Thursday 2 June 2016

P.E. De Oskars - Geen Strijdbijlen Maar Trommels -1984- (Cassette), Netherlands


The general worldwide consensus is that the Dutch language is quite an ugly one. I wouldn't disagree with that as someone who speaks Dutch. Even for native Dutch speakers (either in Holland or Flanders) music in which they sing Dutch is often hard to stomach. Luckily there are some exceptions in our world of the odd. For example: Belgian wave band Aroma di Amore, the third album of Dutch Ultra-band Minny Pops, Mecano-member Ton Lebbink and a list of stuff from the sixties etc. 

P.E. De Oskars is a highly obscure group that fits in perfectly with all the aforementioned bands. I can't find any information on them other than that they were from Rotterdam. I don't know if they ever made more music other than this. This cassette, which translates to "No poleaxes, but drums", is a cool and exceptional EP from Holland in which new wave, rock in opposition and some crypto-ska come together. Actually the saxophone and organ really make this music a treat. The lyrics are often political and poetical in the right squatting-mentality manner of Holland in the eighties. It also reminds me of The Schismatics, The Black Sheep and more bands that were based in Rotterdam and connected to the legendary artist squats of the Quarantaineweg in the eighties. Good stuff.

Get it HERE

5 comments:

  1. So much buried gold on this site. Thanks for sharing music most of us would NEVER have gotten a chance to experience otherwise.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm happy to be able to share all of this. Some of this is unknown to me as well at times when I find it. In any case: there is still more to come!

      Thankyouthankyou, Bence

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  2. It was the only EP we made. I've lost contact with the other group members since, but I think singer Henk Koolen is programmer for the the Hague based pop podium "Paard van Troje". Bert Teeuwen (on the cello).

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  3. Henk indeed works at Paard van Troje now. I know his ex-wife well, she is a teacher, lyrics of Dood In Het Water (last song) seems to be by one of the children in her primary school class. I think Tuxedomoon might be big influence?

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