New sounds from the Dutch underground take centre stage this month in Brighton
The Dutch Impact Party returns to Brighton this month as four incredible under-the-radar artists from the Dutch underground music scene play at The Great Escape Festival.
Dutch artists have been among some of the strongest breakthroughs at The Great Escape in recent years, with the likes of Amber Arcades, Jacco Gardner, Pip Blom and Klangstof taking important steps in their careers through the event.
Dutch Music Export - a longstanding partner of The Great Escape - helps artists with financing and promotion outside of the country and are behind this exciting showcase of talent from across The Netherlands. Drawing from a diverse genre pool, we meet the artists taking centre stage at this year's Dutch Impact Party - EUT (pictured above), Lewsberg, The Visual and FATA BOOM.
EUT
Amsterdam five-piece post-pop outfit EUT met studying at art school in the Netherlands capital at the end of 2015 and played their first show two months later.
Who's in the band?
Megan (vocals), Tessa (guitar/vocals), Emiel (guitar/vocals) Sergio (synths/bass/vocals), Jim (drums)
How they describe their sound
EMIEL: “Unstoppable catchy pop songs with attitude”
Influences
“We all have super different influences and I think that makes us different. But of course we have some common influences too: Beck, St Vincent, Blur, The Cardigans.”
Making music in Amsterdam
“It’s a super nice city - the capital of the Netherlands but still super small. It’s smallness makes it super easy to get around and I think that’s why there is such a strong sense of community between a lot of the musicians living here.
"It’s a scene in the real sense, we all know each other somehow. [Singer] Megan’s flat mates are members of Pip Blom’s band and Cansherker Pi. A few members of the Mauskovic Dance Band were my classmates. And of course there are a lot of other super cool bands from our city."
What to expect from their live shows
“High energetic sweaty party time”
Who else do they rate?
The Mauskovic Dance Band, Pip Blom, The Visual
EUT re-release their debut album on 24 May in the UK and return for a club tour in October. Find out more at thewordiseut.com
Lewesberg
Chanelling college rock with shades of The Velvet Underground, Rotterdam band Lewsberg was formed in early 2017 by two friends Arie and Michael. Vocalist Arie's ideas were fleshed out by guitarist Michael before the pair finally reached out to bassist and drummer a year later and Lewsberg took shape.
Who's in the band?
Arie (vocals/guitar), Michiel (guitar), Shalita (bass/vocals) and Dico (drums)
How they describe themselves
ARIE: “The idea was to start a rock band with really good songs, played very badly. Even though the songs sound pretty decent at times, nowadays, we still try to preserve bits of this original idea.
"We like to break down songs when they start to sound too nice. To slow down songs when you start to feel the rhythm. To sound really sweet when singing about disaster. To be out of tune during a crucial guitar solo.”
Their influences
“Usually, when people ask me about my biggest influences, I sum up a list of writers from Rotterdam: Cor Vaandrager, Robert Loesberg, A. Moonen, Hans Sleutelaar, Frans Vogel, Arie Gelderblom.
"But none of them ever got translated to English…on the other hand, maybe they never got translated just because of the reason why they’ve been an influence on me? Their writing is never plot-driven, it’s more about style and the use of Dutch language. Very functional and pragmatic.”
Life in Rotterdam
“It’s gentrifying so quickly, that every time we get back from tour, we feel less at home.”
How they describe their sound
“The idea was to start a rock band with really good songs, played very badly. Even though the songs sound pretty decent at times, nowadays, we still try to preserve bits of this original idea.
"We like to break down songs when they start to sound too nice. To slow down songs when you start to feel the rhythm. To sound really sweet when singing about disaster. To be out of tune during a crucial guitar solo.”
What to expect from their live shows
“The good thing about live shows is the volume and physicality of the music, that’s obviously lacking when you listen to it at home.
"Another nice thing about playing live, is that you can make mistakes. Making mistakes means opening up to new perspectives and possibilities. Not always for the better, but at least it’s refreshing.”
Who else do they rate at this year’s Great Escape?
“There’s too much to see in Brighton to focus on our Dutch colleagues. Looking forward to seeing Porridge Radio, Black Midi, Big Joanie and Cocaine Piss…”
Find out more at lewsberg.net
FATA BOOM
With influences ranging from MIA, Kendrick Lamar, Die Antwoord and N.E.R.D to "Bollywood music and bossladies in music such as Lady Gaga", FATA BOOM came together when Ammo K "had too much booze at a music awards afterparty" and met producer Martijn Groeneveld for a studio session.
Who's in the live band?
Ammo K ("Lead powerhouse/rapalien. Can’t be muted."), Jake Credit ("Genderfuck MC/Dancing queen, backing up all the filth") and Ollie ("Man of the beats, FATA BOOM's spine")
How they describe their sound
AMMO K: "Trippy no-bullshit electro hip-hop with some extra eye candy on top."
Making music in Amsterdam
"It matches our vibe completely as it’s a liberal city where sex and partying are no taboo."
What to expect from their live shows
"Energy, acceptance, big beats, catchy songs and ass."
Who else do they rate?
"EUT, they're a quirky bunch of chill people, go dance with them."
Find out more at facebook.com/fataboom
The Visual
The Visual make some of the best atmospheric pop you'll hear this year. The trio came together while studying together at the Conservatory in Amsterdam and began to experiment with poetry and music but are now based in Antwerp.
"Creativity and curiosity are very important to us, we try to explore ourselves in every possible way and translate this within the music," explains singer Anna van Rij. "We had interesting conversations about philosophy and the meaning of art, life and people [and] we still do have these conversations and learn from each other."
Citing The Doors, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake as influences, the band's dropped their debut EP dropped a monbth back via Dutch/UK label Mink Records and was mixed by Grammy Award winning Darrell Thorp (Radiohead, Beck) and Alain Johannes (PJ Harvey, Mark Lanegan).
Who's in the band?
Anna van Rij (songwriter, guitarist, lyricist and singer), Timon Persoon (sound wizard, keys, synth bass and ableton) and Tim van Oosten (drums & percussion)
Making music in Antwerp
ANNA: "I'm basically from this small town called Wassenaar, though I never felt connected and left at a young age to Leiden with my mother. I would say that Amsterdam was more of a hometown, the city where I studied. I met a lot of nice people and made important friends there.
"Now I live in Antwerp, which is definitely my home, it feels like home. I love that city. It's inspiring with lots of creative minds and it's full of possibilities, yet small and cozy."
How they describe their sound
"As soft as wool, as sharp as a shard, as changeable as life itself."
What to expect from their live shows
"It's intense, honest, vivacious, melancholic and atmospheric. We want to take you somewhere else."
Find out more at facebook.com/thevisual.band
The Dutch Impact Party will take place on Friday, 10 May from midday to 4pm in Brighton's Komedia venue.
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