Pieter Nooten
| Pieter Nooten | |
|---|---|
 Pieter Nooten in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Born |
22 January 1961 Oss, Netherlands |
| Genres |
Dark Wave Electronic music Experimental music Ambient Film Music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Composer |
| Instruments |
Analog synthesizer Keyboard Mac Book Pro |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | 4AD, I-rain, Rocket Girl |
| Associated acts |
Clan of Xymox Cyberia |
| Website | www.pieternooten.com |
Pieter Nooten (born 22 January 1961 in Oss) is a Dutch musician and composer best known for his work with Clan of Xymox.[1]
Music career
Nooten's musical career began in the late 1970s. Starting out as the drummer in a local symphonic rock band,[2] he quickly changed to bass guitar and later keyboards, playing in different bands. At the height of house squatting culture and New Wave, Nooten met Anka Wolbert and Ronny Moorings who had just formed Clan of Xymox together. During the mid-eighties Clan of Xymox recorded two highly acclaimed albums on 4AD.
In 1987, he teamed up with Michael Brook to record Sleeps with the Fishes, released also on 4AD.[3] This album would become Nooten's most acclaimed work.[4]
In 1989 Clan of Xymox (by then simply "Xymox") signed to Polygram and released their third album, Twist of Shadows. By 1990, in spite of the band's success, he decided to leave Xymox due to growing internal musical differences. While Xymox clearly wanted to stick to their 1980s roots, he started exploring new musical directions. The new, young dance culture intrigued him and a post as in-house producer at the famous One4Two studio's in Amsterdam was readily undertaken.
During the first half of the nineties Nooten produced countless dance 12 inches and ambient orientated music for labels and projects (Hypercycle/First Contact/Ultimate Dream Mix),[5] some of which reached the national record charts.
By 1995 he moved back over to London and renewed the cooperation with Anka, who had also left Xymox. Nooten became somewhat tired with the slowly more and more morose dance music. He signed a publishing deal with Momentum (London). Anka and Pieter signed with EMI (NYC) under the name Vaselyn. However, due to record company internal re-organizations, the Vaselyn project in London was unexpectedly cut short. Anka and Nooten decided to take the material of Vaselyn with them knowing that some day, this material will get released.
Nooten took an extended sabbatical from the major record industry during which time he wrote music for theatre, commercials and other media occasions.
Around 2004 Anka and Pieter started producing Sophie Zeyl's debut album Two Ways of Running.[6] After recordings are finished in 2005, he started producing and remixing the material for Ourspace.
Anka and Pieter also released Anka's solo album Cocoon Time on I-rain records.
Nooten re-entered the music industry and started writing and composing again. He sang on Stoa's album 'Silmand' [7] and released a compilation on the 'Twilight' label. In 2010 Nooten signed with Rocket Girl in the UK, releasing the 12 track CD called Here Is Why which collected some very good reviews and showed his skill as a producer for other artists. Surround Us was produced completely using a Mac Book Pro and Midi keyboard, no other instruments were used except for Lucas Stam’s improvisational cello, which adds texture to the tracks it is featured on. Far beyond the clichés of contemporary electronica, Nooten squeezes heart wrenching melancholia out of the 'digital box', proving how good and deeply heartfelt home recorded electronica can sound, Nooten delivers a true masterpiece of lap top composition.
Discography
With Clan of Xymox
Albums:
- Clan of Xymox (4AD, 1985)
- Medusa (4AD, 1986)
- Twist of Shadows (Wing Records, 1989)
- Phoenix (Wing Records, 1991)
With Michael Brook
Albums:
- Sleeps with the Fishes (4AD, 1987)
With First Contact
Singles/EPs:
- I Call Upon (Hypercycle/Virgin, 1992)
- Proze & Cons (Hypercycle/Virgin, 1993)
- Into The Light (Hypercycle/Virgin, 1993)
- Gotta get back (2 Love) (Hypercycle/Virgin, 1993)
With Fingerprince
Singles/EPs:
- Trancelucent (Hypercycle, 1993)
Solo Discography
as Cyberia
Singles/EPs:
- Hanggliding (Hypercycle/Virgin, 1992)
- Albatross (Hypercycle/Virgin, 1992)
- Open Up (Hypercycle/Virgin, 1993)
- What Kids Do On A Rainy Day (Third Mind Records, 1995)
as Pieter Nooten
Albums:
- Ourspace (I-Rain, 2006)
- Collected (Twilight Records, 2008)
- Here Is Why (Rocket Girl, 2010)
- Surround Us (Rocket Girl, 2012)
- Haven (Rocket Girl, 2013)[8]
References
- ↑ "An Alternative 4AD: The Treasured Acts Buried Beneath The National And Pixies" Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 2015-5-5.
- ↑ "Bio Pieter Nooten". I-Rain. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ↑ Brook, Michael (4 October 2008). "Sleeps With the Fishes review".
- ↑ DiGravina, Tim. "Sleeps With The Fishes". All Music.
- ↑ "Post-(Clan of) XYMOX - Vaselyn, Hypercycle, Born for Bliss (Biography Part 5/5)". unruhr. 10 April 2011.
- ↑ "Sophie Zeyl: Two Ways Of Running (review)". Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- ↑ "Stoa: Silmand". Projekt Darkwave.
- ↑ Blake, Thomas. "Pieter Nooten Reviewed: Organic Beauty From the Digital Age". Spindle. Retrieved 4 June 2013.