STM 129 - Frans de Waard

Frans de Waard (b. 1965) is not merely a musician; he is an institution within the European avant-garde. Active since 1984, he first gained notoriety with the tape-loop industrial project Kapotte Muziek, focusing on recycled sounds and musique concrète. Over four decades, his output has been relentless, spanning drone, minimalism, and improvisation through projects like Beequeen, Goem, Zebra, Freiband, and more recently, his prolific live-electronics moniker Modelbau.

De Waard is also the scene's most dedicated archivist. For over 30 years, he helmed Vital Weekly, a legendary newsletter that documented the underground until its conclusion in late 2023. His influence extends to literature, having authored definitive books on the history of the Staalplaat label (This Is Supposed To Be A Record Label) and his own life in sound. From touring Japan with Pan Sonic to improvising with everyone from Andrew Liles to the mayor of Nijmegen, De Waard represents the absolute embodiment of the DIY ethos.

Secret Thirteen Mix 129 is less of a DJ set and more of a sonic memoir. While eclectic on the surface, the selection reveals the logical architecture behind De Waard’s own creative mind. Drawing from 21 timeless records (1977–2006), he connects the dots between seemingly disparat worlds: the rigorous minimalism of Steve Reich (which he discovered at age 13), the raw DIY spirit of Dutch post-punk (The Ex, The Rondos), and the tactile industrial noise of Organum.

The mix avoids drastic collisions, instead focusing on the subtle threads that bind these genres: the repetition in minimalism that mirrors the loops of industrial music, and the experimental freedom of early wave. As Frans notes, this collection allows the listener to "detect the influences" that shaped him—from the scratching textures of L.A.Y.LA.H. Records to the silly, orchestral grandeur of Sparks. It is a masterclass in context, proving that the distance between "Little Fluffy Clouds" and harsh tape noise is shorter than one might think.

Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers – Egyptian Reggae (Beserkley Records, 1977)
This was the very first 7” I ever bought. While perhaps not the biggest influence on my work, I included it for two reasons: I mostly like instrumental music, as shown by this very early purchase, and it remains a great song.

Steve Reich – Clapping Music (Nonesuch, 1987)
My father would have loved to see me share his passion for classical music, but he quickly gave up. Instead, he gifted me the Deutsche Grammophon 3LP set Drumming by Steve Reich when I was about 13 or 14. Ever since then, I have loved minimal music, especially Reich's earlier pieces.

The Rondos – A Black & White Statement (King Kong Records, 1980)
The Ex – Sucked Out Chucked Out 5 (VGZ Records, 1983)
I have never been very much into punk rock—maybe for two minutes, as I jokingly say these days. But I make an exception for these two pieces. Both bands are from The Netherlands; The Rondos quickly disappeared but already had a post-punk sound, while The Ex still exists. They are one of the few punk bands that sounded experimental early on, as these songs show. Both bands were heavily into the Do-It-Yourself ethos, something I still adhere to this very day.

Mekanik Kommando – Microbes (Torso, 1981)
The flexi-disc of this local band was a freebie with the first issue of Vinyl magazine. That opened up a whole new world for me. This track, from their first LP, is still a great song after all this time. Singer Peter van Vliet actually produces my band Beequeen these days.

Five Or Six – Theme (Cherry Red Records, 1982)
One of those post-punk bands that combined great songwriting with fine experimentalism. This track shows them exploring great minimalism.

Second Layer – Fixation (Cherry Red Records, 1981)
A side-project of The Sound, recorded in a day or so. I always preferred this over anything The Sound ever did. A fine inspiration for The Tobacconists!

Michael O’Shea – Kerry (Dome Records, 1982)
A street musician discovered by Gilbert & Lewis (of Dome, Wire) who built his own instrument and made one great record.

The Legendary Pink Dots – Outsider (Bain Total, 1985)
Probably the one band that, for me, always stood out in the world of cassette releases, combining good songs with experiments, electronics, and tape manipulations. Since the early nineties, they have been locally based, helping each other out when needed. Their early work is, for me, their best work.

Organum – Voice Of The Angel (L.A.Y.LA.H. Records, 1985)
Organum's LP In Extremis blew me away—all that scratching and scraping sounded great. I thought: "If he can do it, I can do it."

Dome – Reading Prof. B (Dome Records, 1980)
I got into Dome a little later, but over the years I grew fond of these records; again, for the sheer combination of studio experiment and song structures. More inspiration for The Tobacconists.

Zoviet France – Untitled (Mohnomishe) (Red Rhino Records, 1983)
Asmus Tietchens – Ultima Terra (Hamster Records, 1989)
Idea Fire Company – The Island of Taste (Swill Radio, 2005)
Main – XXI (Beggars Banquet, 1998)
All-time favorite bands, I'd say, and thoroughly fine people, all of them. Each of their works is highly appreciated. The same goes for Illusion Of Safety, below.

Pan Sonic – Vaihe (Fön) (Blast First, 1995)
Their early work blew me away, as I was just experimenting with the earliest Goem music at the same time.

Illusion Of Safety – Untitled (Mort Aux Vaches 2) (Staalplaat, 1999)
Piero Milesi - Modi 2 (Extract) (Cherry Red, 1982)
A fine short piece of minimal music which I always loved.

The Orb – Little Fluffy Clouds (Big Life, 1990)
In the mid-90s I absorbed a lot of ambient house music and The Orb were the best for me. Much of what I did in the ambient field wasn't great, I think, but I still love much of the genre.

The Associates – A Girl Named Property (Situation Two, 1981)
Sparks – There’s No Such Thing As Aliens (Gut Records, 2006)
I discovered both of these bands actually rather late, and that’s why they appear here at the end—also because I wanted to end on a silly musical note. I think one could say that both of these over-dramatic and, at times, orchestral and funny bands are an inspiration to much of the work carried out by Zebra/Wieman. I am sure Roel Meelkop agrees.