Krultanden by Luka Schuurman

This is an album.

The sounds recorded on this album are constructed by the use of an electric guitar, several different types of guitar effects, a set of recording equipment and the acoustics of the space wherein it is recorded. Not any of the sounds you hear on this recording has been written before being played and recorded, which means they have arised on the spot, at the exact moment of recording. This is a phenomenon known as improvisation. Therefore, this album contains unique recordings of sounds that have never existed, nor will they ever exist again, except for the brief moment in which they were recorded. The purpose of this album is not to present pretty or good music (that is subjective anyway), but solely to explore this act of improvisation and the creation of momentary music. One might state that this is where music meets philosophy.

By the way, in case you didn’t notice, this album is called ‘Krultanden.’ The word ‘krultanden’ is a contraction of the dutch words ‘krul’ and ‘tanden’, which together can be translated to ‘curly teeth’. This doesn’t necessarily mean anything; it is open to interpretation.

Anyway...

In addition to the philosophical aspect of this music, I recorded this album as a statement of experiment. My approach to sound on this recording is an exploration of the guitar as a musical instrument, a way of expressing oneself artistically and a meditative experience for myself personally. When elements of common musical structure such as melody, harmony, tonality in general, tempo, rhythm and composition are passed by, the guitar transforms into a pure source of sound. It becomes a direct link between the player’s expression and the music, instead of using music as a language for expression. As much as I love language and its possibilities, seen from this perspective it becomes only a limitation. That doesn’t mean that limitations are necessarily a bad thing, as they have done lots of good for the world and especially for art and creativity. I acknowledge, cherish and enjoy the limitless power of limitations, and that is why I limit myself to not always work limitlessly.

Still, to be able to play completely free of boundaries is for me the ultimate way to clear the mind, and the meditative effects are beneficial to both the body and the soul. In extension of this aspect of freedom I decided to release this album on the 5th of May, which is Liberation Day in the Netherlands.

I hope that whether with or without all this in mind, you can find some way to get enjoyment out of this album.

Cheers,
Luka Schuurman

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Many thanks to Sjoerd and OCCII for letting me into the concert space to record, and many thanks to Kelvyn for recording me.

Tracklist

1.	Entropy Pt.1	7:52

2.	Verloren Handschoen	8:32

3.	You Name It	4:30

4.	Entropy Pt.2	8:07

5.	Mid-Song Cable Failure	5:29

6.	Vloeibare Woestijn	9:25

7.	Krultanden Outro	1:22

Credits

released May 5, 2018

All tracks performed by Luka Schuurman on electric guitar.

Recorded partly in mono (tracks 2,5,7) and partly in stereo (1,3,4,6) by Kelvyn Davis at OCCII Amsterdam on April 1, 2018.

All tracks mixed and mastered by Luka Schuurman.

Graphic design and art direction by Luka Schuurman Ontwerp.

License