Die holländische Musikszene auf der Popkomm 2000 - alle Fakten

Duesseldorf, 9. August 2000. (press1-musikpresse.de) In Zusammenarbeit mit der holländischen Firma CONAMUS (Promotionorganisation Musikszene Holland) und unterstützt von BUMA und der niederländischen Foreign Trade Organisation präsentiert und betreut STARKULT PROMOTION den diesjährigen Popkomm Auftritt der holländischen Bands und Künstler auf zahlreichen Showcases, als aber auch den Stand der holländischen Firmen auf der Messe (17.08. - 19.08.2000).

Standnummer der holländischen Musikszene: Halle 30.1 A/B 040

Nachfolgend ausführliche Infos zu den auftretenden Künstlern.

Weitere Infos unter http://www.starkult.de oder http://www.conamus.nl

ChillOut Cocktail Hour auf der Popkomm
Sowohl am Donnerstag den 17.August als auch am Samstag den 19.August wird am Stand von Conamus ( Halle 30.1 A/B 040) um 17.00h zur ChillOut Cocktail Hour ausgerufen. In lockerer Atmosphäre kann man bei gekühlten Getränken so langsam den Popkommtag ausklingen lassen und dabei neue Kontakte knüpfen. Alle Teilnehmer der Popkomm sind herzlich eingeladen.

Promokontakt: Starkult Promotion
Merowingerstr.57 40225 Düsseldorf
Telefon : +49 211 311 95 66 / 67
Fax : +49 211 311 95 68
E -mail : Starkult@starkult.de

LARGE DUTCH PRESENCE AT POPKOMM 2000

At least thirteen Dutch bands, artists and DJs will perform at the Popkomm 2000 night program, marking one of the most significant foreign presences at the convention. Over two hundred Dutch professionals are expected to attend the music conference, taking place in Cologne from 17 to 19 August.

The Dutch Conamus foundation once again opens the Holland @ Popkomm stand (hall 13.1, stand A/B 040) to all Dutch participants for use for meetings and networking. The growing Dutch interest for Popkomm is illustrated by the fact
that the stand is larger again this year, with an emphasis on accomodating doing business in a relaxed style. The stand also servers as information point on Dutch music and the Dutch music industry in general, and the Holland showcases at Popkomm in particular.

One of the highlights of the Dutch presence at Popkomm is the Euro Show Holland, which is presented by the Amsterdam Dance Event. The Event is a music convention aimed only at dance music, to take place October 19 - 21 in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam Dance Event has served as a platform for labels, publishers and other professionals from the dance industy for five years now and is the only event of it's kind in Europe. At the Amsterdam Dance Event showcase, the Dutch dance scene presents itself, featuring clubhouse DJ Rene, breakbeats maestro Cablejuice, technowizards Lucien Foort and Michel de Heij, lounge lizards Monte Larue and Enrico Riva and DJ Robert Smit, who follows in the footsteps of the popular Dutch trance sound of Ferry Corsten and DJ Tiesto.

Prolific Dutch indielabel Excelsior celebrates its Dutch succes with a showcase by alternative guitar outfits Caesar and Johan on 17 August in Club Aceton. Caesar have a Steve Albini-produced album under their belt while Johan plans to release the followup to its 1997 self-titled and critically acclaimed debut this autumn. Also included is Bettie Serveert, who recently released their new Private Suit album on their own imprint Palomine Records.

As another side of the musical spectrum, blues threepiece Mike and the Mellotones plays the Kueppers Biergarten on 17 August, while blues troubadour Michael de Jong - back from SXSW with a US recorded new album - performs at
the singer/songwriter show in the Downtown Club the next day. Closing the eclectic Dutch presence at the Popkomm weekend is saxophone player Candy Dulfer, who plays at Ringfest on Sunday August 20.

August 3, 2000 Pieter van Adrichem /Conamus



DUTCH SHOWCASES AT POPKOMM

EUROSHOW HOLLAND: THE AMSTERDAM DANCE EVENT SHOWCASE
Thursday, August 17, 22:00 at Lulu.

The Amsterdam Dance Event is a music conference aimed specifically at dance music, to be held on October 19, 20 and 21. The ADE is Europe's main platform for dance music and attracts around 1000 dance music professionals to network, do business and get in touch with new tracks and artists. Organised for the fifth time, the Event has both a day program, filled with panels, meetings and
networking possibilities, and a night program that brings established and upcoming international artists and DJ's from the whole spectrum of dance music to Amsterdam.
The Amsterdam Dance Event showcase - one of Popkomms Euroshows - celebrates the upcoming edition with some of Holland's best DJ talent.

