Pieter Nooten | |
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 Pieter Nooten in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 22 January 1961 Oss, Netherlands |
| Genres | Dark wave, electronic, experimental, ambient, film music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Analog synthesizer, keyboards, MacBook Pro |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | 4AD, I-rain, Rocket Girl |
| Website | www.pieternooten.com |
Pieter Nooten (born 22 January 1961 in Oss) is a Dutch musician and composer best known for his work with Clan of Xymox. [1]
Nooten's musical career began in the late 1970s. Starting out as the drummer in a local symphonic rock band, [2] he quickly changed to bass guitar and later keyboards, playing in different bands. At the height of house squatting culture and new wave, Nooten met Anka Wolbert and Ronny Moorings who had just formed Clan of Xymox together. During the mid-eighties Clan of Xymox recorded two highly acclaimed albums on 4AD.
In 1987, he teamed up with Michael Brook to record Sleeps with the Fishes , released also on 4AD. [3] This album would become Nooten's most acclaimed work. [4]
In 1989, Clan of Xymox (by then simply "Xymox") signed to Polygram and released their third album, Twist of Shadows. By 1990, in spite of the band's success, he decided to leave Xymox due to growing internal musical differences. While Xymox clearly wanted to stick to their 1980s roots, he started exploring new musical directions. The new, young dance culture intrigued him and a post as in-house producer at the famous One4Two studio's in Amsterdam was readily undertaken.
During the first half of the nineties Nooten produced countless dance 12 inches and ambient orientated music for labels and projects (Hypercycle/First Contact/Ultimate Dream Mix), [5] some of which reached the national record charts.
By 1995, he moved back over to London and renewed the cooperation with Anka, who had also left Xymox. Nooten became somewhat tired with the slowly more and more morose dance music. He signed a publishing deal with Momentum (London). Anka and Pieter signed with EMI (NYC) under the name Vaselyn. However, due to record company internal re-organizations, the Vaselyn project in London was unexpectedly cut short. Anka and Nooten decided to take the material of Vaselyn with them knowing that some day, this material will get released. Shortly afterwards Nooten took an extended sabbatical from the major record industry during which time he wrote music for theatre, commercials and other media occasions.
In 2004, Anka and Pieter started producing Sophie Zeyl's debut album Two Ways of Running. [6] After recordings were finished in 2005, he started producing and remixing the material for Ourspace. They both also released Anka's solo album Cocoon Time on I-rain Records.
In 2008, Nooten re-entered the music industry and started writing and composing again. He sang on Stoa's album Silmand [7] and released a compilation on the Twilight label.
In 2010, Nooten signed with Rocket Girl in the UK, releasing the 12 track CD called Here Is Why which showed his skill as a producer for other artists. Surround Us was produced completely using a MacBook Pro and Midi keyboard; no other instruments were used except for Lucas Stam’s improvisational cello, which adds texture to the tracks it is featured on.
In 2013, Nooten released the double CD Haven again on Rocket Girl. He also performed during the 2014 World Press Photos awards and wrote a highly acclaimed Bach transcription for the NY based Red Hot organization. Tired of the restrictions of writing and releasing music only, Nooten set up La Compania Parpadeo with dancer and choreographer Miryam Chachmany in 2014, crossing borders between traditional flamenco music, electronic and neo-classical music, poetry, visual art and dance. Also in 2014, Nooten teamed up with long time friend Bert Barten and Real World producer/engineer/composer Stephen W Tayler, collaborating on an avant garde music project.
In August 2017, Nooten announced a pledge music campaign to fund his next album, which was eventually released in November 2018 under the name 'Stem". [8]
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Clan of Xymox, also known as simply Xymox, are a Dutch rock band formed in 1981 best known as pioneers of darkwave music. Clan of Xymox featured a trio of singer-songwriters – Ronny Moorings, Anka Wolbert, and Pieter Nooten – and gained success in the 1980s, releasing their first two albums on 4AD, before releasing their third and fourth albums on Wing Records and scoring a hit single in the United States. The band is still active, continuing to tour and release records with Moorings as the sole remaining original member.
4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name Axis Records by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD after the release of the label's first four singles. Later that year, Watts-Russell and Kent purchased the label from Beggars Banquet to become an independent record label, and Kent sold his share to Watts-Russell a year later.
