: Duel. Without Joop van Brakel, incidentally - who still worked on the record - and with newcomer Milco Bogard.
When the test press of the new Nasmak album is finished, Vinyl moves at home with the band. According to Toon Bressers this time the melody has been discussed more. Furthermore, Henk Janssen indicates to be influenced by the Japanese spheres that in recent pop music have been crawled by bands such as Japan. The Roland synthesizer that the band has recently acquired plays a useful role in all of this.
"Performance has an immediate result," says Toon Bressers, "together you stand at the same time to create a work of art without being able to manipulate. And if you realize that you play for people who want a night out, then you try to do a performance as well as possible. "Duel's test-press is still on the table during the interview. Toon picks him up and says: "Actually, this is a bit of mustard after the meal, eh."
Duel sounds somewhat more atmospheric and opener than 4our Clicks but does not strike surprising new roads. The familiar angular and repetitive rhythm also dominates on Duel. Because of the detail in the drum parts, the subtle noise and the small sounds that are present everywhere, Duel sounds a bit more exotic, more 'out of the stranger'.
Nasmak-SilhouetteIllustration of Nasmak's regained working desire is that in 1983 another new album appears: Silhouette. Again put in a nice cover, like 4our Clicks and Duel, but with a different sound. Nasmak works less with repetition and more with song structures. In addition, a synthesizer has been added to the instrument arsenal and background vocalists have also been used. This, with a few exceptions, like the title track, is not always convincing. However, the record can count on more interest from the companies. However, this has never been the goal of Nasmak and the band members do not accept the new interest. In fact, it is decided that it has been nice. Toon Bressers later on KindaMuzik: "The argument internally was always:" we want to continuously create something new ". Duel did not add much to the oeuvre of the band in 1983, despite some good songs. The changes in course on Silhouette did not provide sufficient leads either. Nasmak undertakes a final, fifth, club tour in 1984 and in May of that year the curtain is final.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Debut LP from a New Wave formation from Nuenen with "two interspersed plate sides." On the first, the classical guitar bass drums concept serves as a starting point, while the back mainly plays experiments with sound, with a striking role for the squat box. The LP, which sounds like a crazy variation on The B-52s, is welcomed by a large number of insiders, and the authoritative English disc jockey John Peel even calls it the best album from the continent in years and is so enthusiastic that Nasmak is the first Dutch band doing a John Peel session in London. "
Nasmak - Nasmak Plus Iinstruments (flac 337mb)
01 (Song To A) Dummy 3:57
02 Notions 2:29
03 Food For Thought 2:22
04 Stratego 3:10
05 Neckermann 2:59
06 Pig Problems 3:13
07 Eyes 4:42
08 So 2:26
09 Big Man (The Soundtrack) 3:16
10 Spy 1:01
11 Special Agreement 3:46
12 Heartbeat 2:48
13 Eleven 2:46
Bonus split EP
14 Bo Dance 5L27
15 Vaseline Des Artistes (Oh, Up My Asstronomical Bankaccount) 3:21
16 Special (by –+ Instruments) 5:25
17 Things (by –+ Instruments) 3:16
Nasmak - Nasmak Plus Iinstruments (ogg 136mb)
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Nasmak was a rhythmic bomb that did what nobody had done until then in the Netherlands. A bit like TC Matic hit in Belgium or Gang of Four in Brittain, so knew 'Olland Nasmak. Pilot in Charge is incredibly strong and should return to every Wave Compilation! And the song Nosedive should be shown next to the best of Remain in Light.
Very typical of the high-energy eclectism of NYC at this time. Truus de Groot is the leader Plus Instruments,and at the occasion of a trip to NYC, she was looking fro some people to work with. Two buddies came by, and it was Lee Ranaldo and David Linton. Here, in this context, we would find a Lee Ranaldo playing the guitar in a much more minimal punk way than the crazy carillon-like way he would develeopp with Sonic Youth, and also something that would become very rare with Sonic Youth, we can here him sing & shout on some of the best tracks of this short LP. In a really excellent way i assume ! All this music is fantastic minimal no-wave-electro-punk-shit with metronomic synth patterns, nasty guitars and motoric rythms. This David Linton is amazingly great here, just as a human beatbox with this crazy groove he had
Nasmak - 4our Clicks + Plus Iinstruments (flac 379mb)
01 Pilot In Charge 2:49
02 Waiting Room 4:30
03 I Hope I Am Gonna Rain Today 4:03
04 Nothing But The Lyrics 3:29
05 Sade M De 3:21
06 Origins And Whereabouts 2:06
07 No Touch And Go 4:35
08 Take A Look 2:47
09 Not Your Living Doll 3:12
10 Nosedive 4:08
11 4our Clicks 0:17
Bonus Plus Instruments12 Big Man 6:02
13 Things 3:19
14 Freundschaft 3:19
15 Rush Hour 3:28
16 Cannot 3:40
17 Vom Ertrunkenen Mädchen 3:34
18 Between The Wars 5:13
19 Manhattan 4:19
Nasmak - 4our Clicks + Plus Iinstruments (ogg 149mb)
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By 1983, the new-wave era was practically over, yet some bands persisted with the ideal, like the Netherlands' Nasmak. Duel contained industrial cold-funk with lite oriental touches ("Plaster", "Me Rex") that recalled the Talking Heads, as well as the neo-ethnic of Japan. The most striking moment from the first-side was "Matter", based on an evolving electronic loop, minimal drums/ bass accompaniment and anthemic vocals. The result was once again reminiscent of the Talking Heads (echoes of "Once In A Lifetime").
