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Best of 2023

Enno Velthuys

Ontmoeting / Landscapes in Thin Air / Different Places (3 LP + 7" in bundle)

Label: Dead Mind Records

Format: 3 LP + 7" in bundle

Genre: Electronic

Out of stock

This bundle includes the following three LPs and a 7" recently re-issued by Dead Mind Records:

Enno Velthuys "Ontmoeting" (LP, 1982)
Enno Velthuys "Landscapes in Thin Air" (LP + 7", 1985)
Enno Velthuys "Different Places" (LP, 1987)



Enno Velthuys "Ontmoeting" (LP, 1982)

* 400 copies on black vinyl. Comes with a download card * Ontmoeting (Encounter) from 1982 marks the beginning of the published audio works of Enno Velthuys. When Rob Smit of Kubus Kassettes first visited Enno to discuss the possibilities of releasing a cassette, he was open to the idea and gave Smit access to his tape archive of recorded tracks to cherry pick his favorite pieces. Initially Enno felt the selection didn’t do justice to his broader musical spectrum, that also included more rhythm orientated guitar pieces, but in hindsight it probably gave him a new sense of direction.

On this album, a mixture of spacious ambient and synth-leaden music, we hear Enno in transition. Experimenting, searching for his own voice. Some pieces are reminiscent of a classic dungeon explorer game while others have a more surreal, cinematic feel. Although 40 years old, Ontmoeting still sounds incredibly fresh today and stands as a pivotal ambient release from the early 80’s.



Enno Velthuys "Landscapes in Thin Air" (LP + 7", 1985)

* 500 copies on black vinyl. The 7"s comes with a wraparound sleeve. Includes download card * Landscapes In Thin Air is Enno Velthuys’s third album and was initially released by Kubus Kassettes in 1985. When Rob Smit decided to stop his label activities shortly after publishing this cassette, Hessel Veldman published a second edition on his label Exart. Compared to his second album, Glimpse of Light, it has a stronger presence of rhythm and a more melodic use of synths. These 10 cinematic sketches have a clean, caressed calmness about them and seem to depict a specific time and location. A light atmosphere, the sky warming up during sunrise, a sense of discomfort and finally, the city cooling down when night falls.

It’s hard to imagine Enno producing this majestic album by himself in his bedroom. All his trademark arrangements in place, framed by a tight, controlled aesthetics and a strong metaphorical presence. Meticulously recreated from the original cassette masters, we are proud to reissue this ambient masterpiece.



Enno Velthuys "Different Places" (LP, 1987)

* 200 copies limited edition, green vinyl, includes a one-sided insert + a hand numbered envelope containing four additional prints * Continuing the reissue campaign of legendary synthesizer artist Enno Velthuys, we are proud to offer the Different Places LP. The original tape from 1987 was the second tape Enno produced for Exart and it was his last work before he disappeared into obscurity. By this time, he became disillusioned by the cassette network and his mental condition sadly deteriorated. With Hessel Veldman, label owner of Exart, getting more interested in experimental music, they were both moving into different places and eventually lost contact. Willem de Ridder and Enno stayed in close contact. Enno composed background music for some of his radio shows. Willem would release some of these recordings through his own label, Radio Art Foundation. For the limited version of this LP 4 cassette covers, drawn by Peter Pontiac, are added as additional prints.

Enno was a perfectionist, always looking for better equipment. When listening to the original master tape of Different Places it turned out it had a real nice, clean sound. Definitely an improvement over some of his earlier material. While mastering these songs for vinyl in 2021 we tried to stay as close as possible to Enno’s original intentions. Different Places is probably his most coherent work and includes some magical chord progressions. Shades of Erik Satie and Hiroshi Yoshimura mixed with immersive, spacious, cosmic ambient. Melancholic but less claustrophobic when compared to predecessors Glimpse of Light or Landscapes in Thin Air.

While the LP was in production, we were contacted by someone who just bought a framed 1967 drawing from a thrift store, made by Enno. In the 60’s he was playing guitar for various bands and although his father was a famous illustrator of children’s books nobody knew he was also doing these large drawings back then. We are very pleased that we were able to add this amazing piece of art to this publication as an insert.

Details
Cat. number: DMR54 / DMR53 / DMR48
Year: 2023