EXART RETROSPECTIVE (1982-1995): Episode 2

Things started to move fast after the first two releases. There was a lot of publicity in local newspapers and national music magazines. During that period Hessel, both with his wife Nicole, made loads of recordings of their own music in IJmuiden, but also started to do recording-sessions with many other musicians.

​Constantly the studio was recording sounds of Kees Beukelaar, Herman te Loo, Jos van Ommen, Kees van Ede and Willem de Ridder. A lot of these improvisations and compositions were compiled on several Y CREATE issues. (Why create? or Ymuidense creations. The Y is the central canal/lake of Amsterdam.)

Y Create logo

early Exart flyer

another early Exart flyer

Hessel and Nicole, 1982

Y Create / Bodies Hanging In The Breeze.
​(Hessel Veldman & Herman te Loo)

y_create___bodies_hanging_in_the_breeze.mp3
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In Biberach
(Hessel Veldman & choir arr. Alvin Curran)

in_biberach.mp3
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With Kees van Ede and Willem de Ridder live concerts started. Famous are the AORTA-concerts in Amsterdam and the live-broadcasts on the Dutch National Radio (V.P.R.O.). In June 1983 Willem de Ridder, Kees van Ede, Annie Sprinkle, Veronica Vera and Hessel Veldman shocked Amsterdam, during the Holland Festival, with their four-day-erotic-soundscape-performance: “PORTABLE VAUDEVILLE”.

Portable Vaudeville; City Theatre, Amsterdam

Songs from the Sperm Whale text 1 part of the Y Create Portable Vaudeville mix

Y Create Portable Vaudeville mix (special DJ edit with Portable Vaudeville soundtrack (live-recording) & Songs From The Sperm Whale song: Eddie and his Mum.)

y_create_portable_vaudeville_mix.mp3
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Meanwhile Kees van Ede and Hessel developed a complete new glass-organ, that could be played with human hands, but was amplified with special made equipment. Kees and Hessel worked on this instrument for almost a year and the result could be heard on the tape “VAN EDE’S GLASWERK”, which was completely recorded at the STEIM-STUDIO in Amsterdam.

Hessel Veldman & Kees van Ede; Glaswerk @ STEIM

Van Ede’s Glaswerk excerpt Hessel Veldman & Kees van Ede; recorded @ STEIM in Amsterdam

van_edes_glaswerk_excerpt.mp3
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1984 was the year in which Gert Jan Prins visited Hessel and Nicole at their apartment on the 11th floor, overlooking a big industrial landscape. Recording-sessions were started at Gert Jan’s “Fish Warehouse”-studio. Gert Jan Prins, Hessel Veldman, Herman te Loo and Jos van Duyne became GORGONZOLA LEGS. Hundreds and hundreds of hours of live-recording sessions took place. At some of these sessions other musicians were present, such as: Jos van Ommen, Ruud Junge, Martijn Swart and Masaki Oishi.

​At the end of 1984 “GORGONZOLA LEGS” was released. On this one hour cassette the first mixed recordings could be heard. The group also wanted to do concerts and so GORGONZOLA LEGS more and more became a live-band.

Gorgonzola Legs studio session. (Hessel Veldman, Masaki Oishi & Herman te Loo)

Gorgonzola Legs poster first live performance @ Muziektent Park Velserbeek

Gorgonzola Legs Live street concert Festival @ Beverwijk

Gorgonzola Legs Live in Amsterdam

Gorgonzola Legs Aorta poster festival VERK

Mr. Lawnmower by Gorgonzola Legs during the impro-sessions @ The Fish Warehouse in IJmuiden

mr._lawnmower.mp3
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In 1986 a second tape was released, entitled “SALMON SQUEEZING IN WEIRD WEIRS’, a new compilation of “Fish Warehouse”-recordings. “BUNKER” was recorded live at the Bunker in Rotterdam, October ’86. The complete concert could be heard on another EXART-issue. In 1987 the powerfull voice of the Japanese singer Masaki Oishi gave a new dimension to the sound of GORGONZOLA LEGS. Again hours and hours of recordings were made. At the end of the year 6 hours of mixed material had to be remixed to L.P.-format. In april 1988 EXART decided to make it Holland’s first independent C.D.-release: “PISCATORIAL DEBRIS’.

​At the same time, with the great help of Henry van Kleeff, the “PISCATORIAL DEBRIS”-video was made. A beautiful 20 minutes sound sculpture video was realized. The video and C.D. got a lot of international attention and was performed on several big music/video festivals. During the late 80’s GORGONZOLA LEGS-material was also released on labels in Portugal, Italy and the U.S.A.

Piscatorial Debris flyer

Piscatorial Debris cover 1. (Front Cover photo cd-booklet)

Piscatorial Debris cover 2. (Back Cover photo cd-booklet)

Gorgonzola Legs special Remix 2011 with a mix of live-impro-sessions used for Gorgonzola Legs tape releases during the eighties

gorgonzola_legs_remix_2011.mp3
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