This saturday night, esc.rec. presents the 7th edition of The Diamond Exchange, with Emiel Efdée and Jean Klare in Het Burgerweeshuis, Deventer. Read more here.

Het Halve Werk (A4 print, framed)

50% (A4 print, framed)

Oogst Zaad (A4 print, framed)

WILLIE (A4 print, framed)

WILLIE (A4 print, framed), detail

I have made some new work for the exhibition ‘Half werk’ at WILLIE (May 13 – 27). The work I made is text-based and as the title suggests it’s all about different ways to perceive halves of something. I haven’t photographed it yet, so I will add photo’s here later.

My work for this exhibition is also inspired by WILLIE itself, the best artists collective, concert venue, art space and club/bar in Deventer. I have grown to love WILLIE over the years and I have put a considerable amount of time and effort in making WILLIE what it is today, together with the other people that make WILLIE tick. Sometimes at the cost of my other work and my income (working for WILLIE doesn’t pay the bills… at all). But it’s time well spent! It still gives me a kick to amaze our audiences with music, art and the overall good experiences we offer them. The feedback we get as organizers of all this cultural splendor is overwhelming at times. Thank you for that!

The past few years WILLIE has operated from a fixed location in Havenkwartier Deventer. Today this whole area is under development. And although the city of Deventer apparently sees the value of what WILLIE brings to the table (on a voluntary basis no less!) and although a collective like WILLIE fits like a glove in the intended cultural profile of Havenkwartier Deventer (which is actively promoted by the municipality of Deventer), we find ourselves forced out of our current location due to a sizeable increase in costs, starting July 2012 (read WILLIE’s official statement here). Clearly we have upgraded the area’s value considerably while we were here ;)

It kind of pains me to type the above, because this has proven to be the inevitable conclusion after a tiresome period of extensive planning, writing, networking, lobbying, organizing, calculating and soulsearching. Not being able to ‘save’ our current location after putting in this much time and effort, together with all the support we got from enthousiastic volunteers and practically all the other cultural organisations in Deventer… does feel like a loss, a failure even.

On the other hand, it feels good to have described WILLIE in such rich detail and to have searched and tried all available options, so we can now honestly say that there is no other choice under the given circumstances. This process has also strengthened our will to keep the concept of WILLIE alive and kicking, with or without a fixed location to work from.

But not so fast… we still have some certified quality time left in our current location and aim to make the best of it! So please enjoy our vibrant program in the months May and June to the fullest, because the future plans of WILLIE are still somewhat shady at best… And for those of you who haven’t visited WILLIE’s super hot spot in Havenkwartier Deventer yet, don’t miss out, your chance is now!

Yesterday we started with an introduction, researching the definitions of sound and music and thinking about how to make your own sounds and instruments. We did this with the help of Jan Schellink, an enthousiastic and experienced improvisor and instrument-builder.

Jan Schellink playing a wok(!) with strings. A bit later he’ll be playing a ski.

Children paying attention. More pictures here.

I have known Jan for some time now, but his performance at the first junior edition of ass-crack stage-hack last year convinced me that he was the right man for the job. Rightfully so, because in one hour he confronted the children with a broad range of concepts, from throat singing and instrument building, to sampling and playing from the heart. We are off to a good start here.

Afterwards they got this text to read at home. Next week it’s time for lesson two, where they bring stuff and we build our own instruments. I’ll try to keep posting about this project. It runs for seven weeks and ends in a performance at the second junior edition of ass-crack stage-hack on June 24 at WILLIE in Havenkwartier Deventer. More information about this coming up.

Bad news for Havenkwartier Deventer, bad news for the many fans of WILLIE and bad news for the cultural climate in Deventer… read all about it on WILLIE’s website.

Or… see the coming weeks as a last chance to enjoy WILLIE at the current hot spot they’ve created in Havenkwartier Deventer. While it lasts. Check the program overhere.

Platenroulette (or record roulette) is obviously the next big thing. Tonight at 20:00 hrs. Join us at WILLIE in Havenkwartier Deventer. With a.o. Jeroen Diepenmaat, Wonder, Wan, Twanzichtkaart and (yours truly) Cette Truc. Come check it out! Entrance is free!

March 31, 23:00-3:00 hrs. in Het Burgerweeshuis, Deventer: The 6th edition of The Diamond Exchange, with Coen Schilderman and Bas Aaftink.

Coen Schilderman is also known as Storm on his own music blog File Under (www.fileunder.nl). Bas Aaftink is communication & marketing specialist at productiehuis ON (www.oninternet.nl). Two omnivorous music junks with a huge record collection. Expect an edition full of surprises!

You have to pay 7,50 euro to get in, but then you also get to enjoy Deventer Dub Sessions with Tim Woestenenk (live), Gohan & Raoul Santos, Ferdi Blankena & Sense Unique.

In the 20th(!) edition of the adventurous concert series ass-crack stage-hack, esc.rec. presents two intense Sunday-afternoon concerts at WILLIE in Havenkwartier Deventer.

Machinefabriek has an excellent live reputation and performed once before at an earlier ass-crack stage-hack. That was a very impressive concert and this collaboration with Celer promises nothing less. Jan and Romke Kleefstra performed at earlier ass-crack stage-hacks too. But never before in combination with Anne Chris Bakker, with whom they just released the LP “Griis” on the English Low Point, a comprised version of the music they played during their tour in Tokyo, Japan in 2010.

Read more here!

The track ‘Plants’ from Gluid‘s new album Twee, (recently released on my label) was selected for the Mind The Gap CD that accompanies Gonzo Circus Magazine. This is the second time one of Gluid’s tracks ends up on a Mind The Gap compilation. Clearly somebody’s paying attention overthere!

The 19th edition of ass-crack stage-hack. On February 17 Lomechanik is our guest at WILLIE in Havenkwartier Deventer. Lomechanik is the friendly, high quality label from Nijmegen (remember this?). En they bring a whole array of Lomechanik artists with them.

With Sam A La Bamalot (who also released tracks through esc.rec. by the way), Raadsel, Kijk Een Ster, Terugklap, Jorg and oXane (also released tracksthrough esc.rec.) this will be a night to remember. But don’t take my word for it, just click their names and listen to some of their tracks. Especially if you’re into phat beats and dito sounds, this night cannot be missed. Seriously. It’s a line-up filled to the brim with promises for the future. In a few years you’ll say: “What? All this on ONE night? No way! And for free? Whacky!”

Oh yes. You read that right. Due to a special art project at WILLIE earlier that night, there is no entrance fee for this event. So all you cheapskates are welcome too ;)