Michael Brook is a Canadian guitarist, inventor, music producer, and film music composer. He plays in many genres, including rock, electronica, world music, minimalism and film scores. His collaborations with musicians around the world have made him "one of the most sought-after producers in the music industry." Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Brook lives in Los Angeles. He is the creator of the Infinite Guitar.
Vaughan Oliver was a British graphic designer based in Epsom, Surrey. Oliver was best known for his work with graphic design studios 23 Envelope and v23. Both studios maintained a close relationship with record label 4AD between 1982 and 1998 and gave distinct visual identities for the 4AD releases by many bands, including Mojave 3, Lush, Cocteau Twins, The Breeders, This Mortal Coil, Pale Saints, Pixies, and Throwing Muses. Oliver also designed record sleeves for such artists as David Sylvian, The Golden Palominos, and Bush.
Lonely Is an Eyesore is a compilation on the 4AD label. Released in June 1987, it features artists who were signed to the label at that time. All tracks were recorded during the period immediately preceding the release (1985-1987), with the exception of "Frontier" by Dead Can Dance, which was a demo by the group from 1979. The title of the release comes from the lyric of the track "Fish" by Throwing Muses, at that time the newest signing to the label.
John Fryer is an English record producer. Best known for his production work, he has also performed as a musician, as one of the two constant members of This Mortal Coil, providing keyboards, strings and synthesizer sequencing for the band, and its offshoot, the Hope Blister.
Eskimos and Egypt were a late 1980s to mid-1990s crossover band based out of Manchester, England. The band's members were Paul Cundall on keyboards and synthesizer, David Cameron-Pryde on bass and keyboards, Mark Compton on guitar and keyboards and Christopher O'Hare on vocals and keyboards. Their unofficial fifth member was long term collaborator Mark Stagg, who acted as engineer. The band was started by Cameron-Pryde and O'Hare and original drummer Nigel Heywood, who now lives in the United States.
Alison T. Limerick is a British singer-songwriter who scored success in the 1990s with the club anthem "Where Love Lives", which was her solo debut and a No. 3 hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play in 1991.
Medusa is the second studio album by Dutch dark wave band Clan of Xymox. It was released in November 1986 by 4AD. Founding member Pieter Nooten re-recorded the songs "After the Call" and "Theme I" on Sleeps with the Fishes, his 1987 collaborative album with Michael Brook, following a brief split from the band.
Clan of Xymox is the debut studio album by Dutch dark wave band Clan of Xymox, released 1 July 1985 by 4AD.
Blackwing Studios was an English recording studio, most notable for early Depeche Mode and Yazoo recordings in the early 1980s.
Anka Wolbert is a Dutch musician, singer, songwriter, and web developer, best known for her work with Clan of Xymox.
Twist of Shadows is Xymox's third full-length album, released in 1989 on Wing Records (PolyGram) and produced by Peter Walsh.
Peter Lawrence Ulrich is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, recording artist and author.
Rocket Girl is a London-based independent record label. It has released records by Robin Guthrie, Pieter Nooten, God Is an Astronaut, Ulrich Schnauss, A Place to Bury Strangers, Bell Gardens among others, including many artists associated with ambient music.
Phoenix is the fourth studio album by Dutch dark wave band Xymox, released in 1991 by Wing Records/PolyGram. It was produced by Peter Walsh. Guitarist Michael Brook guested on the tracks "The Shore Down Under" and "Mark the Days".
Frank Weyzig is a Dutch producer, composer and band member known for his contribution to the original Clan of Xymox and his work for the indie new wave band, Born for Bliss. More recently, Weyzig has been involved with Vaselyne, White Rose Transmission and Stargazing Project. In January 2011, he founded Turmoil Music, a new music platform for independent artists.
Joshua Strawn, known professionally as Joshua Strachan, is a songwriter, record producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist.
Ronald Moerings known professionally as Ronny Moorings, is a Dutch musician best known for his work with darkwave band Clan of Xymox. Moorings has been the band's principal singer/songwriter since the early 1990s.
Sleeps with the Fishes is the lone collaborative album from Clan of Xymox founding member Pieter Nooten and Canadian guitarist/producer Michael Brook, released by 4AD on 12 October 1987. Intended as Nooten's debut solo album after a brief split from Clan of Xymox, the record turned into a collaboration with Brook after a suggestion from 4AD label founder and boss Ivo Watts-Russell. Though not a huge commercial success, Sleeps with the Fishes was described by AllMusic as "essential listening for fans of 4AD, ambient music, minimalism, experimental electronic music, and morose themes alike... an overlooked masterpiece."
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