Biography
Staalplaat is a forum for soundartists, an organisation network with
a music label, an e-zine, a radioprogram, an audio-galerie, shop,
mail order and distribution company, started in Amsterdam.
Since 1982 we concentrate on new and experimental music. Where most organisations
measure their success in terms of sales or riding the crest of the latest
trends, Staalplaat was created to discover the rough diamonds, to take
risks and embrace all surprises. The centre of Staalplaat's strategy is
to invest in the future by stimulating new sounds, establishing and supporting
new routes, connecting artists with new improvisational themes and experimental
music ideas, the exchange and exploration of different metamusical concepts
and thus expanding the boundaries of what we call "music."
Up to the year 2000 we have produced over 300 audio releases in various
formats by artists such as Muslimgauze, Zoviet France, Ryoji Ikeda, Charlemagne
Palestine, Jim O' Rourke, and many others. Staalplaat as a label has a
strong opinion on artwork and packaging. In the past we used hand made
laser cut paper, CDs in leather (Illusion of Safety with a real bullet!),
stolen Soviet army badges and lots more. In our Mort Aux Vaches series
we produce a wide variety of materials, such as paper,copper plastic or
sand paper.
Staalplaat has sub-labels like The MUSLIMLIM series, which was set up
to give room to the incredible production of Muslimgauze. We have used
different forms like: mini disc, picture disks, special packaged CD's,
box sets and even two internet releases. All in editions ranging from
200 to 2000 copies. There is the Mort Aux Vaches series (ref. to Hakim
Bey's Dead to the cows, i.e. dead to the establishment) which is a collaboration
between Staalplaat and the VPRO radio (national Dutch radio). They do
the recording sessions and we release them in a limited edition and use
a special paper folded as packaging . In this series we have a.o.: Merzbow,
Muslimgauze, Charlemagne Palestine/Pan sonic, John Duncan, Ryoji Ikeda
, Stilluppsteypa, Kreidler, Flying Saucer Attack, Goem , Signal / Noto
/ Byetone / Komet , Coh, Dan Burke / Kevin Drumm, Pimmon, Tim Hecker,
Greg Davis, Zeitkratzer and Jazzkammer. Future releases by Mitchell Akiyama
FM3 Goodiepal, Tape, and Colleen.
We have a long history of organizing events. In the eighties
we were co-founders of a concert space called "The NL Centre"
in Amsterdam. Here we organized concerts from, among others,
Laibach, The Hafler Trio, Einsturzende Neubauten. Later when
"The NL Centre" was shut down we were co-founders of
the Ambassade foundation that organized music, film and machines
performance festivals at different locations in Amsterdam. After
a long rest we revitalized these activities.
In the late nineties Staalplaat organised festivals like 'Sonderangebot'
(Berlin, 1996), Masterclass (Den Haag, 1997) and Cocktail (Berlin, 1998).
Staalplaat also presents the Staalplaat
Soundsystem installations and concerts throughout the world and has
been performing at: Transmediale, Mutek,Garage, Ghent Vooruit Geluid Festival,
SKIF, Sonar and more.
a music label, an e-zine, a radioprogram, an audio-galerie, shop,
mail order and distribution company, started in Amsterdam.
Since 1982 we concentrate on new and experimental music. Where most organisations
measure their success in terms of sales or riding the crest of the latest
trends, Staalplaat was created to discover the rough diamonds, to take
risks and embrace all surprises. The centre of Staalplaat's strategy is
to invest in the future by stimulating new sounds, establishing and supporting
new routes, connecting artists with new improvisational themes and experimental
music ideas, the exchange and exploration of different metamusical concepts
and thus expanding the boundaries of what we call "music."
Up to the year 2000 we have produced over 300 audio releases in various
formats by artists such as Muslimgauze, Zoviet France, Ryoji Ikeda, Charlemagne
Palestine, Jim O' Rourke, and many others. Staalplaat as a label has a
strong opinion on artwork and packaging. In the past we used hand made
laser cut paper, CDs in leather (Illusion of Safety with a real bullet!),
stolen Soviet army badges and lots more. In our Mort Aux Vaches series
we produce a wide variety of materials, such as paper,copper plastic or
sand paper.
Staalplaat has sub-labels like The MUSLIMLIM series, which was set up
to give room to the incredible production of Muslimgauze. We have used
different forms like: mini disc, picture disks, special packaged CD's,
box sets and even two internet releases. All in editions ranging from
200 to 2000 copies. There is the Mort Aux Vaches series (ref. to Hakim
Bey's Dead to the cows, i.e. dead to the establishment) which is a collaboration
between Staalplaat and the VPRO radio (national Dutch radio). They do
the recording sessions and we release them in a limited edition and use
a special paper folded as packaging . In this series we have a.o.: Merzbow,
Muslimgauze, Charlemagne Palestine/Pan sonic, John Duncan, Ryoji Ikeda
, Stilluppsteypa, Kreidler, Flying Saucer Attack, Goem , Signal / Noto
/ Byetone / Komet , Coh, Dan Burke / Kevin Drumm, Pimmon, Tim Hecker,
Greg Davis, Zeitkratzer and Jazzkammer. Future releases by Mitchell Akiyama
FM3 Goodiepal, Tape, and Colleen.
We have a long history of organizing events. In the eighties
we were co-founders of a concert space called "The NL Centre"
in Amsterdam. Here we organized concerts from, among others,
Laibach, The Hafler Trio, Einsturzende Neubauten. Later when
"The NL Centre" was shut down we were co-founders of
the Ambassade foundation that organized music, film and machines
performance festivals at different locations in Amsterdam. After
a long rest we revitalized these activities.
In the late nineties Staalplaat organised festivals like 'Sonderangebot'
(Berlin, 1996), Masterclass (Den Haag, 1997) and Cocktail (Berlin, 1998).
Staalplaat also presents the Staalplaat
Soundsystem installations and concerts throughout the world and has
been performing at: Transmediale, Mutek,Garage, Ghent Vooruit Geluid Festival,
SKIF, Sonar and more.