MICHEL DE HEIJ
Rotterdam boasts the world's largest harbour, impressive modern architecture,legendary Feyenoord football club and Holland's most prominent dance scene. And DJ Michel de Heij is arguably one of the main men, which is probably best illustrated by winning the Update dance magazine award for Best Dutch Techno DJ twice (1998 and 1999). Besides hosting popular club night `Future' in
Rotterdam's Nighttown club, De Heij is a real globetrotter among deejays with stints from Israel to the US. In his hometown De Heij is seen as an important ambassador of the city, who is officially commissioned to produce a fresh theme song each time for the annual Dance Parade. Last year's collaboration with Grooveyard, dubbed Take Me To The Bridge, cleverly hinted at the crossing
of the newly erected Erasmus Bridge. In the weekend before Popkomm his latest theme song Let The Music Be Your Guide hit Rotterdam's roads simultaneously with 300.000 pairs of dancing boots. Under the banner of Michel de Heij vs Literon a brand new 12" single Cloaked-a vintage party houser-is currently out through his own EC Records. Contact EC Records, tel: +31 10-410 1167; fax +3110-481 7104; email: info@immaculatemusic.nl

DJ RENE
As a DJ he constantly discovers new territories. Having visited 12 different countries in only two months, his current compilation album DJ Rene - All Over The World comes across like exciting travel stories told by a great explorer. As a producer DJ Rene seems to rediscover classic pop and disco tunes all the time. For the forthcoming Frankie Goes To Hollywood remix album Maximum Joy (ZTT) Rene has a provided a remix of the title track. Next he will fix a most delicate remix job, namely Chic's quintessential funky disco classic Good Times. His first claim to fame as a producer was Peran's 1996 pan-European club hit Give It To Me Baby. His production CV further includes numerous collaborations with Da Groove. DJ Rene's latest single off aforementioned sampler on Nanada-owned Spinnin' Records is the funky houser Music All Over The World. International releases are scheduled in Canada (Popular), France (Network), Spain (Vale) Japan (JVC) and the UK, where it will be out on Serious Records, home of Sonique. Meanwhile in due time ID&T is to release new material by Rene's alter ego Factor 9. Contact Pravda, tel: +31 20-710 9760;
fax +31 20-710 9797; email: jm.pravdaprogressive@chello.nl

LUCIEN FOORT
Written on miles of paper, his discography reads like the dance encyclopaedia. At the age of 30 Lucien Foort has accomplished twice the amount of work a mere mortal would do in a lifetime. Checking all those titles, one will encounter some vintage dance milestones. Either as a DJ/producer or remixer, Foort was already involved in essential techno releases by Quadrophonia and Outhere Bros in the early and mid `90s respectively. Although Foort is a specialist in techhouse, progressive house and funky techno, his musical background is more traditional than one would expect. Originally he was trained to become a jazz saxophonist. But at the time he was 20 years old, dance suddenly enjoyed its major breakthrough in the Netherlands. Soul Patrol's Hype It Up (EMI/Elektrola) released in 1989 is at the top of his sheer endless discography, whereas--just before his performance at Popkomm--Juggernaut 1 (MelPar) under his own name is at the bottom. In the decade in between, Foort has managed to always capture the musical Zeitgeist. Contact Melody Paradise, tel: +31 10-481 11 80; fax: +31 10-481 8242; email: melpar@xs4all.nl

ROBERT SMIT
Not to be confused with his namesake, that wire-haired lead singer of the Cure, Holland's Robert Smit is a top club, techno, trance DJ/producer. As a matter of fact he is the longtime production buddy of trance God Ferry Corsten, who was recently awarded Best Dance Producer in the UK. Together they already cut records back in 1991. Remember The Navigator on See Saw Records?
Wasn't that in dance's Stone Age? Well, that's them and a few mates of theirs. After an ultra-short period in the gimmick-driven hardcore sector, the two returned to their roots and continued to produce tracks under various names, such as Alternative Bladeracer (Blue Records), Boogie Box, Block (Native Dance) and Roef (Byte). Since 1998 the duo Smit and Corsten have an exclusive label deal with Purple Eye Productions, the production unit within publishing house Basart Music Group. Depending on the pseudonym he uses, Smit either releases his tracks on the Polar State or the Tsunami label. His latest 12" release under his own name is called New Orizon on Polar State. Contact Purple Eye, tel: +31 35-695 8451; fax: +31 35-695 8185; email: info@purple-eye.nl

