EXART RETROSPECTIVE (1982-1995): Episode 1

12/17/2018

Hessel Veldman, 1962

EXART, founded by Hessel Veldman, started its activities in October 1982.

In 1978 Hessel started composing experimental music and before 1978 he was playing distorted guitar in several local blues- and alternative rock-bands. Also an early fascination for noise and dissonance, from the beginning of the 1970s, in combination with a preference for writing and performing extremely idiosyncratic music, created a wide range of experimental compositions.

Improvisatie VI was composed in 1979. The pre Exart period.
Only using an electronic organ and a tape recorder.

improvisatie_vi.mp3
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Hessel, early 1970s

The Deep (unreleased) was made as a soundscore for a fairytale radioplay. (1980)

the_deep.mp3
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Finally in 1982 the label started to spread new experimental and improvised music. The EXART studio was the place to make compositions, recordings, radio-programmes, mixes and remixes. And at the same time Hessel started to preserve sounds in the EXART archive.

Hessel Live at Aorta Amsterdam

The first EXART issue was a tape by ROTTERDANS, a group of people from Rotterdam, who made their own city folk-music in an old building; one of the few that were left after World War II.

Soon after the first EXART-release “United States XV” was issued. A one-month-tour through the States gave Hessel so much inspiration that fifteen soundscapes could be heard on this C-90 music-cassette.

Interference by Rotterdans is from the Hersenletsel tape from 1984/85. Recorded in Rotterdam and mixed at the EXART studio.

interference.mp3
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sanYo CreatE cassette

11 Comments

Hessel
'sanYo CreatE' Veldman

Hessel Veldman (1956), musician, composer and radio-producer, started his search for uncomfortable music during his teens.
An early fascination for electronic noise and dissonance, from the beginning of the 1970s,
in combination with a preference for writing and performing extremely idiosyncratic music, has created a wide range of experimental compositions and radio productions.

For the Dutch broadcasting company VPRO, Hessel produced his first experimental solo work 'I Can Hear Trumpets?' (1980). During the Holland Festival of 1983 in Amsterdam, 'Portable Vaudeville' with Willem de Ridder was created. Four nights in a row this sound-poetry show was presented in the Schouwburg in Amsterdam. Under the name FNTC many experimental radio plays were made during the 80s and 90s and broadcasted worldwide.

Via his private cassette label Exart (1982-1995), music albums and video productions were released under all kinds of artists-names (including Y Create [electro-psych-pop], Forbidden Photographs [noise], Gorgonzola Legs [impro industrial-jazz;
a live on stage experience], Austin & Kelly [plunderphonics]).
And since the last few years, after the release of the CD 'Madadayo' in 2004 on EE Tapes, Hessel regularly performs solo or together with other like-minded artists on special request.

In 2004 Hessel Veldman started producing for Concertzender public-radio in The Netherlands.
Also he’s director and coordinator of live-productions and from 2010 chief-editor for the Contemporary Music department: Crosslinks.

email

Harold Schellinx link

12/18/2018 06:47:04

Thank you and welcome to the ElectronicCottage, Hessel. Was a great pleasure listening and discovering your archive piece. Looking forward to more!

Greetings 'n' best wishes from a roaring Paris!

Chris Phinney

12/18/2018 07:18:30

Welcome to Electronic Cottage Hessel! Been a long time my friend.

Rafael González

12/18/2018 12:09:55

Welcome to EC and thank you very much for your amazing article.

Adam J Naworal

12/19/2018 04:58:35

Amazing content as always! Welcome to the EC fold, Hessel!

William Davison link

12/19/2018 10:11:44

Wow! Looking forward to hearing more from the EXART archives! Welcome to EC, Hessel!

Frank

12/19/2018 20:39:42

Welkom! Zeer aangenaam om naar te luisteren en 'Hersenletsel' is een goed gevonden titel! Er zijn wel meerdere Nederlandse artiesten, die gebruik maken van zulke titels ipv het engelstalige equivalent, dat vind ik altijd fijn.

Evan Cantor

12/20/2018 12:48:42

I like "Interference" the best--but of course I tend towards liking rhythmic things and, as an American, anything articulated in a foreign language sounds mysterious, suggestive and avant-garde to me... cool sounds, contemporary to the cassette culture's adventurous mid-1980s, a project of which I was unaware until this post. thanks for sharing!

Hessel Veldman

1/18/2019 06:37:49

You can download the complete album Hersenletsel here. Do so! You will be amazed. Exotic Dutch!
http://433rpm.blogspot.com/2009/08/rotterdans-hersenletsel-tape-drumsound.html

Hal McGee, EC Editor

12/21/2018 13:56:21

In the near future (perhaps after Christmas) Hessel and I will construct Episode 2 of the Exart Retrospective. I have the basic text of the entire retrospective and I can tell all of you readers that there will be lots of good information to read and rare Exart sounds to listen to right here at EC.

12/21/2018 14:10:13

Great!!!

Dylan Houser

12/23/2018 21:08:37

Welcome, Hessel! I'm looking to forward hearing more of your sounds and stories!