- Rotterdam is an industrious city whose people are renowned for their work ethic. It has a tough and rough veneer, and its surroundings can be grey and eerily deserted. It's a world away from the charming bustle of Amsterdam, but the locals are fiercely proud of where they come from. Richly creative, multicultural and in a constant state of architectural renewal, Rotterdam has a unique appeal. This is captured on 010, the second archival compilation from Fog Mountain Records and RE:VIVE.
RE:VIVE is dedicated to connecting musicians with free-to-use media from heritage institutions, such as the Netherlands Institute For Sound And Vision (where they are based). They also run an artist residency program (where the recent Lakker record, Struggle & Emerge, came from) and other ventures. Their collaboration with Lemontrip's Fog Mountain Records is an ongoing project that allows producers to create new music using archival sound sources from different cities. The first, Damrak, focused on Amsterdam and featured work from ten artists, including Swarm Intelligence, Arad (Dara Smith of Lakker) and Hotflush newcomer Pyur. 010 sets its sights on Rotterdam.
Naturally, 010 (a reference to the city's area code) is a steely, functional record. There's Bas Mooy's grungy warehouse ode, "Maashaven," which is surprisingly restrained techno from the Mord chief. Drvg Cvltvre's "Glass Steel And Skulls" is a decent head-nodder, with its swung groove, ominous atmosphere and gritty textures. "Coming From" might be the highlight of the dance floor stuff, written by local veteran Nukubus. He invokes Rotterdam's gabber and rave history through his inventive sample work—no hoovers here, just a ship's horn and a killer kick drum. Lemontrip's "Middelland" does something similar, chugging along like a steam engine.
Church bells are another prominent sample. Roly Porter's "Sint Laurenskerk" starts with them before sweeping into a somber, aerial view of the city. They're also the only sound in Lwa's floaty "View From The Euromast." The sounds of BZGRL's "Koppelen" are sharp and scathing, a lot like FIS's style of alien, non-music compositions. The New Zealander appears with "Drain Torch," a street recording reimagined in his empyrean style. Meta's "Eva" is similar, a dense, futuristic matrix of industrial noise. For all the harshness, 010 has fragile moments as well, such as Oaktree's drifting "The City Is A Jungle." Much like Rotterdam itself, the record offers a rewarding, wide-ranging experience.
Tracklist01. Roly Porter - Sint Laurenskerk
02. HOEK - Haven
03. Nukubus - Coming From
04. Consulate - Nieuw Maas Terreur
05. Bas Mooy - Maashaven
06. Drvg Cvltvre - Glass Steel And Skulls
07. Lemontrip - Middelland
08. Mill Burray - Bring It In
09. FIS - Drain Torch
10. Meta - Eva
11. BZGRL - Koppelen
12. ANIK - Maastunnel
13. Oaktree - The City Is A Jungle
14. Lwa - View From The Euromast