Roel Meelkop

The author of the mix is Roel Meelkop (b. 1963), an academic visual and sound artist, who lives and works in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Meelkop started his career in the early 80’s, when he was studying at the Willem de Kooning Academy. His first collaborative project THU20, together with Jac van Bussel, Peter Duimelinks, Jos Smolders and Guido Doesborg, was the good start to practically express his growing musical knowledge. Also, Meelkop collaborated and released numerous records with honorable projects such as GOEM and Kapotte Muziek. Meelkop is one of the pioneering non-rhythmic electronic music artists, that has almost 30 year experience of hardware and computer generated electronic techniques and features. His critically acclaimed works were released by notable labels such as LINE, Staalplaat, Korm Plastics and many others. Aside from releases, Meelkop also creates site-specific sound installations, performance pieces in collaboration with other artists, conducts lectures and periodically organizes events in Rotterdam.

STM 070 is a painstaking and gradually shifting music compilation, that connects 13 peculiar records released between 1992 and 2003. The whole work is filled with compositions of such unique musicians as Sten Hanson, Nad Spiro, Roughage, Tone Language, Ælab and others. The basis consists of the tranquil atmospheres, slowly and accurately expanding compositional arrangements, original experimentations with field recordings and various self-made hardware and instrumentations. The deliberate development of the static layers, which have a rich micro processes in the background, purposefully constructs a kaleidoscopic sound world. Fragile variation between volume levels and sounding intention creates a sustained and continuous composition. All audiophiles should take their attention to this high-quality, considerate and influential sound collage. Professional headphones are highly recommended while listening to this masterwork.

Records and connections

STM 070 is like a systematic and measured Larry Bell’s sculpture “Cube #10-1-92”, where light and space play an important role in the whole minimalist composition. Subtly created picturesque dimensional illusion evokes imagination, broadens analytic thinking and deeply impress. The effect of this object is to cause one to make a considerable effort to discern and so to become conscious of the process of seeing. The same interpretation could be assigned to the cinematic Roel Meelkop’s mix that clearly reflects his personality’s stability, versatility and attention to music history and its progress.

Tracks were (re)mixed so they do not necessarily appear in the same order in the mix!