CABLEJUICE
A musical chameleon is probably the best description for Cablejuice, formerly known as CJ Love. He continually changes colours and puts clubbers hunting him on the wrong foot. Listening to his album Pimp Arrest is an equally exciting as bewildering adventure that ventures on a child sucking on a gob stopper. You never know which colour you will get. What's more, track by track-or even within one track-he deliberately swaps genres. Unlike many of his peers, who use various pseudonyms for different projects, Cablejuice opts for one umbrella name for all of his musical activities, no matter how different they are. Genre tags simply don't work for this guy who perpetually pushes dance's
parameters beyond the horizon. Cablejuice claims he is very open-minded if it comes to making music. He's a musical omnivore who likes both techno and rock. Finally, let's try to follow his self-made terminology for individual tracks. According to the maestro himself, M.B.F. (In the Sky) is
`astrogrungefunkrockjamaica.' Yeah..., right. Contact Dynamics, tel: +31 10-281 0850; fax: +31 10-281 0851; email: dynamics@wxs.nl or contact Universal Music Holland, tel: +31 35-626 1500; fax: +31 35 624 6126.

ENRICO RIVA & MONTE LA RUE
Popkomm can be very hectic with its demanding seminars in the day programme and relentless clubbing at night. To comfort the restless hearts, leading lounge DJs Enrico Riva and Monte La Rue will provide a time to chill out. Both are currently working on their debut albums next to the regular compilation series they put together. Latin and Brazilian-inspired Riva is the mastermind behind the popular Transatlantik Lounging series on N.E.W.S.'s downtempo-specialised Life Enhancing Audio label imprint. Volume 3, subtitled Exotic Vibes, Mystik Moods And Caribbean Cool, will be released around Popkomm, while October will see the single release of the track The New Economy. Riva's mate Monte La Rue is a Dutch lounge pioneer with ears like antennas which pick up every vibe from very contrived Vienna's lounge noir style to loose Latin grooves. Apart from deejaying at virtually all major Dutch dance festivals, he has done guest spots for Waldeck, Kruder + Dorfmeister, Sven van Hees and Ashley Beedle. His Lounge DeLuxe samplers (SOAP/ID&T)-Volume 2 has just been released this summer-underline his position as first among equals. Contact N.E.W.S., tel: +31 35-646 0500; fax: +31 35-646 0505; email newsnl@euronet.nl For ID&T, tel: +31 75-647 1010; fax; +31 75-647 1036; email: info@id-t.nl



EXCELSIOR SHOWCASE
with Johan, Caesar and Bettie Serveert
Thursday, August 17, 20:00 at Aceton

presented by http://www.westzeit.iqweb.de
und
presented by http://www.gaesteliste.de

In conjunction with German music magazine Westzeit and the Internet page www.gaesteliste.de Amsterdam-based guitar-driven indie Excelsior Recordings will stage showcases by Caesar and Johan. With the first band named after a certain Roman emperor Julius and the latter after the best footballer in Holland's history, namely Johan Cruijff, they clearly show their international ambitions. Caesar's first step to musically rebuild the Roman Empire was to hire the services of renowned American producer Steve Albini (of Nirvana's In Utero-fame) for their third album Leaving Sparks. Although Albini does not see himself as a producer-"I only recorded it"-his influence on the sparse arrangements is obvious. The trio's trademark power is more focused on details, such as backing vocals, strings et cetera. In this new setting singer Roald van Oosten's unorthodox voice gets more space to excel. Meanwhile label mates Johan are recording their second album, the follow-up by 1997's self-titled debut album, which was released Stateside by SpinART Records. As the band name already suggests, Johan is kicking, but not at all in a rocky way. `This is pure pop for now people,' Nick Lowe would've testified. Parallel to their patron Cruijff's `total football,' singer Jacco de Greeuw's lot are specialised in `total pop.'
Everything they do is to serve the song itself. It is a credo which works like the wonderful one-liner: 'those who score one goal more than their opponents are the winners.' Well, Johan is a winner for the sake of good songs, melodies and harmonies. Not exactly part of the Excelsior roster, but okay, Bettie Serveert at least lost their drummer Berend Dubbe to Excelsior's one-man band Bauer. Through his replacement Reinier Veldman Bettie Serveert is now for 75% a reunion of equally legendary Dutch band De Artsen. The `remaining 25%' will have to deal with anchorwoman Carol van Dijk. Their latest, album Private Suit-their fourth, not counting Velvet Underground cover album Venus In Furs-marks their label debut on their own Palomine Records, just like Excelsior distributed by PIAS in the Benelux territories. Produced by UK's John Parish (of 16 Horsepower and P.J. Harvey-fame) the album is living proof that even after so many years skilled musicians can still improve themselves if they really want to. Contact Excelsior Recordings, tel +31 20-421 5772;
fax: +31 20-420 7716; email: exclsr@xs4all or contact PIAS, tel: +31 35-646 3030; fax: +31 35-646 3035; email: playit@pias.nl

