downloads_trojkaneemvrij

I think it was sometime back in the early '80s that King Crimson's Robert Fripp first made mention of 'mobile autonomous units'...or somesuch similar description. I wasn't initially sure what he was on about: although a precious gem in England's musical crown jewels for over three decades now, the dark and complex imagineering which fires Fripp is perfectly suited to a music idiom, but works less well in print - as can be confirmed by anyone who's read his ranting tirade against the world in general and the music industry in particular in the liner notes to Crimson's double live 'Absent lovers' album from 1984.

I believe what he was trying to describe was musical acts which, free of the constraints of the established music industry, could adapt to change and control their own destiny. This must've seemed like wishful thinking twenty odd years ago, but now - with the rapid expansion of the internet and development of digital technology - it's starting to become a reality: affordable multitrack and mastering gear, CD pressing and website distribution now allows anyone with the drive and resources to make their own albums at home and sell by online 'word of mouth'. And some musical talent also helps, of course...

Which is where Trojka comes in.

Trojka - Holland's Tjarko Busink - is a fine example of a 'mobile autonomous unit': he writes his own music and lyrics and arrangements, plays all the instruments, sings all the vocals, does all the production, and handles his own distribution. His album is called 'Neem vrij' - which doesn't sound like 'Neem fridge' in English, but is pronounced more like 'Name fray' and means 'Time off'. It's a collection of songs covering several different styles, ranging from quirky catchy pop, to funk-rock, to dark alternative pop. Influences audible to my ears included late-era Beatles, early-period Pink Floyd, 1960s King Crimson, XTC and Prince. The opening track 'Voorbij' even contains the wah-wah guitar and slightly saturated Rhodes/Wurlitzer electric piano sound reminiscent either of early 1970s funk-rock, or of Lenny Kravitz's continuing obsession with recreating it.

So, with so many disparate styles, doesn't this make for rather a schizophrenic listening experience? Well, yes and no. If this album had been reviewed even up to ten years ago, it would've been regarded as a sign of weakness for a band to cover so many styles as to give no real sign of which musical genre it belonged to. But it seems almost de riguer for pop acts these days to cover as much diverse stylistic territory as possible on their albums, from preppy pop to funk to metal-lite to even 1960s film soundtrack pastiche. But this doesn't apply in Trojka's case, because Trojka isn't a band: it's a songwriter/performer whose only concern is product quality, rather than the unnecessary band baggage of 'style' and 'message'. Besides, these are transient notions which quickly go out of fashion.

Instead, we can simply enjoy the quality and variety on offer. From the analogue funk-rock of 'Voorbij', to the exceedingly catchy title track with its sunny nylon guitar and multilayered vocal harmonies (listen to this one two or three times on the trot and it'll bounce merrily around inside your head for a fortnight), and the Crimsonesque craziness of 'Beter dan' with its fractured dancing rhythms, shifting time signatures and middle-eastern repeating vocal chant. 'Verliefd' is a slice of warm early '80s dance with a hint of darker Duran Duran about it...a song whose bridge suspends it perfectly between the tense shuffle of the verse and the open relief of the chorus. I was exploring the delights of a bottle of Fuller's London Porter (a traditional English ale-stout cross of unique character) as I listened to this song, and found the dark chocolate fugg of the beer a perfect sensory accompaniment.

Then there's the slightly wacky minor-key pop of 'Er moet iemand zijn' (There must be someone else), with its Caribbean-funk rhythm, dark surprises and hint of menace. 'Tijdbom' (Time bomb), is bouncing Level 42/Prince funk with great vocal rhythm effects and which is pure fun. 'Realiteit bijt' (Reality bites), is delicate minor-key pop whose tremolo guitar, electric piano and chorus/middle vocals evoke Sargeant Pepper-era Beatles. 'Marie' is another bright nylon guitar-driven verse, which changes suddenly into a heavy Arabic/Spanish theme with multiple vocals and strings/woodwind drones. And then there's 'Eenzaamheid' - another minor-key funk with surprising Latino-flavoured bridge and chorus, and touching use of simple guitar/vocals reductions.

Want more? OK...there's 'Vergeten' a slow heavy funk with great unison octave vocals and a bass/clavinet combination which makes it sound very Lenny/Prince. 'Teken van leven' is a slightly acid-tinged dance which turns into a leviathan minor-key strings trudge - like enormous dinosaurs plodding through a primeval swamp - before finishing as bright guitar pop. Then there's the electric piano-driven minor-key pop of 'Hoor'...the pure 1970s Euro pop-rock of 'Wolken en klei'...the dark, doomy confusion of 'Elisabeth en hij'...

