how does he do it do it?

O how we love remixes! So this record should be a real treat for us. Amsterdam duo The Moi Non Plus invited befriended artists to remix the songs and artwork of their debut album. Our good friend About was one of them and he did an excellent job on What If We Do It, mashing it up with a tune by Michael Nyman. The remix clearly bears the About signature: cut up electronics but still poppy and catchy and dancy! You can download it for free, legally, from the Subbacultcha website (or at the bottom of this post)!! A whole bunch of other (visual) artists have contributed to this unique multimedia thing, like Kania Tieffer, Aux Raux, Machinefabriek, Aquil Copier and Paul Borchers, just to name a few. Paul is playing as Yobkiss TONIGHT at the launch party in Gallery W139 in Amsterdam. As well as the boys of TMNP of course.

The Moi Non Plus - What If We Do It (ABOUT's Crossmatch Re-Edit).
Get it here (YSI).

Bday ghetto gold

HAHA, look what my fellow Dutch Dolls made me as a birthday present! Dutch Dolls ghetto gold ;-)
Rad! Lots of props and kudos my homie!!

Dr. Schnitt - We want more!

Last Friday was a good day. Because on that day I got to hang and bounce and drink with Rotterdams finest: Doktor Schnitt.

The band consists of three (when playing wrinkeled, but usually quite goodlooking) guys that are called Nique Quentin, Philipp Ernsting and Bruno Ferro Xavier da Silva. And last friday, they brought live Drum 'n Bass to the house in Het Poortgebouw in Rotterdam, and they brought it hard!
The cool thing is, these boys used to practise in the basement of the (gigantic) old school @ Willem Buytewechstraat where Dutch Dolls had their headquarters. You would always know when they were there, cause they produced so much bass that I could hear it on the fourth floor. My coffeemug would be dancing on my table. I loved their sound then, and I loved their sound even more last Friday. There were more pads, more gadgets, much more freaky and psychedelic elements and it was just so tiiiight!!

Bruno is the one that makes your guts feel that bass and knows which pad to hit when. Nique is the one with the complicated drumkit and the jembe's bringing the brazilian-element and Philipp hit the bass and the snare so tight, fast and hard, I could not believe it. If you have a problem picturing live drum 'n bass with a psychedelic sauce, just imagine a fine blend of Tortoise, The Fucking Champs and something awesome that doesn't exist yet.



Listen to Paprika by Doktor Schnitt above. And if you like them, go check them out on July 16th @ Exit!

and if a double-decker bus crashes into us

You all know how Dutchies love their bikes. So when I moved to the UK my bike remained my principal mode of transportation. Of course! But riding a bicycle is something most people here don't even consider. No wonder with the facilities here (hardly any - though the council is working on it). So as a cyclist you're somewhat of a curiosity. I get frequently cheered and yelled at... Especially when riding my bonanza bike (a chopper)! Thing is with the chopper that it's like riding a kiddie bike. You have to pedal like craaaazy and even the slightest hill feels like climbing a mountain. I felt like a sitting duck with all these cars, 10 ton trucks and double-decker buses speeding beside me. So I recently bought another bike on eBay. It's a really nice 40+ years old 'Dutch style' bike. But it's not Dutch, it's a Raleigh, and it feels definitely different from a real Dutch bike. You know what it feels like? It feels like being in this video by The Smiths (which happens to be my favourite band EVER). When I'm riding the streets of Cardiff, with that little basket in front of me, I can't help thinking of riding along with Mozzer in There's A Light That Never Goes Out:

These beats drive me MAD

But mad in a good way..

Even though I highly respect beatwizzard Amon Tobin for the mad skills, I'm not a big fan of technique for the technique. Give me something to bounce my head to in a way that doesn't give me a whiplash, thank you.

But when the wizzard gets dancy with UK-based producer Joe 'Doubleclick' Chapman, the soundexplosions are much more organised and magic happens. Together, they are known as Two Fingers and they bring a superdark yet delicate sound with a minimum input, well chosen silences and AWESOME vocals. These beats... pffff.... I can't stand 'em, they're so perfect. The collaboration with grimey rapper/producer Sway and female MC ms. Jade (a.o.) work really well too. Even though I really love it, I had to switch it off when I first heard it - too amazing. But oow hell yeah, once I can handle it, I'm gonna buy myself a copy of this one. I hereby promise to play a Two Fingers track once a day!

Two Fingers feat. Sway - What you Know get it here.

the ego-clash

Everyone that was ever a part of the 'screenprinting-industry' knows that this section of printmaking involves big muscles, patience and the ability to bear the maniacs that you always seem to run into in the workshop. Believe me, Dutch Dolls have had their share. Even though we have been screenprinting for almost ten years, the assistant at the workshop only seems to feel like a true assistant when he forces his methods on you. Probably very well meant, but ooh... the ego-clash.

That being said (I HAD to get that off my chest), I must admit that I'm pretty saiked about our latest print. It's an illustration that Nanna and me did together a while ago (you may have seen it in an earlier post), now printed on heavy off white paper in a dark grey ink. It will be for sale as a special promotion when we launch our new and superimproved website that Dutch Doll/whizkid Nanna has been slaving over for the last couple of months. It's going to be sooooo good!!!

I'm off signing prints now...

Dees and Gees Voorhees

Tonight Geeske is DJ'ing solo as Gees Voorhees at the opening of COVERSTORIES - an exhibition by Dees, in Singersweatshop! This artist, hailing from Eindhoven, is making a 'recordstore type installation' (consisting of paintings, graphic art and collages) in the SSS. Another reason for going is the yummie food provided by the lovely ladies of Hete Bliksem. You're all invited!

Friday 22.05.09 from 17.00 till 23.00 / Hoogstraat 170, Rotterdam.