Pretty//Ugly presents No Wave/Cold Wave/Ultra Wave:
Born in Eindhoven but based in the States, Truus de Groot, has been an unsung hero of experimental and underground music culture for decades. Since 1978, she has been involved in the curation of the Plus Instruments project: a project which has inspired innovation across the world of Electronic music alongside a range of collaborators. At the time, the sheer free will for a group such as Plus Instruments was almost unheard of: their performances were largely improvised and their sound captivating. Her profile is low key and Plus Instruments is ever changing. She explains the rotation and progressive nature of the group. “It always comes from my own initiative; I decide who to play with. I believe that gives it new life each time. I was always more into improvisation with a minimal approach, less structured, more groove.” After a successful few years as a band member of cult classic Nasmak and as reigning Queen of the “Ultra” movement, Truus left The Netherlands in 1981 at the young age of 21. She travelled to New York and began to immerse herself in the nightlife and clubs of the city that never sleeps. Within weeks she established a new Plus Instruments line up with David Linton (Rhys Chatham) and Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), this yielded the timeless classic Plus Instruments “Februari-April ’81” which has been reissued numerous times over the years. Through the years Plus Instruments released a number of albums with a host of different collaborators from around the globe. Plus Instruments has been active on the stage and studio throughout these last (almost) 5 decades with no sign of stopping! In 2024 Truus will be joined by multi instrumentalists Kathy Ziegler (US) and Peter Sijbenga van Dockumer Lokaeltsje (NL) for a promising set of old, new and unheard Plus Instruments!
https://plusinstruments.bandcamp.com/album/dance-with-me
https://www.truusdegroot.com/
Photo: Sabine Metz
My Guides & Me explore a variety of topics and themes like (contemporary) magic, esotericism and rituals in their music and performances. Some examples are the power of text/words (such as casting spells or chants) and the relationship with our surroundings (for instance ecosexuality: a way of environmental activism based on the idea of nature as a loved one).
My Guides & Me = Trees Heil, Shani Leseman, Rik Mohlmann
“Is this (g)old or can I throw it away?”
Half French, half Dutch quartet that is looking for meaning in the clutter of sound they encounter; to create music that belongs to everyone. While combining electronic instruments, electric guitars & classical vocals the group draws inspiration from minimal synth, no wave, opera and dub. Hoarders never lose anything, so embrace the noise of your surroundings.
Local legend.