MICHAEL DE JONG
Friday, August 18, 20:00 at Downtown

Real blues men grow up in public. They live life the hard way. Dutchman Michael de Jong knows a thing or two about the blues. At the age of eight he burned down his school, something bad even blues devil Robert Johnson has never dared to do. As a teenager De Jong moved to the US where our little juvenile delinquent decided to let his guitar do the flame throwing. In the `70s he shared the stages with blues greats such as Albert Collins and John Lee Hooker until he joined blues legend Jimmy Reed's band. It was Reed who encouraged De Jong to write his own songs. Since 1981 De Jong regularly churns out solo records. For the past five years he has released one per year through
Dutch roots music indie Munich Records. The first De Jong album in this new millennium is called Immaculate Deception. On the recent South By South West Festival (SXSW) in Austin, US, De Jong performed in his natural surroundings. Now he will do his thing at Popkomm on a special night dedicated to acoustic performances. Contact Munich Records, tel: +31 317-421 444; fax: +31 317-422 959; email: info@murecnl.com


MIKE & THE MELLOTONES
Thursday, August 17, 19:30 at Kuepers Biergarten.

So much noise by only three men? Well, it's striking to see how many great blues bands in history are a trio. From ZZ Top to the Stevie Ray Vaughan band and the Paladins, only one big rocking guitar, a bass and a simple drum kit have proved enough to tear the house down. For Dutch Texan blues-inspired Mike & The Mellotones sixpacks are also enough to share the drinks equally among
each other. Having no arguments about the beers like any other band, they can spend their energy on their blasting set. Sharp-dressed in suits, topped off with an Elvis quiff, this power trio, fronted by guitarist/singer Mike Donkers is ready to rock any Biergarten in downtown Cologne. In their own words their music is best described as `B&B,' which stands for the `blues and beyond.' It refers to their modern interpretation of the blues, as opposed to the numerous carbon copies in today's blues brotherhood. Mike and his mates prefer to look forward instead of constantly looking back into blues's rich annals. Contact New Road Music, tel: +31 24-641 3117; fax: +31 24-645 1796; email:
jules@newroadmusic.nl

CANDY DULFER
Ringfest: Sunday, August 20, Cult Status Buhne Ringfest.

Alto saxophonist Candy Dulfer-one of the `notorious Dulfers'-is probably world champion at playing with the great names in pop and jazz. From Prince, to Eurythmics' Dave Stewart and Van `The man' Morrison, she has cut records with them all. In July at the 25th edition of the Northsea Jazz Festival, she jammed with Maceo Parker, who hails from James Brown's entourage. She is also the champ of wordplay with words hinting at her musical instrument. From Saxuality-her in excess of 1 million copies worldwide selling 1991 debut album-it went to Sax-A-Go-Go (1993). Her latest outing is simply entitled Girls Night Out, a celebration of funky jazzy pop. Just after her Ringfest appearance Candy will record her first live album ever, which is slated for a spring 2001 release. Also, she is to embark on a one-off Marlboro Flashbacks tour in her home country. Playing covers by your favourites is the name of theMarlboro game. Candy will focus on her `70s funk idols. But first she will turn Cologne into a funky town. Contact BMG Holland, tel: +31 35-625 6256; fax +31 35-623 3872; email: sandra.bulthuis@bmg.nl


Weitere Infos unter:
http://www.excelsior-recordings.com
http://www.daryll-ann.nl
http://www.caesar-official.com
http://www.scramcbaby.nl
http://www.meinderttalma.nl
http://www.benjaminb.demon.nl
http://www.johaninet.com
http://www.boomagency.nl