The second side started unassumingly with the robotic-funk of "Duel With Unequal Arms", but soon things got more ambitious with the tormented minimal electro-ethnic "Sunk In Sight Of The Harbour" and the minor coldwave classic "Pride Of Soul". Again, the most striking comes at the end with "Mutal Repulsion", that arranges the instruments in such a way so that it juxtaposes them to present a riddle of an alien environment.
Nasmak - Duel (flac 201mb)
01 Plaster 3:45
02 Me Rex 4:32
03 Matter 4:56
04 This Spot 5:21
05 Duel With Unequal Arms 3:24
06 Sunk In Sight Of The Harbour 5:09
07 Pride Of Soul 3:26
08 Mutual Repulsion 3:38
Nasmak - Duel (ogg 76mb)
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Things finally came to ahead for Nasmak’s fourth, “proper” album. Cutting loose of the members who wanted to still go down the overtly experimental end of the musical spectrum, the remaining trio tried to explore concise Pop music. For a crew that always prided itself on sounding entirely different on each album, this new and (what would in turn be) final change was unique. On Silhouette, very overt influences heard in the tonality of Japanese synth instruments and in the scales of Eastern music had started to infiltrate their creative space. Deliberately more airy and open, less dense and claustrophobic, all of the songs created by this smaller crew appeared to actually tread a wonderful new kind of minimal wave.
At times when you hear songs like “Crystal Clear” one can’t not but try to make fanciful connections. What would Japan had sounded if they tried to introduce some of that wayward Italian minimalism? Even they wouldn’t have sought to take attention away from David Sylvian’s voice with female backup vocals — but should they have tried it? That song makes its statement that there were other, alternate angles yet to be explored. The opener “Visions” somehow meets New Order at their own game, in the same year of our Lord, to comprehend the higher fun quotient in upping the “dance” of dance-punk. “Air” likewise inches gorgeous Eastern ambient pop into a harder edge that only a wayward group like Nasmak could introduce. “Believe In Woman” treads a glorious Balearic line, in a wonderfully cutting way. Imagine “Electric Avenue” laced with Interior’s heady New Age Pop, intercut with some ingenious lyricism. They had come a long way in just 6 years and after the promotour in 84 it was all over for Nasmak.
Nasmak - Silhouette (flac 216mb)
01 Visions 3:36
02 Walk Away 3:41
03 Air 4:38
04 Disturbance 3:53
05 Silhouette 3:59
06 Crystal Clear 3:46
07 Don't Be Anxious 4:08
08 Below 3:44
09 Believe In Woman 4:16
10 Womb 3:45
Nasmak - Silhouette (ogg 86mb)
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"This CD offers a remixed version of their second [...] album, '4our Clicks', originally released on Dutch independent Plurex in February 1982. Dissatisfied with the original mix (in which half of the recorded multi-tracks were lost), this updated version reveals '4our Clicks' as it was intended." Re-mixed by Henk Jansssen at The Tango Studio, 1988, The Netherlands
In 1988 the CD was released from this album on Eksakt Records, with 14 songs on it: First dishhunt, Roger bill iceberg and The smell remains no.1 have been added. The songs sound quite different, in the CD-booklet it is explained that, in 1982, "half of the recording tracks were lost", and that they are now added again. It now sounds like "as it was intended". Just before the album was released, the Exakt label ceased to exist. The first edition of the cd was pressed, but didn't reach the stores, nobody knows where the first print run came in. No coordinated release then it dripped into the stores in years to come. A pity, 4 our clicks remixed deserved much better.
Nasmak - 4our Clicks Remix (flac 286mb)
01 Pilot In Charge 3:51
02 Waiting Room 5:15
03 First Dishhunt 3:26
04 I Hope I'm Gonna Rain Today 4:15
05 Nothing But The Lyrics 3:19
06 Sade, M De 3:27
07 Origins And Whereabouts 2:06
08 Roger, Bill Iceberg 6:15
09 No Touch And Go 4:28
10 Take A Look 2:56
11 Not Your Living Doll 3:22
12 Nodedive 3:37
13 The Smell Remains No. 1 1:57
Nasmak - 4our Clicks Remix (ogg 111mb)
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Thank you Rho!
ReplyDeleteCould you please re-up Nasmak - Nasmak Plus Iinstruments, and Nasmak - 4our Clicks + Plus Iinstruments
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