is an artist and curator based in Amsterdam (NL). He graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in 2016 and participated in the Curatorial Practices In Music at Artez. His work has been shown at De Appel Arts Centre, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, De School, Bellevue Theater, Art Rotterdam & De Oude Melkfabriek (Enschede). The projects that Jeroen Vermandere produced have been subsidized by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, De Appel, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ & De School
In 2017 he started the recordlabel ‘Ongehoord’. The label has been picked up by ‘The Wire’. Deadline Paranaoia 1/3 is included in their top 50 archival releases of 2018 (issue, 419).
Jeroen Vermandere is thankful to have been sponsored by Sonos in 2016 for his graduation work. This work has also been nominated for the Young Blood Awards and exhibited on several locations in the Netherlands.
The record label ‘Ongehoord’ is distributed by Clone Records (Rotterdam)
contact; jeroenvermandere@gmail.com
0031630005820
Releases: https://ongehoord.bandcamp.com/
2017 Narwal Nirvana, vinyl ltd. & digital
2018 Deadline Paranoia 1/3, vinyl ltd. & digital
2018 Deadline Paranoia 2/3, vinyl ltd. & digital
2019 Driftmachine Plays Marien van Oers, vinyl ltd & digital
2020 Waclaw Zimpel – Massive Oscillations, vinyl ltd & digital
2021 Deadline Paranoia 3/3, vinyl ltd. & digital
Some projects are listed below;
‘Massive Trance: interpreted by Driftmachine’ presented at the Minimal Music Festival 2019.
The concert took place on Saturday April 6th from 19.00 to 20.00 on the foyer deck of Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ. Prior to the concert there will be a conversation between Jeroen Vermandere & Femke Dekker which started at 18.15.
Massive Trance is the title of a cassette from 1983. Marien van Oers (1955–2013) produced the cassette with the following protocol in mind: “The basic idea of the performance is experiencing a constant repetition of sound (=rhythm), which can result in the spectator taking action through movement or getting into a form of trance.” Marien van Oers was mainly known for his one–person group, Het Zweet, active from 1983 to about 1988.
His percussion–based pieces were all but industrial; the self–built instruments and repetitive chanting aim to achieve a physicality that is close to tribal music. With this performance, the aim is not to blindly restage the original recording of Van Oers, but instead to actively reinterpret the piece by tweaking its protocol. Instead of dogmatically following the instructions, Vermandere & Driftmachine take the ultimate aim of the piece (attaining trance) as the starting point, so as to then work back to crafting a space for different rhythms, tempos and sounds.
This project is made possible by the support of Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ & De Appel
Jeroen Vermandere presents ‘Massive Trance’ Interpreted by Driftmachine
Jeroen Vermandere invites the Berlin-based duo Driftmachine to interpret the instructions of “Massive Trance”, a cassette from 1983. Marien van Oers (1955-2013) made the cassette with the following protocol: “The basic idea of the performance is experiencing a constant repetition of sound (=rhythm), which can result in the spectator taking action through movement or getting into a form of trance.” Marien van Oers was mainly known for his one-person group Het Zweet, active from 1983 to about 1988. His percussion-based pieces that were all but industrial: the self- built instruments and repetitive chanting aim to achieve a physicality that is closer to tribal music.
With this performance, the aim is not to blindly restage the original recording of Van Oers, but to actively reinterpret the piece by tweaking its protocol. Instead of dogmatically following the instructions, Vermandere takes the ultimate aim of the piece (attaining trance) as a starting point, to then work his way back to craft a space for different rhythms, tempos and sounds. He invited Driftmachine to play their self-built instruments and modular equipment to reach the essence of trance — a constant repetition, but one consisting of organic syncopations. Against the controllable grid of midi, in this modular setting things will drift away, pop up again to finally disappear entirely. Trance=repetition, but to arrive at another state of consciousness, the instrument must first behave idiosyncratically — become human.
Normally music would behave as a painting: there is an ideal spot from which the totality of the work should be apprehended. If we equate stereo with seeing perspective with two eyes, then this 15.3 setup (15 different speakers and 3 subwoofers; all triggered independently) pushes the spatial logic of music to create a more sculptural force field. By creating a constant movement between speakers that all operate different sounds, we are forced to position ourselves in this immersive installation. There is no longer an ideal standpoint in this endless configuration of different sounds: sound becomes sculptural.
Vermandere tirelessly digs up the forgotten debris of Dutch cassette culture. He re-releases these forgotten tapes (lo-fi culture materialised in desolate objects) on vinyl on his label Ongehoord. The performance of the protocol of Marien van Oers stands in this line of actively reinterpreting a bygone cassette culture. The active interpretation forces us to look again at the original intentions, to look again at the original spirit of the work. As a distinct culture is conserved by adapting, tweaking and reshaping it, archiving becomes an artistic practice.
text: Laurens Otto
This project is supported by: Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst & De School.
Title: Tapes year:2017 size: 6 x 3 meter
Jeroen Vermandere collects cassette tapes from sound artists and musicians based in the Netherlands. In particular, he collects limited edition cassette tapes from the 80’s DIY scene that were already extremely rare at that time. Miniature artwork in plastic covers; underground sound that still sounds challenging. Each tape, connects to a story of musicians and artists who performed for a mini-audience, engineered sound recordings, self-replicated and distributed. These music groups or one-men firms used home-made instruments, vacuum cleaners, synthesizers or operated according to a predetermined script. Graphic work that can be folded or collapsed, painted cassettes. Manual labour.
Jeroen Vermandere has set up a small collection of these gems, often released under obscure aliases. With each tape he researches and meets the creators, relatives and listeners and collects the stories that give the cassette, the music and the creators a colorful and sonorous history.
The tapes will be featured in De Appel from November 10th. On Fridays and Saturdays, Vermandere welcomes two people per time slot. In this small company, the stories he has gathered are told and the music and sounds are explored.
Due to limited number of places, reservation is mandatory. Please see below for the available time slots.
Reservations can be done via info@deappel.nl
Listen here to Tapes on Red Light Radio
Title: Erasing Sound year:2016 size: 7×5 meter
One recorder plays one tape loop for every single drum. And every single drum has his own drumbeat sound played by the loudspeaker which is inside. So far it seems to be a very simple self contained installation. The drums seem to speak for themselves, not even been beaten by sticks. If you stay more than a while in this installation, you will notice slight changes in rhythm and once you are caught by this phenomenon, you’ll try to unveil these changes and suddenly you realize that you are in a constantly changing universe of beats. Small changes in a long time span. If you stay long enough, or revisit the installation after a few hours, the changes are much bigger. The installation seems to erase itself. The amount of beats is getting less and less dense. As if you are able to take notice of the expansion of the universe in an instant.
Jeroen Vermandere managed to open up a mechanism, hidden for most people, but perceptive for those who are patient enough to observe over time. The slowly steady mesmerizing movement of the tape-loops invites you into this state of slow observing and giving attention to small changes. By showing all the elements of the installation ‘just as they are’ there is no doubt in being tricked by an illusion. With all the descisions Jeroen Vermandere has made building this installation, he demonstrates to be gifted with a subtle sense for proportion and time.
Text by Hans Muller
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