After we first met at the E-live festival in 2007 and several other electronic music events, it soon became clear that we had a common interest in synthesizers as well as the music of Jean Michel Jarre. He influenced us both, but our own styles evolved in different directions. Eventually during one of our dinners we decided that it would be cool to make some music together or at least give it a try. So we started doing some studio sessions and found out that our approaches were completely different. Remy started yelling musical terms and Michel had no idea what he was talking about. Where Michel can’t even read notes, Remy is classically schooled. In the end we found out that we shouldn’t talk too much and should just listen to each other and improvise. That turned out to be a good idea and in the end we made a lot of useful material. During this process we became good friends and we think you can hear that back on the album.
We think that this album is a good mixture of both our styles with music we wouldn’t have created on our own. We hope you enjoy listening to this album as much as we did creating it.
2013. Remy Stroomer & Michel van Osenbruggen
"PrimiTiveS" is the debut-album by the established Dutch synthesists Remy (aka Remy Stroomer) and Synth.nl (aka Michel van Osenbruggen). Although they are both musically influenced by Jean Michael Jarre, classically-trained Remy and autodidact Synth.nl both have developed their own style, character and approach in their music.
After they got to know each other on E-Live 2007, the two guys started developing compositions and ideas in their own studios respectively, sending them back and forth in the last couple of years. In later stages, they actually joined forces by coming out, play and finalize things together in the studio in what has ended up as "PrimiTiveS".
The outcome of one and a half years of intensive (and of what I’ve heard also exhausting) work has really paid off, and is topped by another excellent mastering job by Wouter Bessels. The nine transparent and spatial sounding compositions (although no straight-forward melodic songs) form a sonic adventure, featuring some powerful lead voices, bass lines and cracking drums. But there’s also room for tranquil interludes such as the intimate "Liquid Spheres". There actually a lot going on in this free-style kind of e-music.
Besides a most interesting sound spectrum, a lot of attention is given to detail and the distinct layering/merging of pads. It’s accessible, spatial and fresh, but also breaths a somewhat different air than we are used to from each of the composers. The minimal flavours, piano playing, Schulze-touches and choir textures are courtesy of Remy (e.g. "Frozen Cubes"), while Michel hints for the groovy and melodic drive along soaring leads, bubbling and quirky sound effects. The latter is nicely displayed on tracks such as "Fractured Splines", "Crashing Toroids" or the energetic "Burning Cylinders".
Like the first Boots/Synth.nl release, "PrimiTiveS" is a fun release in which the enthusiasm of Remy and Michel is constantly present and shining through.
Nice going guys, hat’s off for this fine album!
