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vital weekly review: heat

hunter complex - heat frontSometimes I worry that time goes by so quick. It’s been really three years since I reviewed the eponymous CD by Hunter Complex, also known as the solo project of Lars Meijer, whom I know as the friendly boss of Narrominded, and as a boss not narrow minded at all. Three years. God. I enjoyed that CD, even have it on my ipod, I think, and here’s a new LP. In an edition of 200 copies only, 100 on black vinyl and 100 on transparent vinyl. It’s crisis everywhere, I was thinking, as this should, technically, be an album that one could sell pretty well. Hunter Complex plays electronic music with a strong pop edge. And I say that because I don’t want to write: Hunter Complex plays electronic pop music. Meijer uses a bit of vocals, occasionally and moved to the background of the piece, but it’s the instrumental music that is important and hence, perhaps, as such less ‘pop music’. If anything, Hunter Complex looks for the early 80s to find it’s sources for inspiration. Italo, Morodor, elektro, Simple Minds. Erm, Simple Minds? Apparently some keyboard lines are straight of Sons and Fascination, which I missed I guess, even when the Simple Minds are on of my favorite all-time bands – from all periods actually. The front cover also read like a catalogue of 80s apparatus: Linn Electronics, TR 707, TR 505, PPG Wave, Yamaha DX 7. That gives this record a certain aura of being dated, and that’s perhaps exactly what I like about it. That whole 80s feel is what makes this record strong, not necessarily each track, but the total sum of music, instruments used, video stills used on the cover and perhaps even Meijer’s singing. Not particular strong, but such was the way back then. A very pleasant record, highly entertaining. Great value!

FdW

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bleep review: heat

hunter complex - heat frontLars Meijer’s 2010 debut for Dutch indie label Narrominded showcased a new brand of synthpop, where radio-ready melodies are incorporated into cutting edge production. This sophomore album shows him even more comfortable with that format, dropping John Carpenter influenced keyboard noir (Serious Glass), analogue slabs with goth poetry lyrics (China Rain) and goose-bump guaranteeing synth arpeggios (Daylight).

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kicking the habit review: heat

hunter complex - heat frontHet Nederlandse Narrominded heeft weer heel wat moois op de planning staan de komende tijd, te beginnen met een nieuwe plak vinyl met retrofuturistische synthpop van het Haarlemse Hunter Complex. Heat heet de plaat, opvolger van het zelfgetiteld debuut uit 2010. En wij hebben de eer om het titelnummer en opener van de plaat te mogen premièren. Waarom? Omdat we meteen verslaafd zijn aan de meditatieve synthscapes met galmende zang en nerveuze beats op Heat.

Knap is ook hoe de onderkoelde elektronica en synths nog eens effectief extra vaart krijgen vanaf 1:20 en hypnotiserend op je inwerken. Heat staat vol van zulke filmische, mysterieuze spacepop met licht onheilspellende ondertoon waar je naar blijft terugkeren. De cover van de plaat past wat dat betreft perfect: al snel vraag je je af wat er in hemelsnaam aan de hand is met die schijnbaar gestrande auto in dat ruige, verlaten landschap van de normaal zo weidse woestijn.

Heat verschijnt op 30 augustus via Narrominded als gelimiteerde LP van 200 stuks met 100 exemplaren op transparant oranje vinyl en 100 exemplaren op zwart vinyl. Op diezelfde avond wordt de plaat gepresenteerd (samen met die van Rooie Waas) in De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam. Narrominded heeft nog veel meer moois op de planning voor de komende maanden, houdt het label dus vooral goed in gaten.

Barry

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indie indie review: space

hunter complex - spaceNederlands’ synthesizer-fenomeen Hunter Complex verbreekt de stilte met zijn nieuwe single Space. Dit voorproefje komt op het veelbelovende album Heat dat pas in augustus verschijnt op Narrominded.

Ruben Braeken

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side-line review: hunter complex

hunter complex - hunter complex outside frontBased and operating from Amsterdam (The Netherlands) Hunter Complex is a rather new project set up by Lars Meijer. This musician was previously involved in different projects like Larz, Psychon and Living Ornaments. I have to admit that none of these projects sound familiar, but it for sure reveals some experience gained by the artist. After having released an EP at the end of 2009 we here get the official debut-CD of Hunter Complex. The album was announced as strongly inspired by the 80s and the first songs only, but confirm a strong link with the golden decade of electronics. Telex and Human League are just two of the bands that immediately come into mind after having heard Wait, Here Is the Night and Dance. The songs aren’t bad at all and will for sure bring some good-old memories to mind (especially for the oldest electro-lovers), but globally speaking it sometimes sounds a bit too sweet and soft. I don’t mean it as a criticism, but on the long run Hunter Complex starts to stagnate in a gentle and polished 80s minded composition. The possible link with the aforementioned famous bands is for sure a reference, but the work of Hunter Complex never emulates their level or their fame. A few more songs like Moonset (with a real nice rhythm box) and Mean Street (which sounds like synthesizer music for stars) are quite nice, but never reach a real climax. That’s for sure what I’m missing here! It doesn’t take away that this is the kind of record that might please the 80s die-hard freaks!

6

DP

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haarlems dagblad review: various artists – christmas cover up

various artists - christmas cover up outside frontWel behoefte aan kerstmuziek, maar niet aan afgezaagd repertoire? Dan is deze cd geen beroerde aanschaf. Daarop staan negen kerstsongs in originele of oudere versies naast dertien moderne covers ervan door voornamelijk Nederlandse artiesten.

Zo is Silent Night, Holy Night te horen in zowel de uitvoering van Mahalia Jackson uit 1954 als die van dj/producer Eddy de Clercq. En Christmas 4 AM alone wordt uitgevoerd door singer-songwriter Specs Hildebrand (1990) en Hunter Complex met synthipop. Een bonte stoet aan stijlen trekt voorbij.

Hoogtepunten zijn een sterke uitvoering van I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus door de Haarlemse band We Cook With Fire en Old Waits Carol van Cloudmachine uit Zandvoort. Niet alles heeft in muzikaal opzicht evenveel met de kerstsfeer te maken, maar dat is eerder een voor- dan een nadeel.

3/5

Fred Hoogendoorn

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s.s. records mail order review: various artists – kamp holland

various artists - kamp holland outside frontOur man in Holland searches his own land for prime synth, post-punk, and coldwave bands and he comes up with this sixteen band comp of cool electronic enhanced music. Like all of Martijn’s comps, there is no filler here and its in an attractive package. Bands include Distel, Neurobit, Autonon, Murw, Puin + Hoop, Hunter Complex, et al. You can sample some of the music here.

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d-side review: various artists – kamp holland

various artists - kamp holland outside frontL’autre pays du fromage est aussi celui d’une minimal wave et d’un underground froid comme un cul de mort. Enfant Terrible, défenseur hyperactifde ces sons old-school sort une nouvelle compilation double LP vinyle, Kamp Holland, qui fait le tour de tout ce qui grésille et grogne dansles caves hollandaises en ce moment, un panorama de ce que le label appelle le Royal Dutch Underground. On est bien servis en proto-electro,cold wave et sons industrieux de Lesbian Mouseclicks (le très martial, speed et nerveux Bye Bye en ouverture des hostilités), Bakeliet, Neurobit, Logosamphia, Sololust et bien d’autres.