I paid eight euros for Tjarko's album, which I guess is about the same in US dollars and was a mere five quid for us here in the UK. And to be honest, I can't think of any other way (legal or otherwise) of getting such lasting pleasure for such little outlay. In fact, I can only think of one weeny problem: the language. Its unusual combination of sounds makes Dutch one of the most instantly recognisable languages anywhere in Europe, and its also the closest major cousin for us English natives. Listening to fifteen songs sung in Dutch is a novelty at first, but becomes frustrating because you can't make that direct connection with the singer/writer so essential to intimate communication. Also importantly, it limits the appeal of the music to just Holland itself and the Flemish region of Belgium - and this is music which deserves a far wider market. If Tjarko wants to reap the benefits of that market, I think he may have to ditch the Dutch.

So...if you despair of modern chart music, with its endless rhythm-generating rap/hip hop clones, disposable production line pop dollies and Aretha Franklin soul-wannabes...if you're driven to distraction by the army of bedroom baseball caps and their 'dance music by numbers', the multitude of tedious sub-ghettoes driven exclusively by the desire to separate the young and gullible from their dosh...if instead you simply want to listen to great fun songs written and played with genuine talent, check out Tjarko Busink: the craft of the songwriter really is still alive.

(The author is a production editor at the CBI. He's composed music for Channel 5 television in the UK and is a regular contributor to 'Through The Woods')

'Neem Vrij' is Tjarko Busink's second CD, the first being 'Los Zand', which was released in 2000. With the exception of a few songs, he plays all the instruments, vocals and is responsible for the recording and mixing. The inspiration for the music was gathered partly from lyrics penned by a vocalist friend of Tjarko's. For whatever reason, the singer was not interested in singing the lyrics, so Tjarko put them to good use in the creation of this album. The first song on the cd certainly got my attention. The tune is titled 'Voorbij' and begins with a funky distorted keyboard at the intro, turning into a full out rock / funk jam that reminded me a bit of early Jeff Beck. The vocals are in Dutch, which I'm not at all familiar with, but made for a unique listening experience. Unable to understand the lyrics, I found myself focusing more on the music and vocal melodies.

The title track, 'Neem vrij' is quite a radical change in style from the opener. A very relaxing and melodic song, with well arranged background harmonies. This is certainly a style departure from 'Voorbij'. Both the main vocal and chorus melodies are very moving, emotional. I get the feeling there is some angst or sadness being conveyed. Although, maybe I'm way off base and the song is a totally happy one. It's kind of fun not being able to understand the language, as it creates a totally different perspective and center of focus (Tjarko has since sent me English translations of the lyrics, and it's even more revealing to listen again, knowing the context). 'Neem vrij' is one of my favorite tunes on the CD.

The third song 'Ongeluk' is similar to the funk / rock style of the opening track. The first few bars of the song sounds like your typical MTV female artist genre along the lines of Britney, Aguilera etc. This quickly changes when the vocals enter and the straight ahead drum beat kicks in. Heavy guitar rhythms glue the tune together well during the choruses. This is a very dynamic song which reminded me a little of later YES.

'Realiteit bijt' shifts back to a quieter tone. It's an interesting tune in that it relies on a fairly prominent, repeating electric / vibro-fied guitar melody line. I like the chord choices and changes, bordering on dissonant in spots, but in a good way. There is a particuliar middle section of the song that adds great contrast, and resolves back to the main melody seamlessly.

'Tijdbom' - Sophisticated tune. Excellent playing all round, in particular the bass guitar, which is Trojka's primary instrument. Lots of cool time and dynamic changes. Complicated and well executed. This one would really shine with acoustic drums.

'Beter Dan' - An upbeat tune with a continually repeating keyboard pattern during the verse sections. The stereo, wide panned bass is an interesting effect. Very 70'ish sounding instrumentation, which is always great (I'm partial to 70's music). This reminded me of a mix of UK, early YES and Beck (Jeff, not that guy.)

That's a brief overview of a few of the tracks from this 15 song album. The variation makes it a worthwhile and enjoyable listen, start to finish. The songs are sophisticated, and a good number of them are 'musicians music'. Overall, the recording quality is decent enough with clean and distinct mixes. The sampled drums get a bit wearing after awhile, but are programmed well enough to get the job done. Since many of the tunes lean towards the techno-electronic, this is a minor shortfall.

Trojka blends many different musical styles resulting in an impressive compilation of songs - Well worth the listen.

Emeric Loan ( Emeric is a computer / electronic tech who spends most of his spare time recording and writing music. On occasion, he records other peoples projects, if and when the opportunity arises. Emeric currently lives in the great white north.)